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Macbook Pro Retina 13" late 2013 (Haswell) UI Lag

My config: 2.6/16/256, 10.9 (Mavericks)


NOTE: Outside of the issues mentioned, this computer has been great. Awesome build quality, perfect size and weight, Retina screen is outstanding, CPU is snappy, boot and wake from sleep is blazing, it makes ZERO noise, even under heavy usage it only gets mildy warm and it gets great battery life.


Here's my problem: While the machine is wonderful in many aspects, it is far from the smooth experience we have come to expect from Apple products. As mentioned in the title, the UI is a step behind and the smooth transitions of non-retina models are stuttery a jerky on the retina.


Some examples of UI issues that I've replicated on floor models at the Apple store are:

1. Putting certain stock apps in fullscreen show choppy animation (Finder, Safari, Chrome, Maps) while others are buttery smooth (iPhoto).

2. Mission control stutters occasionally (usually when one of the above offenders are open).

3. Preview of any large .jpg or RAW image will cause significant lag when putting it into fullscreen. It literally trips the entire way.

4. Swiping between full screen apps will cause light animation stutter.


To troubleshoot it, I've done a few things.


1. Brought it to the genius bar. They checked all of the harware and ran a number of other diagnostics (including resetting the PRAM). While they confirmed the issues I have mentioned, they told me to wait for a software update that will resolve them.

2. Tried things that others have reportedly worked for them: Deleting windowservers in Library, etc.

3. Downloaded "Display Menu" from the App Store so that I can manipulate resolution settings. Interestingly enough, Display Menu hasn't optimized all of their settings for Retina and choosing any stock settings (including best for retina 1280x800) lowers the overall image quality. When in Display Menu's version of 1280x800, all of the problems (outide of the preview issue) dissapeared. Animations were back to being buttery smooth. This leads me to belive that Iris isn't quite up the the task of Retina.


I'm hoping that Apple didn't purposely release these Pro's without considering the GPU's ability to offer a "smooth ride". Has anyone else experienced this? If it is indeed a driver issue, I hope that Apple addresses this sooner than later. Based off of forums from early 2013 rMBP owners, it doesn't look like that will be the case.


Are you experiencing this also and have you found any true solutions?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9), 13-inch 2.6/16/256

Posted on Nov 10, 2013 9:30 PM

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355 replies

Jul 14, 2018 1:03 AM in response to JovZun

Same here, intel iris MBP retina 15",


- resizing windows LAGS BAD (both in mavericks AND windows7sp1 bootcamp)

- scroling is ok, but not so good.

- if thunderbolt adapters are pluged in (like ethernet) you don't get any sleep option in bootcamp ...

- playing youtube HD in bootcamp 'skips' alot


- controlling your mac from windows through built-in vnc is terrible! - worst remote experience ever.




Hope for a fix SOON!

(using bootcamp for work necessity ...)

Jul 14, 2018 1:03 AM in response to tv1717

No fix. macbook pro 15" intel iris.

No fix in bootcamp win7 witch i have to use for work daily!


itunes got updated.. but i use it only for updates so don't care much...


apple?? how about those video drivers!?!

Jul 14, 2018 1:03 AM in response to Wayne Chin

A " certified apple tech" ? He went to an apple school or something? I was windows certified once but my brother that was like 14 kicked my a** in all aspects regarding IT...


Anyway folks, leave the displays alone, nothing wrong there. It is ONLY a software issue, you can make maveriks run on a pentium4 if you optimize it. (and that is a fact)



From the first problems reported it shouldn't take more that 1-3 months for a TEAM of developers to have a fix ...

That is, if anyone cares.

Jul 14, 2018 1:03 AM in response to iam2012

It is the drivers and the os implementation - just now resizing firefox is so bad that it makes me think i have such old hardware...than I see a 3000$ aluminium machine and well... have to bootcamp 😟

Nov 11, 2013 12:11 PM in response to JovZun

i've got this issue on the retina 15 base model late 2013, it's also stuttering when you watch a youtube video on safari( a lot) and a bit even on chrome... i am very disappointed with this issue. i don't care about the UI lags becouse they are a secondary problem, but the youtube video lags are a serious problem.

i made few comparison between this macbook and an old 15 inch 2011 model, and it hasn't any lag!

Nov 12, 2013 11:22 AM in response to JovZun

I am also experiencing this on the 8gb/256gb/2.4gz late 2013 13in rmbp that I've owned a week.


Open say the verge or even yahoo.com's website, then try swiping to other desktops, going to the empty desktop = fine, going back to the yahoo or verge safari desktop = chop chop chop chop. Try just having that same verge/yahoo page open in safari and swipe to mission conrol (with no other windows open), it will stutter. Scrolling in itunes = choppy. Try scrolling or swiping between desktops with a single youtube video playing = choppy. Don't even get me started on the Microsoft Office products lagging.



Today is my last day to return the laptop, and I'm so close to doing so that I actually brought the box and stuff to work so I could return it on my lunch if needed. What made a monumental change in my decision was doing as the OP did (because at first I was about 50/50 on keeping it), run display menu at the same "best for retina" resolution. Quality goes down a little, but previous the mentioned lag has been greatly relieved, making me come to the same conclusion as the OP, iris 5100 (13in models for late 2013) are just not ready yet, which is sad, I expected a goof in the first generation, but the second? I'm starting to become HIGHLY skeptical of Apple's quality control, who the **** thought it would be smart to put a HD4000/4400 (a gpu used in machines with 1/4 the pixels) into a machine pushing 4 times as many pixels? Any serious testing for the 1st gen or the late 2013 would have found the lags I have mentioned. I'm sorry, but not $1500 machine should lag when ONE youtube video is running lol.


