Macbook Pro vs iMac GPU comparison

[htchang1987]

Except the difference in portability, I would like to find out if there is a huge difference between the 9600M GT in the macbook pro and the 8800GS in the current top end iMac?

Will there be a possibility that the upcoming refresh in the iMac line will integrate a GPU which is MUCH more powerful than the 9600M GT in the macbook pro?

Seeking for advice. Thank you.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

What do you intend on using the computer for?

Saying there is a difference between 2 GPUs is like saying there is a difference between the 2.0GHz and 2.4GHz chips in the MacBooks. It's there, but I bet a vast majority of users won't notice any difference.

 

[kastenbrust]

Except the difference in portability, I would like to find out if there is a huge difference between the 9600M GT in the macbook pro and the 8800GS in the current top end iMac?

Will there be a possibility that the upcoming refresh in the iMac line will integrate a GPU which is MUCH more powerful than the 9600M GT in the macbook pro?

Seeking for advice. Thank you.

Not likely, the iMac's use notebook architecture, they arn't real desktops, there may be a slight upgrade of the GPU, but not a 'MUCH more powerful' increase. The best case scenario is that they put dual GPU's in the next iMac which is possible but not likely for the base model.

 

[htchang1987]

Please correct me if I am wrong that the current macbook pro is not in SLI mode where both of the GPU can't be used concurrently.

As to reply Scarlet Fever, I will be using the computer most of the time for gaming. Therefore, if I were to buy the macbook pro, most probably the 9400M GT card will not be used most of the time. Hence, I need to consider more on the difference between the 9600M GT and the current top end iMac and the upcoming refresh of the iMac line.

 

[Jack Flash]

Please correct me if I am wrong that the current macbook pro is not in SLI mode where both of the GPU can't be used concurrently.

As to reply Scarlet Fever, I will be using the computer most of the time for gaming. Therefore, if I were to buy the macbook pro, most probably the 9400M GT card will not be used most of the time. Hence, I need to consider more on the difference between the 9600M GT and the current top end iMac and the upcoming refresh of the iMac line.

No, currently the 9600M GT and 9400M cannot be used in hybrid-SLi.

The 8800GS (which is actually an 8800M GTS) is considerably faster than the 9600M GT used in the Unibody MacBook Pro.

Logic would stand for the 9800M GTS being used in the upcoming revision of the iMac.

 

[htchang1987]

hybrid-SLI can be used if there is a software update or it has to be hardware modified? because I heard that if windows is used under bootcamp hybrid-SLI can be used...(pls correct me if i m wrong)

 

[kastenbrust]

hybrid-SLI can be used if there is a software update or it has to be hardware modified? because I heard that if windows is used under bootcamp hybrid-SLI can be used...(pls correct me if i m wrong)

In Windows XP it is now possible, but its very very hard to get it working, however its going to be possible in Apples next operating system, Snow Leopard. You should research Hybrid SLI, Hybrid SLY, Open GL and Open CL to see what the differences are too.

 

[eXan]

The 8800 in the current iMac is much more powerful than 9600 in MBP. But buying iMac now is kind of stupid unless you absolutely can't wait for an update.

COD4 comparison

 

[htchang1987]

The 8800 in the current iMac is much more powerful than 9600 in MBP. But buying iMac now is kind of stupid unless you absolutely can't wait for an update.

COD4 comparison

Which means the coming update of the iMac line will most likely bring in GPU which is MUCH MUCH more powerful than current MBP since the current 8800 already much more powerful than 9600?

 

[J the Ninja]

Which means the coming update of the iMac line will most likely bring in GPU which is MUCH MUCH more powerful than current MBP since the current 8800 already much more powerful than 9600?

Yes.

Also, I just to clarify about Hybrid SLI:

It would mean be able to switch the two cards on the fly, possibly automatically. People have grandiose ideas of Snow Leopard "dual-weilding" the two cards, which isn't supported in the 9600M's hardware and for good reason: SLI-ing two different GPUs together requires the faster one to underclock itself and disable cores until it matches the slower one. The end result of all this would mean the performance would be worse than just the 9600M by itself. Since instead of 32 stream processors at 1.4Ghz all with discrete memory, you'd have 32 at 1.25Ghz, and only half of them with discrte memory, plus the edition of a PCIe bus between them, as opposed to the 9600M alone where they are all in one die.