An entry into the Geekbench database of Mac performance benchmarks suggests that a Haswell version of the 15in MacBook Pro is currently being tested, according to MacRumors.
The appearance of the, as yet unreleased, machine follows a similar entry for a 13in Haswell MacBook Pro a few weeks ago.
The 15in model for which benchmark results were logged was fitted with a quad-core Core i7 CPU running at 2.4GHz. It had 16GB RAM and was running a build of OS X Mavericks. Perhaps most interestingly, there was no sign of a discrete graphics chips, leaving open the possibility that the 15in MBP will rely on Intel’s new Iris Pro 5200 integrated graphics. If that turns out to be the case, it will be a significant departure for the Pro, which, for several iterations, has shipped with both discrete and integrated graphics chips.
According to MacRumors:
Primate Labs’ John Poole tells MacRumors that Geekbench does collect GPU information, and that this machine does NOT appear to have a discrete GPU in addition to the integrated Iris 5200 graphics from Intel. Poole notes that it is possible that Geekbench could have failed to pick up the presence of a discrete GPU, as Primate Labs is still working out issue with that feature of the software, but that all testing so far has indicated that Geekbench should see the discrete GPU if it is present, even if it has been turned off for the benchmarking run.
The MacBook Pro’s Geekbench score put it level with the current range. That’s consistent with the Haswell-equippped MacBook Air. It’s likely that, as with the Air, the key benefit of the new Pro will be extended battery life.
