Confusion between Macbook Pro 15" Iris Pro & 750m

[getbiks]

Hi, Sorry for starting this topic again.. I have seen that it has been discussed few times in this forum and I have been doing extensive research for the past few days but still don't have any good answers.

Basically, I would be using Mac to run Unity3D / Maya / Photoshop / Little Video Editing / Compositing etc and want it to run smoothly. I am very very comfortable with OSX and I find it very stable and dependable (irrespective of my high end Windows Machine)

I use Mac mini (i7 2.3GHZ, 10 GB RAM [8+2], 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD, Intel HD 4000) This has been perfect for me till now and I have not found any problem so far. But I am in need of a laptop now (traveling) and as rMBP 15" is expensive, I am looking forward to run it 4-5 yrs, Also as this is an upgrade, I want it to be future proof.

I wanted to know that is it fine if i just get a base line Macbook Pro 15" with Iris Pro graphics (i7 2.2 , 16GB, 256 GB) and not the discrete nvidia 750m graphics one ?

I wont be developing too heavy 3D games.. Just Simple 3D models.. May be few thousand polys.. Mostly it will all be for iOS gaming. And I have a high end windows PC with me for heavy gaming and game development if I ever require.

I have a tight Budget so I am trying to save as much as possible but I cannot sacrifice on i7, 16 GB RAM and 15" (1920*1080) display

Please help and give your feedback. Those who are already using a Macbook Pro 15, will be able to guide me better.

Thanks

 

[leman]

If the HD4000 is ok for you, the Iris Pro will be as well. After all, its around 2 times faster. Given your described usage, I'd say that the IGP will be absolutely sufficient for you

 

[Natzoo]

Hi, Sorry for starting this topic again.. I have seen that it has been discussed few times in this forum and I have been doing extensive research for the past few days but still don't have any good answers.

Basically, I would be using Mac to run Unity3D / Maya / Photoshop / Little Video Editing / Compositing etc and want it to run smoothly. I am very very comfortable with OSX and I find it very stable and dependable (irrespective of my high end Windows Machine)

I use Mac mini (i7 2.3GHZ, 10 GB RAM [8+2], 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD, Intel HD 4000) This has been perfect for me till now and I have not found any problem so far. But I am in need of a laptop now (traveling) and as rMBP 15" is expensive, I am looking forward to run it 4-5 yrs, Also as this is an upgrade, I want it to be future proof.

I wanted to know that is it fine if i just get a base line Macbook Pro 15" with Iris Pro graphics (i7 2.2 , 16GB, 256 GB) and not the discrete nvidia 750m graphics one ?

I wont be developing too heavy 3D games.. Just Simple 3D models.. May be few thousand polys.. Mostly it will all be for iOS gaming. And I have a high end windows PC with me for heavy gaming and game development if I ever require.

I have a tight Budget so I am trying to save as much as possible but I cannot sacrifice on i7, 16 GB RAM and 15" (1920*1080) display

Please help and give your feedback. Those who are already using a Macbook Pro 15, will be able to guide me better.

Thanks

If you are going to be developing games just get the NVDIA GT 750m but beware the 750m is not really a good graphics card, because now standard windows notebooks have the 850m or 860m. But whenever i am running games, or even powerpoint my graphics card switches to NVDIA. So if you want to get the base line with 16gb i think you will be fine, but if you are plan on keeping it for a long time just get the high end model. So in conclusion, if you do get a mac get the one with nvidia 750 even though its not that great for gaming, its still good to have. i can run geek bench and a speed test on mine if you want. But mine is a fully upgraded late 2013 15". it is very similar to the latest version available. just pm me if you want to know.

 

[getbiks]

If you are going to be developing games just get the NVDIA GT 750m but beware the 750m is not really a good graphics card, because now standard windows notebooks have the 850m or 860m. But whenever i am running games, or even powerpoint my graphics card switches to NVDIA. So if you want to get the base line with 16gb i think you will be fine, but if you are plan on keeping it for a long time just get the high end model. So in conclusion, if you do get a mac get the one with nvidia 750 even though its not that great for gaming, its still good to have. i can run geek bench and a speed test on mine if you want. But mine is a fully upgraded late 2013 15". it is very similar to the latest version available. just pm me if you want to know.

This graphics switching is what I am worried off.. Isn't it hard on battery performance.. Powerpoint and many such similar apps doesnt need nvdia 750m right? Are you using gfxcardstatus app?

Well.. I have read so much reviews and everyone gives benchmark results but its really difficult to understand via benchmark results. I have come to an conclusion right now is that for gaming, nvdia 750m is good, but that too by few fps. Ofcourse with the price difference in two models one can easily afford a console or a good desktop graphics card. I am looking forward to this laptop strictly for professional work. Having a Discrete GPU is obviously good for long run I believe but then budget is also a constrain. Also plugging in my external monitor (via HDMI) would let my system run on discrete card. Then again, had it been a better card than 750m, I would have definitely gone for it.

Apart from gaming do you really feel it would make a difference. My mac Mini was able to handle the amount of 3D work I used to do, So i guess this would be fine..

 

[Natzoo]

If your mac mini can handle it, then the baseline 15" should handle it, and you are getting the one with 16gb?

 

[getbiks]

If your mac mini can handle it, then the baseline 15" should handle it, and you are getting the one with 16gb?

