Retina vs Non Retina for gaming?

I just got the Retina Macbook pro with the Nvidia Geforce 650m video card,16g memory, 768gb flash memory. My question is, I am running windows via bootcamp partition as well and am wondering if a non retina system with the same video card and only 8gb of memory is still going to perform better at running games like battlefield 3, bio shock infinite. I have installed these games and battlefield 3 looks good but is not on high settings, but because its on a laptop I am ok with compromising visuals some for the mobility. I have talked to apple representatives and they can never give me a clear answer to this question. They say that the computer has been optimized for retina, but common sense tells me running a game at 2880 x 1800 is more demanding on the video card than 1680 x 1050 (non retina high res display)
Thoughts on this please?

I agree with @clintonfrombirmingham, even if the hardware is the same, it really isnt quite so. You have higher pixel density but that also means regardless of screen size, you're still pushing more pixels (2880x1800) vs (1440x900) - again, logic to me says i7 2.7ghz / 1GB 650M / 8GB Ram is less stressed pushing the lesser of the two thus getting better performance, frame rates etc. I get that because of the pixel density the retina can in cases look sharper, but running fast pased FPS @ Retina I think will be very taxing on the system.
Does anyone know what is the bottom line or benchmarks for such a use case?

Similar Messages

Macbook Pro 15 inch retina vs non retina refurbs

Hi Everyone,
I know this question has been asked 100s of times, but I feel in this case it might be best to ask directly.
I am buying a new macbook pro, which I will be using for primarily video editing (using, fcpx, PP and Avid)
There are two avaiblable refurb models, a retina and non retina. Normally, I would lean towards the non retina, because of its user replaceable parts.
However, the cost of upgrades to the non-retina would be almost 500 dollars more to get it close in line to what the retina model offers out of the box.
Same specs in both, 500 dolllars more for non retina with upgrades. So in short my question is, is there anyone here who would still go with a non-retina model with that 500 dollar price difference? Has anyone had any serious issues with the retinas?
Would love to hear peoples thoughts.

Thanks for the Reply Marcus,
I know it almost seems like a no-brainer, but the non-replaceable parts really concerns me. I've had my current macbook pro for 5 years now, (having to replace a few things in the last year) and I would like this next purchase to last as long. If say something goes after the 3 year apple warranty expires, do you know how much something like the hard drive or audio jack or battery would cost to replace? Also, the non retina is a high res matte screen, if that makes any difference to anyone.
Thanks again,
jeremy

Creating multi-rendition (retina and non-retina) from one folio

Hi there,
We'd like to create a multi-rendition folio from a single, retina-sized set of source files. I've seen this discussed in a few places, but am not sure of the workflow. Is anyone able to point to a guide for doing this?
Thanks in advance,
Toby

Anything two years old pertaining to DPS is too old to take with anything
but a grain of salt. Things have changed dramaticallyand for the better.
When that article was written, renditions were the only way to support both
retina and non-retina devices.
Try it yourself. Create a few test articles and turn them into folios with
PNG at 1024x768, 2048x1356, and finally a PDF folio at 1024x768 and make
your own judgements.
Barring some incredibly high end need, I'm pretty confident that you'll have
a very difficult time justifying the extra work of doing renditions. But
should you have a certain graphic that you feel needs to be 144ppi you can
can create a one state image sequence using the hd/sd assets.
Finally, unless you have a pro or enterprise account, this is moot. Single
Edition apps do not support renditions. Here' a link to one I did recently:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-9-months/id528623198?mt=8
Check it out. It's done as I described above. 1024x768 PDF.

MacBook Air, MacBook Pro Retina, or Non- Retina for academic high school student?

I will be going into high school in September and am thinking of getting a MacBook for school. This is my first computer except for the family PC desktop. I am in all academic classes, and am taking business and exploring technology ( designing and building things) I would use the laptop for schoolwork as well as gaming ( nothing too intense, just stuff like portal and Garry's mod), internet, iTunes, and ilife. It will be a gift from at least 7 people, so price is important, but not a huge factor. I think a 13" screen in perfect for my needs. Would a MacBook Pro Retina, a MacBook Pro non- retina, or a MacBook Air be the best choice for me?