I should be able to use any resolution I want that can be chosen under the "Display settings" WITHOUT lag. This is a poor decision on Apple yet again, first 1280x800? My roomates 2009 mbp has this, 1440x900 should be the absolute minimum these days. But what is the point of 1440x900 and 1680x1050 resolutions if the experience is poor? Why give options that with make people want to return it? You can't give people a machine, and then tell them to only use some of it!


Only plus side so far has been the acceptable battery, you can pull off an average of 7-8hrs with real, prolonged usage. But definitely use Safari, I'm a firefox fan, but it really does help with battery.


Iris is not ready for retina. I would be curious to see what iris pro is like a 13in retina, maybe then it finally be powerful enough? Unless ALL you look at is google searches, forums, PDFs (with the built-in viewer, Adobe reader has horrid chopping like chrome and firefox), and sites with no javascript/flash/lots of images (which is about 70% of the internet gone), then I would hold off one more generation, or get the 15in with a discrete gpu and walkout bent over because you just got boned ($2500... still ridiculous). The air has a an older screen, but the performance for 1.3ghz is great and at least you can justify any lack of performance with almost 15hrs of battery life and being almost frisbee light.


For $1500 I expect a smooth computer, I do not feel like I am getting my moneys worth at all. Yes the screen is awesome, no one can deny that, but how much is it worth to you? It is not worth a poor user experience to me, the MBA's screen is still pretty good, not awful like I see some people saying. Apple should have either limited what the 13in could do to avoid experience issues (ex. not allowing higher resolutions that lag), or made the machine fully capable of those resolutions and TESTED IT.


I have tried deleting cache, pram reset, the whole autocad 2014 thing, nothing resolved my issues... kind of ****** I was even put in the position where I had to try these on a brand new machine. So unless someone has found some miracle setting that resolves the lag and would be kind enough to share, I'm returning this thing in a few hours and waiting another year (this is a secondary machine).


Please forgive my rant, lots of held in frustration over the last week lol, and the fact I have to pay 15% restocking at the place I bought it, my own fault for not researching their return policy though.

Nov 12, 2013 12:12 PM in response to ShhImSleeping

I've had the same issues with lag/choppyness and I have the same exact setup as you. When I plug my retina into a 27 apple cinema display at 2560x1440, and put the retina into clamshell mode, all of the lag/choppyness goes away. It seems like the retina is having problems pushing all of the pixels when using the scaled resolutions. Hopefully it's just driver issues at this point, but who knows.

Nov 12, 2013 12:33 PM in response to Royalmathmtcs

I forgot to mention this. When I connect to my HDTV via the HDMI cable, the lag dissapears on the external monitor, but remains on the retina display.


I've noticed these same lag issues on the 15" Iris Pro Retina in stores. Not to the same extent as the 13", but there nonetheless. If there isn't a driver update in the next few days that resolves this issue, I'm returning it.

Nov 12, 2013 12:48 PM in response to Royalmathmtcs

Yeah I agree, but this was at the "best for retina resolution"! Iris can push non-retina resolutions much better. Better quality control within Apple could have easily found this, or just given a few out to people to test drive.


I was so excited about this machine and wanted it to work out so much because it was my first personal mac (Use them at work occasionally), but Apple still doesn't have a handle on how much power retina screens in laptops really need yet. Maybe one (hopefully not two) more generations and they might finally put a powerful enough gpu in the 13in's. But then comes into question the battery life they would get, and even worse, the cost Apple would charge for such a laptop.


Apple needs to do something about the MBP line now that they have done away with non-retina versions (ok there is one still, but it'll be gone in time I'm sure), because yeah some people will just be mesmorized by the retina display, buy it, and deal with any lag or just hoping an update fixes it, but a lot of people used to turn to Macs for a smooth experience, and this is going to deter rMBP sales (I'm hoping, so it gets Apple's attention) until it is resolved. I would personally just get the 8gb Air instead if this was my primary machine after using my sisters, just told hold me over for a year or two, but being this is my secondary computer used just for fun, I can just hold off until things improve with the retinas.

Nov 13, 2013 8:17 AM in response to DwardRav

I returned mine yesterday.


My roommate couldn't believe I would return it for a small lag. He's also the type of guy where you could hand him a paper of computer terms and he would go "mhm, mhm, I know some of these words!" (old movie quote rephrased).


What he didn't realize was that I got that lag doing simple stuff, so under a heavy load, I dread what it would be like... I do miss the screen though.

Nov 18, 2013 2:41 AM in response to JovZun

I have a similar type of issue with UI lag / stuttering on the MBPr 13", and would love to know if others are able to reproduce it:


1. Open iPhoto (I have a photo library with ONLY 30 photos in it from my DSLR)

2. Double click on a photo so that it is the focus of the screen

3. Notice that flipping between photos with the LEFT / RIGHT arrow keys leads to no stuttering issues

4. Notice that a 2 finger swipe to flip between photos does not lead to any stuttering issues

5. Click on EDIT in the bottom right to open the Quick Fixes / Effects / Adjust panel on the right hand side of the screen

6. Try to 2 finger swipe between photos and notice significant stuttering when the photo is about 80-90% of the way through the animation.


I'm currently speaking to Apple Support about this issue and will post a resolution if we find one, but I'm incredibly disappointed to see this level of stuttering / lag with an Apple application (iPhoto), on a brand new laptop under almost no load.

Macbook Pro Retina 13" late 2013 (Haswell) UI Lag

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