Consider it a Complete desktop replacement?

[76ShovelHead]

I just received my grant application today and will be sending it out soon. The grant I qualify for would be buying me a baseline Macbook Pro 15 inch 2.2 with the Radeon HD 6750m. So as my application advances into consideration, let me tell you a little about my current system.

I have an Intel Pentium Dual-Core OC'd to 3.2 GHZ, 2GB of Ram, a 500GB Hard Disk, and lastly I have an ATi Radeon HD 4670 with 1GB GDDR3. Anything will be an improvement, my computers ram usage idles at over 50 percent just on the desktop.

I know clock speed isn't everything and the current Macbook Pro could kill my computer with it's i7 2.2 GHZ and 4GB of Ram, but I cannot find anywhere of what to expect from the GPU in the Macbook Pro. Furthermore, I don't understand as to why all videos and reviews for GTA IV on this model Macbook Pro are so poor and not generous at all. My current rig plays GTA IV with all very high settings, disregarding the view distance as I'd need more vram, it can get choppy (My mobo needs to be replaced and I have only 2 gigs of ram) but for the most part my GPU is wonderful. So why then are there so many people on Youtube playing GTA IV with low, low settings because they say its just too unplayable? whereas I have a gpu generations behind the Macbook Pro and sub par specifications yet I have little to no problems? This worries me greatly because I need this computer to be a complete replacement, I am a Web Design student and need a powerful computer for graphics but when I am not doing classes I want to be able to do what I do on my current computer. There is no way that if I get the new Macbook Pro I will keep that PC, its going to the trash. I'll probably smash the motherboard to pieces, It gave me THAT much trouble.

EDIT:

I am also concerned about all the people who are reporting that the Intel Turbo Boost doesn't work even though its advertised. I spoke to an apple person in the online store and they conveniently had no Idea as to what i was talking about when clearly there are articles all over the internet how turbo boost doesn't work under boot camp. Does this problem plague the Macbook Pro 15 inch i7? Also is there a way to make it so Turbo boost is always on?

 

[DannySmurf]

I can't speak about your Turbo Boost question, but I can tell you that that graphics card is more than adequate to run GTA IV at full settings. I have a PC laptop with a 6550m (the "midrange" laptop card from the same generation), and it runs just fine.

Not sure why that would even be a consideration. GTA IV ran at nearly full settings on my nVidia 8800gt (state of the art about four years ago).

 

[76ShovelHead]

I can't speak about your Turbo Boost question, but I can tell you that that graphics card is more than adequate to run GTA IV at full settings. I have a PC laptop with a 6550m (the "midrange" laptop card from the same generation), and it runs just fine.

Not sure why that would even be a consideration. GTA IV ran at nearly full settings on my nVidia 8800gt (state of the art about four years ago).

THIS is what I wanted to hear. I know the 6750m should be top-of-the-line and had to be much better than my 4670 but people on Youtube seem to review it as mediocre and act as if it is unable to run GTA IV and also saw someone contradict themselves by saying it an play Crysis 2 with all high settings however it struggles and there's lag so playing it on lowest settings should be the best.

 

[alust2013]

Graphics for mobile and desktop are different beasts. You may have to mess around a bit with it, but you should be able to play it on better than low settings.

You cannot control turbo boost whether it is on or or off. The CPU determines whether it is necessary or possible, given the conditions. But, it definitely does work.

 

[soco]

Been said time and time again, no matter what hardware you're referring to, that as long as it does what your desktop would have, then it's a desktop replacement.

You can't blanket claim it yes or no. It's up to your situation. Specs and all that don't matter as much as contextual application. 0.2GHz worth of difference in one thing and another MB of L2 cache I couldn't care less about because the difference between being able to do one set of tasks and another is going to be drastic, not something decided by minor upgrades here and there.

Know what I mean, jellybean?

 

[76ShovelHead]

Graphics for mobile and desktop are different beasts. You may have to mess around a bit with it, but you should be able to play it on better than low settings.

You cannot control turbo boost whether it is on or or off. The CPU determines whether it is necessary or possible, given the conditions. But, it definitely does work.

I wish macs had a bios in which you can turn things on or off, they're completely closed systems but I guess that's what gives them their reliability and durability.