How smoothly can the 9400m run at 1440x900?

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RipcordAFF

macrumors member

Original poster

• Jun 9, 2009

• #1

Hey guys,

I have been planning on picking up a 1440x900 monitor for a little while and running my macbook (aluminum 2.0 CE 🙂 edition) in clamshell for a desktop with it. With all that I have read, the base unimacbook can do alright as a desktop, but I have also run across a few worrying posts about how 1440x900 res really stresses the 9400m in the macbook. I am not doing any video or 3d work, but I dont want my hardware to be going full tilt all the time either.

Any opinions? Thanks!

 

ddeadserious

macrumors 6502a

• Jun 9, 2009

• #2

I run my Macbook to watch movies with on my Samsung 22" 1680x1050 and have never had any issues.

 

NewMacbookPlz

macrumors 68040

• Jun 9, 2009

• #3

Seeing how that's the integrated chip in the MBP, it'll do just fine. The 9400M can drive a dual-link DVI monitor, so 1440x900 won't be much issue.

If you're not doing 3D, you're not working the GPU much anyways I'd imagine. I output streaming Flash video to my 1920x1080 TV all the time without issue.

 

M

morrisman1

macrumors 6502

• Jun 9, 2009

• #4

mines often connected to my 24" 1920x1200 display and the only time it struggles is when you have an intense screensaver displaying on both monitors.

for everything else its perfect. the 9400m is no slouch but isnt a heavy gaming chip

 

Cave Man

macrumors 604

• Jun 9, 2009

• #5

RipcordAFF said:

I have also run across a few worrying posts about how 1440x900 res really stresses the 9400m in the macbook.

Click to expand...

The display resolution isn't going to be an issue, it's the 3D decoding that could be a potential bottleneck. Even the GMA950 Minis and MacBooks could do 1080p, provided you had a 2 gHz Core Duo or better processor.

 

dukebound85

macrumors Core

• Jun 9, 2009

• #6

i have no issue at all running a 1440x900 and a 1280x800 at the SAME TIME with my gma950 mb