Apple Releases Retina MacBook Pro SMC Update to Address Gaming Frame Rates and Fan Issues

Apple today released MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update 1.1, addressing an issue with frame rates while playing graphics-heavy games and fixing several other bugs.

About MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update v1.1

This update resolves a rare issue where users may experience slow frame rates when playing graphics-intensive games on the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. It also includes bug fixes for Power Nap, wake from sleep and fan control.

retina_macbook_pro_hand
Retina MacBook Pro owners will no doubt be testing the update to see whether the fan control bug fixes mentioned in the release notes address the widespread complaints with fan speed spikes under relatively low loads.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro 14 & 16"
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Top Rated Comments

Josheh Avatar
131 months ago
Nah, this machine has been laggy/underpowered for the screen. It needs a 2GB GPU in it to be a 'Pro' machine and able to power that screen correctly. I won't even touch it for video/graphic work. It's just not up to par yet.

exactly, this is why I avoid 1st gen hardware from apple


retina 15" = weak GPU, weak CPU, riddled with bugs


gen 2 retina 15" will be glorious

You know, I read up a lot and saw a lot of people complaining about various problems. I dove in anyway and haven't had near the issues that others have had. Actually, I haven't had any issues really. I'm not sure where you guys are getting your opinions, if they're based on people complaining, or if they're first hand experiences. Let me share mine with you though, my first hand experience.

I purchased the Retina model because I thought it'd be great for photography. I do photography, web design, photoshop, and 3d work on this computer. It's amazing and has worked great in all of those capacities. I use it while mobile, and I also connect it into a couple of monitors and use it as a work station. It has performed well, about as well as a highend laptop might. It may not perform as well as my workstation at work, but well, that's a workstation. It's beefy, it's got the room to be beefy, it's not trying to compact itself into a portable fashion.

I'm sorry that you feel the Macbook Retina is so crappy of a product, but some of us have found it to be successful. I enjoy this computer and have no regrets. I've had no issues that made me think this product is beta, or whatever.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hungry&Foolish Avatar
131 months ago
exactly, this is why I avoid 1st gen hardware from apple


retina 15" = weak GPU, weak CPU, riddled with bugs


gen 2 retina 15" will be glorious

that's a myth.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
york2600 Avatar
131 months ago
My Retina has been flawless, but here goes nothing
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
schmidp Avatar
131 months ago
I just downloaded it. Everything went flawless, except for one thing. Restarting. The fans blasted as the computer started up again, lasted a second or two but other than that, it was fine.

This is the expected behaviour. The fans run on full power to protect your components during the update.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nilk Avatar
131 months ago
exactly, this is why I avoid 1st gen hardware from apple

retina 15" = weak GPU, weak CPU, riddled with bugs

gen 2 retina 15" will be glorious
1st gen Retina 15" is already glorious. I run 3 displays (one is a Apple TB display) off of that "weak GPU" and don't have any noticeable performance issues.

As for CPU, the rMBP I have Geekbenches 10788, and the 2013 model does 12547. How is that weak? A top end 27" iMac does slightly better (12878), and other than that it's only 6+ core Mac Pros that do better -- so only desktop machines do better.

That said, I say it's better to wait for future revisions unless you are forced to buy something now, but that's more because there is still a good amount of software that isn't Retina-ready and less about the hardware.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maxosx Avatar
131 months ago
Kudos To Apple

I have one of the affected late 2012 (Jan 2013) 15" MBP retina SanDisk SSD equipped models.

This was for some of us, a very frequent daily issue. Mine spun up the fans on & off hourly.

Kudos to Apple for taking this seriously and doing an excellent job of fixing it.

I've been testing mine over & over for an hour. I am now 100% certain it's fixed, as the iTunes "song" that we identified as one of many triggers to cause the fans to roar, no longer does it.

Now _this_ is a stellar example of Apple showing us they can still operate as efficiently as Apple Computer Inc. did when at its peak.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Event Taking Place June 5 to 9

Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
CarPlay Phone Call

General Motors to Phase Out Apple CarPlay Starting This Year in EV Transition

Friday March 31, 2023 8:43 am PDT by
General Motors (GM) will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google (via Reuters). GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC in the United States. It will stop offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, which goes on sale this summer. The company plans ...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year. The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 8 New Features

Friday March 31, 2023 8:55 am PDT by
Following six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 was released to the public this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and changes added with iOS 16.4,...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Three New iOS Features Coming to Your iPhone Following Apple Music Classical

Thursday March 30, 2023 7:13 am PDT by
With the Apple Music Classical app and an Apple Pay Later early access program now available, the list of previously-announced iOS features that have yet to launch is beginning to shrink. However, there are still a few features we are waiting for. Below, we have recapped three more iOS features that are expected to launch in 2023, including an Apple Card savings account for Daily Cash,...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Kuo: Apple Mixed-Reality Headset May Not Appear at WWDC as Mass Production Pushed Back Yet Again

Thursday March 30, 2023 4:50 am PDT by
Apple has again pushed back mass production of its mixed-reality headset and the device may not appear at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane In a tweet, Kuo explained that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about whether the headset will be able to create an "iPhone moment." As a result,...