Apple :: MacBook Pros Use Nvidia's Power-Saving Optimus Graphics Tech

Feb 19, 2010

Looks like our hunches about what's inside the next MacBook Pros are panning out: AppleInsider hears that Apple's got new MacBook Pros running that can switch between integrated and discrete graphics automagically, which exactly describes Nvidia's Optimus dual graphics tech.

If you remember, the unibody MacBooks from Oct. 2008 were the first to use Nvidia's GeForce 9400M, a combination chipset/integrated GPU that ridiculously outperformed Intel's own integrated graphics, and the Pro models at the time could switch between power-saving integrated and beefier discrete graphics, though it requires a logout.

Nvidia got cockblocked from making chipsets for Intel's latest-gen chips (read: Core i3, Core i5, Core i7), ruling out using Nvidia's better integrated graphics; Nvidia canned their chipset business entirely. So! Nvidia's Optimus tech works with Intel's crappier integrated graphics that are built onto the same die as the newer Core processors, but even more seamlessly than before—the computer automatically switches between Intel's power-sipping integrated and Nvidia's monster discrete graphics, depending on what you're doing. No logouts required.

In the demo we saw on a Windows machine, the automatic part of the tech has some drawbacks—namely, it's entirely dependent on software to tell your computer which graphics card to run. But Apple's obviously worked pretty closely with Nvidia on graphics before, so it seems logical they're doing so here, too. Though I don't expect we'll know until the new MacBooks finally arrive, whenever that happens (hopefully, soon).

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Apple :: What Graphics Card Could Go Into The New Macbook Pros

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I'm trying to figure out what graphics card could go into the new Macbook Pros if they did a refresh on Jan 26th. The 230m gt? Or possibly unveiling a new card a 330m or 340m? What do you guys think? Do we have any word on the new cards Nvidia is releasing in the short term coming up here? I know the Asus G51J series just had the 360m card put in them, and that makes me think it is possible Nvidia might be dropping a 300 series card into the next MBP line.

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Apr 19, 2010

Up until recently, many suspected that Apple was just using Nvidia's Optimus technology for its new 15" and 17" MacBook Pros. However, there are key differences which prove this cannot be the case, and Apple themselves have said their technology is different. Unlike Optimus, which sends data from the discrete graphics to the IGP framebuffer, and hence needs to keep the IGP on in discrete graphics mode, Apple's solution powers down the IGP entirely. This means that Apple must actually be using a hardware multiplexer at the back end, just like in all switchable graphics before Optimus.

As far as I can tell, Apple seem to have pulled a coup d'etat with their multiplexer, though, because their switching is supposedly just as seamless as Optimus. I'm guessing that Apple runs both adapters for a short time before making a transition in order to avoid a noticeable delay or flickering. I'd be interested to see how they got over the issue of blocking programs, though.

In any case, Apple's solution has the clear advantage of lower power consumption when running the discrete graphics. However, this comes at the cost of being entirely reliant on Apple's proprietary technology. In particular, Apple hasn't released switchable graphics drivers for Windows, so you're stuck with discrete graphics only if you have some need for dual-booting with Windows. Additionally, Apple's technology doesn't seem to give you a way to change which applications run on which GPU. This means that even if you have a 3D application that you know will run well enough on Intel's GMA HD, you're still stuck using the discrete GPU.

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This is my first post, and I’ve seen several awesome stickies, very helpful for new users like me, so the first thing is to thanks all the participants for this amazing work. What I really missed was a guide of pros and cons for new buyers (people like me who were hesitating whether it is worthy to switch from a PC). I found several good reviews in this forum, but what I mean is a summary. Pros and cons are spread in a lot of different posts, generally at the end of reviews. For instance, I spent 49 euros in an apple mouse that is completely useless for this laptop because the cable is too short (I work much quicker with the mouse than with the trackpad). I list my opinions about several other pros and cons. This is not a full review, only a short list of my first encounter with a MacBook Pro, after many years working with PCs:

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Apr 4, 2009

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