9400 vs. 9600 / Graphical Issues?

[rwskemer]

How can one check to make sure that the 9600 graphics card is actually running when the energy preference is set to "high performance"? Am I correct that you'd only see a real difference when running more graphic intensive applications?

I ask because I just played a game of Civilization 4, expecting it to run much smoother than it did when I was using my older Macbook. I was getting tons of graphic errors when playing. I was using my 22" Samsung LCD. The 9600 was up and running. Maybe it's those Mini Display port issues?

 

[cg165]

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Try running it in bootcamp if possible. In windows you can't choose the video card since the default is the 9600. If you have osx set to higher performance then you're using the 9600. Don't expect a mobile card to push high demanding games on higher resolutions with smooth gameplay. What happens if you play on the laptop screen? What settings and results?

 

[ManWithhat]

When you switch to high performance, make sure you log out and log in.

 

[AW.kennedy]

i dont really know if its an issue

but when in higher performance mode, some video applications seem to start getting really bad refresh rates they flicker a lot, also things like iplayer menus and youtube flickers a lot when i scroll or type or move the windows about. is this something i should be concerned about?

 

[Ploki]

in system monitor..
you have both GPUs listed and the one that is in use has a "screen connected" and the other one should stay at "not connected"

 

[rwskemer]

in system monitor..
you have both GPUs listed and the one that is in use has a "screen connected" and the other one should stay at "not connected"

Found it. It's working right. Was just curious to if there was a way to make sure. Then again, my battery life with the 9600m GT is MUCH worse than that of the 9400m! That alone should have proved it to me!

Thank you.

 

[rwskemer]

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Try running it in bootcamp if possible. In windows you can't choose the video card since the default is the 9600. If you have osx set to higher performance then you're using the 9600. Don't expect a mobile card to push high demanding games on higher resolutions with smooth gameplay. What happens if you play on the laptop screen? What settings and results?

I wouldn't consider Civilization 4 a very high demanding game. I was running the game at 1680 x 1050 on my 22" LCD.

This may sound pretty obvious, but I wasn't running in clamshell mode. If I was, without the LCD on the MBP being used, I'd imagine things to be a bit quicker if there was only one display the 9600m GT had to work with. Would I see a difference?

 

[rwskemer]

Benefit to video performance while in Clamshell Mode?

Bumping my previous post... Would running my MBP in clamshell mode improve my video performance? My external display would the only display that the 9400m/9600m cards would have to display, since the LCD on the MBP wouldn't be used?

 

[DAAAAAAAVE]

I don't know if it would make a difference but if you want to try it instead of using clamshell, set up a hot corner to sleep the display. A large amount of cooling is from air drawn through the keyboard so this would be better than clamshell. Plus less heat = more performance

 

[rwskemer]

I don't know if it would make a difference but if you want to try it instead of using clamshell, set up a hot corner to sleep the display. A large amount of cooling is from air drawn through the keyboard so this would be better than clamshell. Plus less heat = more performance

Whenever I enable clamshell mode, I open the screen so there will be vetter ventilization. The screen is still off through, as I only use the external screen. I'm just thinking logically, if the graphics cards only have to power the external screen and not the MBP screen as well, there should be a performance increase.

 

[cg165]

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Try running it in bootcamp if possible. In windows you can't choose the video card since the default is the 9600. If you have osx set to higher performance then you're using the 9600. Don't expect a mobile card to push high demanding games on higher resolutions with smooth gameplay. What happens if you play on the laptop screen? What settings and results?

I wouldn't consider Civilization 4 a very high demanding game. I was running the game at 1680 x 1050 on my 22" LCD.

This may sound pretty obvious, but I wasn't running in clamshell mode. If I was, without the LCD on the MBP being used, I'd imagine things to be a bit quicker if there was only one display the 9600m GT had to work with. Would I see a difference?

Oh, I didn't know (I've never played that). How do you enable clamshell mode anyways? Do you just close the lid and use an external mouse to wake it or does something need to be enabled. I assumed I had to have both screens going due to the heat coming from the keyboard.

 

[cg165]

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I don't know if it would make a difference but if you want to try it instead of using clamshell, set up a hot corner to sleep the display. A large amount of cooling is from air drawn through the keyboard so this would be better than clamshell. Plus less heat = more performance

Whenever I enable clamshell mode, I open the screen so there will be vetter ventilization. The screen is still off through, as I only use the external screen. I'm just thinking logically, if the graphics cards only have to power the external screen and not the MBP screen as well, there should be a performance increase.

That sounds logical to me and would make sense. I'm not sure, but that wouldn't surprise me. I'd like to know what the best way to put it on an external screen is without the screen on the mbp being used. I'd like to leave it open for better ventilation though.

 

[rwskemer]

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That sounds logical to me and would make sense. I'm not sure, but that wouldn't surprise me. I'd like to know what the best way to put it on an external screen is without the screen on the mbp being used. I'd like to leave it open for better ventilation though.

All I do is plug my external monitor and keyboard to my MBP. With my MBP already in sleep mode and its lid closed, press one of the keys on the external keyboard which wakes the MBP and my display is on the external monitor. Then I open the MBP, with it's screen off, so it can ventilate. I just wish there was an way to turn the MBP screen on and off.