@Natzoo, Yes.. 16GB it is.. One experience after using Mac is, never to sacrifice in RAM and 256GB SSD, which is fine as most of the important data will be in my WD 2TB Passport.. My country doesn't have any customization option either.. so I am stuck with selecting either of the model.

But tell me something, have you ever felt that having a gfx 750m is REALLY worth / helpful (in your line of work) except gaming.. Just a curious question.. and thanks a lot for helping me out

 

[Marpleesi]

Hi!

I don’t understand people in here forums, many say that if you have to do 3d modelling or other Open CL/GPU heavy stuff you need 750m, that isn't true.

Three months ago i got my rMBP mid14 model with only iGPU(iris pro). Before my purchase i googled for differences of 750m and iris pro(5200) and for my use wich is heavy photography post-edit and some video post-edit, the intel iris pro was best power/price -ratio macbook pro(2,2ghz,16gb,256gb,iris pro). Its faster with final cut pro x than 750m in rendering, it has enough computer power for many years and also it has good battery life. Yes the nvidia 750m is more powerful in some cases doing work and also more powerful in gaming

But it is outrageous that people here claim that “if you want to do GPU heavy stuff you gonna need 750m” when they are just wrong, the raw GFLOPS you can get out of intel iris pro(5200) is 832 GFLOPS
and Nvidia Geforce GT 750m is 722.7 GFLOPS, the real world difference is not so big. Yes i know that in gaming 750m is better, and its good that other people remember that but i don't game so much with my laptop.

I was really surprised when i installed Parallels 10 and windows 8.1, that i could do gaming in virtual machine in my os x rMBP. I have tried Metro 2033(resolution 1280x800, quality in high) and it runs really good! I tested other games also in steam. Plus games that i have played in os x run really smooth in even higher resolutions.

My point being that 750m is good
and iris pro(5200) is also good.
My expectations were that iris pro is ok graphically but i was blown away how capable it really is in real world use.
If you are in some light gaming and want mainly work retina macbook pro, the Intel iris pro is really good for the money.

Link to the subject:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6993/intel-iris-pro-5200-graphics-review-core-i74950hq-tested/2

btw like now when writing this i have Windows open in parallels running Metro 2033(to check the settings i played the game ) and safari with 11 tabs all in use and Lightroom 5 where i'm doing light editing plus photoshop running when i need to do some photos in lightroom some more fixing(remove objects, and clean surfaces etc.) And the machine is running very smooth!
Sorry my english isn't perfect, not my native language.

 

[Natzoo]

@Natzoo, Yes.. 16GB it is.. One experience after using Mac is, never to sacrifice in RAM and 256GB SSD, which is fine as most of the important data will be in my WD 2TB Passport.. My country doesn't have any customization option either.. so I am stuck with selecting either of the model.

But tell me something, have you ever felt that having a gfx 750m is REALLY worth / helpful (in your line of work) except gaming.. Just a curious question.. and thanks a lot for helping me out

No i really don't think the 750m is useful. Just get the base line Macbook Pro 15" with Iris Pro graphics (i7 2.2 , 16GB, 256 GB)

 

[getbiks]

Hi!

I don’t understand people in here forums, many say that if you have to do 3d modelling or other Open CL/GPU heavy stuff you need 750m, that isn't true.

Three months ago i got my rMBP mid14 model with only iGPU(iris pro). Before my purchase i googled for differences of 750m and iris pro(5200) and for my use wich is heavy photography post-edit and some video post-edit, the intel iris pro was best power/price -ratio macbook pro(2,2ghz,16gb,256gb,iris pro). Its faster with final cut pro x than 750m in rendering, it has enough computer power for many years and also it has good battery life. Yes the nvidia 750m is more powerful in some cases doing work and also more powerful in gaming

But it is outrageous that people here claim that “if you want to do GPU heavy stuff you gonna need 750m” when they are just wrong, the raw GFLOPS you can get out of intel iris pro(5200) is 832 GFLOPS
and Nvidia Geforce GT 750m is 722.7 GFLOPS, the real world difference is not so big. Yes i know that in gaming 750m is better, and its good that other people remember that but i don't game so much with my laptop.

I was really surprised when i installed Parallels 10 and windows 8.1, that i could do gaming in virtual machine in my os x rMBP. I have tried Metro 2033(resolution 1280x800, quality in high) and it runs really good! I tested other games also in steam. Plus games that i have played in os x run really smooth in even higher resolutions.

My point being that 750m is good
and iris pro(5200) is also good.
My expectations were that iris pro is ok graphically but i was blown away how capable it really is in real world use.
If you are in some light gaming and want mainly work retina macbook pro, the Intel iris pro is really good for the money.

Link to the subject:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6993/intel-iris-pro-5200-graphics-review-core-i74950hq-tested/2

btw like now when writing this i have Windows open in parallels running Metro 2033(to check the settings i played the game ) and safari with 11 tabs all in use and Lightroom 5 where i'm doing light editing plus photoshop running when i need to do some photos in lightroom some more fixing(remove objects, and clean surfaces etc.) And the machine is running very smooth!
Sorry my english isn't perfect, not my native language.

@Natzoo @Marpleesi @leman Thanks a lot for your valuable feedback.. I believe that Iris Pro is good enough and unless i am gaming or doing ultra 3D work, its fine for my work..