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MBPr 15" Iris Pro vs GT750M

C

ChrisVie

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 22, 2014
11
0
Hello,

I would like to buy soon a MBPr 15" and am also regarding the configuration pretty sure. The only point where I'm still uncertain is the GPU:
- i7 2,3 GHz, 16GB Ram, 512 SSD, GT 750M
- i7 2,3 GHz, 16GB Ram, 512 SSD, Intel Iris Pro

The price is close to the same for both configurations!
I would be especially interested about experiences surrounding battery life and fan noise. If the battery consumption is considerably greater with the GT750M? When the system switches to GT750M, the fans will be more stressed - is this highly audible? Is there a difference between fan noise of Iris Pro and GT750M?
Some programs refer to the GT750M, although this is not required - the GT750M can be turned off completely? Supposedly this be possible with the gfxCardStatus program, but have also read that the complete turn off is not possible?!

Would appreciate feedback from people with integrated and dedicated GPU - Thanks in advance :)
 
ChrisVie said:
Hello,

I would like to buy soon a MBPr 15" and am also regarding the configuration pretty sure. The only point where I'm still uncertain is the GPU:
- i7 2,3 GHz, 16GB Ram, 512 SSD, GT 750M
- i7 2,3 GHz, 16GB Ram, 512 SSD, Intel Iris Pro

The price is close to the same for both configurations!
I would be especially interested about experiences surrounding battery life and fan noise. If the battery consumption is considerably greater with the GT750M? When the system switches to GT750M, the fans will be more stressed - is this highly audible? Is there a difference between fan noise of Iris Pro and GT750M?
Some programs refer to the GT750M, although this is not required - the GT750M can be turned off completely? Supposedly this be possible with the gfxCardStatus program, but have also read that the complete turn off is not possible?!

Would appreciate feedback from people with integrated and dedicated GPU - Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...

Get the 750m version and install gfxcardstatus, always switch it to integrated only upon booting up. Only switch to dynamic switching when you plan on using something that truly would benefit using the 750m (maybe gaming or rendering).

The only time in which you can't force integrated only is if the system is already using the 750m (if you're already using something that uses it such as flash video, gaming, or any graphic intense application).
 
I was also worried about fan noise before i bought it. My old 2010 with the 330m was much more noisy with the dGPU.
With the 750M it is a non issue. They are virtually equal at all loads. Sometimes the Iris is even a bit worse due to the software code paths not loading properly and apparently some stuff falling back on software. Basically GPU acceleration bugs out. The switching back and forth still has some bugs.
Chrome stays on Iris until flash shows on any site and than stays on the dGPU a few minutes after the tab closed. HTML5 keeps Iris Pro but here the codepath often seems not to favour Iris Pro that much.
I don't use Safari much but it certainly has its own issues.
If you consistently force either GPU most apps work well.
Obviously an external always switches to the dGPU which is a bit of a waste on presentation duty. A powerpoint slide doesn't need much.

The difference at low loads is a couple watts and at higher loads basically none existent. It also helps that the extra chip has extra area so heat transfer to the sinks is better with the 750M enabled which makes up for all the difference.
You really don't have to worry about fan noise with either decision and case heat. It is equally good or bad. Iris Pro alone can easily push the fans to max in no time if the whole TDP is called upon.
 
ChrisVie said:
Would appreciate feedback from people with integrated and dedicated GPU - Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...

What will you be using this laptop for? Do you need a dGPU? I find the Iris pro to be an excellent computer and for me, my next laptop will not have the dGPU.
 
ChrisVie said:
Hello,

I would like to buy soon a MBPr 15" and am also regarding the configuration pretty sure. The only point where I'm still uncertain is the GPU:
- i7 2,3 GHz, 16GB Ram, 512 SSD, GT 750M
- i7 2,3 GHz, 16GB Ram, 512 SSD, Intel Iris Pro

The price is close to the same for both configurations!
I would be especially interested about experiences surrounding battery life and fan noise. If the battery consumption is considerably greater with the GT750M? When the system switches to GT750M, the fans will be more stressed - is this highly audible? Is there a difference between fan noise of Iris Pro and GT750M?
Some programs refer to the GT750M, although this is not required - the GT750M can be turned off completely? Supposedly this be possible with the gfxCardStatus program, but have also read that the complete turn off is not possible?!

