Baseline MBP graphics enough?

[macgeek77]

While I will be going to school for electricial, computer, and mechanical engineering, I have heard the baseline MBP would be ok? What about for games one might play on PS2 and Xbox 360 (call of duty, madden NFL 2007, etc...). Is the 128 MB enough or do i need to get the extra cash out there for the 2.4? Also, can the baseline handle pro apps like logic, and final cut pro if i ever needed to use them in the future? Or do i need the top mbp. for the most part, the highest graphical appls are the games mentioned and final cut express HD, and logic express. However, if for some strange reason if I needed the pro apps, would i be OK? Sorry for repeating myself. Thanks for any input!!!

 

[bobber205]

The 128 will run it fine. But of course the better graphics card will always help. To be frank spending the money maxing out your ram would do more good than the video card.

 

[Will_reed]

Yeah you should be fine.
Unless the extra money is nothing to you you may as well just stick with the base level.

 

[Igantius]

Also, can the baseline handle pro apps like logic, and final cut pro if i ever needed to use them in the future? Or do i need the top mbp. for the most part, the highest graphical appls are the games mentioned and final cut express HD, and logic express. However, if for some strange reason if I needed the pro apps, would i be OK? Sorry for repeating myself.

FCP and Logic are CPU, rather than GPU, intensive - and I think in the case of the latter, there are no minimum graphical requirements. Likewise, it's the same for FC HD and LE. All of these apps run very well on MacBooks (and before anyone quotes the minimum specs at me, although FCS doesn't officially supported MBs, the machines run FCP very well), so you'll have no problem with one of the MBPs.

However, it's worth pointing out that apps other than FCP benefit from a decent graphics card - all of the current MBPs are well within the minimum specs, so again there's no problem there.

In terms of the non-gaming apps you mentioned, as these aren't GPU-intensive, you would be more than fine with the base 128MB - and I wouldn't worry if you were going to make use of FCS more graphically demanding apps.