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Confused about the new MBP video card...

marclapierre13

marclapierre13

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2005
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For the stock MBP, it says "NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 256MB"
Now the macbook has the 9400m as well, and it is shared with the motherboard, integrated.
So is the new MBP have the same 9400m 256MB shared, plus an additional 256mb 9600M dedicated?

Or what...?
 
Actually that quote in the OP is exactly what the apple website says, and that is very vague...
"NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 256MB" can mean that 256mb is divided between 9400M and 9600m...or it could mean it has 256MB 9600M and an additional 9400M, which only people that do their research and notice the MB has the 9400M, states it is 256Mb shared.

Thanks iSpoody for confirming this.
 
iSpoody 1243 said:
okay
you can only use one graphics card at a time,
9400 used the ram for its memory
9600 has its own memory
Click to expand...

Interesting, ive never heard about this before. So do you set which graphicsa card you want to use at what time? Or does it switch automatically when you need more memory? What is the point of this?
 
you choose, 9600 uses more battery but has more power, 9400 uses less battery but is less powerful, for the system to change between gpu "i think" it needs to reboot
 
iSpoody 1243 said:
you choose, 9600 uses more battery but has more power, 9400 uses less battery but is less powerful, for the system to change between gpu "i think" it needs to reboot
Click to expand...

Wow, very interesting. I suppose its a great feature, for those that need to switch to conserve battery power or need the power on the fly...I know when I take my laptop on the go, I mostly need more battery life, because I am mostly typing or surfing the web, when at home I need the extra power though for CS3 and what not. To bad you have to reboot though, but I guess it needs to be done.
 
Basically the 9400 is part of the chipset and the 9600 connected to that through a mux.
Code: 
MacBook

CPU <---> [Integrated Nvidia N/S w built in 9400] <---> LCD

MacBook Pro

CPU <---> [Integrated Nvidia N/S w built in 9400] <---> [graphics mux] <---> LCD
[COLOR="White"]CPU <---> [Integrated Nvidia N/S w built in [/COLOR]9600 <--------/
 
The 9400m gfx card draws from your regular ram. The 9600 draws from the discrete ram that's part of the video card. Unless you're playing games of doing intensive editing, you really don't need the 9600. Only a logout is required to switch between the cards. Nvidia pioneered these cards as something that is a hyrbid SLi, but they said that Apple needs to write the coding for that, so it is yet to be seen when we will see a true hybrid sli between the two cards.
 
well i do play games, and i play some in boot camp as well, so a dedicated graphics card is useful. As well as some photo editing.

Will the shared 9400m be enough for that, or no?

Also, when video game requirements say "minimum 128mb" or "256mb", if it says 256mb, would the 9400m cover that?
 
marclapierre13 said:
well i do play games, and i play some in boot camp as well, so a dedicated graphics card is useful. As well as some photo editing.

Will the shared 9400m be enough for that, or no?

Also, when video game requirements say "minimum 128mb" or "256mb", if it says 256mb, would the 9400m cover that?
Click to expand...

In Windows, you use the 9600M GT only.
 
Wouldn't it make more sense that the same 256 MB was employed by whichever video card is in use? And if eventually both can be used then they would share the VRAM.
 
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