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MacBook Graphics Card

I preface this question by saying my knowledge is moderate at best. I am far from a guru.

I would very much like to get one of the new 2.0 ghz MacBooks, but as someone who plays a lot of games (and is loathe to use the word "gamer"), I'm wary of buying a machine using only a 64mb graphics card, particularly one that's sort of generic-made rather than a graphics-specific company, at this stage in the game when the standard is moving rapidly upward toward 256 and 512. Is it at all possible to get a 256 card in the MacBook? Whether through factory purchase or aftermarket work?

To be fair, what I'm running now is a 933mhz G4 with a 64mb graphics card, so even just the jump in processor power would be significant, but I'm thinking of the future and being a poor almost-out-of-undergraduate-college student, I'm not going to be able to be upgrading my computer every couple years.

Posted on May 16, 2006 4:53 PM

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Posted on May 16, 2006 5:32 PM

This is my biggest concern with the MacBook too... the anti-reflection covered glossy screen scoring a second place.

The integrated Intel graphics chip is not powerful enough (specially for 3D) and has both slow access to, and low amounts of, memory.

You won't be able to add a graphics card to this exisiting form factor. Because of space, cooling and other numerous limitations.

You might be able to play HL2 at very low settings if you're lucky. My advice is to wait for some reviews, google for 'hl2 macbook -pro' in a couple of days.

If the MacBook had an ATI card and a matte screen I would have bought one immediately.

BTW, who came up with the glossy LCD screen in the first place? :/
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May 16, 2006 5:32 PM in response to johnny_go_darkly

This is my biggest concern with the MacBook too... the anti-reflection covered glossy screen scoring a second place.

The integrated Intel graphics chip is not powerful enough (specially for 3D) and has both slow access to, and low amounts of, memory.

You won't be able to add a graphics card to this exisiting form factor. Because of space, cooling and other numerous limitations.

You might be able to play HL2 at very low settings if you're lucky. My advice is to wait for some reviews, google for 'hl2 macbook -pro' in a couple of days.

If the MacBook had an ATI card and a matte screen I would have bought one immediately.

BTW, who came up with the glossy LCD screen in the first place? :/

May 16, 2006 5:38 PM in response to johnny_go_darkly

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!

The video system in the new MacBook, like the Intel-based Mac mini, uses "shared" RAM. This means there is NO dedicated RAM at all in the video system. It's sharing the system RAM. Like system RAM and applications, Mac OS X will dynamically alter the amount of RAM dedicated to the graphics/video processes as needed. So, in fact, the system, if necessary, could allocate 256MB of RAM to the video system. However, many games will not be able to take advantage of the accelerated graphics systems used in dedicated nVidia or ATI chips.

-Doug

May 16, 2006 8:48 PM in response to johnny_go_darkly

I would very much like to get one of the new 2.0 ghz
MacBooks, but as someone who plays a lot of games
(and is loathe to use the word "gamer"), I'm wary of
buying a machine using only a 64mb graphics card,
particularly one that's sort of generic-made rather
than a graphics-specific company, at this stage in
the game when the standard is moving rapidly upward
toward 256 and 512. Is it at all possible to get a
256 card in the MacBook? Whether through factory
purchase or aftermarket work?

To be fair, what I'm running now is a 933mhz G4 with
a 64mb graphics card, so even just the jump in
processor power would be significant, but I'm
thinking of the future and being a poor
almost-out-of-undergraduate-college student, I'm not
going to be able to be upgrading my computer every
couple years.


You can read all about the Intel GMA 950 chipset (used in the MacBook and Mac Mini) here:

http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/

This is not a gamer video chipset, but it is still capable of meeting the needs to which the MacBook was designed for by Apple.

First Person Shooters (FPS) will likely not fair well, but some Real-Time Strategy (RTS) and other genre games may do fine.

May 17, 2006 5:49 AM in response to bullen

Hey bullen,

I to had concerns about the glossy screen. I picked up my new MacBook yesterday and have to say that it;s gorgeous and looks like glass.

in my opinion though it's only anti-reflective when you look at it straight on. From other angles you can see mild reflections. Not a problem when your the one using it though.

May 17, 2006 8:34 AM in response to johnny_go_darkly

Playing any games on the integrated graphics of the mini and the new macbook is never going to get you great results. As for playing wow with all the settins on max, i would defintly say no.

if you read the forums here:

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/board.aspx?fn=wow-mac-tech-support

you will see that they are getting around 10fps with the mac mini with the game settings on LOW. This is with a 1g ram upgrade also. at a resolution of 1024x768..around the same as 1280x800, just not widescreen.

The intel graphics card is by far a bad gameing card. But does pretty much everything else ok. If you want to play games, get the macbook pro.

I am in the same boat as you. I wanted a small laptop, but i also wanted to be able to do some gameing on it. If they made a 13.3 macbook pro with the ati cards in them, i would buy one with zero thought. The macbook is the perfect laptop for me, if it only had a better video option.

May 17, 2006 9:20 AM in response to johnny_go_darkly

Would adding as much RAM as possible (2GB), make a significant difference. Let's say having 1.25GB to 2GB, for 3D/Video? Also...with the Intel intergrated card, how is just regular video playback. I use Logic and Soundtrack to do audio for video. Would the intergrated intel video card be ok for this kind of application? QuickTime HD 1080p trailers seem to playback ok on my Intel Mac mini with the same video card, I think.

May 17, 2006 11:14 AM in response to johnny_go_darkly

I am interested in replacing my 1st gen ibook G3 12". I really like the new Macbook but want something that will play 3D games at moderate fps. Intel is coming out with a new chipset very soon that will replace the current 950 with the 965. From all i've read it is a big step up from the Macbook's 950. More in the catagory of the ati x1300. That would be enough for a portable i want to last 5 years.

lenn

May 17, 2006 1:15 PM in response to DavoMrMac

I don't think it works that way. The graphics isn't going to take as much as it needs, or nobody would pay $500 for a 512 mb graphics card and everyone would have integrated graphics.

Also, if you notice on most new graphics cards, they run GDDR2 or even GDDR3, and at insane speeds.

And dedicated cards use their own processor, not the system.

So even if it does use more than 64 mb for the system, it isn't going to be as fast as the MBP's graphics.

I am not sure how OS X works and how this integrated graphics is configured, but I don't see it going above 224 mb.

MacBook Graphics Card

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