Apple Graphics Switching Question

Just checked, when I open a flash video, the GPU stays at Intel HD, not even switching to discrete one. However, battery life goes down drastically. Without playing flash video, it is around 4 hours(%60), when I open a flash video it becomes 2.30-3.00.

 

Apple's switching technology has a similar problem. For example, if you load up any Adobe CS application, the discrete GPU will turn on and will be remain on until the application is completely closed. So if you leave it in the background, the discrete GPU will still be active.

 

I posted this over on this thread too...

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=901521

Really strange observation...

Launching Tweetie, even when it is the only application open, makes the computer use the 330M. As soon as I quit it, it switches back to the Intel unless of course Aperture or something like that is open..

Right now with Firefox and a few tabs, Mail, Adium, Terminal, Calendar, Address Book, Word, Power Point, Excel and system profiler open (Just started launching random stuff to test), I am on the Intel. The second I launch Tweetie - 330M.

Tweetie isn't even an Adobe Air application (I had to double check to be sure), but TweetDeck is and it doesnt happen with it. Even with the aforementioned applications running with TweetDeck open, the 330M doesnt come on. Must be an issue with Tweetie.

I wonder why?

 

Apple is not providing Adobe with the APIs to enable hardware acceleration for Flash video, so this is not going to be an issue as it is all being decoded on the CPU. That said, it's wasteful doing the decoding on the CPU and probably kills battery life much quicker doing this - you have Apple to thank for it.

 

Not at the moment. Your only choice currently is auto switch or discrete always on via the energy saver prefs.