Battery life difference using exclusively GT330M v. Intel HD?

[Luba]

Hi, anybody have an idea the battery life difference of using the GT330M exclusively versus using the Intel HD integrated exclusively. I don't have gfxCardStatus installed so can't really test using Intel HD exclusively. I didn't installed because some have said it caused some problems, but then it was on older versions of gfxCardStatus.

Anyway, I have used the GT330M exclusively on 15" MBP 2.66 i7 and got about 5.5 hours. Full screen brightness, mostly surfing, perhaps 10 min watching flash videos on 'net.

GT330M uses more battery power, but if GT330M render/processes (don't know correct term) faster than integrated then maybe GT330M saves some battery life that way in compensation. In other words, GT330M uses more battery, but I would also get the job done faster than with Intel HD, so in the end, it's almost a wash?!? Also if GT330M does things faster for a better computing experience then I willing to pay that price of less battery life if it's not too high compared to the battery time saved using the Intel HD intergrated.

I have had it on auto-switching graphics and seem to get about the same battery time as GT330M exclusive.

I do know going on iChat drains the battery very fast! Not sure what it is about iChat that makes it so whatever (CPU? GPU?) intensive that it cuts down battery life by half!!!

Anyway, wasn't able to find any data on battery life via search, maybe somebody here can give an educated guess, at least?

Thanks!!

 

[Vanarak19]

Here is my take....and someone will post numbers if they have them, i dont.

While the 330m will complete tasks faster, its idle power draw is probably >= the load power draw of the intel solution...so...If the intel loads up 100% and takes a minute to finish something, the 330m should still (while faster in doing so) use more power to complete the same task? Not to mention it is not IDLE at time of rendering.

Just my thoughts. battery life will be better with the intel, end of story.

 

[Luba]

Agree, battery life better with Intel HD, but how much of a loss of battery life if GT330M used exclusively? If the loss is only 10% or 30 minutes then maybe I turn off Auto Graphics Switching for the faster performance of the GT330M. Besides read here that the Auto Graphics Switching function is not the greatest or that MBP on Intel can cause weird display issues.

Here is my take....and someone will post numbers if they have them, i dont.

While the 330m will complete tasks faster, its idle power draw is probably >= the load power draw of the intel solution...so...If the intel loads up 100% and takes a minute to finish something, the 330m should still (while faster in doing so) use more power to complete the same task? Not to mention it is not IDLE at time of rendering.

Just my thoughts. battery life will be better with the intel, end of story.