Do you think there's an chance the next 15" rMBP will have top-end dedicated GPU option? I don't mean last year's Nvidia 8xxM series, but something really decent like an Nvidia 970M, or even just a 965M? I love Macs, but the lack of a decent GPU in them is starting to become a real turn-off.
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Any chance the next 15" rMBP will have a decent dedicated GPU option?
- Thread starter oxfordguy
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Maybe on the top end 15 inch and/or 17 inch MBP's and on custom ordered MBP's on Apples website. But I can see Apple utilizing Intel's graphic card solutions for all the 13 inches, and stock 15 inch & 17 inch MBP's.
Macs have really thin profiles on most of their devices. So they will not be upgrading to anything really good as they have no way of cooling a fast graphics card properly. Plus they prefer quiet machines, so even if they could, they wouldn't because the small fan would be really noisy and there is no space for a bigger and quieter fan.
So a lot would have to change for better graphics to happen. Since it is unlikely Macs would grow thicker, then I don't see any improvement in the near future. Maybe the iMacs would be improved, since the 5K model really needs a lot of power.
The new 15 inch MacBooks have a Intel graphics only option because for some things it is almost as fast as discrete graphics. I could see Apple dropping discrete graphics eventually once Intel improves a bit more. Maybe 2-3 years. This would avoid the bad solder issue on some models, where the graphics card became so hot that it disordered itself.
So essentially no chance.
So a lot would have to change for better graphics to happen. Since it is unlikely Macs would grow thicker, then I don't see any improvement in the near future. Maybe the iMacs would be improved, since the 5K model really needs a lot of power.
The new 15 inch MacBooks have a Intel graphics only option because for some things it is almost as fast as discrete graphics. I could see Apple dropping discrete graphics eventually once Intel improves a bit more. Maybe 2-3 years. This would avoid the bad solder issue on some models, where the graphics card became so hot that it disordered itself.
So essentially no chance.
It could go either way. Maybe skylake will be intel-only. However, they'd definitely keep using a 45 watt GPU like the current iteration. Otherwise, they'd have to redesign the cooling to accommodate it (which also means it will be thicker). So, that leaves the 850M as the likely choice for now.
That's not very promising, though perhaps they'll change the case design with the next rMBP
I think they're going to get rid of a dedicated GPU because it doesn't fit in with their vision. The onboard GPU will be good enough for their iCloud, seamless Apple product integration, thin and slim profile & long battery life.
Broadwell - maybe
Skylark - I think it'll be dropped
Broadwell - maybe
Skylark - I think it'll be dropped
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Long time Windows dude but I'm pretty sure Macbooks were never meant for serious gaming.
Aren't they more known for the photography editing & audio apps? These apps tend to be more CPU and ram hungry than GPU hungry as well. I hope for 32GB of ram by 2016
There is potential for the Iris Pro to be awesome, but it isn't quite there yet. Maybe skylake will finally start beating out nvidia at that TDP.
Intel also has to do its drivers better too. Nvidia puts out a new driver optimization patch every time a big new game comes out.
I think the razer blade is thinner, with a better GPU. I wouldn't buy one, but I think it shows the thinner profile doesnt limit GPU choice. The most recent iMac redesign was thinner, but took a major step forward with the GPU in the 680m gtx. I love Apple's MacBook Pro's but I Think they could do more on the spec side, at least on their higher end 15".
The new version of the Razer Blade (which obviously copies a lot of it's design from the Macbook Pro) has Nvidia 970m graphics:
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade
I'd tempted to get one if they actually sold it in the UK (which they don't)
BTW here's another relatively slim/light laptop which will have an Nvidia 9xxM series GPU that's just been announced: http://rog.asus.com/399392015/g-ser...light-15-inch-gaming-laptop-with-4k-pcie-ssd/
To be fair
When the Haswell macbooks were designed and tested the 750M was the best available mobile GPU in that thermal and power use range.
If Broadwell had been on time then last year we would have got a broadwell rMBP with a 850M the best suitable card at the time.
They don't lack a decent GPU they just aren't updating when you want it, well thats life dude huge companies don't do things just for you....