If you use DVDs and CDs more than often (most people don't) then go for the MacBook Pro nonretina. I would go for the MacBook Air or pro retina because their graphics cards are much better then get a $40 usb DVD drive to load movies and other content. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro retina also have "flash storage" and haswell chips making them super fast at opening files and applications and boosts oversell performance. You sound like you're not going to be doing any editing or graphics intense work so I would recommend the MacBook Air with 8gb ram and however much storage as you want. For around $100 more you could get the MacBook Pro retina that has the amazing display and better graphics. In the end, if the retina display would be the only real upgrade for you and price is in consideration, I would recommend the MacBook Air (also apple usually releases new model macbook airs in June so you could get one now or just wait. I would wait).

MacBook Pro retina or non retina?

What is a better laptop ?
I'm not sure which one to buy, the retina which I would have to wait for updates to see the full potential of the retina.
I want to have the laptop for A while and will need it to use everyday, emailing, TONS of googling and TABS up
The occasional photoshop and lots of photos.
I haven't owned a macbook before so I want something with a decent hard drive which leads me to the non retina
However the retina is lighter and I'll take it traveling with me a few times a year.
I have heard about problems with both, the non retina overheats and you can't sit it on your bed?
Is that true?
The retina is more expensive but faster
I'd love to hear from anyone who owns either to help me decide
As I will be buying one in the next few weeks
Thank you in advance

A couple of things to start off with before we get to "to retina or not to retina".
Based on your description of your daily computing tasks you don't really need "THE MOST POWERFULL AWESOMEST AMAZING COMPUTER EVER".
What does never owning a macbook before have to do with needing a decent hard drive. And I think by "decent hard drive" you are refering to the storage space and not the quality of the drive.
"Traveling a few times a year" with your computer means you're seeking the slimmest and lightest available? People who commute with their laptops daily need to be concerned about this more than somebody who will take it out a few times a year.
Also you should never put any computer, windows, mac, or other kind on a soft surface. What happens is that those surfaces conform to the shape of the computer and block the fan in/out ports. This prevents the computer from being able to properly cool itself and result in overheating.
So "to retina or not to retina"...
I believe you'd be plenty happy with a regular macbook pro. In fact I'd bet you'd be happy with a macbook air. The current generation air's virtually match the 13 inch macbook pro's in specifications. The biggest distinction you'll notice will be storage space for the money. Ultimately if you choose traditional HDD over SSD you'll get more storage space for the money.
You mention "the retina is more expensive but faster". You are correct, sort of. The retina maintains a speed advantage based primarly in this "all flash" design. Apple directly connected the ram to the motherboard, and the SSD directly to the motherboard as well. This does significantly increase performance. However I believe you may be able to achieve considerably close performance with a SSD in a non-retina MBP.
In my opinion you would be well suited with a macbook air, spend the extra money you'll save by buying a MBA on upgrading the hard drive/ram/processor and you'll have a computer much lighter than a MBP with similar performace to a 13 inch MBP.
If you're completely sold on the rMBP(retina macbook pro) consider/remember this, however you buy it is how it'll stay. You cant upgrade/change the ram or hard drive. They're built in and you cannot change them.
If you want to save some money upfront and get less ram and less storage space and upgrade later your best bet is the regular MBP.

How do InDesign documents compare on retina and non-retina screens?

I've heard that InDesign looks bad on retina screens, but I don't live near a mac dealer and I can't see any photos anywhere to judge for myself.
Does anyone have any photos which could show how it compares to a non-retina mac?

Hi Anubha,
I do not understand what you said below.
I am running Adobe Acrobat Pro Version 9.5.5. I do not remember whether it came with Photoshop or InDesign.
When I open Photoshop, it opens without my having to follow any instructions to activate the software. As a matter of fact, I cannot find my Photoshop serial number anywhere in the Photoshop program itself. I do know it from my profile at Adobe.com. Are you suggesting I deactivate Photoshop on the new computer and then reactivate it using my serial number? Will it reactivate?
When you say
"/Library/Application Support/Adobe" at the root level of the startup disk (not the Library folder inside a user's Home folder)
what do you mean? I do not have a startup disk. I have the original installation disk but that version of Photoshop has been updated a few times.
After staring at your instructions for a while, I realized that you might be talking about the Library/Application Support folders resident on my Macintosh HD, although why you called it a startup disk is unclear to me. IAC, I went into those folders and duly moved the three folders into a new folder I called “Acrob1” and restarted Adobe Acrobat 9 and got the following error message: “AMT Subsystem Failure The licensing subsystem has failed catastrophically. You must reinstall of call customer support.” with a small (6).
By undoing my actions I am back to the staus quo ante.
Now what?
Regards, Robert

