MBA 2010 vs 2013 gaming performance (GPU)

[zzzzzzz]

Has anyone owned both of these, preferably in 13"?

I'm wondering how you found the gaming performance, particularly framerates in detailed scenes @ high resolution between the two.

Please only comment if you have actually played the same game/s on both computers, as the benchmarks are not a good indication in my experience.

I have a 2010 (320M) and a 2012 (HD4000), the 320M absolutely demolishes the Intel rubbish. It's pretty disappointing and I'm wondering if the HD5000 is more of the same junk.

 

[psingh01]

I have a 2010 MBP with the 330M GPU and I find my 2013 MBA better in gaming performance (thought not a whole lot better). Also, part of it is probably due to the native resolution being much smaller on the MBA than my 17".

It also depends on the game. Starcraft 2 doesn't work all that great on either system but it felt worse on my MBA. Though I had no problem playing LOTRO on the MBA with a 1080p external with medium to high settings in the newer (more detailed) regions.

I'd say it (HD5000) is a big upgrade over previous Intel offerings but probably just marginally better than my old discrete gpu which is itself marginally better than the 320m.

That said, while the performance was descent and much better than I expected from the MBA, I ended up getting a gaming laptop with a 780m gpu cause I want to run stuff on high settings as often as I can

 

[zzzzzzz]

Thanks for that, about what I expected. Just out of curiosity, were there any games / scenes where you felt your 330m was better? Or would you say it was equal or better all round?

Between the 320m and HD4000, I found the more detailed a scene got, the worse the HD4000 was. Only on the most basic scenes could the 4000 keep up.

It's a shame they ditched discrete graphics in the MBA, if they kept updating the nVidia chip from 2010 it would be a very impressive machine by now. Not 780m impressive of course, but surely much better than the current one.

What's your gaming laptop?
I'm thinking the new Asus UX302 looks pretty good for a gaming ultrabook if it comes down in price a little.

 

[eXan]

It's a shame they ditched discrete graphics in the MBA, if they kept updating the nVidia chip from 2010 it would be a very impressive machine by now. Not 780m impressive of course, but surely much better than the current one.

320 is integrated.

I agree that Intel gfx is not good though

 

[zzzzzzz]

.

 

[eXan]

In the MBA both share system memory, i.e. they don't have dedicated VRAM

Thats what integrated means

 

[Wuiffi]

It's integrated into the chipset and has no dedicated VRAM --> integrated GPU

 

[stockscalper]

Has anyone owned both of these, preferably in 13"?

I'm wondering how you found the gaming performance, particularly framerates in detailed scenes @ high resolution between the two.

Please only comment if you have actually played the same game/s on both computers, as the benchmarks are not a good indication in my experience.

I have a 2010 (320M) and a 2012 (HD4000), the 320M absolutely demolishes the Intel rubbish. It's pretty disappointing and I'm wondering if the HD5000 is more of the same junk.

I like the way Intel skews their tests by turning the graphics resolution and shaders down and then saying "hey, we're almost as good now."

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Has anyone owned both of these, preferably in 13"?

I'm wondering how you found the gaming performance, particularly framerates in detailed scenes @ high resolution between the two.

Please only comment if you have actually played the same game/s on both computers, as the benchmarks are not a good indication in my experience.

I have a 2010 (320M) and a 2012 (HD4000), the 320M absolutely demolishes the Intel rubbish. It's pretty disappointing and I'm wondering if the HD5000 is more of the same junk.

HD5000 is certainly a good improvement but I think you should get something else for heavy gaming.

 

[alphaod]

No, it's discrete.
It's a separate chip, I've opened the machine and repasted it myself.

The Intel HD GPUs on the other hand are on-die with the CPU (i.e. the same physical chip).

In the MBA both share system memory, i.e. they don't have dedicated VRAM, however that is unrelated to discreteness (physical separation of GPU from CPU).

Perhaps you are thinking 'discrete' means 'on a separate card altogether' which is also valid, but not really relevant to modern laptops where most primary componentry is on the same board. I think these days discrete graphics in a laptop just means you have a separate GPU.

That separate chip is the Northbridge.

Integrated into the Northbridge is still integrated.

It's just Intel moved the Northbridge into the CPU with the newer chips.

 

[dinepada]

I have the Macbook pro 13" mid 2010 which has identical graphic card (Nvidia 320m), I can Play starcraft2 in low at 60 fps, Lol at 50 fps (in medium-low) i don't know about Intel HD4000 but… Separate chips is better for gaming…, Both games improved performance after update my mac to OS X 10.9 I think because OpenGL update…

 

[zzzzzzz]

That separate chip is the Northbridge.

Integrated into the Northbridge is still integrated.

It's just Intel moved the Northbridge into the CPU with the newer chips.

Nope, you're wrong. It's NOT the Northbridge.

The chip says "nVidia" on it, and Steve Jobs points it out here at 6:40
He's actually labeled them the wrong way around there, but you get the idea.

You sound like someone who hasn't actually opened and looked inside one. I have.

http://youtu.be/FynpBelGCNc?t=6m40s

 

[alphaod]

Nope, you're wrong. It's NOT the Northbridge.

The chip says "nVidia" on it, and Steve Jobs points it out here at 6:40
He's actually labeled them the wrong way around there, but you get the idea.

You sound like someone who hasn't actually opened and looked inside one. I have.

http://youtu.be/FynpBelGCNc?t=6m40s

*sigh*

It's still the Northbridge. Before you keep arguing I suggest you do some research. Nvidia used to manufacture Northbridges for Intel, but their license ended with Core 2. This is why Apple stayed with the Core 2 (Peryn) to use the 320M whereas for their 15" MacBook Pro, they moved to the Core iX (Arrandale) with inferior graphics, but better GT 330M discrete graphics.

It's not labeled incorrectly. It's manufactured by Nvidia. It's the Northbridge; the integrated graphics made by Nvidia is part of it.

I have disassembled just about every Mac for last 10 years including the one you mention. If you think opening the Mac makes you an expert, I see there is no sense in further arguing with you. Good luck with your technical endeavors.

 

[davecom]

Yes, it is the sharing of system memory that defines a graphics chipset as "integrated".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_graphics#INTEGRATED

 

[zzzzzzz]

It's still the Northbridge. Before you keep arguing I suggest you do some research. Nvidia used to manufacture Northbridges for Intel, but their license ended with Core 2. This is why Apple stayed with the Core 2 (Peryn) to use the 320M whereas for their 15" MacBook Pro, they moved to the Core iX (Arrandale) with inferior graphics, but better GT 330M discrete graphics

I stand corrected on all fronts then, excuse my rudeness, clearly I'm incorrect.

I was under the impression you were suggesting the 320M was somehow not a separate chip on the board when it clearly was, but had no idea that it was integrated with the Northbridge.

Learn something new every day!

Any more opinions on whether the HD5000 is better on all fronts than the 320M or whether it still lags in some/any areas? Basically wondering if I can upgrade and actually have something that is 100% better - even if slightly so, or the same in some areas.

 

[asoksevil]

The 320M (2010 MBA) should be pretty much the same or better compared to the HD3000 (2011 MBA) but I do expect the HD4000 (2012 MBA) and HD5000 (2013 MBA) to outperform the 320M by a big margin.