MacBook Pro 13" versus 15"

[djbdjb]

I'm looking at getting one of the new MacBook Pros and have a question. It may be a very silly question but I shall ask it anyway:

I've heard (perhaps wrongly) that when in Bootcamp on the 15" and 17" MBPs that you can only use the discreet graphics card. So if you are in Bootcamp on a 13" MBP does that mean that it's using the NVIDIA GeForce 320m graphics card, and does that mean that the graphics whilst running Bootcamp on a 13" MBP are better than on a 15" or 17"?

I´m a graphic/web designer and I´m really not too fussed about screen size as I´ve previously used 12" and 14" laptops, and the 13" MBP is looking quite attractive pricewise compared to the mid-range 15".

I´d like to use Bootcamp to play some PC games like Team Fortress 2 - that kind of thing.

 

[Hellhammer]

Yes, while in Bootcamp, you're limited to 330M, I guess.

Keep in mind that TF2 is Valve's game and Steam is coming to Mac soon so wait for it and forget whole Bootcamp thingy

 

[emrn]

really? So if i'm using bootcamp or vmware, then i'm better off getting a 13"? I thought gaming would work better on a 15" if im running windows on it?

 

[bjewett]

The 15" is faster than the 13" (I'm considering the 13" myself). My understanding is that while running windows, you can "only" use the faster discreet graphics on the 15", rather than the slower integrated graphics. And the discreet graphics on the 15" is faster than that on the 13" (as is the main cpu). Either way, the 15" will be quicker (in windows or OS X). If you have the money and the form factor isn't an issue, you'll get better performance with the 15".

 

[trip1ex]

The 330M is the dedicated gpu in the 15". So yes you're "limited" to using the better gpu in Bootcamp at the expense of battery life of course.

 

[schaabie]

You are a graphics/web developer and don't know the difference between dedicated and integrated graphics? or let alone care for a larger screen resolution?

interesting.....

 

[hellfire88]

Keep in my the Geforce 320m in the new Macbook Pro 13"ers is an integrated graphics card (successor to the 9400m in the previous gen), I think about as fast (but not quite) as the nVidia 8600GT in the old pre-unibody Macbook Pro 15/17". This is not to be confused with the nVidia Geforce GT 320m which is about as fast as the nVidia 9600GT of the pre-April 2010 Macbook Pro 15/17".

And yes, in boot camp the 15/17" will be limited to ONLY using the discrete nVidia 330m graphics. For the 13" it only has the integrated 320m so it will only use the.....integrated 320m lol.

 

[djbdjb]

Aah right, so I got it the wrong way round. In Bootcamp on a 15" it's using the 330m graphics card, not the Intel integrated one. In which case my question is completely invalid!

Thanks for putting me right, now to earn some extra cash!

You are a graphics/web developer and don't know the difference between dedicated and integrated graphics? or let alone care for a larger screen resolution?

interesting.....

I'm a graphic/web designer ie. I design things on paper and the odd website hence why I don´t need to know about things like graphics cards in computers

As far as screen resolution goes... that´s what external monitors are for. But thanks for your comment. There´s always one.