New MacBook Pro (Early 2011, 15) for GPGPU-Development. What do you think about it?

[dimi5]

I would like to start a discussion about the suitability of a new MBP for the GPU-development. As already known Apple has new grafic cards from ATI instead from NVidia (but i don't like to compare the performance of solutions from ).

I have to admit, that NVidia platform is a better choise in this context. Hier are some of my points:

• NVidia cards support both: cuda and opencl.
• CUDA framework is a better tool comparing to OpenCL framework.
• NVidia has a better support for their developers.

Some proofs for the last point:

• No SDK for mac os (only for windows and linux)
• No comparable integrationstool like NSight for Visual Studio
• If i understand it correct, for a profiler the grafic card should be at least a HD6900 (Support for profiling with AMD Radeon™ HD6900 series GPUs (requires AMD APP SDK v2.4 and AMD Catalyst 11.2 or newer) from http://developer.amd.com/gpu/AMDAPPSDK/Pages/default.aspx)

All in all I'm disappointed about the change of the GPU manufacturer in terms of gpgpu programming.

What do you think about this stuff?

PS I'am really a mac-fanboy and would buy new MBP one more time, if i would have to choice.

 

[mediasorcerer]

you have some valid points,[cuda etc],
but the 6750m outperforms the 330m.even tho,the 330m,if tweaked appropriately in game,can provide playable gaming,so long as you dont ask too much of it,
the 6750 does take it up another level,regardless of some limitations it may have,some of my games look stunning on 1680x1050,and run smooth too.2010-2011 big name titles.
i was banging away at metro the other day,hadnt played it since i bought it last year sometime,i couldnt believe how much better it looked than on last machine with 330m[512].

 

[Hansr]

GPGPU on a laptop is redundant except for quick testing. Get a proper desktop box with a CUDA compatible card.