Apple :: Overclocking GPU On Late 2008 MBP
Jan 31, 2009
I've been gaming on my MBP's 9600M GT since I got it in October and I've been pretty satisfied with the results. I just started Mirror's Edge and I get an average of 30fps outdoors on Med/High settings at max 900p res and 2x AA (I'd take off AA, but it just looks ugly to me without it). The trouble is that when I enable PhysX my fps drops down to about 26fps avg. I'd like to make up this difference with overclocking, but wasn't sure if I should.
I game about 1.5 hours at a time, and usually GPU-Z reports nothing higher than about 74C (I'm running 181.22 drivers from LV2G). I have a dinky little plastic cooler with three 80mm fans underneath it, too. I was thinking of a modest overclock, say maybe 10-15%, but was wondering what the dangers were, if any and what temps I would see. IMO the newer MBPs are MUCH better at dissipating heat than last gen, so hopefully that won't be much of a concern, plus I could always grab a program to boost the fan speeds as well right, SMTFan I think it's called. If I do go ahead and overclock, which speeds should I increase, core/shader/mem and by how much?
What say you NBR? Worth the performance gains or stupid risk on a relatively new laptop?
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May 6, 2010
after getting a new 13" I have been noticing that it seldom gets warmer than 50C while in a speck case on a soft surface, while my 15" on the other hand is normally running at the high 70s and mid 80s and easily reaches the 90s if I begin watching a video on youtube when not in any sort of case and kept on a hard surface. I have been ramping up the fans using SMC Fan Control whenever I witness the machine getting warm but it makes me wonder if I have a faulty machine and is reason for me to get it checked out(it is still in warranty).
And just recently I switched to using the 9600M GT graphics card(for the first time since I got it really) and the temperatures hover at about the high 70s to mid 80s as usual but this time the fans are up to 3500-5000rpm on average without me setting anything with SMC Fan Control. Even just letting the machine idle for awhile doesn't get the fans to lower to 2000rpms(which I would assume is the expected normal speed considering my 13" seldom revs up a hair past 2000rpm).
I generally leave my 15" MBP on all the time(5 days/week), or put it to sleep whenever I am going to transport it(as I am sure most of us do). What I constantly have running is:Firefox(with around 40 tabs)Xcode or Eclipse(maybe both, but definitely one of them)Terminal(with a handful of tabs[3-7])AdiumPreview(with up to 15 or so documents open)iTunes
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Feb 27, 2009
I have an issue with my MBP when I'm using vista. It just freeze after a few hours and I don't know why (I don't think that it is the network card driver, as suggested in other posts because I installed the driver provided there.
I just know that it is a driver issue because I got a blue screen with a notification from windows and it said that windows is shutting down to prevent damages to the computer because of a problem with a driver.all the drivers are from the Leopard DVD (excluding the network card driver).
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Jan 30, 2009
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if I touch the area, and when I close the lid during shutdown. Need to know if yall have the same issue before I get a replacement.
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Apr 19, 2010
I just wanted people's opinions on how they compare the two model lines, and whether or not they would make the upgrade. The specs of my MBP are:
C2D 2.53 Ghz
500GB 7200RPM HDD
4GB DDR3 1066 MHZ RAM
512MB 9600mGT w/ 9400m Integrated Graphics
Performance wise, I havent been disappointed with the laptop, but one of the main drawbacks I see in the machine is its battery life - Apple has taken strides in improving battery life over 2009-2010, and its kinda annoys me that I'm stuck with the battery I have now.
I commute a lot to/from school, work on the bus/train, and have to use my laptop in places where power outlets are not readily available (some lecture rooms). Realistically, I get about 3-3.5 Hours with screen brightness on minimum, wifi and bluetooth turned of, and doing some basic word processing, as well as reading pdf's.......
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Jan 16, 2009
My photography hobby is getting more complex than originally anticipated, so I now want to upgrade my HD from the standard 120GB to something bigger, since I only have about 10 GB left.
