*** The official 2018 MacBook Pro thread (it has six cores and everything!) ***

[b0rn2sk8]

You need this:

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MK122B/A/power-adapter-extension-cable?afid=p238|sL4w7cF5j-dc_mtid_187079nc38483_pcrid_104154899041_&cid=aos-uk-kwgo-pla-btb--slid-----product-MK122B/A-UK

Yup a £19 cable that should come in the box....

Don't get me wrong Apple has always pushed the limit when it comes to whats in the box for the money but it is frankly a complete **** take that it doesn't come with a proper power lead.

 

[Phemo]

I picked up a genuine Apple cable from elsewhere for £11. Still sucks that it isn’t included in the box. It’s ridiculous because the plug that goes directly on the charger doesn’t have a proper ground connection (where it slots over the metal nub on the charger itself) meaning you’ll get the weird electrical tingling sensation whenever you touch the MBP while it’s plugged in. Only the extension lead bit has the proper ground.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

I don't think an earth is needed on that type of cable if I recall from my college days, it was awhile ago though so don't quire me on that. That being said you shouldn't need one if its been put together correctly. The Mac its self will certainly not be earthed regardless as its on the DC side so having the full cable shouldn't make any difference.

 

[Phemo]

It does make a difference though. There is a definite slight tingling sensation when using the plug that plugs straight onto the charger rather than the extension cable. This article explains why and has pics of the missing bit in question: http://garethhayes.net/apple-power-plug-not-earthed/

I had the problem on my 2013 MBP and now my 2018 MBP. It's not that big a deal and for whatever reason I can't seem to feel it all the time - usually it's more obvious if my fingers are lightly touching the metal chassis, but it is strange sensation that is definitely there.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

I purchased the extension for mine as I was fed up with the buzzing feeling every time I touched it.

 

[UberTiger]

It does make a difference though. There is a definite slight tingling sensation when using the plug that plugs straight onto the charger rather than the extension cable. This article explains why and has pics of the missing bit in question: http://garethhayes.net/apple-power-plug-not-earthed/

I had the problem on my 2013 MBP and now my 2018 MBP. It's not that big a deal and for whatever reason I can't seem to feel it all the time - usually it's more obvious if my fingers are lightly touching the metal chassis, but it is strange sensation that is definitely there.

That’s crazy, I always wondered why I got that buzz sometimes. Not experienced it in a while and I swear I’ve always used the longer version of the cable. But maybe not.

 

[chrismscotland]

Can anyone recommend a decent USB-C hub/extender that has HDMI and Ethernet Ports?

 

[Maccy]

Can anyone recommend a decent USB-C hub/extender that has HDMI and Ethernet Ports?

I have a HooToo adaptor but it doesn't have ethernet unfortunately. I think you can get a usb-c to ethernet adaptor separately though?

 

[ChrisD.]

I have the following:

MINIX NEO-C-HGR-GEN2, USB-C Multiport Adapter with HDMI - Space Gray (Compatible with Apple MacBook)

Works fine, although I had to install the NIC driver from memory. Plus it does get quite warm at times.

Random thought: I really want a 13" Pro with 6 cores and 32GB of RAM. I wonder if it will ever happen.

 

[Raymond Lin]

It does make a difference though. There is a definite slight tingling sensation when using the plug that plugs straight onto the charger rather than the extension cable. This article explains why and has pics of the missing bit in question: http://garethhayes.net/apple-power-plug-not-earthed/

I had the problem on my 2013 MBP and now my 2018 MBP. It's not that big a deal and for whatever reason I can't seem to feel it all the time - usually it's more obvious if my fingers are lightly touching the metal chassis, but it is strange sensation that is definitely there.

I thought I was feeling things !!! it's not earthed?

 

[b0rn2sk8]

I thought I was feeling things !!! it's not earthed?

It doesn't need to be, there are lots of regulations surrounding earthing but as a general rule if its a low power product, the power supply is isolated, no water is involved and doesn't have a metal casing then no earth is needed.

Most electronics like laptops just use figure 8 type power leads into the transformer, no earth on one of those.

