Overshadowed by all the iPhone hoopla was the acquittance tardily last calendar week of a software package update for some other Apple hardware . The details of MacBook Pro Software Update 1.0 remain sketchy—“This update provides significant bug fixes , and is recommended for all 2.2/2.4GHz MacBook Pro models , ” is all the release notes extend . But the update appears to address a performance issue we determine while run bench mark tests on the just - free MacBook Pro fashion model .
As you might think back , the MacBook Pro models released in June mutation new Nvidia GeForce 8600 M GT artwork cards . Based on the tech specs , we expected the Nvidia card would deliver gamey systema skeletale rates than the ATI graphics get in the late version of the MacBook Pro . And while this was the case in our tests with Doom and Quake , Unreal Tournament score were disappointing .
The test we run on all systems is the 1,024 - by-768 Antalus Botmatch test . The results for this particular mental testing showed the elderly ATI - driven 2.33GHz MacBook Pro pushing through 80 frames per second ; the best - do 2.4GHz MacBook Pro posted a grievance of 58 frames per second — that ’s 28 percentage fewer frames than the honest-to-goodness , supposedly slower model . The same trial run with high resolution scene showed the newer models with a slight advantage , maintaining their frame pace in the more demanding tryout while the 2.33GHz Mac Book Pro ’s physical body rates dropped to just below the 2.4GHz ’s pep pill .
After update the newfangled MacBook Pros withApple ’s software update , we found that our new MacBook Pro models , while still a touch slow than the senior systems at the 1,024 - by-768 unsubstantial Tournament trial , made up a mass of ground , with the 17 - in 2.4GHz model capable to display 26 percent more frames per second than it did before the update . The updated systems were also faster in the higher - resolving Unreal Tournament mental test , increasing the 2.4GHz good example ’ modest leading to a more telling 20 percentage .
MacBook Pro Software Update Tests
Best results inbold . consultation systems initalics .
Speedmark 4.5 slews are relative to those of a 1.25GHz Mac mini , which is assigned a score of 100 . All organization were running Mac OS X 10.4.9 with 2 GB of RAM . We used Unreal Tournament 2004 ’s Antalus and Asbestos Botmatch medium - shape - per - mo score ; we tested at resolutions of 1024 by 768 pixels as well as 1440 by 900 pixels at the Maximum setting with both audio and graphics enabled . Doom 3 was place to use mellow video context , 1024 x 768 result , V - sync No , Antialiasing Off and all other mise en scene go down to Yes . Quake 4 was prepare to 1024 x 768 resolution , high timbre video , full screen , multiprocessor on , V - sync No , antialias Off and all other advanced configurations lay out to Yes.—MACWORLD LAB TESTING BY JERRY JUNG AND JAMES GALBRAITH
The 1,024 - by-768 Unreal Tournament test is included in our Speedmark psychometric test suite , so the slow framing rates were holding down the overall account of the fresh MacBook Pros . With last week ’s software update , the meaning improvement in the Unreal Tournament account also increase the Speedmark score .
The three unexampled MacBook Pro fashion model received a three to five point boost in Speedmark score , push the Modern 17 - inch MBP to a 6 - percent quicker Speedmark grudge than the old top of the line 17 - column inch 2.33GHz poser — that ’s up from a 4 - percent margin . temblor and Doom scores did n’t alter much , up or down a frame or two . We also spot ascertain the rest of the Speedmark tasks to see if the update improved or broke anything else , but those tasks seem to be unaffected by this update .
Though this case of mystery story pops up quite often in my melodic line of work , I do n’t wish when system of rules do n’t behave the manner they should . I care it less when I ’m the only person seeing it . Now that this trivial trouble has been ironed out , I can move onto the next .
[ James Galbraith is Macworld Lab director . ]
