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Got a 2013 MBA 11inch w/ i5/8GB/256GB and it's getting pretty solidly 9.5 hours of battery. I also bought an i7 MBA that I'm gonna try out for a little while to see what the battery performance is like. If it's negligible, I may just return the i5. I'll post observations here when I get a chance to evaluate them.
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Jun 24, 2013 00:03
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rufius posted:Got a 2013 MBA 11inch w/ i5/8GB/256GB and it's getting pretty solidly 9.5 hours of battery. I also bought an i7 MBA that I'm gonna try out for a little while to see what the battery performance is like. If it's negligible, I may just return the i5. So I've had a chance to use both the 2013 MBA 11inch that I bought. Specs are as follows:
I've just about full drained each one three times so keep that in mind that the sample set is relatively small. I found almost no difference in low to medium loads on the machine. I got roughly 9.5-10 hrs on both machines. On high loads, the i7 used more power but this was expected. Low, medium, and high loads are defined as follows.
Comments on the two machines:
TL;DR: For low-to-medium loads, there's almost no difference between the i5 and i7. For high loads, you'll see some impact in using the i7 but I find that when I'm doing a *lot* of CPU intensive work, I'm on the power charger anyway.
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Jun 26, 2013 19:46
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Vinlaen posted:@rufius: Do you notice a different in heat and/or fan noise on the i5 versus i7? I noticed heat/fan on both when playing games. The i7 might have been a tad warmer but I didn't find it to be uncomfortably warm at any point or uncomfortably loud. That said, I do play games with headphones on usually so the fan may just not have bothered me. For the low-to-medium loads, I don't recall the fan ever coming on for either machine. I think the 11" is the perfect software development platform. I have been playing around with XCode + the iOS simulators and had zero issue with it. The Haswell chips really are very powerful and I was pleasantly surprised at how fast things were. I also built clang 3.3 from scratch and it build quite quickly. If you want a light, hyper-portable, long battery life laptop, I definitely recommend the 11". Several of my friends have gotten 13" ones and returned them for 11" because they wanted the extra portability.
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Jun 26, 2013 19:59
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Vinlaen posted:Thanks for the information. What sorts of things are you typically doing when you notice it getting hot?
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Jun 26, 2013 23:59
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rufius posted:So I've had a chance to use both the 2013 MBA 11inch that I bought. Specs are as follows: So I said a bunch of words up here and have an addendum to append: It seems to be quite hard to keep the i7 machine at a low-to-medium load. I noted loads above and what I was doing but I think mail is more intensive than I previously thought. I find I'm getting about 1-1.5 hr less on average use with the i7 than I previously thought. Either way, the fiance has been using the i5 and doing roughly the same sorts of things as me (sans any high-load stuff) and is consistently getting better battery life. I'm going to take the i7 back despite liking the speed, it isn't meaningfully faster than the i5 for me even as someone that does mobile software dev. I find I have no issues with the i5 when working in Xcode or playing games.
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Jun 28, 2013 17:39
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shodanjr_gr posted:So I've had my haswell 11" air for a few weeks now and I don't think that I"m observing the expected battery life that I've read about. It's good but it's not 9 hours good. I don't do "heavy usage" either. Web browsing/videos, 1 account synced on Mail (IMAP), skydrive and skype running. Also I'm noticing that it seems to run down the battery a bit fast when in standby (even with power nap off). What's the specs on it? With the i7, I didn't see the battery life reported but with the i5 I've had good luck.
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Jun 30, 2013 08:06
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Big City Drinkin posted:This might be a dumb question, but does the "put hard disks to sleep when possible" option in Energy Saver mean anything if you have an SSD? I thought "sleep" in this context meant that the mechanical portions of regular HDDs would be deactivated, but is there some SSD analog? For an SSD it likely means inform the OS the drives are 'sleeping' which would reduce disk thrashing. Even though the SSD doesn't have moving parts, it'll still use less power if you're invoking it less. Same concepts apply even if they seem less sensible.
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Jul 3, 2013 18:30
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I bought both and the problem I found was it was hard to keep the i7 at light work loads even doing light internet browsing and some work in a text editor. It seemed like it was continually at a "medium to heavy" load which meant battery life didn't even remotely approach 9 hours. Think more like 6, maybe 7 if lucky. EDIT: Note that I have the 11 inch Air. Returned the i7.
