AidenShaw I'd hope that Apple took into consideration the CPU, chipset, and GPU running at 100% load in their original cooling design.
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Snow Leopard H.264 Hardware Acceleration and OpenCL Requirements
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Not sure why the ATi logo wasn't displayed during the keynote when they said that all the major graphics card makers are on-board with OpenCL support. Maybe ATi hasn't confirmed they're working on it yet, who knows. I just want my brand new, 2.8 GHz 24" iMac with the 2600 card to be supported since it's only been just recently updated.
Hopefully the compatibility list will grow in size as we near the launch of Snow Leopard.
Hopefully the compatibility list will grow in size as we near the launch of Snow Leopard.
I wouldn't worry based on the GPU.
Still in my mind there are only two really good reasons to buy a replacement machine. One is that the current machine is functionally faulty. The other reason is that the machine no longer has the speed to behave correctly and responsively to the software you run.
Dave
For Joe Average it isn't a huge issue in and of itself. There are far better reasons to upgrade in my opinion. The new machines are actualll very impressive based on a number of measures. Your machine will start to look long in the tooth relatively quickly.what does this mean for average joe user such as myself? Should I upgrade before the masses find out that my white macbook with the intel X3100 graphics doesn't cut it? Or is this really not a big deal
The problem with that of course is that 90% of the users don't use their machines for the same thing. The combo of a new machine and Snow Leopard should provide you with one very nice speed up no matter what you do.
Still in my mind there are only two really good reasons to buy a replacement machine. One is that the current machine is functionally faulty. The other reason is that the machine no longer has the speed to behave correctly and responsively to the software you run.
Dave
Am I missing something?
The Geforce 8600M GT is in the list of supported hardware, no?
MacRumors said:
Probably not, though....
Since OpenCL didn't exist when some of these systems were designed, I'll bet that they didn't fully account for the load generated by features that weren't around.
Note that even the word "Thermal Design Power" or TDP isn't the worst case of "the most heat that the component can generate".
TDP represents the thermal load generated by practical heavy loading.
With Intel CPUs, the CPU will automatically slow its clock if the core temperature starts to approach safe limits. A failsafe situation - if the cooling system can't shed the heat, the CPU throttles back to what the cooling system can handle.
The reason that I remember the D620 heat sink is that I had a system which had a misaligned heat pad on the Nvidia Quadro finger. System ran fine, but occasionally would simply power off if running a 3D graphics app. (Google Earth would do it if you did a fly-over.)
Replaced the pad on the Quadro finger - all fine. So, apparently the GPU doesn't "gracefully" respond to cooling stress.
_____
Let me repeat that I'm just speculating, proposing a possible explanation for not supporting GPUs which are capable.
Since OpenCL didn't exist when some of these systems were designed, I'll bet that they didn't fully account for the load generated by features that weren't around.
Note that even the word "Thermal Design Power" or TDP isn't the worst case of "the most heat that the component can generate".
TDP represents the thermal load generated by practical heavy loading.
With Intel CPUs, the CPU will automatically slow its clock if the core temperature starts to approach safe limits. A failsafe situation - if the cooling system can't shed the heat, the CPU throttles back to what the cooling system can handle.
The reason that I remember the D620 heat sink is that I had a system which had a misaligned heat pad on the Nvidia Quadro finger. System ran fine, but occasionally would simply power off if running a 3D graphics app. (Google Earth would do it if you did a fly-over.)
Replaced the pad on the Quadro finger - all fine. So, apparently the GPU doesn't "gracefully" respond to cooling stress.
_____
Let me repeat that I'm just speculating, proposing a possible explanation for not supporting GPUs which are capable.
OpenCL might not have existed but it is still possible to encounter a CPU, chipset, and GPU load situation nonetheless.Since OpenCL didn't exist when some of these systems were designed, I'll bet that they didn't fully account for the load generated by features that weren't around.
