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More Reports of NVIDIA Graphics Chips in Next-Generation MacBook Pro

Monday May 14, 2012 10:07 pm PDT by Eric Slivka
As long ago as last November, SemiAccurate claimed that Apple would be switching back to NVIDIA from AMD for the graphics chips in the next-generation MacBook Pro. With MacBook Pro rumors flooding out today, that claim is gathering renewed momentum from several sources.

In its roundup of the latest MacBook Pro rumors, ABC News specifically claims that Apple will be using NVIDIA graphics chips in the new MacBook Pro reportedly set for introduction at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference.
The new laptops are expected to be powered by Intel’s latest processors, called Ivy Bridge. Those processors will be faster than the current generation of Intel processors and improve graphics. However, the laptops will also get a graphics boost from Nvidia’s latest graphics, the GeForce GT 650M card. ABC News has heard the same from its sources, which say Apple will move from AMD to Nvidia graphics chips in this version of the MacBook Pro.
The Verge offers similar claims, with the growing reports suggesting that the switch from AMD to NVIDIA may indeed be taking place.
Apple's updated MacBook Pro rumored to arrive this summer will feature Nvidia graphics alongside Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, a switch from the AMD GPUs in the current models. The news comes to us directly from a trusted source, and it's further corroborated by Joanna Stern at ABC News, whose sources also tell her that the new machines will indeed feature high resolution Retina Displays.
Apple has moved back and forth between NVIDIA and AMD several times over the years, taking advantage of whichever graphics chip firm is offering the better product with the right pricing and timing. Consequently, a shift to NVIDIA should not be taken as an indication that it is a long-term decision, although Apple has been rumored to be making a similar move for the Mac Pro.

[ 121 comments ]

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macduke
98 months ago
Whoa! So many Mac-related rumors today. These are making me really excited.

I just went to my last-ever college final today and I graduate on Friday. Hope I can still pull a student discount!! Fingers crossed…
Rating: 14 Votes
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Mackan
98 months ago

Nice.

Better be 2 Gig's dedicated


I guarantee you will not see 2 Gb. It's Apple we are talking about. They'll give you 512 Mb, custom version.
Rating: 12 Votes
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Mr. Gates
98 months ago
Nice.

Better be 2 Gig's dedicated
Rating: 9 Votes
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Beezzy
98 months ago
I love when MacRumors has Mac Rumors! I just hope this will get more people excited into Macs! Mine is a gaming beast and very happy! They need to do the same on the 13" to have a better built in graphics card since their prob isn't much room for a dedicated graphics card.
Rating: 8 Votes
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commander.data
98 months ago

Wishful thinking here but maybe Apple will give us the choice... AMD as standard and Nvidia as BTO. It would serve them best to offer both if they can implement it on the motherboard design... Too many users require one or the other in terms of OpenCL or CUDA, apple stand to lose one type of customer or another so why not offer both and keep everyone happy!!

Although correct me if I am wrong but Nvidia GPUs do support OpenCL, apple just doesn't activate it in their drivers?

http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html

Where do you get the idea that nVidia GPUs don't support OpenCL in OS X? nVidia and Apple collaborated quite heavily to develop OpenCL before submitting it to Khronos for standardization so OpenCL is actually closer to CUDA than CTM/Brook+ which was ATI's competing proprietary GPGPU technology at the time. As such even first gen nVidia DX10 GPUs (8000 series) support OpenCL in Snow Leopard and up, whereas OpenCL requires later 2nd gen DX10.1 GPUs (HD4000 series) for ATI. Post standardization, AMD's support for OpenCL has been stronger though, abandoning their own proprietary APIs, whereas nVidia has continued to support CUDA alongside OpenCL.
Rating: 5 Votes
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anthonyris
98 months ago

This is a huge mistake. 600m chips are not Kepler, but simply re-branded Fermi, while 7000m chips are Southern Islands based. I hope this isn't true, as there's no reason why Apple would suddenly take a dive for the stupid.


Not all 600M chips are rebranded Fermi's. The 650M is actually Kepler.
Rating: 5 Votes
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Liddle
98 months ago
But i guess VRAM is supposed to be more than 512mb, i mean we're speaking of "Apple" in here and if the rumours about the retina display is correct, even Apple has to increase it.
Rating: 5 Votes
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dlimes13
98 months ago
GT 650 2 GB, USB 3.0, Retina, Ivy Bridge, etc. One ultimate machine I'll be getting.
Rating: 5 Votes
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apolloa
98 months ago

This is a huge mistake. 600m chips are not Kepler, but simply re-branded Fermi, while 7000m chips are Southern Islands based. I hope this isn't true, as there's no reason why Apple would suddenly take a dive for the stupid.


Nope it is a TRUE Kepler based chip, it's based on Nvidias GK107 architecture, google it.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Ryth
98 months ago
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebooks.html

The 650 is the top of the line mid range chip. The X series is for gamers and we know Apple isn't going to put that in their MBPros.

And now, we are getting iMac updates...

I have no idea what to get..haha.
Rating: 4 Votes

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