Would appreciate feedback from people with integrated and dedicated GPU - Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...

In most countries, the Iris-only and Iris+750M are priced identically with a minimum configuration of 2.3/16/512. So the 750M is a freebie.

You can prevent battery drain by using gfxcardstatus and force it into Iris-only when on battery power.
 
Thank you all for the quick replies - helped me definitely!

The only time in which you can't force integrated only is if the system is already using the 750m
Click to expand...

Nevertheless, if i force integrated and afterwards look flash Videos, would the system switch to GT750M or stay with the settings i made -> integrated?


You really don't have to worry about fan noise with either decision and case heat. It is equally good or bad. Iris Pro alone can easily push the fans to max in no time if the whole TDP is called upon.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the detailled explanation - thats definetley in relation to fan noise a pro for me to go with the GT750M config!

In most countries, the Iris-only and Iris+750M are priced identically with a minimum configuration of 2.3/16/512. So the 750M is a freebie.

You can prevent battery drain by using gfxcardstatus and force it into Iris-only when on battery power.
Click to expand...

Thats true - there is no significant Price difference! But i forgot that there is a difference at CPU - Iris Pro with 2,0 GHz and GT750M with 2,3 GHz.

Ok, i can control battery drain with gfxcardstatus, but does anyone know how the battery consumption looks like with GT750M in comparison to Iris Pro?
 
Gfxcardstatus is not a reliable tool for switching graphics. It's more of a reporting tool. See here: gfx.io/switching.html

If you want to maximize battery life, you'll want the iris pro. The difference would be something like 8 hrs battery vs 3-4 hrs (depending on usage).
 
gametime10 said:
Gfxcardstatus is not a reliable tool for switching graphics. It's more of a reporting tool. See here: gfx.io/switching.html



If you want to maximize battery life, you'll want the iris pro. The difference would be something like 8 hrs battery vs 3-4 hrs (depending on usage).
Click to expand...


Agree. I have used gfxcardstat us to force integrated a bunch of times. But it always resorts to dGPU. If you are more concerned with battery and heat than anything else go with the igpu.
 
Agree. I have used gfxcardstat us to force integrated a bunch of times. But it always resorts to dGPU. If you are more concerned with battery and heat than anything else go with the igpu.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. before these two posts i would have taken the config with GT750M, but now i am a little bit confused and undecided :-(
gfxCardStatus isn't for swichting like in posts before, but rather for reporting?
 
the auto switching is a lot better on the 750M than in my 2010 MBP. It basically on switches on Netflix and gaming now. And, OSX 10.10 will make Netflix html5, so no more switching there anymore either.
 
Iris Pro is a far different beast than prior generation iGPUs. It stays in the lower power/heat envelope and gives performance that is dGPU class. Basically in many areas it is like having a GT650M and in some areas (Open CL for example) it even outperforms the 750. So it depends on what you are using the notebook for - if you expect to do a lot of gaming with graphics intense games probably get the 750M and just eat the loss in battery life. Otherwise Iris Pro.
 
ChrisVie said:
Hmm.. before these two posts i would have taken the config with GT750M, but now i am a little bit confused and undecided :-(
gfxCardStatus isn't for swichting like in posts before, but rather for reporting?
Click to expand...

People talk like there's no downside for taking the 750M, but that's just not true. Yes the 750M will give you significantly better video performance, no question. Particularly, if you're looking to drive a 4K monitor, this is probably the option to go with.

But if you're not a hardcore gamer (the Iris Pro handles most games just fine) and need a solid battery life without much hassle, the Iris Pro is the option to go with. This is particularly true if you do your work in Bootcamp (always forces the 750M), connect to external projectors (always forces 750M), or do a lot of graphics or flash work on the road. Also, do keep in mind that Apple has had a history of discrete graphics cards failing in notebooks around the 3 year mark, after Applecare expires (see threads on 2011 MBPs starting to fail).
 
gametime10 said:
People talk like there's no downside for taking the 750M, but that's just not true. Yes the 750M will give you significantly better video performance, no question. Particularly, if you're looking to drive a 4K monitor, this is probably the option to go with.

