Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

New Thunderbolt Display possibilities?

wesk702

wesk702

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 7, 2007
1,809
368
The hood
Are any of these possibilities realistic?

With the heavier recent move to thunderbolt, is it possible that the new display maybe more than just a display? It's already a thunderbolt dock so could it be possible to have more involved?

Could it have dedicated ram or a graphics chip to offload CPU processing via thunderbolt? Up just wondering if this is possible.

Maybe built in airplay capability?

I'm excited about 4K also, but not as excited as what else it could bring forward. Could really be the next level smart display, or even a new product area.
 
Why would you want to move a GPU from local fast communication with the CPU to sitting with the screen?
 
MCAsan said:
Why would you want to move a GPU from local fast communication with the CPU to sitting with the screen?
Click to expand...

Not away, but as a supplement. To drive more additional processing power. Is this even possible with thunderbolt?
 
Most of us would have to sell our laptops to afford said TBD. Oddly ironic.
 
Orr said:
Most of us would have to sell our laptops to afford said TBD. Oddly ironic.
Click to expand...

For real, but the current TBD ain't exactly cheap either. But, would be pretty awesome if the new display had user accessible Ram slots to add even more ram to your computer via thunderbolt, just turning the new display into some super thunderbolt dock.
 
Orr said:
Most of us would have to sell our laptops to afford said TBD. Oddly ironic.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't and then they'll be able to build the next one at a more affordable cost. Nothing ironic there.

I'd pay a not so small fortune for a half decent 4k monitor that I'll have confidence will work with my 13" MBP tomorrow and be from a decent supplier like Apple.
 
wesk702 said:
Not away, but as a supplement. To drive more additional processing power. Is this even possible with thunderbolt?
Click to expand...

How does moving GPU to monitor box create a more powerful environment? That would out a longer, slower path between GPU and CPU and rest of core chips.
 
MCAsan said:
How does moving GPU to monitor box create a more powerful environment? That would out a longer, slower path between GPU and CPU and rest of core chips.
Click to expand...

Correct... and even more so with the comment about putting expansion RAM on Thunderbolt.

/Jim
 
MCAsan said:
How does moving GPU to monitor box create a more powerful environment? That would out a longer, slower path between GPU and CPU and rest of core chips.
Click to expand...

That's why I was asking if it's even possible. It's called a question. Usually ends with a "?" That's very different from a statement.
 
Addition of (read: addition, not offloading) a GPU would be beneficial, on the proviso a firmware update to the Cactus Ridge controller on Thunderbolt v1 devices in MBPs can be applied, to recognise what it's attached to and bond the DP and PCI-E channels for a duplex 20Gbps. CPU should be able to shuttle instructions with enough speed down that path that the GPU can render everything quick enough in GDDR to display with no lag.

For anyone not aware, there are efforts being made with eGPUs (external video cards attached via Thunderbolt) that have increased the gaming performance of MBPs circa 2011 till now. Something to remember is that the entire PCI-E 2.0 bus isn't even saturated at x16, so while you may only run a card in in x4 you're still getting the boost.

YES, the performance of any given card is less than when used in a desktop system, but otherwise provides an avenue for gamers on notebooks to enjoy a capable rig rather investing in another machine.
 
I think GPUs may be possible with TB2, but TB1 it would be severely limited. I believe the TBD likely coming out in a couple weeks will have TB2, but I think you won't see a GPU in it until they come out with a 4k much later. If they can make it work, it would make sense to keep power hungry, high heat, heavy GPU's out of laptops and onto monitors. That way you have it when you need it, but not when you don't. TB2 may be the entry level for peripheral GPUs.
 
I think it would be decent to see a 4k TB2 cinema display with an integrated GPU that can assist in delivering 4k content across the laptop line.

Anything more than a GPU and you are essentially in iMac territory.
 
mtmac said:
I think GPUs may be possible with TB2, but TB1 it would be severely limited. I believe the TBD likely coming out in a couple weeks will have TB2, but I think you won't see a GPU in it until they come out with a 4k much later. If they can make it work, it would make sense to keep power hungry, high heat, heavy GPU's out of laptops and onto monitors. That way you have it when you need it, but not when you don't. TB2 may be the entry level for peripheral GPUs.
Click to expand...

Even recent integrated graphics have started to support 4K. Soon you'll have 60hz 4K support on integrated graphics. The problem will sort itself without the use of external gpus.
 
Yes, it is possible, but not necessarily a full solution to the problem. TB1 simply does not have the bandwidth to allow graphics cards to "fully stretch their legs". TB2 does not solve this problem. But there is certainly a GPU performance increase for laptop users.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pci-express-graphics-thunderbolt,3263.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/lucid-gpu-graphics-thunderbolt-external,17520.html

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...harges-macbook-air-graphics-performance-by-7x
 
I'm in the market for a new monitor. I think i will end up with buying the old Thunderbolt display. I will wait for the new 4K ones, but i think they will be $$$. I hope apple will release the TDB with smaller form factor in both 4K and non 4K (and a price drop of $200 on the non 4k :D )

I looked also at alternatives. U2713HM is nice, but i prefer glossy. What's a good alternative for the TBD but with glossy screen?

Or perhaps buy a second hand iMac to get the 27" inch screen with smaller form factor and use it as a TBD :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back