Apple Dropping NVIDIA for Future Macs?

[MacRumors]

SemiAccurate claims that Apple will be dropping NVIDIA-based designs in their next iMacs and laptops for at least the next few years. They claim the reason is due to the recent NVIDIA manufacturing defects which affected a number of MacBook Pros.

The shift back to Intel-based chipsets was not entirely unexpected, however, as Intel and NVIDIA have been under a licensing battle over whether or not NVIDIA can even produce Nehalem-based chipsets in the future. Apple currently uses the Nehalem processors for their Mac Pro line, and is expected to adopt the mobile Nehalem processors for its mobile line later this year.


Article Link: Apple Dropping NVIDIA for Future Macs?

[xDeathReaperx]

That's ridiculous!!

~xDRx

[celticpride678]

That would stink. I don't want Intel again.

[ProwlingTiger]

I hope a better agreement can be reached. Yeah, there were a significant amount of defects. Use that as a bargaining chip.

[Mykbibby]

SemiAccurate is an interesting name for a website... in this case I think they're NotatallAccurate.

I'm pretty sure Apple will be sticking with nVIDIA.

[11800506]

I don't really see this as being accurate, at least for the reasons they said because surely Apple knew about the graphics card defects affecting the Macbook Pro when they adopted the Nvidia chipsets. It just doesn't make any sense seeing as it was quite public knowledge even before Apple switched to the chipsets.

The Intel/Nvidia issue does seem more legitimate though - let's hope they can get that sorted out before the Nehalem chips are released.

[Tallest Skil]

Let's see here...

If they wanted to drop nVidia, THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IT AFTER THE FAULTS OF THE 8600M GT. NOT THREE REVISIONS LATER AFTER HAVING INCLUDED EVEN MORE NVIDIA CHIPS IN THEIR COMPUTERS.

SemiAccurate?! No. NO. CanNeverBeTrustedAgain is more appropriate.

[Spanky Deluxe]

Since Apple is unlikely to replace their low end machines with inferior graphics capabilities, its far more likely that when Core i7 laptop parts become available Apple will simply hold the low end MacBooks, iMacs and Mac Minis and keep them using Core 2 Duo chips - just with (possible) speed boosts.

My guess is that the MacBook Pro and iMac lines will get dedicated graphics cards across the board come i7 (although with a low end chip at the bottom end of course) while the MacBook, Mac Mini and MacBook Air remain largely as they are but with possibly faster processors. Who knows, maybe Intel will give them some custom Core 2 Duo parts to keep those lines going a little longer.

Edit: Ah, I see Tallest Skil says the rumour's a lie. That probably means it'll turn out to be 100% accurate.

[supmango]

Originally Posted by Mykbibby

SemiAccurate is an interesting name for a website... in this case I think they're NotatallAccurate.

I'm pretty sure Apple will be sticking with nVIDIA.

Agreed. Why would Apple go backwards in graphics? Perhaps they are going back to ATI, but even that would be a step in the wrong direction.

[Sun Baked]

The Nvidia chipsets were likely in the pipe when the GPU defect were coming to light. And the broken promises of the defect being fixed probably raised Apple's ire.

It isn't unusual for Apple to do everything they can to punish a vendor when there are pissed at them. Likely walking away from them for a couple years, and dropping their inclusion in halo products like Macs is the fitting punishment.

---

I think there was probably more to it, and it was the behind the door discussions about how much Nvidia and the insurance company would be picking up from the fiasco that finally broke the straw (edit: or the next mobile Intel CPU and the FSB issues.)

[macintoshtoffy]

Originally Posted by celticpride678

That would stink. I don't want Intel again.

Why? what is wrong with Intel? have you used the X4500? its a damn site more reliable than the rubbish that Nvidia pushes out as 'stable'. The last straw for me with Nvidia was their buck passing when their products started to fail - blaming everyone else except themselves. The worse part of the Nvidia fiasco is it isn't Nvidia who will suffer but those OEM's who used Nvidia products and are now having their products labelled as 'unreliable' by the average person.

Apple can't afford to have a supplier on their books that makes them look bad - name me a single Intel GPU that has had the specular product quality failures that Nvidia has.

[meli]

I'd bet that this rumor is the "semi" half of "semi-accurate".

[BJB Productions]

Looks like I'll be hangin' onto my late 2008 Macbook Pro.

[krye]

Booooo!

I'd take a potentially defective Nvidia chip over an Intel chip any day.

[slackpacker]

I understand about the Chipset Chips. But if there are No Nvidia Graphics and I'm Not buying another Apple Laptop.

[Peace]

Any real SL devs here should know OpenCL is only working on nVidia graphics.

[windywoo]

Originally Posted by Peace

Any real SL devs here should know OpenCL is only working on nVidia graphics.

Are you saying the ATI extensions aren't developed yet? Or just that it won't work on ATIs mobile solutions?

[Shake 'n' Bake]

Originally Posted by windywoo

Are you saying the ATI extensions aren't developed yet? Or just that it won't work on ATIs mobile solutions?

Of course it won't work with ATi mobile anything.

I just think the extensions aren't there yet.

[Peace]

Originally Posted by Shake 'n' Bake

Of course it won't work with ATi mobile anything.

I just think the extensions aren't there yet.

If Apple was moving all their iMacs and Macbook Pros away from nVidia one would think ATI/Intel extensions would be working by now wouldn't one ?

This is stupid. Some site that by it's own name is guessing something for click throughs and MR falls for it.

[windywoo]

Originally Posted by Shake 'n' Bake

Of course it won't work with ATi mobile anything.

I just think the extensions aren't there yet.

The mobile 4800 series looks to have similar features to the desktop ones.

[Eidorian]

Any Intel processor with DMI and an onboard PCI-Express controller is going to ruin nVidia's day on the mobile IGP side.

ION 2 we hardly knew ye. Well unless Apple plans on shipping Core 2 hardware forever.

[fun173]

If apple puts intel graphics i will never buy one as long as there is intel graphics in it they suck

[danthespaceman]

How does this news affect someone looking to purchase a higher end macbook pro with a dedicated graphics card in the next 6 months? I hear a lot of people worried about performance drops in the lower end models, but what are the chances of performance drops in the higher end models?

[MattInOz]

Well if they are considering ATI agian it would explain why they finally got around to fixing a whole stack of ATI bugs in 10.5.7.

Including the one they never admitting to existing in the last batch of ATI iMacs.

[str1f3]

Originally Posted by fun173

If apple puts intel graphics i will never buy one as long as there is intel graphics in it they suck

I wonder if they would move back to Intel. Since Apple has changed the 13" to pro, would they still use a cheap Intel solution? It would be hard to believe that they would. Apple should just use a dedicated graphics card solution across the entire MBP line with more powerful cards on the high end models.

It remains to be seen what Larrabee can do. I don't expect much in the gaming department but it could be serviceable for OpenCL. ATI as of now doesn't support OpenCL on the majority of their cards.

As it is I'm happy with the 13" MBP I just got and won't be looking to upgrade for a couple of years.