But if you're not a hardcore gamer (the Iris Pro handles most games just fine) and need a solid battery life without much hassle, the Iris Pro is the option to go with. This is particularly true if you do your work in Bootcamp (always forces the 750M), connect to external projectors (always forces 750M), or do a lot of graphics or flash work on the road. Also, do keep in mind that Apple has had a history of discrete graphics cards failing in notebooks around the 3 year mark, after Applecare expires (see threads on 2011 MBPs starting to fail).
Click to expand...

I have an early 2011 MBP and I'm thinking of upgrading to a new MBP. Would it be wise to make the jump soon?
 
Dumb question: (and this is just intellectual curiosity, as I don't think I would ever actually do it) If you have the 750M, is it possible to physically remove it and go on with life with the onboard Iris Pro? (I have MBPr 15" Late 2013, 2.3/16/512 w/ 750M dGPU)
 
bmclaurin said:
Dumb question: (and this is just intellectual curiosity, as I don't think I would ever actually do it) If you have the 750M, is it possible to physically remove it and go on with life with the onboard Iris Pro? (I have MBPr 15" Late 2013, 2.3/16/512 w/ 750M dGPU)
Click to expand...

nope
 
bmclaurin said:
Dumb question: (and this is just intellectual curiosity, as I don't think I would ever actually do it) If you have the 750M, is it possible to physically remove it and go on with life with the onboard Iris Pro? (I have MBPr 15" Late 2013, 2.3/16/512 w/ 750M dGPU)
Click to expand...

You could probably do that, but the result will likely be quite messy.
 
My personal experience with gfxCardStatus suggests that the issues people find with it are likely the result of incorrect usage. As long as the system is not currently asking for the dGPU (the current active GPU is the Iris Pro) you can switch to "iGPU only" and the system will respect that setting.

What doesn't work is trying to use it to switch from the dGPU to the iGPU while the dGPU is in use.

The link posted above agrees with what I've said; While the author no longer "recommends" using the iGPU only switch it still works as long as you enable it before loading any programs that ask for the dGPU. I've been using gfxCardStatus to keep my dGPU off for a long time and it's never failed to do its job as long as I use it correctly.

There are however two exceptions (both already mentioned but I'm including them just to be complete):

-If you connect an external display the dGPU is forced on, overriding the gfxCardStatus setting.

-If you boot to Windows the system only recognizes the dGPU and has no switching capability. The impact on battery life is pretty severe in most cases.

With that in mind I'd be inclined to recommend the Iris Pro model if you think you might spend a lot of time in Windows and on battery simultaneously. Or if you often find yourself using an external display while on battery (probably a rare case).

If you don't play games or do GPU-focused work there's very little reason to have the 750m at all (it's really just a rebranded 650m and not that much faster than Iris Pro), but obviously it's hard to turn down extra stuff when the price is so close.
 
gametime10 said:
But if you're not a hardcore gamer (the Iris Pro handles most games just fine) and need a solid battery life without much hassle, the Iris Pro is the option to go with. This is particularly true if you do your work in Bootcamp (always forces the 750M), connect to external projectors (always forces 750M), or do a lot of graphics or flash work on the road. Also, do keep in mind that Apple has had a history of discrete graphics cards failing in notebooks around the 3 year mark, after Applecare expires (see threads on 2011 MBPs starting to fail).
Click to expand...

A lot of good info in here, especially re: Bootcamp + external monitors.

In my experience, gfxCardStatus has worked well in terms of staying locked in iGPU-only mode when I need to max out battery power--including when using Netflix/VLC and some light gaming.

It's also allowed me to go battery-only for several live performances using Ableton Live 9--preventing certain plugins from annoyingly triggering the 750M. For my needs, having the 750M on hand is a no-brainer.

Someone looking to go battery-only while using the HDMI-out to plug into a monitor/projector, or those dedicated Bootcampers among you, would be well advised to consider an Iris Pro-only machine.

