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If not a gamer, will there be a big difference between 1GB and 2GB video card?

N

NJRonbo

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 10, 2007
3,286
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Still waiting for my 27" iMac to arrive. Due Wednesday.

I maxed out my 27" iMac with the top i7 processor and 768 SSD.

The only thing I did not max out was the video card.

I went with the included 1GB card.

I am not a gamer. However, I do bits of work in Photoshop and iMovie/Final Cut.

With that in mind, did I cut myself short not upgrading the video card?

Thanks
 
I'm not a gamer but I heavily use Aperture 3 and and prepping to get into video I am told that it relies heavily on the GPU.

I will also use a 2nd display with identical resolution as the iMac (2560x1440) so I need all the umph it can do.

Take note that you cannot upgrade your GPU after you order. You will need to buy a new Mac for a better GPU. I am planning to make this purchase in 2015 or 2017. By then 4K and 8K Retina Displays would be the norm.

With a teardown you can upgrade the CPU, HDD and SSD but no way can the GPU be upgraded.
 
Thanks for the reply.

I forgot to mention that I am driving a second Apple display, but was not sure that the video card would make a difference.

Would love to hear additional opinions. Will the 1GB be good enough?
 
NJRonbo said:
Still waiting for my 27" iMac to arrive. Due Wednesday.

I maxed out my 27" iMac with the top i7 processor and 768 SSD.

The only thing I did not max out was the video card.

I went with the included 1GB card.

I am not a gamer. However, I do bits of work in Photoshop and iMovie/Final Cut.

With that in mind, did I cut myself short not upgrading the video card?

Thanks
Click to expand...

No, you're fine.
With 2GB, there might have been a little speedbump when you are really maxing out everything from your Mac, but this happens so rarely that the money for the 2GB isn't worth it.

Have fun!
 
Hexley said:
I'm not a gamer but I heavily use Aperture 3 and and prepping to get into video I am told that it relies heavily on the GPU.

I will also use a 2nd display with identical resolution as the iMac (2560x1440) so I need all the umph it can do.

Take note that you cannot upgrade your GPU after you order. You will need to buy a new Mac for a better GPU. I am planning to make this purchase in 2015 or 2017. By then 4K and 8K Retina Displays would be the norm.

With a teardown you can upgrade the CPU, HDD and SSD but no way can the GPU be upgraded.
Click to expand...

i kinda regret not getting the 680MX. I'm in the same boat. I used Aperture 3 a lot and will be delving into amateur videography soon (Just purchased a Canon G10) so it probably would have helped. Also, probably would ensure more future proofing once Aperture 4/5 come.
 
Do you guys think the 660m (with 512mb of VRAM) will be enough for standard aperture 3 usage?
 
NJRonbo said:
I maxed out my 27" iMac with the top i7 processor and 768 SSD.

With that in mind, did I cut myself short not upgrading the video card?

Thanks
Click to expand...

You spent $1300 on ssd,$200 for i7,? if you upgraded ram,? extras (ie: apple care ect) but not $150 for GTX 680MX....at your budget,i think i would have spent the extra $150.

Be like buying a new Ferrari,and getting cloth seats rather then leather....

Just a thought.
 
tom vilsack said:
Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Well, appreciate the thought....

But consider this....

I have already said I am not a gamer. Clearly, if I was, I would have gone for the Ferrari.

Having already spent $1300 on a SSD drive and upgrading to the best i7 processor being offered doesn't mean I have to go all the way just because I'm almost there.

Already, responses in this thread indicate that perhaps I don't need 2GB of video memory for what I do. I am just second-guessing what I purchased at this point just because I am curious to see exactly what that extra $150 would have bought me. A slight speed bump when I am totally maxed out on resources is not worthy of that cost.
 
Arman said:
i kinda regret not getting the 680MX. I'm in the same boat. I used Aperture 3 a lot and will be delving into amateur videography soon (Just purchased a Canon G10) so it probably would have helped. Also, probably would ensure more future proofing once Aperture 4/5 come.
Click to expand...

I am a bit inclined to transition to LR4 as Apple seems uninterested in developing Aperture beyond a point release.

