128MB or 256MB for MBP

[USCtrojan08]

Hi. Im going to get a new MBP as soon as leopard comes out (please apple make it march!). I'm not really that much of a gamer but i like to have the option open to me. I usually play games like sim city 4, the simes, and command and conquer. I just wanted to know the game play difference between the 128 and 256. Also, i'm wondering what anyone has to say about either card.

Also, i know the GPU is due for an update (seeing how the last update was in 2005) but i cannot wait till june. Any possibility a GPU will come out before june?

Thank you. :)

[siurpeeman]

there's always a possibility. but if i were to buy a macbook pro today, i'd get 256mb for future-proofing. if you're going to run vista on it, 256mb would probably suit you better as well.

[w8ing4intelmacs]

Hi. Im going to get a new MBP as soon as leopard comes out (please apple make it march!).

Even if it's March, it'll be end of the month. Waiting is a pain.

[pianoman]

go for the 256. if you don't, you'll always wonder what if.

[USCtrojan08]

[QUOTE=siurpeeman;3340936]there's always a possibility. but if i were to buy a macbook pro today, i'd get 256mb for future-proofing. if you're going to run vista on it, 256mb would probably suit you better as well.

I have no desire to clutter my MBP with vista, not for the price tag that vista is at.

And yeah, waiting is a pain. I've had my HP laptop for 4 years and i cannot wait to upgrade. I've never owned a comp. with a dedicated graphics card so ive never had to make this decision.

But Vista aside, does 128 run games smoothly?

[Eric5h5]

256MB isn't any faster than 128MB. But if you use high resolution with lots of FSAA (which eats up VRAM) and run games with lots of large textures, then 128MB might not be enough. For the games you mentioned, it won't make any difference.

--Eric

[biturbomunkie]

i'd say get the 256mb if you gonna keep the MBP for > 3 yrs.

I've had my HP laptop for 4 years and i cannot wait to upgrade.

[xfiftyfour]

I contemplated this as well, but ultimately went for the 128MB because of the cost difference. For me, I do a lot of design, but no video editing, no "real" games.. no need for the added vram.

Oh, and I also never keep my computers as long as 2 or 3 years, so "future-proofing" wasn't much of a factor either.

[w8ing4intelmacs]

Apple doesn't think much of the 256MB VRAM. Less than a year ago, the 1.83 CD MBP w/ 128MB VRAM was $2000 and the 2.0 CD MBP w/ 256MB VRAM was $2500 ($500 difference). Today, when they're in the refurb store, the difference is only $100.