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Post by сhad2 on Mar 17, 2021 18:00:30 GMT
Hey guys, So what's the general consensus on Radeon Pro 5500M vs 5600M? Is the upgrade worth it for casual gamer (no external display)? In my particular case, I can buy 16-inch MBP with 5500M 4GB for 230K (currently on sale, base i9, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD) and the same model built on order with 5600M is 330K. 5500M 8GB is not avaliable for purchase at reasonable price (i.e. same configuration with 5500M 8GB is only build on order for 300K). eGPU of performance similar to 5600M is ~80-100K (second-hand Razer Core X, some second-hand RTX 2060-2070 GPU, no external display so 30% performance penalty of Thunderbolt 3), but I'm negative on eGPU because system is Windows 10 uptime 100%, stability is important (many thread on egpu.io regarding stability issues especially after updating Windows, no time for that). And no warranty for second-hand eGPU setup. New GPU prices abnormal where I live. Kind regards, Chad P.S. May be wrong board but this one has more users who actually use this computers. Please don't move thread for a while. P.P.S. I did my research and if anyone's interested: - Pro 5600M is about 10-13% slower than laptop version of Nvidia RTX 2060 (not Max-Q),
- Pro 5500M is about 11% slower than RX 5500M,
- Pro 5600M is about 7% slower than RX 5600M,
- Pro 5500M is about 22% slower than Pro 5600M.
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Simon
Junior Boot Camper
Posts: 11
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Post by Simon on Apr 16, 2021 15:48:04 GMT
Hi Chad. It's hard to say. BTW, what currency is that?
I saw a good price on a model with the 5600M on Apple's refurbished site once (in Australia) but it got snapped up fairly quickly. It cost less than I paid for my 5500M 8 GB model new and had the same specs apart from the better GPU. So definitely keep an eye on the refurb site in your country.
You might want to consider whether the upcoming M-series Macs are worth waiting for. Of course you'll lose Windows compatibility (for now at least) so that may be worth considering, but I believe Microsoft is working on support for a full Windows 10 for ARM with a version coming out later this year. Whether Apple supports it is another question as well. Apple's chips are far from stock-standard ARM so I wouldn't hold my breath. I'm in no way ready to give up on Windows yet if it means I lose access to certain games (and other Windows software), and possibly won't ever be.
Also, be aware of VRM throttling issues on the current 16" pros. It's widely discussed in these forums with many people doing a mod of sorts by adding thermal pads to the VRM system. I bought some pads but have yet to apply the mod myself (hopefully soon).
It's tough buying laptops because Apple does a great job in many ways except in the thermals and gaming space. That could really start to change with their custom APU designs, but it will take time for developers to support it fully.
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pns
Junior Boot Camper
Posts: 17
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Post by pns on May 12, 2021 19:39:42 GMT
As a i9/5500m 8GB user i can tell you that the VRM cooling mod AND a laptop cooler is the only way to avoid heavy throttling in games. Its the only way i found to be able to play games at a stable resonable FPS count either if you have external display or not.
Some games are more optimized than others but in general you will need the mod and the cooler.
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Post by сhad2 on May 15, 2021 13:55:54 GMT
Thanks for valuable responses, guys! I'm in Russian Federation so currency is Russian Rouble. Unfortunately 5600M configuration is extremely rare here so no luck finding refurbished one. I'll be ordering to my company name to get away from extra taxes, but it doesn't help with decision (price will be reduced proportionally). MX MBP is not an option since I do civil engineering and 3D modelling/rendering (among other things). macOS cannot handle such things well, so Intel CPU is crucial. Last time I bought my current MBP (15-inch with Retina display Mid 2012, bought day one for ~$4000) I waited literally 4-5 years for software to catch up with HiDPI display (i.e. I'm one of the guys behind 3ds Max GUI update for HiDPI displays). So I won't take chances this time. I'm totally aware of throttling a VRM mod requirement, that's what I'm going to do on day 1. I'm also rocking aluminum laptop high-rise stand ( front, back, manufactured by Aisilun) for last couple of years, so I'm ready to deal with high temperature. |
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Simon
Junior Boot Camper
Posts: 11
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Post by Simon on May 19, 2021 9:40:53 GMT
Hi Chad. I totally feel you with HiDPI support on the Windows side. Many pro apps are still really bad. SPSS v27 is better but still not great, and the previous versions are terrible. Windows itself hasn't fully migrated its legacy system apps. These are issues you'll face if you opt for a 4K PC laptop presumably as well.
I think we're similar in many ways too. I've looked hard at PC laptops for a long time, but in analysis the MacBook Pro still wins out for its balanced overall design, reliability and support etc. That and the many factors like resale value. Most PC gaming laptops use 16:9 screens which are terrible for stuff like CAD/3D/GIS and a lot of other professional uses. Others have off-centred keyboards (which I could never use) or terrible trackpads.
I've been very happy with the 16" model that I got soon after release. Apart from some early firmware issues (the occasional panic and sound popping) it's been great and completely reliable. No more keyboard issues. Windows is still fine through Boot Camp. I don't use the modified graphics drivers on this site. I still like having access to macOS, which is preferable for some applications. Don't expect great Windows battery life, but I guess you know that: it's still decent with the best battery life energy profile.
I've been playing Death Stranding and that runs surprisingly well even before the VRM mod. It's quite a well optimised game. What will you be playing? I have an aluminium keyboard stand too but don't use it. I'm too lazy for that. It's great to have nice speakers on a laptop too, so that is something that's often neglected in Windows PCs. Even the 3.5 mm source still sounds decent like previous MacBook Pros. I'll be sure to post pics of my mod and if I have spare Thermal Grizzly Minus 8 I could post it over.
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Post by сhad2 on Jul 10, 2021 19:00:30 GMT
Hey Simon, I was really happy to read you response! I'm sorry it took a while to respond. You made a good point both of us execute similar approach when it comes to selecting gear. And you kind of familiar with that struggle with software. Such a relief to know I'm in the right place with the right person to talk it out! I finally made my mind up and pulled the trigger at the very end of May. See, some anon voted for 5600M in my poll of this thread. And this is the only vote despite the fact 725 people checked the thread during 2,5 months. So I decided to go with the poll results and ordered custom build 16-inch MBP of i9, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD with AMD Radeon Pro 5600M 8GB for 330K. I have received it straight from China factory via airmail on the 7th of June, 2021, right a couple of hours before Apple Event. According to rumors, new ARM MBP were to be announced during even. So it was quite funny to enjoy "current" laptop for 2 hours before it gets discontinued. Just kidding, I'd buy it anyway. Also no hardware was announced during event so I somehow still own "current" model. I didn't have time to unpack and set it up yet, however I already received Arctic Thermal Pad APT2560 6W-mk for VRM cooling modification. I went for 1.5 mm in one 145×145 mm piece since the price is the same as two 50×50 pieces and I'll do some same modification for brother's MateBook X Pro. I guess I'll do it straight after first boot checkup if everything's fine. So this thread can be closed now. |
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