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Jul 4, 2013 16:29
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Quine Connoisseur posted:I'm on a 13" i7; here's the load with web browsing (using the Webkit nightly), Photoshop open, GlimmerBlocker proxying in the background and a file transfer over AFP (through WiFi): I was talking about 11 inch i7, not 13 inch. That said, getting 75% battery life of the i5 would be (and is) unacceptable to me only because battery life is a more important factor for me than processing power.
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Jul 5, 2013 19:03
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Mu Zeta posted:I bought the new Airport Extreme and I hate how large it is. My old Cisco router was so flat and light weight, but this Airport has much, much, much larger range. Is it a coffee table center piece? My router + modem are hidden on a filing cabinet behind my desk and blocked mostly from view by a book shelf.
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Aug 28, 2013 23:32
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Rand McNally posted:
Wait. What the hell software do you need that hasn't transitioned to the Mactel world (if it's a game, I get it)? No modern equivalent available?
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Oct 9, 2013 14:28
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hotsauce posted:12 hrs? Sitting idle with the screen brightness one notch from off. Running nothing. You sure you weren't also downloading the entire internet and calculating ever-more digits of Pi? I get 9-10 hours out of the 2013 11in MBA. I have the i5, not i7.
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Oct 21, 2013 05:46
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Stare-Out posted:Can someone tech-savvy explain how it's possible that graphical performance suffers when using only one monitor instead of two on Mavericks (and Mountain Lion too actually)? Lion and earlier OSs forced me to use my MBP in opened-clamshell mode with only my external monitor active because two active monitors made things really choppy. ML removed the option to turn the internal screen off, so I had to have both monitors active with slightly better performance overall, but the weird thing is that both ML and Mavericks get choppy as all hell when I turn off the internal monitor. How are you hooking up the external monitor?
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Oct 24, 2013 13:32
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tankadillo posted:I'm thinking about getting an 11" MBA sometime soon. Should I expect it to be able to play Dota 2 in any way shape or form? I would like to at least be able to spectate matches. I have a 2013 11" MBA and have played DotA on it. It isn't the best machine but with graphics down, it's fine.
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Oct 31, 2013 06:41
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Bonobos posted:Specfically though, what is the recommended usage scenario for the current gen batteries then to maximize lifespan? How often should the thing be charge-cycled? Apple recommends at least once per month but that was an older article and some people recommend weekly discharge, which seems excessive. So far the method I have been using is discharge at least 25% weekly even when I dont need to but I am not sure if I am doing it right. This is one of those things where people over-think it, similar to in the iPhone thread when they tell people to 'turn off battery percentage and not worry about it.' Current battery technology is fairly complex and any answer you get is going to vary from black magic to 'who gives a gently caress'. Honestly, just two simple things which are nearly always true about batteries regardless of complexity:
It's that simple. Just use it the way you would expect to use something with a battery in it. Charge it when it needs to be charged, but don't fret when you take a 3-day weekend and left it plugged in that whole time. Exhibit A: I had a white Macbook from 2007. It has 93% health for it's battery. Gave it to my sister-in-law now and she's been using it just fine for the last year with 2.25+ hr battery life. I didn't do anything complex with it regarding the battery and that battery tech is 6+ years old at this point. EDIT: 
rufius fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Nov 19, 2013 |
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Nov 19, 2013 19:53
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Macdeo Lurjtux posted:Thanks, I'm not a professional by any means so I think a difference of a few seconds here and there isn't going to hurt me. What's your day to day usage going to look like? If you're surfing the web, writing emails in Mail.app/Outlook.app, manipulating your calendar, writing some text in Word, watching some movies, and playing some games you can do just fine with a 13" dual-core. I use a 2013 Macbook Air 11" as my primary computer at home and I play Civ 5 on decent settings, develop software, write emails, watch movies, and so on just fine with it. That sucker has less power than the 13" Macbook Pro so you can probably get away with similar. Things you might do to warrant a quadcore: mining bitcoins  , using software like Aperture or Blender or Photoshop, running virtual machines (if you don't know what it is, you don't need it).Note that these days, for gaming on a laptop, the more interesting piece of hardware is the video card.
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Nov 27, 2013 17:43
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FlashBangBob posted:I don't mind it being an optical sensor, I just wanted it to be clear. She sits across the room from everyone normally and picks up her mouse a lot which then slightly shines in our eyes 100 times a minute. Was going to be a nice stocking-stuffer. Super glue it to the table. Problem solved.
