Video compression: MacBook Pro vs. fully speced MacBook

[agm16march05]

Hi all,

I need to do some video capture and then compression on a laptop...

I was all set to grab a 15" MacBook Pro

and then Apple go and release the more portable, nicer-looking Black MacBook!

You see my dilema! If I fully spec out the MacBook - it appears to be just as powerful as the MacBook Pro. The only differences left are the keyboard lighting and the bigger screen.

Will the fully speced MacBook really handle the video compression as well as the Pro?

cheers all!

 

[McKellar]

Actually, you're missing one of the largest differences: the video card. The ATi X1600 in the MBP is much, much more powerful than the integrated Intel GMA950 found in the MacBook.

 

[balamw]

The ATi X1600 in the MBP is much, much more powerful than the integrated Intel GMA950 found in the MacBook.

Is the GPU used at all to accelerate compression? I thought it generally only played a role for decompression, while compression was still largely a CPU bound task?

B

 

[agm16march05]

I guess there's also the concern over battery life with macbook pro to factor in. If the macbook is going to give performance on video compression that's not too far away from the pro, that does make me favor the macbook...
depends on how big a factor in compression the video card is i guess?

 

[tuartboy]

Is the GPU used at all to accelerate compression? I thought it generally only played a role for decompression, while compression was still largely a CPU bound task?

B

Consumer video cards have nothing to do with compression. Compression is very much CPU bound. In this area the MB and MBP are the same. We are talking differences of a few seconds. Check the compressor times in this benchmark.