Need opinions / insights on retina vs non-retina Macbook Pro

Hi everyone! For weeks now, I have decided that I will be buying the new 13 inch Macbook Pro Retina as a replacement for my very old Acer laptop. I've been a Windows user all my life and this will be the first time that I'll be owning a Mac. So for weeks, I have been researching the pros and cons of the new MBPr versus the non-retina MBR but I have read that there's a huge problem about overheating with the new MBPr, the fans and some also say that the Mail is not working very well and the battery drains easily.
I still want to buy a MBPr because it's the newest from Apple, I love the resolution and I really like that they took the optical drive out. Does anyone of you know if they already solved the problem in overheating and the fan? This laptop is super expensive and I'll go crazy if I buy this and having to deal with these problems.
And also, I know the MBPr is the new laptop of Apple but is it that great compared to the ordinary MBP? The ordinary MBP doesn't have problems in overheating, etc... So... basically I just had doubts if I should buy the Retina or the Non-Retina of the Macbook Pro.
Thank you to anyone who will reply and give their opinions and insights

The 13" lacks a dedicated graphics processor, it's why it's hot, it's basically a dressed up $400 dual core office store computer with a fancy metal case, too small of a screen and a screen res too high that you really can't tell much from a non-retina anyway.
The machine is sealed up, you can't upgrade the memory or switchout the storage for something better.
Many are rather disappointed with the "Pro" label being attached to such a underperforming machine, especially the kids who come here whining they can't play many games on it.
As a power user and occassional gamer, I absolutely abhor anything below a 15" which does have the muscle with it's quad core goodness and dedicated graphics which it more than twice as fast and lasts twice as long as that stock Intel HD junk.
Run three operating systems at once if you need too. See the pics here.
Windows in BootCamp or Virtual Machine?
In fact I've got myself one of the last 17" MacBook Pro monsters which I treat with extra loving care as it's a collectors item now.
If your going to treat yourself to a expensive Mac, why short change your experience with a tiny cramped 13" screen that's going to be sitting on your chest half the time?
I want your first time experience on a Mac to be a good one, pony up for the top of the line 15" and AppleCare, use a external keyboard and mouse to keep the wear and tear off of it.
I do advise the non-retina anti-glare high res sold in the online store. That baby you can max the RAM out at 16GB, even put two drives in it if you wish with a Superdrive caddy.
Anti-glares are great for the fact that there is no reflections on the screen, use it nearly anywhere, outside etc. and not have to worry about not seeing the screen. There has been a long thread about the glossy screens bothering people's eyes here.
You can read the whole glossy vs matte screen debate online.
A little hidden secret about using Mac's, if you get one of the lower end models, you always feel like you should have gotten one of the better ones. It's because OS X is the same on all the machines regardless of performance, so it tends to feel crapped out quicker on the lower end models and the truth is, dual cores are a has been, quad cores are the new thing.
Your going to be hooked up to power regardless of what machine you buy to reduce your battery cycles as the more cycles, the less the battery lasts and will either have to be replaced, or the entire machine replaced!
IMO, getting the 13" is like walking into a Porchse dealer and walking off with one of the scratch and dent models.

Please recommend between Macbook pro retina and non-retina.

I need to buy Macbook pro 13 but confused between Retina & non-retina. My main use is internet browsing, watching movies, & email (movies with mainly bluray) So what would you recommend? Does the non retina plays movies (bluray) with good quality?

A BluRay movie is only 1920x1080 pixels at most. Any Mac display would show it just fine - the Retina display doesn't give you any advantage. As the previous poster pointed out, though, you need a BluRay player connected, and software from MacGo. It actually works pretty well in my experience.
http://www.macblurayplayer.com/
The Retina display is great for displaying high resolution photos, but movies are much lower resolution. Email and Internet won't benefit at all.
Matt

Retina vs non-Retina

I'm trying to determine what will happen if a non-Retina viewer opens an app that was designed @ 2048 x 1536. Should I be using the hi-def size InDesign document? Will it scale? Is it even possible to view an app that was designed for a Retina screen on an old iPad?

If it's a multi-folio app, a 2048x1536 folio won't show up on an SD iPad. If it's a single-folio app, it scales on an SD iPad, but the results are usually bad.
The recommended approach is to create a single 1024x768 folio with articles in PDF image format.
See these articles:
http://helpx.adobe.com/digital-publishing-suite/help/creating-dps-content-different-ipad.h tml
http://helpx.adobe.com/digital-publishing-suite/help/creating-multi-rendition-pdf-articles .html

Big difference between Retina and non-Retina MacBooks on ACD?