I have been looking at the WD Scorpio Black (320GB, 7k200, priced $89 at newegg and 150 on WD site), but was wondering if it would work with my MacBook (late 07/early 08) and if there would be any difference with the sales package from Newegg and WD own site..
Also I was wondering how the performance is, and if there would be any noticeable difference between the 320 Black and a 500 Blue (both WD)?
Also, what is the procedure, when upgrading? My present drive is backed up via TimeMachine (with all docs, pictures, music and apps).
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Aug 22, 2009
Does anyone know if it's possible to install the new mid-2009 Macbook Pro 15" battery in the late 2008 macbook pro 15"? I looked at the pictures and it seems to be an identical fit, just no screw to secure the battery but from what I see all it is is a simple change in battery./
Has anyone debated trying this? I would love the extra battery life and I don't see why we couldn't do this aside from maybe the charging being 80w compared to the 73w for the new battery...
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Nov 1, 2009
I got my aluminum Macbook back in February 2009. When I first turned it on, I noticed the DVD sound make some noise every time I turn it on.
My girlfriend who uses the 13" Macbook Pro heard that noise and asked me what the heck that was..
I told her that I hear that noise every single time I turn on the laptop. She said that its not the case for her....
Is what I'm hearing normal? I do not know of anyone with my particular version of the Macbook!
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Jan 1, 2009
I worked my off to get this laptop. So I want to protect it as much as I can for as long as I can. I realize that since this is aluminum, it may experience corrosive pitting if I'm not careful.
SO, what case is the best to prevent this and to keep scratches off? I dont care if it changes the look, just give me the best one!
Another question, how are u supposed to pull out the magsafe anyway? Everytime I try to take it out, it always feels like the edge is going to scratch near the ports
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Mar 11, 2009
I've had my MBP for about 4 month now and have been having problems with its keyboard since I bought it. First, the "Z" key sank in (I think there was a problem with the spring). I took it to the Apple Store, and they "fixed" on the spot (it's much harder to press and only registered a key press 70% of the time). The lower right corner of the "E" has noticeably sunk in, and I need to resort to pressing the upper left corner. Also, the left side of the keyboard feels "mushy", not hugely so, but definitely noticeable after typing a few sentences. Can I request that Apple just replace the entire keyboard instead of just individual keys?
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May 20, 2009
I'm winding down my search for a new laptop for business and personal use, and after a week or so of due diligence researching windows alternatives I've all but decided to return to Apple.
In deciding whether the MBP is worth an extra $400, my question to the Apple subforum is: What (other) differences are there between the MB and MBP?
Obviously, their footprints are different, and they have different screen resolutions, and the 9600 GPU is exclusive to the MBP. The MB isn't offered with factory 7200 hard drives, but since Macs don't need to be restarted as often as Windows PCs, I don't place a lot of value on that. I have a 1TB external drive w/ FW and USB. I'd be sad to give up Firewire, but I could live with using its USB connection...
What I'm wondering is whether there are other differences that add value to the MBP. I've read that, resolution aside, the MBP has a higher-quality display. Is there any truth to this? Is it that noticeable? Is it true, but inconsiderable? Or is it just flat-out wrong?
Along those lines, are there other differences that would make the MBP more attractive?
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Aug 9, 2009
I opened my case at the bottom and 2 screws fell out, while trying to put them back in, they both got stuck half way and would go further in or out.
im sure this messed the undercase up(the one were the screws go in and not the easy flap opening thing).
It may also have casued some damage to the screw holes under the case lid which cant be replaced without replaceing the laptop i think.
So now iv just left both screws out as its not affecting anything.
would this affect my warranty at all if i damage the screw cases and could i order a new one from anyone?
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Apr 14, 2009
I've been using my new Macbook for a few weeks now. I must say, I'm impressed with the hardware and the OS. Definitely don't regret making the switch from Windows.
There is one issue that I have been having. The availability of only 2 USB ports has made using my peripherals difficult.
I am in the process of looking for a USB hub so that I can work more efficiently. I did some research and was able to find limited information. From what I know, the only thing I should be aware of is whether the hub draws its power from the port or powers itself.
