Does it really make a diffrence? does upgrading the video card worth it? Just asking, i my self have the 128mb video card and i just wanted to know if it does make a diffrence and if so how much diffrence.
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128mb vs 64mb in 17" PB
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I believe its minimal difference if you are just using work processing and iChat like stuff in Panther (10.3) but it does matter for things like games or photoshop. When Core Image and Video come along in Tiger (10.4), and use the Video card for doing more precessing, it will make a difference in both places I think.
It is a little overpriced for the $100 it cost to upgrade. But on the otherhand, you are already getting a $3000 laptop, an extra $100 is nothing. Unless your doing 3d rendering or lots of gaming you probably wont be taking advantage of the additional Vram right now. I also read somewhere that there are a bunch of programs which will be taking advantage of additional Vram in the near future.
Your not going to notice a difference on small apps. But if you use it for gaming and bigger things like video editing and such you will notice a diference.
Its a small price to pay to give the machine a real future under Tiger and what ever follows that.
I've just seen somewhere, that Core Image requires at least 64 MB of VRAM.
So get 128 and you'll be on the safer side
Here is some information about Core Image
So get 128 and you'll be on the safer side
Here is some information about Core Image
heaven said:
To add:
What if you have a 64MB gfx card that is spanned between 2 displays in which each display shares half of that vram; thus each display gets 32MB vram. Would that be under the requirements then for Tiger Core Image?
Plus, that means about half of the current Macs Apple offers, will be just at or above the requirments. The iBooks, Mac mini, and the eMacs all have 32MB vram. I actually didn't see the specs for the vram on the eMacs, but I just assumed. You almost have to have a "pro" machine to have Core Image feature. I'm no expert on this, so not sure if Core Image will work on less by using the CPU a bit.
Yeah there is still much we do not know about Core Image at this point. However, as with most things, if you spend a little more now you can expect it to last a little longer in the end and still be useful. I would love a 128MB card in my laptop. I would find something to do with it. Play some UT2k4, that will put it to good use.
It may not seem like much of a difference, but like what someone here already pointed out, if you are spending close to 3 grand on a computer, what's an extra $100 in the name of double the VRAM? I say it is worth it. It makes it especially ready for the future where more and more is getting pushed on the graphics unit.
It may not seem like much of a difference, but like what someone here already pointed out, if you are spending close to 3 grand on a computer, what's an extra $100 in the name of double the VRAM? I say it is worth it. It makes it especially ready for the future where more and more is getting pushed on the graphics unit.
When this option came out with the April upgrades barefeats did a whole bunch of bench marks, and it made a VERY small difference in intensive 3D games... like 7 frames per second kinda difference.
Note, however, that most games weren't coded to take advantage of the extra VRAM right now.
Barefeats actually found the best upgrade to be the 5400rpm hard drive.
Photoshop, Final Cut, and other 2D type apps are not VRAM dependant... they are CPU, RAM, and HD speed dependant.
Having said all that, it would be foolish to spend that much money on a machine and not get the upgrades. Get the extra VRAM, get the faster HD, buy some extra ram from crucial or a good company (not apple... charges to much) and FUTURE PROOF your machine.
While apps may not depend on this now, they will in the future.
Note, however, that most games weren't coded to take advantage of the extra VRAM right now.
Barefeats actually found the best upgrade to be the 5400rpm hard drive.
Photoshop, Final Cut, and other 2D type apps are not VRAM dependant... they are CPU, RAM, and HD speed dependant.
Having said all that, it would be foolish to spend that much money on a machine and not get the upgrades. Get the extra VRAM, get the faster HD, buy some extra ram from crucial or a good company (not apple... charges to much) and FUTURE PROOF your machine.
While apps may not depend on this now, they will in the future.
To add to the above, currently Quartz Extreme makes use of the extra video memory. So the various applications that make use of the QUartz Extreme technology will be helped by having the 128MB of video ram.