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Dec 15, 2013 22:37
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awesome-express posted:So, my 2011 MBA is telling me to service the battery (got Applecare until mid 2014), and the genius bar told me I'd have to leave it at the store at least for a week to get the battery swapped. Now since this is my main work laptop (I work from home), and I always have poo poo to do, leaving it at the store for a week is impossible. Erm, what are my options? <smartass response> Keep more than one computer in the house? <smartass response> Unless you can find another store to do it faster, you can ship it to Apple. There's also gambling with third party replacement but I am always wary of that. Not to mention it would likely void your AppleCare.
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Dec 28, 2013 14:37
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I really want a Mac Pro trash can. I have literally no use for it. Goddamnit.
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Dec 31, 2013 19:43
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nescience posted:Anyone run Linux on their MBA? Any significant driver issues with Debian based systems? Only when I'm feeling a particularly great amount of self-loathing. That said, do what Malcom XML said and run it in a VM.
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Jan 20, 2014 17:58
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ironlung posted:No, not really. I was eyeing the MBA just because of the portability and battery life but it appears I was wrong in my assumption that those two things were much better on the MBA vs MBP. You'll have to excuse my ignorance, I haven't bought a new computer since 2008. The biggest reason to get an MBA, if any, is if you're in the market for the 11 inch (like I am). I travel a lot for work and quite lightly. The 11 inch fits in a very small Timbuk2 bag which goes with me most everywhere (think of it like a Murse). I love my MBA 11in to death. I use for coding, web surfing, and gaming (Diablo 3, Civ 5). Other than that, listen to what everyone else says and stick with the rMBP.
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Apr 3, 2014 14:57
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It also runs Diablo III and Civ 5 without melting entirely into a pile of molten slag. 
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Apr 15, 2014 18:43
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Bonobos posted:I'm thinking of picking up an air at this price. Anyone have experience with the 11inch? Is it as cramped as it looks? Looking for something for a main everything computer (have an i5 tower for gaming). I had a 13 and wouldn't get another. If I went that size, id get a rMBP. I love my 11 inch since I travel a lot. The reduced foot print is fine by me and I have large-ish hands. I play video games on it comfortably (D3, Civ5, Football Manager) as well as do a lot of coding. It's a pretty perfect setup for me.
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May 4, 2014 00:34
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WHAT A GOOD DOG posted:Alright, so I'm looking at getting a laptop. I'm in school so I'll be on this retard all day. I'm gonna get a 13-inch something but am really looking at the pro and the air. I know the difference between them specs-wise, but I'm looking at what y'all think about little quality-of-life things. I really don't need the power performance, but if they're pretty comparable heat/sound wise then I'm totally into having better performance. If you're only considering the 13inch models, get the rMBP. Like you said, the weight difference is negligible and performance is better. In my opinion, the Air only makes sense when you really really want the 11inch model. I own one and it goes everywhere with me but I wanted the smallest possible option. It's my primary home computer when I'm not working. e: a word
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May 19, 2014 15:36
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WHAT A GOOD DOG posted:But what about heat and noise? Does it not run hotter and louder? The Air also can get hot as gently caress if you do anything particularly intensive on it. I play Football Manager, Civ 5, and Diablo 3 on my 11inch and it'll get pretty loving hot. It's never freaked out but it is uncomfortably hot to the touch.
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May 19, 2014 16:45
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revmoo posted:Anybody else's Macbook take FOREVER to connect to wifi? Mine takes 1-2 minutes every time. I even tested it 2" away from my access point and it still takes forever every time. Ever since 10.9.2 my 2013 11 in Air will decide not to connect every 4th time I wake it. Tried all the reset tricks and it still persists. Actually now that I think of it, I haven't seen it since 10.9.3 dropped... 
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May 23, 2014 16:54
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Vinlaen posted:Yeah, I meant iPhoto, heh. I use my 11" MBA as described and it's great. It'll also handle Civ5 and D3.
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May 27, 2014 17:24
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Avocados posted:Thinking of getting a 13" MBA for college. It would be my first Apple thing ever. My primary concern is the battery, i'd like to keep that in good condition as long as possible. From what I read here, you do the usual things like cycle it weekly or so, don't store it at 100% or 0%, and so on. But what about if I'm using it? Could I just keep it plugged in if I use it for an extended period of time, or should I keep it unplugged and only plug it back in when its getting low? Will using this thing constantly hurt the battery? Regarding the choice of 13" MBA, take a look at the 13" rMBP. Similar weight, more power, not quite as good battery life (but still good). Price difference isn't huge either IIRC. Most everyone agrees it's better bang for buck.