Otherwise--considering the negligible difference in price--I would say it's worth the minor inconvenience of manual switching and/or having to restart an application every now and again to get gfxCardStatus to work properly.
 
Atomic Walrus said:
My personal experience with gfxCardStatus suggests that the issues people find with it are likely the result of incorrect usage. As long as the system is not currently asking for the dGPU (the current active GPU is the Iris Pro) you can switch to "iGPU only" and the system will respect that setting.

What doesn't work is trying to use it to switch from the dGPU to the iGPU while the dGPU is in use.
Click to expand...

I learn something new everyday. That makes sense. I just tested it and it works. That certainly makes the case for the 750M stronger.
 
In my experience, gfxCardStatus has worked well in terms of staying locked in iGPU-only mode when I need to max out battery power--including when using Netflix/VLC and some light gaming
Click to expand...

1. Force iGPU via gfx
2. Play Flash Video
3. System still Users iGPU???

Normally for flash the system uses dGPU, but you switched with gfx to iGPU and it stays locked?

On the other hand that won't work:
1. Play Flash Video
2. Force iGPU via gfx
because system used dGPU and then it isn't possible to Switch to iGPU?

To sum it up, gfx can be used for switching if its used correctly, am i right?

Still its a though decision because 2,0/16/512 w Iris Pro is around $150 more expensive than 2,3/16/512 w 750M :-/

Aren't you going to wait for the 2014 Model tho
Click to expand...
In my opinion it's not worth to wait for the update, because it will only include some new haswell chips with around 200 MHz more.. new broadwell chips will come 2015!
 
Last edited:
ChrisVie said:
1. Force iGPU via gfx
2. Play Flash Video
3. System still Users iGPU???

Normally for flash the system uses dGPU, but you switched with gfx to iGPU and it stays locked?

On the other hand that won't work:
1. Play Flash Video
2. Force iGPU via gfx
because system used dGPU and then it isn't possible to Switch to iGPU?

To sum it up, gfx can be used for switching if its used correctly, am i right?

Still its a though decision because 2,0/16/512 w Iris Pro is around $150 more expensive than 2,3/16/512 w 750M :-/


In my opinion it's not worth to wait for the update, because it will only include some new haswell chips with around 200 MHz more.. new broadwell chips will come 2015!
Click to expand...

you may want to holdup because im in same situation but apple may put an 850m in the high end ; as previously with just a refresh they also updated the dgpu ; and it goes well as the 850m came out in april and apple usually updates the dgpu with the release of a new one each year ; the reason they didn't do that in the early 2013 version was the fact that the 750m wasn't released until april 1st 2013 and the early 2013 was released march 15th. also if broadwell version is released mid 2015 then the 950m will be out by then
 
you may want to holdup because im in same situation but apple may put an 850m in the high end ; as previously with just a refresh they also updated the dgpu ; and it goes well as the 850m came out in april and apple usually updates the dgpu with the release of a new one each year ; the reason they didn't do that in the early 2013 version was the fact that the 750m wasn't released until april 1st 2013 and the early 2013 was released march 15th. also if broadwell version is released mid 2015 then the 950m will be out by then
Click to expand...

i have a good offer for the MBPr.. im not sure, if they will really upgrade dGPU as well and how expensive this small update will be :-/

1. Force iGPU via gfx
2. Play Flash Video
3. System still Users iGPU???

Normally for flash the system uses dGPU, but you switched with gfx to iGPU and it stays locked?

On the other hand that won't work:
1. Play Flash Video
2. Force iGPU via gfx
because system used dGPU and then it isn't possible to Switch to iGPU?

To sum it up, gfx can be used for switching if its used correctly, am i right?

Still its a though decision because 2,0/16/512 w Iris Pro is around $150 more expensive than 2,3/16/512 w 750M
Click to expand...

dont won't to be annoying, but can anyone confirm if this is right? thanks :)
 
ChrisVie said:
i have a good offer for the MBPr.. im not sure, if they will really upgrade dGPU as well and how expensive this small update will be :-/



dont won't to be annoying, but can anyone confirm if this is right? thanks :)
Click to expand...

the pricing is exactly the same with or without the 750m ; if you put the same exact things in the iris only the price will be the same
 
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