Onimusha370 said:
Do you guys think the 660m (with 512mb of VRAM) will be enough for standard aperture 3 usage?
Click to expand...

The fastest GPU I've used was a Intel HD Graphics 4000 on a 2012 MBAir Core i7 with SSD and NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT on a 2011 MBPro Core i7 with HDD. These are positioned by at "211" and "242" on notebookcheck.net's Laptop Video Graphics Cards - Benchmark List. The 660m is positioned at "56" vs the 680mx positioned at "7".

Do not worry both Kepler GPUs (680MX and 660M) are considered "High-End Graphics Cards" while half the GPUs I've been using are "Low-Midrange Graphics Cards" and the other half "Low-End Graphics Cards" I've put up and survived with it.

My images tend to be around 16-32GB of RAWs from a EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark II, and EOS 7D at the high end.

The benchmarklist has a complete notebook GPU listing and some desktop GPUs for the purpose of comparison.

As for going a full SSD setup... I am on the bench with that. I ordered a 1TB Fusion drive. By 2016 I may decide to break open my 2012 iMac and install the "stick" SSD and a 2.5" SSD if the capacity is more than 4TB with 600MB/s read/write for $200.

The numbers I mentioned can be a reality in 3 years time.
 
NJRonbo said:
Well, appreciate the thought....

But consider this....

I have already said I am not a gamer. Clearly, if I was, I would have gone for the Ferrari.

Having already spent $1300 on a SSD drive and upgrading to the best i7 processor being offered doesn't mean I have to go all the way just because I'm almost there.

Already, responses in this thread indicate that perhaps I don't need 2GB of video memory for what I do. I am just second-guessing what I purchased at this point just because I am curious to see exactly what that extra $150 would have bought me. A slight speed bump when I am totally maxed out on resources is not worthy of that cost.
Click to expand...

Gamer or no gamer, spending that much on a SSD is pretty ridic, imo.
 
That argument has been rehashed over and over and over again throughout this forum.

Perhaps you can add that to one of the threads already in existence. Nobody is really agreeing with each other when it comes to that opinion.

Just because it doesn't suit your needs doesn't mean it doesn't suit mine. In fact, already owning a Retina Macbook Pro with SSD, spending that amount was obviously more important to me than was going with the best video card available.
 
NJRonbo said:
That argument has been rehashed over and over and over again throughout this forum.

Perhaps you can add that to one of the threads already in existence. Nobody is really agreeing with each other when it comes to that opinion.

Just because it doesn't suit your needs doesn't mean it doesn't suit mine. In fact, already owning a Retina Macbook Pro with SSD, spending that amount was obviously more important to me than was going with the best video card available.
Click to expand...

I would go with a full ssd setup myself but my spending priorities differs to those who went full on ssd.

I'd like some money left over to buy a couple of ssds for my 2011 and 2010 MBPros. A couple of 256GB Samsung 840 Pro fusioned to 1tb and 750gb hdd.
 
NJRonbo said:
Still waiting for my 27" iMac to arrive. Due Wednesday.

I maxed out my 27" iMac with the top i7 processor and 768 SSD.

The only thing I did not max out was the video card.

I went with the included 1GB card.

I am not a gamer. However, I do bits of work in Photoshop and iMovie/Final Cut.

With that in mind, did I cut myself short not upgrading the video card?

Thanks
Click to expand...

You'll be happy, no need for buyer's remorse.
For PS, FCP, (any of the CS suite) the processor and SSD are more noticeable than the GPU (quicker loading and saving and quicker filter crunching)
If you were doing 3D or gaming then you would have wanted the 680mx, but you're not so the 675mx (which is no slouch by any measure) will be fine.
 
If you were doing 3D or gaming then you would have wanted the 680mx, but you're not so the 675mx (which is no slouch by any measure) will be fine.
Click to expand...
Greg,

Very relieved to read that. Definitely what I wanted to hear.

Thank you for the help everyone.
 
If you're a gamer why not a custom pc? Cheaper and readily upgradeable. I hear good things with windows 8 pro
 
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