Are these newer Macbooks about to power the port without any problems.
I'm looking to use an external HD (has its own power supply), wireless mice, iPods, and Blackberry. These aren't too power intensive.
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Feb 2, 2009
Before I bought this laptop, I asked apple about 5 times if the new single right click on the trackpad is supported in Windows and they said yes. I buy the laptop, install windows.. and the only way to do a right click is to tap using three fingers.
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Aug 6, 2009
I managed to buy a 6 week old refurbished macbook pro at 2.8ghz, with 4gb ram and a 320gb HDD. its a late 08 model. Arnt they surpose to have 500gb HDD's and if they only have 320gb hdd's? Also is it 540rpm or 7200 rpm and is there any way to find out?
Also didnt the macbook pros only go to 2.66ghz?
Although the apple info on the box(pic on ebay) shows 2.8ghz, 320gb HDD.
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Mar 7, 2009
I have a late '08 unibody MBP. Every once in a while, generally not every day but once every few days, I have a split-second issue where half of the screen on my MBP flashes black for a split-second. Everything's perfectly normal before and afterwards, just that. I suppose it's not terribly bothersome, but it is noticeable. I've done some searching and it seems to be happening to many people and may be software based.
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Jan 13, 2009
I think MS Office 2008 for Mac is a step back. I use particularly excel at university and there are a lot of utilities missing in this version (data analysis), despite all this functions were included in the old 2003 version for windows. I've read a lot of threads in this and other forums trying to find how to solve the mess. The solutions can be summarized in: 1. Use other program (iworks, open office, neo office..., but none of those programs have what I need: a power tool of data analysis and 100% compatibility with MS Office). 2. Install XP or Vista in my new MacBook Pro.
My question is, does anyone know if there will be a new version of MS Office for Mac soon?
(If the answer is yes, I won`t make any move, otherwise I`ll have to think of installing XP or Vista, bad thing for me, after three weeks I`m getting the hang of the OS X and I`m very happy with it).
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May 1, 2010
i just got my new MBR with an i5 processor, and i wanted to install office 2008 so it asked me to go online to download rosetta, isn't rosetta for older macs? will my office 2008 run slowly after installing rosetta? And why isn't rosetta already installed on my new MBR running snow leopard?
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Mar 1, 2009
My university had a brand new early-2008 MBP model (one left) for $1,399 so I bought it a couple of weeks ago. It has the 2.5Ghz processor, 2GB ram, 250GB HDD, 8600m GT w/ 512 vRam, and the matte display. I was trying to decide whether to buy a 2.4Ghz unibody MB, a 2.4Ghz unibody MBP, or refurbished of both. I went to talk to the people at the tech store and they showed me a brand new early-2008 model MBP (a design I happen to like more than the unibody because I am not a fan of the Sony chiclet keyboard or the new "no button" button touchpad) and I purchased it immediately.
So far I have been pretty happy with the purchase and the performance of the machine although it does get quite hot on its own. The main thing I am wondering about is upgrading the ram to 4GB and swapping out the hard drive for a 7200RPM one. The hard drive is less important to me as of right now because the higher RPM will cause more heat and drain the battery faster but what I DO want to do immediately is upgrade the ram.
The machine has 2GB PC2-5300 in it which is 667 Mhz. The bus speed on the machine is 800Mhz. I am wondering whether or not I can match the bus speed and install PC2-6400 which are 800 Mhz. If not that is fine I'll just go with PC2-5300 and pick up 4GB from Fry's today but running the faster speed would be nice.
On the hard drive front how exactly does this work? I know on a PC I can just swap out the hard drive and load a saved system image or install a new OS but does it work the same with Apple? If I swap the hard drive do I just pop in the install disks and install it?
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Feb 8, 2010
I'm curious if the programs are identical, or if there is still a difference between the products? Ideally I'd like to have Office running in OSX, however if I have to I will run it in a VM. Mind you I'd like to avoid the headache of opening a VM to check my mail...
