New Intel HD 3000 compared to GeForce 9600M GS

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New Intel HD 3000 compared to GeForce 9600M GS

Hey,

I'm planning to buy a new Macbook Pro with the Intel HD 3000 graphics card and 've read a lot about its performance in regard to 3D applications and games, but I still can't get it into perspective to my current graphics adapter, the Nvidia Geforce 9600M GS. It just has DDR2 Ram for example, but is dedicated and not uses the main RAM. Can an integrated card like the HD 3000 have the same power as my Geforce? Do you may have experience about some actual games?

Thanks in advance!

LG R510, Windows 7, Core2Duo 2,26Ghz; 3GB RAM; GeForce 9600M GS

Posted on Mar 13, 2011 2:22 PM

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Answer 1

hawkdsh

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Mar 13, 2011 6:53 PM in response to Saphired

Hi Saphired,

The GeForce 320m in the previous-gen MacBook Pro was roughly equivalent to the 9600m GS (perhaps slightly weaker - the 320m was definitely weaker than the DDR3 9600m GT). The 320m is a shared-memory IGP, so it has a little less memory bandwidth than the 9600m GS, but has 16 more pixel shaders (it shares the same core architecture with the 330m discreet piece). Depending on what you are trying to do with it, the HD 3000 is somewhat weaker than the 320m. Many have reported that the HD 3000 gives better frame-rates than the 320m on some games at low settings; this is due to the better processor it is paired with. As resolution and complexity increase the 320m pulls away from the HD 3000, even when paired with the slower C2D.

The bottom line is that the 320m IGP is no gaming monster and the HD 3000 is even weaker. Both will play a number of popular game titles at low to medium settings, but neither would represent an increase in performance over your current 9600, and the HD 3000 would represent a definite step backwards, in terms of raw GPU performance. CPU-intensive games may play better at low settings than your current setup, since the HD 3000 is paired with an i5 or i7.

If games are important to you and you must upgrade during the current revision, I would go for the high-end 15-inch MBP (as the AMD piece in the low-end 15 wouldn't be much of an improvement over what you have).

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Answer 2

Saphired Author

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38 points

Mar 14, 2011 2:17 AM in response to hawkdsh

Thanks for the info! Well, I usually play games on my console at home but I would like to have some games on my notebook because I'd use the Macbook Pro a lot in the train for example. I'm completely satified if I can play games at medium settings and maybe not the latest ones like Crysis 2. Maybe I'd go for the 15 inch model but that's also a matter of price and size. My current 9600M HS is paired with a P8400 C2D which is one of the better ones of that series but has only to DDR2-Ram to use which itself also is only at 800 Mhz. So maybe the HD 3000 has an advantage with its connection to the 1333 Mhz DDR3 RAM?

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Answer 3

hawkdsh

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Mar 22, 2011 5:25 PM in response to Saphired

The HD 3000 should give acceptable frame rates on source-engine and Doom3 engine games using low to medium settings. If gaming is a big part of what you use your laptop for (be honest with yourself), you're better off saving for a 15" - preferably the higher-end model. If you're just looking to fill the occasional hour here and there, the HD 3000 should play enough titles to get by. I don't think you would see a speed increase over the 9600 - even with the DDR2 card. The core just isn't as advanced. In virtually every other task you would see a pretty dramatic difference going from the C2D to the i5 / i7, though.

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Answer 4

Saphired Author

Level 1

38 points

Mar 23, 2011 2:24 AM in response to hawkdsh

Thanks for your reply. Well, I would not expect an increase but even if the power is equal I'd be satisfied. With the 9600M GS I can play a bit more than Source games and Doom 3, for example Batman Arkham Asylum, on Mid to High settings. I compared the stats from the HD3000 to the ones of the 9600M GS and depending on the processor model the HD3000 has a comparable core and memory clock, but has less shader pipelines.

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