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ATI 4850 - Desktop or laptop?

N

nss.aries

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 16, 2009
56
0
I wrote it in another thread, but maybe I went OT, so...

Does anyone know for sure if the ATI 4850 is the desktop version or the laptop version? I'm going to order the iMac24 but I want to be sure that the ATI card worth the money.

Thanks :)
 
I'm not an expert in this stuff but I think no one knows for sure right now. Many have called apple and keep getting mixed answers. Can't know or sure until they ship and are tested
 
Maybe it's the same version of the nvidia cards... really, I dunno what to do :/
But maybe it's better than GT130 even if it's the laptop version...
 
It might be an overclocked mobility part but there's no way in hell that the iMac can handle the full desktop part. Way too much power/heat to deal with.
 
So why Apple itself doesn't say it in the benchmark page, using a desktop version of the 4850 for the score? Not that fair...
 
nss.aries said:
So why Apple itself doesn't say it in the benchmark page, using a desktop version of the 4850 for the score? Not that fair...
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't like to get detailed or they think this information is not necessary to the public.
 
Well I did the 4850 even if it is the mobility card if that makes you feel better. I'll use the iMac to do a lot of graphics intensive stuff. From compositing in FCP to real time graphics in Motion 3 (hopefully motion 4 soon!!!). I work in the sports broadcasting industry creating promos of games as an editor, so this is going to be my workhorse. It's replacing my dual 2.5 G5.

I hate the wait, but I feel the 4850 will have some good benchmarks above the 130. If you're not doing graphics intensive stuff, go with the GT 130. I bet that it can handle most games at decent settings and it will run editing programs speedily.
 
Forum user gasport called to Apple and ask is it desktop or mobile and it was mobile. It can be overclocked of course
 
Perfectionist said:
Why isn't it necessary ?? :confused:
Click to expand...

Maybe because Apple views the computers that run their software as appliances.

When you buy a leaf blower the manufacturer tells you it has a 12hp engine but isn't going to tell you how much torque it has, etc.
 
its the mobility version. Well worth the $$. It will give you a nice boost in graphic intensive task such as games.
 
I don't think I will overclock it, i prefer not to touch these things :p
The funny thing is that the only new game I like is Mirror's Edge and it is developed with nVidia PhysX...

How much is the 4850 mobility better than the GT130?



P.S. I use intensely Adobe Photoshop (with big images), inDesign, Flash, Illustrator and After Effects rendering, and sometimes I play some games (not many, but I prefer to buy the best card 'cause I will use this computer for at least 3-4 years).
 
Well I spent the extra 40 bucks to get the card...

Attached is the brief convo I had with apple rep through the chat. But they have been known to be wrong. She had to check with "someone" about the question of mobility vs desktop and she said to me it was the desktop version.

There's a chance ATI is developing a cooler desktop specced card?

Also OP, you wouldn't have to overclock the card, ATI would do that for you so it's safe...from my understanding that is. I don't touch overclocking either if I have to manually do it.
 

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nss.aries said:
I don't think I will overclock it, i prefer not to touch these things :p
The funny thing is that the only new game I like is Mirror's Edge and it is developed with nVidia PhysX...

How much is the 4850 mobility better than the GT130?



P.S. I use intensely Adobe Photoshop (with big images), inDesign, Flash, Illustrator and After Effects rendering, and sometimes I play some games (not many, but I prefer to buy the best card 'cause I will use this computer for at least 3-4 years).
Click to expand...

There won't be big difference, maybe 5-15%. I went for GT130 it have been perfect. Only minus is that my screen has stuck pixel and I'll have to send it back to Apple to get the replacement.
 
Its highly unlikely to be the desktop variant. The case is too tight...its the laptop variant
 
larrymarshall2 said:
Well I spent the extra 40 bucks to get the card...

Attached is the brief convo I had with apple rep through the chat. But they have been known to be wrong. She had to check with "someone" about the question of mobility vs desktop and she said to me it was the desktop version.

There's a chance ATI is developing a cooler desktop specced card?

Also OP, you wouldn't have to overclock the card, ATI would do that for you so it's safe...from my understanding that is. I don't touch overclocking either if I have to manually do it.
Click to expand...

What's far, far more likely, is that in this case the rep doesn't know what the hell they are talking about.

4850 running flat out is pulling over 200 watts. There's no way the iMac can provide the needed power or provide the necessary cooling.
 
This is the disclaimer at the bottom of the 4850 comparison graph on the iMac page:

"Testing conducted by Apple in February 2009 using preproduction 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo–based 24-inch iMac units with ATI Radeon HD 4850 (512MB VRAM) and preproduction 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo–based 24-inch iMac units with NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 (256MB VRAM). Call of Duty 4 v1.7.1 tested using Timedemoambush, Timedemobog, and Timedemopipeline with maximum graphics quality at 1920x1200. Quake 4 v 1.3 tested using Demo001.netdemo and ultra graphics quality at 1920x1200. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of iMac."

Since they're pre-production, I suppose they could have anything in them, but they should be pretty close to the production model. I'd expect what they're presenting in these graphs to be representative of what I'm going to buy, whether it's the mobility or the desktop. Ultimately, I don't care which one it is, as long as this info is accurate. If it is, the 4850 is well worth the extra $50 and the wait. If they're trying to sell an upgraded card on phony data, it seems like fraud to me. At best it's a cheap trick.
 
I've asked online sales twice about it - both times they disappeared to get clarification and came back saying its not the mobility version...

I've ordered it anyway but i would dearly love it to be the desktop version but i am a little sceptical still
 
If I order now the version with Ati and then I change my mind, can I change the order from the apple store before the shipping or not?
 
So they took the money from the credit card only at the time of the shipping?
 
MH01 said:
Not sure about the quality of these benchmarks, as i had little time spare this morning.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

4850 sit in 14th spot, while 130 sits in 38. If these are correct, the 4850 creams the 130. Well worth the upgrade cost. Almost doubles the 3dmark06 score.
Click to expand...

The GT 130 in that list is not the one that is in the new iMacs. We're talking about two completely different cards.

The GT 130 in the new iMacs is probably a GeForce 9800M GTS, but no one knows for sure. Man, I think even Apple doesn't know what card that is. :)
 
not that it's what I intent to do, because I'm keeping it no matter what, but if Apple is saying it's the desktop version, and people are making purchases based on that "confirmation", I wonder what the policy is on "I would like to return my iMac because you guys told me that it was the desktop variant and that's what I was expecting, but it's not... that's false advertising."

I wonder what Apple would tell them/do.
 
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