Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) | AppleMacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | July 2014 | May 2015 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 15.4″ | 15.4″ |
| Resolution | 2880 × 1800 | 2880 × 1800 |
| Panel | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Brightness | – | 300 nits |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Retina LED-backlit IPS display, millions of colours; native 2880 × 1800, with scaled modes of 1920 × 1200, 1680 × 1050, 1280 × 800 and 1024 × 640. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple. | Retina display; LED-backlit IPS; millions of colours |
| Pixel density | 220 ppi | 220 ppi |
| Colour range | – | Standard colour gamut (sRGB) |
| Display features | – | Apple specifies a 900:1 contrast ratio; scaled resolutions of 1920 × 1200, 1680 × 1050, 1280 × 800 or 1024 × 640 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i7-4770HQ, Intel Core i7-4870HQ or Intel Core i7-4980HQ | Intel Core i7-4770HQ, Intel Core i7-4870HQ or Intel Core i7-4980HQ |
| CPU cores | 4 | 4 |
| CPU threads | 8 | 8 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 or NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M (2 GB GDDR5) | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 or AMD Radeon R9 M370X (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB to 1 TB | 256 GB to 1 TB |
| CPU | Quad-core Intel Core i7-4770HQ at 2.2 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz), i7-4870HQ at 2.5 GHz (up to 3.7 GHz), or i7-4980HQ at 2.8 GHz (up to 4.0 GHz); all with 6 MB shared L3 cache. Exact identities documented by Primate Labs. Lower base offers either faster processor; higher base offers the 2.8 GHz upgrade. | Quad-core Intel Core i7 at 2.2 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz, 2.5 GHz with up to 3.7 GHz, or 2.8 GHz with up to 4 GHz; all with 6 MB shared L3 cache. Exact i7-4770HQ and i7-4870HQ identifiers confirmed by Macworld, and i7-4980HQ by EveryMac. |
| GPU | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 on all configurations; the higher base adds NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2 GB GDDR5 and automatic graphics switching. Upgrading the lower base processor does not add the NVIDIA GPU, as distinguished in Macworld's exact-model review. | Intel Iris Pro integrated graphics; discrete-graphics configurations add AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2 GB GDDR5 and automatic graphics switching. Upgrading the processor on the integrated-graphics base does not add the Radeon GPU. |
| Memory type | 16 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory | 16 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory |
| Storage type | PCIe-based flash storage; Iris Pro-only base has 256 GB, configurable to 512 GB or 1 TB, with any of its three processor choices. NVIDIA-equipped base has 512 GB, configurable to 1 TB, with the 2.5 GHz or 2.8 GHz processor. | PCIe-based flash storage; 256 GB integrated-graphics base configurable to 512 GB or 1 TB, and 512 GB discrete-graphics base configurable to 1 TB |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 8 hours | Up to 9 hours |
| Battery capacity | 95 Wh | 99.5 Wh (better) |
| Weight | 2.02 kg (better) | 2.04 kg |
| Thickness | 18 mm | 18 mm |
| Width × depth | 358.9 × 247.1 mm | 358.9 × 247.1 mm |
| Battery life detail | Built-in 95 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 8 hours wireless web, 8 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. | Lithium-polymer battery; up to 9 hours wireless web or iTunes movie playback and 30 days standby. Apple's battery tests used the 2.2 GHz Core i7, 16 GB memory and 256 GB storage. Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Charger | 85 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management | 85 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management system |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure | Aluminium enclosure |
| Colours | Silver | – |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, 2 × Thunderbolt 2, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot, HDMI | 2 × Thunderbolt 2, 2 × USB-A, HDMI, headphone jack, SD card slot, MagSafe 2 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac (draft specification); compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Webcam | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | Two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, two Thunderbolt 2 ports up to 20 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 2 and headphone jack; support for digital/analogue audio line output and Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone. Ethernet and FireWire require separate Thunderbolt adapters. | Two Thunderbolt 2 ports up to 20 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort video, two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, HDMI, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 2 power and 3.5 mm headphone jack with digital/analogue line output and iPhone headset support; separate Thunderbolt Ethernet and FireWire adaptors available |
| External displays | Built-in screen plus up to two external displays at 2560 × 1600, with millions of colours; HDMI supports 1080p at up to 60 Hz, 3840 × 2160 at 30 Hz or 4096 × 2160 at 24 Hz. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI adapters sold separately. | Two external displays up to 3840 × 2160 alongside the built-in screen; HDMI supports 1080p at up to 60 Hz, 3840 × 2160 at 30 Hz or 4096 × 2160 at 24 Hz. Mini DisplayPort adaptors provide DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI. |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, inverted-T arrow keys and ambient light sensor |
| Trackpad | Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag | Force Touch trackpad with pressure sensing, Force clicks and Multi-Touch gestures |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Dual microphones | Dual microphones |
| In the box | MacBook Pro with Retina display, MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Mavericks, iLife apps and qualifying free iWork apps | MacBook Pro; MagSafe 2 Power Adapter; power cord; AC wall plug |
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