I'm deciding between a 13" MacBook pro/retina and a 13" MacBook Air. It'll mostly be used with my 24-inch, Late 2008 (1920 x 1200) Apple Cinema display. Will I see a big difference in text clarity with the Retina Pro instead of an Air plugged into it? Thanks for any advice.

Thank you very much for the reply Geoff93......but I'm still baffled.
If what you say is so......Is BT not my ISP ?? ......(and therefore "bypassing their own congestion" to achieve better figures) ? How come other users show speedtest.net download figures of 30+ Mbs when I struggle to get more than 10 ? and still doesn't explain why my download speed is nearly always less than upload speed ?
The Openreach engineer said that according to his meter on installation I had a possible 37+ Mb down and almost 10 up....but in practice he was only getting Speedtest.net readings of around 4.5 Mbs to 11 Mbs using both wireless and/or ethernet cable and using three different computers (with three different versions of Windows) to cross check.
I had hoped (and expected from the option 2 + Anytime calls Infinity monthly agreement taken on !) that the speed of operation would have been quite noticeably faster than the old 1 Mb down / .5 Mb upload copper cable connection but it has not .....and is less reliable having dropped connection regularly last week.

Seems like non retina macbook pro is more expensive than retina macbook pro!

MacBook Pro 15-inch 2.6 GHz is $2,299.00 with the Antiglare Widescreen Display now. If I wanna upgrade it with Crucial 16GB kit ($80) and 256GB Crucial m4 2.5" SSD with Data Transfer Kit ($220) it's gonna coast $2,599.00 all together. On the other hand, with the base Retina version with the upgrades (2.6 GHz, 16GB) from Apple It only coasts 2,499.00. I even save $100 for my external DVD burner if I want to get one. Most people say on this forum non retina is cheaper than retina MAcbook pro but I couldn't figure it out how please tell me if I am missing anything!
I have been looking for most discussions in this forum about retina and non retina Macbook pro. Most people think that upgrading is the biggest issue with the Retina Macbook pro but can we upgrade the non retina version more than 16GB? if we can't it's not an issue. With the SDD I guess we can go with the external ones if we really need one and I assume that external SSD's are going to get cheaper in the time too or we can get external USB3 / Thunderbolt hard drives. I just decided to purchase one of these Macbook pro and started looking for more information online to figure out which one is better but I got more confused because the numbers say the Retina is cheaper and upgrading is not that big of a deal but most people who know about Apple products more than me on this forum say non Retina is cheaper and it can be upgraded after purchasing it.
I might be wrong with my thoughts but I need some info about upgrading. What rigs can I upgrade with the non retina Macbook pro?
(Only RAM and Hard drive or more than that?) I would like to know your thoughts and advises too?
Thanks for your help!
I am thinking of getting one of these for video editing (Final cut pro X)!

Yep, the only things that you can upgrade on the non-Retina models is the RAM and the HD/SSD. I'm assuming that your calculations are correct, so you've just got to decide if you want to the Retina display model or not. For me, there have been too many issues with the Retina models to buy one just now - but I'm sure that there are a lot of happy Retina owners out there - we only hear from those having problems.
Clinton

Non-retina MacBook Pro advice

Hi, I need your advice concerning a non-retina MacBook Pro 15".
I have a 5 years old MacBook Pro 15 (not unibody), upgraded with RAM and SSD. It's working fine but I would have to spend about 300€ to replace battery and fix another little problem. Again, the Mac is working fine and I'm pretty satisifed with it.
Anyway, a friend who is also a certified apple tech suggested me to go for a new one.
Being a significantly investment (around 2000€), I'd like to know your opinion about the retina vs non retina models.
He told me to go for the non-retina because:
- I already own a Sata3 SSD which can be installed on the new one
- save the money I would spend for my actual mac to get the high res antiglare option
- get the firewire and superdrive
- easy ram upgrade
- slightly cheaper
- it should serve another 5 years time frame
What about it?
My main field is web development, CS6, audio production, office and common daily stuff.
One last question. Since the latest update was in June 2012, is it worth to wait for a 2013 model?
Thank you very much!

The jury is still out on the retina display for the premium one has to pay. Personally, I would examine what is available in the refurbished section. The pricing is more favorable and you get essentially new MBPs with the same warranty and Apple support as virgin new ones.
If cutting edge performance is your preference, do wait for the next generation when ever that will be. I on the other hand went 'backwards' and recently bought a late 2011 MBP. The principle reason being that I wanted the 17" display. It may not have all of the latest 'speed' options but I find it to be an excellent machine.
I also have a 2006 Core Duo and it works perfectly within the constraints of the installed hardware. It is noticeably slower in certain situations compared to the newer MBPs but unless one's requirements are for really heavy duty applications, it is more than adequate.
Determine what your real needs are and what features are really required and go from there Try to extinguish emotion in your selection and do an impartial cost benefit analysis.
Ciao.

