When can I expect the next major revision in the gpu in the macbooks? is it possible this year? I won't buy a macbook till they put a better gpu than the crappy 9400m thanks
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Waiting for a macbook with a decent video card without buying the macbook pro
- Thread starter AluminumMB
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I also wanted to note the only PC game I play the most is Left 4 Dead but I couldn't play that decent resolutions with high settings on the nvidia 9400m when I had the 24" imac
The 9400M GT is one of the best integrated cards. It's good enough to handle everyday tasks and some light to medium gaming.
you get what you buy. if you want to play a game why on earth would you purchase a computer with the 9400M?? that just doesnt make any sense to me..
the MB and base iMac will always have a discrete GPU, buy a MBP or a PC.
the MB and base iMac will always have a discrete GPU, buy a MBP or a PC.
It's a consumer line notebook, if you need video power than you're going to have to go with an MBP. Or you can wait a couple of years when the MB will match today's MBP.
What you're asking for is like waiting to buy a BMW until they put a Ferrari engine in it.
What you're asking for is like waiting to buy a BMW until they put a Ferrari engine in it.
or I could buy a pc and hackintosh it...nahhh rather have an apple product 
yeah leaning towards teh mbp but its too expensive right now with a budget of $1500
yeah leaning towards teh mbp but its too expensive right now with a budget of $1500
Really Man Dont hold your breath it wont be coming out this year not a chance. Probally not even in 3 years.
ok well ill buy the next macbook refresh update, i guess we can expect that sometime in june or ill buy when snow leopard is out
If you really want a laptop for gaming
http://www.alienware.com/products/notebook-computers.aspx
Yeah, windows sucks but 7 is coming out; just think of all the games you could play.
Because (IMO) Apple will never put a "decent" gaming gpu in the macbook. The macbook is designed for productivity suites, iLife, and web browsing (and some other programs like photoshop). To put a good gaming card in, apple would have to compromise on design to accommodate the additional power and heat (and as we all know, apple refuses to compromise on design, e.g. firewire). Plus, it would be a speed bump that the average user wouldn't notice.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you have a ps3, so I think you'll be fine
... I wish I had a ps3
http://www.alienware.com/products/notebook-computers.aspx
Yeah, windows sucks but 7 is coming out
; just think of all the games you could play.Because (IMO) Apple will never put a "decent" gaming gpu in the macbook. The macbook is designed for productivity suites, iLife, and web browsing (and some other programs like photoshop). To put a good gaming card in, apple would have to compromise on design to accommodate the additional power and heat (and as we all know, apple refuses to compromise on design, e.g. firewire). Plus, it would be a speed bump that the average user wouldn't notice.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you have a ps3, so I think you'll be fine
... I wish I had a ps3
The latest macbook is a big improvement over the previous incarnation which had shared graphics. Finally Apple's consumer level laptop got a dedicated graphics chip. What is the problem with it as is? Frankly there isn't a lot to separate the current unibody Macbook and Macbook Pros other than price as far as I can see... sure the MBP has a better graphics chip, but it's a lot more money. If I was buying now I would have probably gone for the macbook over the pro. Things looked different a year ago though.
The Macbook is a good buy.
The Macbook is a good buy.
screen real estate, power (GPU and CPU), expandability peripheral-wise are the differences.
the macbook has an integrated GPU, the MBP has a graphics chip. the differences are quite big.
Well not for the money they aren't in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, the MBP is clearly better, but is it worth the extra cash for most people? I doubt it.
The current macbook's GPU is a big improvement over the previous incarnation. And it can handle 4GB or more of RAM which is also a big plus.
If you have the cash or are likely to be a heavy user, then the MBP is great. It has the added bonus of having an Expresscard 34 slot for increased functionality. But for the vast majority of users, I think the macbook is perfectly sufficient.
the price is a tad over what you would expect to pay, expecially once you go for the higher end models - but you install the RAM yourself and save basically half the price. the MBP is for professional users.. not an everyday user - therefore the price will be worth it.
And in a couple of years the high end games will need something more powerful than today's MBP. In other words...
Well, keep a waitin'. Apple doesn't what to have a macbook with a kick a$$ video card, period; they want you to spend the extra money for a macbook pro.
I'd just like apple to release a macbook with a screen that has the same contrasts and viewing angle as the macbook pro, only smaller. Charge me $100 more for it, sure. Call it the macbook pro nano.
I'd just like apple to release a macbook with a screen that has the same contrasts and viewing angle as the macbook pro, only smaller. Charge me $100 more for it, sure. Call it the macbook pro nano.
apple has never, ever, ever, never, ever, ever, ever, ever, never, ever put decent video cards in their consumer laptops. this is just not something they do.
why?