 

[Raymond Lin]

It doesn't need to be, there are lots of regulations surrounding earthing but as a general rule if its a low power product, the power supply is isolated, no water is involved and doesn't have a metal casing then no earth is needed.

Most electronics like laptops just use figure 8 type power leads into the transformer, no earth on one of those.

I’ll just have to borrow the extension cable from my old MBP for now.

 

[Spleen Sauce]

Does anyone have any experience of running an eGPU with one of the new MacBook Pro’s? Ideally in Bootcamp for gaming.

Close to pulling the trigger on an i9, 32gb, 1TB to replace my editing and gaming rig. Editing won’t be a problem but gaming I will miss, so looking at options.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

It’s not plug and play in boot camp but it can be done but isn’t supported. You’ll need to do some research to see if you want to go for it.

 

[Phemo]

I tried it out with an HP Omen eGPU box. It's easy to get working on the 2018 MBPs if you're using an external display for the GPU and I had this up and running with no issues at all. If you want to use it with the MBP's own display, it's an absolute nightmare to do on the 2018 15", if it's even possible at all right now and so I gave up. This is because the Intel GPU needs to be active for nVidia Optimus to work and with the 15", only the AMD card is active in Windows. There are ways and means to make the Intel GPU active but it didn't work properly for me. On a 13" MBP where the only GPU is the Intel one then I imagine Optimus will work and it'll be a much more straightforward experience.

It's a lot easier to get the eGPU thing going with the 2018 MPB (with separate external display) than it was with the previous models by all accounts. Like I said, I had no problems at all and it was pretty much just a case of plugging it in while in Windows and it worked.

 

[Spleen Sauce]

Thanks for the feedback - been doing a bit of research on egpu.io which seems to be a great site. I’ve currently got a 1070ti in my PC, idea would be to reutilise that. Not overly bothered about having to use an external display - I’d be using my current Ultrawide LG display anyhow.

Very tempted. If I didn’t need the space (and to free some funds off the purchase of a mad expensive MacBook) then I’d probably keep the PC. But the wife isn’t going to let me keep both.

 

[shiver]

There's a silent bump inc for these it seems - new GPUs:

• Graphics - New options coming late November
  
  Learn more
  
  Radeon Pro Vega 16 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
  Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory

 

[ChrisD.]

I'm using my 2017 13" more and more now as I have it in a dock and connected to a 4k monitor. It is dual core and has 16GB of RAM.

It is mainly used for browsing, occasional VM labs, Office based apps and the occasional Go Pro editing. Sometimes I fire up Football Manager if I am staying away from home.

I have noticed that it can become bogged down, slow animations etc when connected to the 4k screen, so I have been considering upgrading to a 6 core 15" with 32GB of RAM. Is there any point in upgrading the core speed to the mid level or even the i9 level for my usage? I'd image that the base speed would be fine given that I've got an extra 4 cores (not counting HT).

 

[Combat squirrel]

I'm using my 2017 13" more and more now as I have it in a dock and connected to a 4k monitor. It is dual core and has 16GB of RAM.

It is mainly used for browsing, occasional VM labs, Office based apps and the occasional Go Pro editing. Sometimes I fire up Football Manager if I am staying away from home.

I have noticed that it can become bogged down, slow animations etc when connected to the 4k screen, so I have been considering upgrading to a 6 core 15" with 32GB of RAM. Is there any point in upgrading the core speed to the mid level or even the i9 level for my usage? I'd image that the base speed would be fine given that I've got an extra 4 cores (not counting HT).

Go for the base CPU - its been proven time and again that the 'faster' CPU's dont run any faster because they get to hot and clock down anyway, across any applications that use a lot of CPU power they are all within a few % of each other, they all eventually clock down to the same speed due to heat.

Anything less you wont notice on light apps anyway as they all run easy.

 

[ChrisD.]

That's the conclusion I've come to as well from reading some reviews and looking at benchmarks.

The base 15" with 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD with my discount is £2,715.60 and the 1TB is £3,054.00. I think I'll probably look to order the latter as I can claim the VAT back, plus selling my existing 13" should recoup a decent amount.