Will a MBP 17" with a 512 Video Card Ever Come?

[poppe]

Does anyone think a 17" MBP will ever come with a 512 mb GPU? Just want to know your thoughts and predictions?

Would it even be worth it. I would think so for games sake, but since i am not a Mac person yet I dont know really?

If i was getting a PC i would be seeking 512, but I'm dying for a Mac.

[Xephian]

Of course, but 512MB aren't really needed for today's games anyway.

My guess is that the MBP will get a 512MB video card in mid 2007 when 512MB video card are the standard for all midhigh-high range video cards.

[Peyton]

I'm thinking one reason is because profit margins are higher with the 256 (obviously) and another problem COULD be that its not thin enough yet, which is commonly a problem apple faces. (example= DL superdrives) ;)

[poppe]

I think 512 is needed now for games. I know F.E.A.R is new and was breaking grounds, but a 2Gh Pentium 4 with 1g of ram and 256 video card had to play on Medium-Low settings, couldn't play on medium-high, or high settings. So I was really hoping it would come soon. But you sound correct.

[mikaelrules]

It isn't always about the amount of video memory. The 256MB card you might have been using could have been a low-end card. In theory, a 7900 GTX with 128MB would probably run circles around an ATi X600 with 512MB (if they existed)

[poppe]

It isn't always about the amount of video memory. The 256MB card you might have been using could have been a low-end card. In theory, a 7900 GTX with 128MB would probably run circles around an ATi X600 with 512MB (if they existed)

Really? Can you explain why that is so?

[TheMonarch]

Really? Can you explain why that is so?


Video memory is only half the story. Think of it this way:

Adding 2GB to a 400Mhz G4 won't make it faster than a 2Ghz MBP with 512MB of RAM.

[mlrproducts]

Really? Can you explain why that is so?
Shaders and other features of the cards, more pipelines, higher frequency core and memory, etc.

Just like a 2ghz computer w/256mb is gonna run faster than a 450mhz with 512mb (or even a gig for that matter).

[BlizzardBomb]

Really? Can you explain why that is so?

Think of a car. Imagine that a graphics card is a car engine and the adding VRAM is removing weight in the car.

You could remove all the weight you wanted from a Ford Focus (the X600), but it would never beat a Ferrari (7900 GTX) that's carrying something heavy.

[poppe]

Ahhh I c wise ones... thank you much. well now that that is cleared up... I hope I can find out how F.E.A.R. is on a 17" MBP or did that not get converted yet? How are any of the other heavy graphics games working on them?