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Retina MacBook Q&A
Published July 8, 2017
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How fast are the "Mid-2017" MacBook models compared to one another? How much faster are they than the "Early 2016" models replaced? How fast are they compared to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro at the time these models were introduced?
Please note that the "Mid-2017" MacBook models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A is up-to-date and remains quite helpful for anyone considering one of these notebooks on the used market.
In the company press release for the "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook models -- the MacBook "Core m3" 1.2 12", "Core i5" 1.3 12", and "Core i7" 1.4 12" -- Apple mentions that the company has added "faster Kaby Lake processors" and "up to 50 percent faster SSD" storage.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mid-2017 Retina MacBook)
With an unspecified increase in processor performance and a specified increase in SSD performance, it is a safe bet that most of the performance increase will be related to disk activity.
For a more detailed assessment, an objective performance comparison is necessary. Likewise, a comparison to recent MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models is helpful, too.
General Performance Overview
For a useful overview of the performance difference between the "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook and other notebooks, EveryMac.com's own Ultimate Mac Comparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench benchmark averages with all other G3 and later Macs for thousands of possible performance comparisons.
For example, the Geekbench 4.0 benchmark shows that the standard high-end model -- the MacBook "Core i5" 1.3 12" -- is 2% faster in single core and 5% faster in multicore tasks than the entry-level MacBook "Core m3" 1.2 12" model. Additionally, the MacBook "Core i7" 1.4 12" model with a custom configured 1.4 GHz Core i7 (I7-7Y75) processor is between 14%-17% faster than the low-end model and 11%-12% faster than the standard high-end model.
It is worth noting that the custom processor option costs 19% more than the entry-level model and 10% more than the standard high-end model, so it is a relatively good value for those interested in maximum performance.
Compared to the "Early 2016" Retina MacBook models replaced, the "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook are significantly faster overall:
| 2016 MacBook | 2017 MacBook | Percent Faster |
| "Core m3" 1.1 12" | "Core m3" 1.2 12" | 32% |
| "Core m5" 1.2 12" | "Core i5" 1.3 12" | 21% |
| "Core m7" 1.3 12" | "Core i7" 1.4 12" | 23% |
Compared to the standard MacBook Air "Core i5" 1.8 13", the standard "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook models -- MacBook "Core m3" 1.2 12" and MacBook "Core i5" 1.3 12" -- are between 6%-8% and 8%-13% faster, respectively.
However, even the fastest custom configured "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook -- the MacBook "Core i7" 1.4 12" -- is around 6%-14% slower than the slower than slowest "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook Pro -- the MacBook Pro "Core i5" 2.3 13". Although the non-Pro MacBook is 6%-14% slower, this custom configuration costs 17%-19% more.
Other Benchmarks & Real-World Test Results
Geekbench provides a solid overview of overall performance, but additional benchmarks and real-world tests also can be useful for perspective, particularly given Apple's focus on disk performance.
In its own "Multimedia Multitasking 3.0" test, which makes an effort to simulate real-world use, C|Net found the "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook to be a modest 5% faster than its predecessor.
For graphics, specifically, Macworld tested the "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook with the Cinebench OpenGL benchmark and discovered:
The new $1,299 MacBook, with its Intel HD Graphics 615, posted a 22 percent improvement over last year's MacBook with its Intel HD Graphics 515. The improvement is quite dramatic when compared to the [2015] MacBook and its Intel HD Graphics 5300 integrated chip: it's a 181 percent jump.
Finally, in the most detailed testing of all, Computer Shopper [no longer online] hit the "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook with a barrage of tests and found it to be faster than its predecessor, but much slower than the 2016 MacBook Pro as well as a multitude of Windows notebooks that generally are physically larger.
For Photoshop CS6, for example, the publication reported that the "Mid-2017" MacBook performed a series of tasks 30 seconds faster than its non-Pro predecessor but 23 seconds slower than its Pro predecessor.
Performance Summary
Ultimately, the "Mid-2017" MacBook, when compared to the "Early 2016" MacBook models replaced, provide a significant increase in speed overall as well as in graphics and disk performance, but it is not always as significant in real-world use.
Although the "Mid-2017" Retina MacBook finally surpassed the performance of the MacBook Air, which hadn't been substantially updated in two years, it remains a notebook that is best suited for someone who is not interested in performance, but instead wants a beautiful display in a small housing. If performance is more important to you, the Retina MacBook Pro is a better choice.
In the US, site sponsor Other World Computing sells used and refurb MacBook models at bargain prices with free shipping. On the other hand, if you need to sell a MacBook, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr buy Retina MacBook models and many other Mac notebooks with an instant online quote and prompt payment.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs has a good selection of used and refurbished MacBook models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.
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