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Is there a way to buy a MBPr with a better GPU?

H

HFoletto

macrumors member
Original poster
Hello, how are you?
I use Mac for about 2 years now and I really like it. My current machine is the mid-2011 entry level iMac.
It does the job really well, even in some gaming I don't feel it's bad, I play Skyrim and played LoL some times and it was pretty good.
Yet, when I had to use Adobe After Effects for a project, dear lord, it was so hard to use... Seemed like the computer wasn't going to work.

Now I want to buy a MacBook Pro for use in college. All the Adobe softwares should work seamlessly, and even Autodesk ones, like Maya, AutoCAD and so on. Sometimes I may play some games, but I think that a computer that works nice with those heavy applications should handle nicely a lot of games.

So, I think that the higher-specs one is nice, the 15" with upgraded processor to 2,6 GHz. I don't think I need more than half terabyte SSD, and if in the future it isn't, I can upgraded. But the problem here is the Graphics card. Is the NVidia GT 750M powerful enough? The applications I will run are heavy and quite demanding, isn't there a way at all to get a better GPU? Like the GTX 780M? Not even contacting Apple or some service?

Thank you, have a good day.
 
HFoletto said:
isn't there a way at all to get a better GPU? Like the GTX 780M? Not even contacting Apple or some service?

Thank you, have a good day.
Click to expand...

There's no way, the GPU is not user upgraded, and apple only one specific discrete GPU for the MBP
 
Lol GTX 780M. In the thin rMBP. Lol.

If you would have said 765M, I would have found it a perfectly normal question. I also wish for a rMBP with a 765M. But unfortunately, it's not meant to be.
 
The specs are listed on Apple's website. You're out of luck if you want something better. Besides, I think the dGPU won't even be an option starting with the Broadwell refresh.
 
The only way would be to use an eGPU, using the rMPS's Thunderbolt 2 port.

I don't know if there actually is a suitable eGPU out there, but I think I've seen an MBA connected to a desktop GPU...

Not an optimal solution when it comes to portability though.
 
sergiobaschi said:
The only way would be to use an eGPU, using the rMPS's Thunderbolt 2 port.

I don't know if there actually is a suitable eGPU out there, but I think I've seen an MBA connected to a desktop GPU...

Not an optimal solution when it comes to portability though.
Click to expand...

There should be eGPU solutions you can connect via Thunderbolt 2 by the time you need it. The 750M should suit your needs for After Effects for some time, but I really do think, since the bandwidth is there, that eGPUs will make it to retail and you'll be able to install a beefier one in the future, although you'll be most definitely stuck at a desk with a separate box requiring separate power.
 
How many millions of dollars and how long are you willing to wait for a custom development team you hire to build a custom machine and update software and drivers to meet your specifications?
 
Thank you all for the answers 😀.
I didn't know that there is size differences between the GT 750M and GTX 780M. Used to think it worked just like an SSD, all with the same physical size.
And the GTX 780M was just an example of one that's better than the 750M, it doesn't need to be exactly this one.
Well, since it's not possible to have a better GPU, I'll have to stay with the 750M.

About the Thunderbolt Expansion, I did some search and seems like it support audio/video capture cards and much better connectivity. I was reading it in this site (http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpresschassis.html) yet I haven't find any mention of a graphic card.

Thank you all again.
 
Last edited:
HFoletto said:
So, I think that the higher-specs one is nice, the 15" with upgraded processor to 2,6 GHz. I don't think I need more than half terabyte SSD, and if in the future it isn't, I can upgraded. But the problem here is the Graphics card. Is the NVidia GT 750M powerful enough? The applications I will run are heavy and quite demanding, isn't there a way at all to get a better GPU? Like the GTX 780M? Not even contacting Apple or some service?
Click to expand...

Heat is going to be the problem. It is unlikely that the rMBP are engineered for the increase heat demands of the faster dGPUs. Even if you did manage to get something like the 780M or 765M installed, you'd probably decrease the lifespan of your laptop by half and potentially it may randomly fry itself.

The 780M also requires 100W of power vs 35-40W for the 750M. Since the rMBP only has a 85W PSU, this will also cause problems.

If you need something this fast, either get a desktop or buy a laptop that has been designed for these GPUs.
 
HFoletto said:
Thank you all for the answers 😀.
I didn't know that there is size differences between the GT 750M and GTX 780M. Used to think it worked just like an SSD, all with the same physical size.
And the GTX 780M was just an example of one that's better than the 750M, it doesn't need to be exactly this one.
Well, since it's not possible to have a better GPU, I'll have to stay with the 750M.

About the Thunderbolt Expansion, I did some search and seems like it support audio/video capture cards and much better connectivity. I was reading it in this site (http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpresschassis.html) yet I haven't find any mention of a graphic card.

Thank you all again.
Click to expand...

In case you missed it, here's a fun article on using an external GPU with a MacBook Air:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/31/macbook-air-home-built-external-gpu/
 
I'm a computer science student, and I have a friend who managed to animate an entire solar system with realistic 3D graphics shaders on the Ivy Bridge 4000HD integrated GPU. Generally speaking, if you're asking "Do I need a more powerful GPU" 99% of the time you probably don't. If you really do need it, you'll know it. My experience is that anything labeled "College Course" can be handled with most laptops made within the past five years unless it's a netbook or a Macbook Air (You don't want to do intensive 3D rendering on these, because you might get heat issues). If you're worried about heat, just buy one of the many aftermarket laptop coolers and you should be more than ready to go. 🙂
 
When Apple comes out with a machine that has 850M, someone will complain they want 880M. Geez. Buy the machine and try it yourself.
 
hachiman said:
When Apple comes out with a machine that has 850M, someone will complain they want 880M. Geez. Buy the machine and try it yourself.
Click to expand...

Dual 780GTX SLI in the rmbp chassis or BUST! 😀

Oh yeah, I still want my 12hour+ battery life kthxbye 😛
 
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