Opinions on 13" retina & non-retina

Hello everyone, I have been reviewing online and looking at the apple store. Ive read tons of comments on this very same topic but figured I'd try and get some more insight. Right now I am looking at either the retina or non-retina 13" macbook pro.
Money is not really an issue first off, but at the same time I want to stick with the 13." I tend to stick with laptops that are on the smaller side. I'm not really asking whether the retina is worth the money or anything.
First off I have seen issues about screen flickering but have not been able to determine whether this has been solved or is still a possiblity. Definitely a concern as no one wants a brand new broken laptop.
Second I have read benchmark after benchmark showing good results, at least for me, but have also read where people have display lag issues of some sort. Many blame the integrated graphics. Either way, I don't use many, if any heavy programs that would put a huge strain to require better graphics. Just trying to avoid having screen lag while on safari and listening to music or a combination that should cause no problem. From what I have played around on the retina macbook at the store, I have seen no issues whatsoever, but just trying to get first hand experience.
Thanks for any help and advice.

Even some of the newest 13" Retina models are experiencing image retention - there's a huge thread on here somewhere. To me, that's one strike against the Retina.
The second strike is that the Retina model is not ugradeable to 16GB of RAM - that may not be important to you now, but it may down the road if you intend on keeping the machine for any length of time.
The third strike (and it's out!) to me is the inability to ugrade the storage space. You're stuck with what you buy. With the non-Retina model you can upgrade to a larger capacity hard drive or a SSD.
That's my take - I've a non-Retina machine with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD (soon to be a 960GB SSD) and I like the even small amount of 'customizing' that I can do - and have done.
Just my 2¢ - I vote for the 13" non-Retina.
Clinton

Could I have purchased an i7 13" MBP non-retina in-store?

Hey everyone!
Back in October, I purchased the 13" non-retina display MBP at my nearest Apple Store. I really wanted to get the higher-end i7 version (as it was listed on the website) but, I wasn't asked if I wanted to configure it to higher specs when I was in-store. At the time, I was only given the option between the retina and non-retina model so I went with the non-retina because it was cheaper but, I found out it only had an i5 processor. Now, I'm kinda stuck with the lowest-end mid-2012 MBP.
So, is configuring a MacBook Pro an online-only thing or could I have configured it in-store?

Hi d,
From everything I've ever read, seen, heard and experienced, you have to do a build-to-order Mac online, so don't beat yourself up.

Best deal for Non-Retina Macbook Pro?

I'm looking to buy a new Macbook Pro (Non-Retina) in the next month or two, and I've narrowed it down to these three options.
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MD101LL-13-3-Inch-VERSION/dp/B0074703CM/ref= zg_bs_16368311_1
http://store.apple.com/us_edu_307542/cart
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro/13
Which one of these pages offers me the best bang for my buck? I currently am using a Sony that's about a year old. It has 8 GB of RAM, an I5 2410M at 2.30 GHz, and Intel HD Graphics 3000, It's a 14.4 inch screen. I use it for gaming, watching and streaming movies, word processing and productivity, and internet browsing. I'd prefer to have 8GB of RAM in the new computer.
Looking to keep cost below $1300-$1400

phantom_tran wrote:
Honestly, I have some money to spend, and I might like to get a new laptop to play with. I've never had a Mac either. Just looking around.
OK. It was just that the one you had seemed like a decent machine already.
The prices seem so close that I would be inclined to go with the refurb i7 / 8GB RAM / 750GB storage model. But all the models have more CPU and disk space than you need for the tasks you listed, except maybe gaming where Macs are usually weak because of the graphics card. But I guess since you had an Intel 3000 graphics card the 4000 isn't a step back.
You can also save money by getting one of the 4GB RAM models and putting in a cheap non-Apple RAM upgrade yourself, ordering it from a place like OWC:
MacBook Pro 2012 upgrades
One note about Apple. I wouldn't buy refurbs from most companies, but the Apple refurb program is top-notch. They are like new, and come with a full warranty. I've had Apple refurbs that were 100% reliable, and "new" models I paid full price for that needed warranty service.

Retina vs Non Retina for gaming?

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