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Feb 23, 2009
I was thinking to buy a MBP soon and im wondering if the 9600m GT graphics card is upgradable? I heard it was choppy Playing L4d, Far cry 2.
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May 29, 2010
My son's MacBook Pro (15 inch) has a case warp problem that's probably caused by something in the superdrive pushing out the plastic strip on the front of the laptop. I suggested taking it to the Apple Store to see what it would cost to fix (probably a Superdrive replacement at a minimum). I also asked him if he'd like a new 15 inch MBP but he likes his current system despite the problems. It has a Windows XP partition and all of the software that he likes on it which would have to be moved over. I'm disappointed with this generation MBP with the nVidia problem, the failed superdrive and now the current problem.
I have the 17 inch model of the same generation but I haven't had any problems with mine. I'd personally just prefer getting him a new one and I might just go ahead and get one and set it up (he's at a university for the summer and uses his MBP for his job there).
In general, are the Aluminum MBPs more problem free than the previous generation plastic models? Are there fewer Superdrive issues?
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Mar 11, 2009
In windows (Office 2007):
Open .docx file
Save as .pdf
PDF is perfect. The blue page background is clearly displayed too.
In OSX (Office for mac 2008):
Open .docx file
Save as .pdf
PDF is perfect, except the blue background is now white
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Sep 17, 2009
I had received my refurbished MBP last monday, and have been using it frequently since then. It takes on average 4-5 hours to charge it fully, which is ridiculous in my opinion. And the most I can get it to last is around 2:40 with lowest brightness, microsoft office 2008 open, bluetooth off and wifi on. Shouldn't I be getting more battery time?
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Feb 22, 2010
Like all 2008 MacBook Pros, my DVD burner does not work.
Can I take it out and somehow work a hard drive in that same space?
What is really annoying is that I used an external DVD burner most of the time, specifically to protect the built-in DVD burner, so when I went to resell it... I would not have to list "perfect except the DVD burner does not work."
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Mar 21, 2009
15'' unibody. In XP now that I have decent temps, trying to overclock my GPU.
NVIDIA system tools does not show up on my control panel for some reason even though I installed it. Rivatuner is not detecting my GPU clock settings correctly nor is it changing them when I tell it to (I'm pretty sure).
Does anyone know what I should do to overclock my GPU?
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Jul 29, 2009
if it is possible to safely overclock the 2.8 ghz cpu on a macbook pro to run at speeds above 3.0? Intel's website lists that the 2.8 ghz cpu has a "turbo" mode. Has anybody tried this? Also is it possible to safely overclock the GPU? has anybody tried it?
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Nov 4, 2009
I use RightZoom and have it set to load on startup. I've noticed that Office 2008 in particular -- whether it be Entourage or Word (or any other piece of the suite) -- tends to not care what the last used window size and position was. Every time I open the program, the window appears large, but in the middle of the display -- not "maximized" in the sense that its top border is even with the bar, and its bottom border is more or less even with the bottom of the screen. Entourage refuses to properly full-zoom at all, even if I'm clicking away at the zoom button. how to change that behavior?
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Feb 8, 2009
Assume for a second that you need to frequently exchange documents with people using Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007, and that you need to use an Office Suite that has a great UI, so that you can make great, professional looking Word documents in particular with ease.
Which office suite is the best, or if you selected "other", please say what office suite you are referring to.
I have ordered a Macbook Pro, but am totally stumped as to what I should do for an Office suite. If it helps, I can use Office 2007 like a pro and I love it!
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Feb 20, 2010
I'm buying one or the other. My next computer will run OSX, that is the only thing I have set in stone.
13" MBP over 13" MB:
SD Card reader
(This would be nice, but I can do without. I only use the reader on my current laptop like once every 2 months)
FireWire 800
(Absolutely no need for this)
Backlit Keyboard
(Absolutely no need for this, people look at their keyboard while typing?)
Screen Color Gamut
(60% more than that of MB I heard ... I know this applies to the older MB but not sure about the late 2009 MB. Can anyone comment on the difference?)...................
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