1 apple doesn't make computers for gamers. this is as it always has beenif you really want to game, buy a console or a winpc.
2 consumers don't game. you look at people with the buying power to purchase a macbook and the only game most of them play is solitaire.
3 its a laptop for god's sake.
why?
1 apple doesn't make computers for gamers. this is as it always has beenif you really want to game, buy a console or a winpc.
2 consumers don't game. you look at people with the buying power to purchase a macbook and the only game most of them play is solitaire.
3 its a laptop for god's sake.
I made the mistake of putting too much video power in my macbook, and it worked great .. when it worked. But it overheated all the time! I bought one of those fan thingies to put under laptops, and that worked for a while, but then it got back to its old habbits of overheating several times a day. I gave the computer to my mom, who just uses it to play browser games and write stories, and she keeps her house at like 10° so there's no way it'll overheat for her, and I bought a mac pro. I thought after I tasted such portability, I'd never go back to a desktop. But it gradually ceased to be conveniently portable when I started having to buy things like powered USB hubs and laptop fans, and it lost its charm when it just kept overheating.
It's a laptop for godsake? Just because I play games or run architectural rendering software doesn't mean I don't want speed and portability in the same box so I can take my computer with me to the job site! There are more reasons than gaming for having a decent video card.
I donno if MBP would have the same overheating problems, but I didn't wanna spend over a thousand dollars just to find out. It's clear to me that portable computing technology still has a long way to go to develop and prove its dependability.
It's a laptop for godsake? Just because I play games or run architectural rendering software doesn't mean I don't want speed and portability in the same box so I can take my computer with me to the job site! There are more reasons than gaming for having a decent video card.
I donno if MBP would have the same overheating problems, but I didn't wanna spend over a thousand dollars just to find out. It's clear to me that portable computing technology still has a long way to go to develop and prove its dependability.
For reference, that's the MBP I am using now, and in WoW, I get 28-40 FPS with graphics mode 'Ultra' and 4xAA, and 60+ with 'high' and 1xAA. Good Buy, IMO.
Out of my own curiosity, how long have you owned it, and have you had any overheating?
I'm currently enjoying up to 205fps with video settings at maximum (though once I got as low as 16fps in Dalaran). I've never seen the world so vibrant and fluid, though I'd be perfectly happy with 28fps. I heard the human nervous system is incapable of perceiving more than 52fps, so most people probably wouldn't notice half that, myself included. I just can't stand overheating my machine. I can't help but think how it could be damaging itself.
Or you have AppleCare for 3 years and run that machine into the ground by playing at the highest settings all the time. By those 3 years you crap out your computer due to normal use and it falls under the Applecare policy and you have a new computer.
imo, macs just aren't a very viable gaming platform. this is mainly due to the lack of consideration from developers to develop or port to the platform.
the 9400m really is a great gpu, the problem I see from most windows users is that they are so used to insane specs to make up for the s**t operating system that just cramps their system's performance. os x isn't like that, and that's where i see so many windows users get lost. is that they don't understand how powerful these machines they've been building actually are and the power that a unix operating system allows you to take control of. a quad core processor is overkill on a mac unless your doing insane i/o (professional audio/video editing for instance).
The point that even most of us mac users miss though is that no matter what mac you get right now, your going to have a computer that will last you a long time and your going to be satisfied with it. i know most of us have terrible GAS (gadget-acquisition-syndrome) and always want shiny new toys, but the current toys are still fun.
if you get a macbook, your not going to be displeased. if you get a macbook pro, your not going to be displeased. the 9400m doesn't suck as bad as you want to think it does, your just not used to being able to take advantage of a system's power.
the 9400m really is a great gpu, the problem I see from most windows users is that they are so used to insane specs to make up for the s**t operating system that just cramps their system's performance. os x isn't like that, and that's where i see so many windows users get lost. is that they don't understand how powerful these machines they've been building actually are and the power that a unix operating system allows you to take control of. a quad core processor is overkill on a mac unless your doing insane i/o (professional audio/video editing for instance).
The point that even most of us mac users miss though is that no matter what mac you get right now, your going to have a computer that will last you a long time and your going to be satisfied with it. i know most of us have terrible GAS (gadget-acquisition-syndrome) and always want shiny new toys, but the current toys are still fun.
if you get a macbook, your not going to be displeased. if you get a macbook pro, your not going to be displeased. the 9400m doesn't suck as bad as you want to think it does, your just not used to being able to take advantage of a system's power.