When the Haswell macbooks were designed and tested the 750M was the best available mobile GPU in that thermal and power use range.
If Broadwell had been on time then last year we would have got a broadwell rMBP with a 850M the best suitable card at the time.
They don't lack a decent GPU they just aren't updating when you want it, well thats life dude huge companies don't do things just for you....
Apple aren't going to make the next rMBP thicker, fatter, heavier and potentially hotter to win over a few gamers when it appears that most sales are to people who aren't needing a discrete CPU.
There are other users that want the 15 inch to be thinner and lighter, like a kind of super Macbook Air, but I think Apple got the portability / performance trade-off about right.
Ivy Bridge 15 inch rMBP - all models get dGPU
Haswell 15 inch rMBP - base model gets iGPU and top end gets dGPU
Broardwell 15 inch - perhaps only BTO will get the dGPU option?
Skylake 15 inch - dGPU for BTO or perhaps no dGPU option?
Apple does silent refreshes with nothing but a short press release when updating to newer 100Mhz faster CPU steppings or adding VRAM or changing GPUs. Just look up the update before christmas season from 6750M to 6770M and changing VRAM options. There was no new CPU accompanying that update. Apple did it to keep up with the competition so their notebooks can rightfully considered top of the line.
Now the 850M isn't the usual 30-40% faster it is 100% faster than the abysmal 750M which is barely any faster than Iris Pro. The current MacBook Pro just isn't top of the line anymore because of graphics performance, it is not even close. It is actually really poor.
The delay of Broadwell was not unsuspected and Apple would have brought a silent refresh of GPUs only if they wanted to. A lack of an accompanying CPU upgrade is no reason not to. They always updated when hardware was available plus two months or so and not at some random internal cycle. The reason they don't upgrade to the 850M is that they want to keep their options open to drop the dGPU entirely.
Broadwell Iris Pro 2 will beat a 750M but not an 850M/950M and if they drop the dGPU the Marketing department would much prefer the previous model to have a 750M. If they had put a 850M in a few months ago when it was time to, they couldn't reasonably switch to an integrated only line up until Intel comes out with HPC memory and some much better graphics around Iris Pro 4 or 5. Even Skylake I doubt will look good next to Maxwell which is still in 28nm and will be eventually shrunk as well.
We already went over this I believe. There is also another explanation which is more reasonable in this case IMO. Apple only updates GPUs when they change the logic board design. So they tend to change GPU and CPU in the same go. The 6750M to 6770M upgrade you give as an example does not count here because these GPUs are basically identical and do not require a redesign of the mainboard. When Haswell update came, the Maxwell GPUs were not yet available and they probably did not want to redesign the logic board again in 2014 to incorporate the new GPU. However, in 2015, they have no excuse. So they will either drop the dGPU completely or give us a new one. But I would not see the lack of redesign in 2014 as a sign that dGPU is being dropped first of all, they could have done it back then if they wanted (difference between Iris Pro and 750M is not that big) and secondly, it is not the first time where 15" MBP used integrated graphics in all but higher-end models.
Actually it didn't. That's a mid range gaming LAPTOP in the PC world. Something like that in a desktop is laughable.
No. The 680m GTX was and continues to be a high end gaming mGPU. In fact, the newer 980m GTX is ranked as THE best single card right now.
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Might be true, but how will they justify $2500 for a model with integrated graphics only. Even now it seems a little high, even for Apple. Also, who would step up to that model if there isn't anything that really steps it apart. I think dGPU will stay in the top end model for awhile. I don't see how else they set it apart unless they bump storage way up.
Might be a good time to remind you of Mac only Developers like Bungie - even before Halo and then Micro$oft stubbing it out.
Halo would fly on a G3PPC iMac - by the time Micro$oft 'ported' it back it was literally 'game over'.
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I hesitate to say that "they do it to themselves" - a better GPU would extend the hardware life and make it harder to hobble perceived usability with sub standard drivers.
Apple doesn't want users to use the same Mac for 6+ years the want less than 3 and they want a noticeable decline in performance when compared with newer hardware.