Note that even the word "Thermal Design Power" or TDP isn't the worst case of "the most heat that the component can generate".
TDP represents the thermal load generated by practical heavy loading.
With Intel CPUs, the CPU will automatically slow its clock if the core temperature starts to approach safe limits. A failsafe situation - if the cooling system can't shed the heat, the CPU throttles back to what the cooling system can handle.
The reason that I remember the D620 heat sink is that I had a system which had a misaligned heat pad on the Nvidia Quadro finger. System ran fine, but occasionally would simply power off if running a 3D graphics app. (Google Earth would do it if you did a fly-over.)
Replaced the pad on the Quadro finger - all fine. So, apparently the GPU doesn't "gracefully" respond to cooling stress.
_____
Let me repeat that I'm just speculating, proposing a possible explanation for not supporting GPUs which are capable.
Screenshot of a 1080P video on my 2.0 Ghz C2D UBMB under Snow Leopard. Running off the battery too.
Notice the usage on the bottom right. It's using 42 %
Attachments
I went over to the EVGA forums and asked this very question. According to one of the moderators there, yes, the GTX 285 will support OpenCL. I didn't ask about the hardware acceleration. I would assume yes, but, even if it's a no, we aren't exactly lacking processor horsepower to make up some of the difference either.
My guess is yes on both. The moderator didn't offer any proof, so if someone here has some, we're all ears (eyes).
Same question here...I remember seeing an explanation that said that the GS was simply a downclocked GT or GTS, or something like that...because actually the GTS has NEVER been available on Macs...am I right?
Flashed 4870
I currently am using a PC 4870 that I flashed on my first generation Mac Pro. Besides it working and being much cheaper than the Apple version I have 2 DVI ports instead of one Display Port and I have 1 GB of memory instead of 512. I detailed how I did the flash in this tutorial. There are some limitations like not being able to run 2 30" displays at a time (can run a 30" and a 24" at the same time).
Anyway hope this helps some out.
http://web.me.com/jacobcroft/4870Flash/4870Flash.html
Looking forward to what this card can do for me with Snow Leopard.
I currently am using a PC 4870 that I flashed on my first generation Mac Pro. Besides it working and being much cheaper than the Apple version I have 2 DVI ports instead of one Display Port and I have 1 GB of memory instead of 512. I detailed how I did the flash in this tutorial. There are some limitations like not being able to run 2 30" displays at a time (can run a 30" and a 24" at the same time).
Anyway hope this helps some out.
http://web.me.com/jacobcroft/4870Flash/4870Flash.html
Looking forward to what this card can do for me with Snow Leopard.
It's listed this way on the Wikipedia article for the 8 series from nVidia (I posted a link earlier).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce_8_Series#8800_GS
There was also an earlier post that said that while "About My Mac" displays it as a 8800 GS, the onboard diagnostic tools say it is an 8800 GT.
For those not finding a card at the apple store or on apple.com there are plenty of third-party companies like Macmall that continue to stock cards that meet SL initial requirements.
The reality is, when most people buy a piece of computer hardware they have little expectation that in 6 months or 12 months the machine is actually going to perform BETTER than the day it was bought. Imagine if someone told you that if you bought a car today, that next year it would be better than when you drove it off the lot?!? IMHO, anytime a computer actually gets *better* than when you bought it is a complete bonus.
The reality is, when most people buy a piece of computer hardware they have little expectation that in 6 months or 12 months the machine is actually going to perform BETTER than the day it was bought. Imagine if someone told you that if you bought a car today, that next year it would be better than when you drove it off the lot?!? IMHO, anytime a computer actually gets *better* than when you bought it is a complete bonus.
Here's the real specs for the 8800GS :
One would think one would actually go to the nVidia site..*sigh*
http://www.nvidia.com/page/geforce_8800.html
One would think one would actually go to the nVidia site..*sigh*
http://www.nvidia.com/page/geforce_8800.html