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May 27, 2014 17:33
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chupacabraTERROR posted:Is there anyone with a Late-2013 13in RMBP who can try running civ5? I run it on the late 11in 2013 Air just fine.
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Jul 10, 2014 23:52
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MrBond posted:Does anyone have a KVM switch that they'd recommend? I need to switch between a desktop and laptop. Amazon's selection is somewhat bewildering, as well as having a surprising amount of VGA ones. I have this one at work: http://www.amazon.com/Targus-SuperSpeed-8-Tablet-Compatible-ACP71USZ/dp/B006FXVT6K/ I usually use it with a Lenovo ThinkPad, but have used it a couple times with my MBA and haven't had any trouble with it. It's been a pretty reliable dock overall.
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Oct 2, 2014 18:42
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MrBond posted:Oh, that's more a straight up docking station right? I'm looking for a DVI KVM switch to swap back and forth between 2 physical machines. Thanks though! It was early. I am a dumbass. Apologies.
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Oct 2, 2014 22:39
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bone app the teeth posted:Do you browse the internet with one browser window and no tabs or something? A hand full of tabs and you are paging to disk. You do realize the RAM isn't just for looking at? That it's actually best used when allocated?  I mean I get it - some apps are fat fucks but I've got a MBA 11" with 8GB of RAM running Parallels with a Win10 VM and 4GB allocated just fine while having like 20 tabs open in Safari, Spotify, and a few other apps. Despite all that, I don't feel like I've got any memory usage issues and system runs fine. What is it you're doing that is causing such noticeable swapping?
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Oct 30, 2016 02:42
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IuniusBrutus posted:That's what I figured, but artificial benchmarks show it benching at roughly the same level CPU-wise, and almost double GPU...I'm just wondering if the low-voltage CPU will cause it to throttle and slow down after a while. I can deal with it killing the battery. You can force it to use the dedicated GPU on battery if you want - I've only been gaming while plugged in and it's a pretty solid GPU. I'm using the 460 though which is considerably better than the 450 and 455 apparently. In general, most of my battery-based usage has been writing l33t h4x in Atom and a lot of web browsing plus porno which has been getting me to around 10-11 hours most days. EDIT: a word
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Nov 27, 2016 01:46
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Mad Wack posted:yeah i love my new 2016 mbp
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Dec 11, 2016 00:08
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New LG UltraFine 5K monitor is trash. Crashes macOS and half the time Windows only recognizes 800x600 at glorious 5K DPI. Returned it and got two Dell 4K monitors. Now poo poo works.
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Feb 3, 2017 21:18
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Platystemon posted:“Good dongles are expensive.” Wanna touch my dongle?
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Feb 6, 2017 04:56
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business hammocks posted:What are the odds that if I wait a year I can get a macbook pro with 32gb of ram? I'm on a 2011 and want a new one mostly because the battery life is pretty poor. I'd bet 50/50 for the fall. Depends if they can get the battery life they want out of it. I haven't read up on Coffee Lake or when it comes out so that may also influence the design choice.
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Jun 6, 2017 17:16
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Residency Evil posted:So it sounds like everyone's saying the 13" MBP with the touchbar is worth getting over the non-TB version? I have a touchbar 15" and it's fine. I don't notice it which is high praise for me as I typically love or hate features. It's just there. That said - yes, get it. It's the forward thinking model that isn't hamstrung.
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Jun 7, 2017 20:07
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Cingulate posted:Ok another super stupid question ... I'm getting this right, I can use a standard-USB-to-TB cable, stick it into a powered USB outlet, and it'll provide at least some power to a Macbook Pro? Uhhh I'd double check that it's rated for power draw. Some cables are data only.
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Jun 7, 2017 22:01
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Cingulate posted:Ok, so in principle it works. Thanks. I misread your original question. I'd recommend using the full blown charger. It *shouldnt* hurt the device but I'd bet $100 if something hosed up and you told the fruit stand they'd make you pay. In my case, my 15" gets about 10 hours so I use it on and off through the evening and then plug it in before bed.
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Jun 7, 2017 22:06
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