For you a MB with external display would work great.
If Apple would lift the 64MB hard-limit, and let the driver function similarly to way it does on Windows ... the softness and tearing may be less of a problem.
I guess what I was trying to say is that are there any limitations from using the GMA 950 or will the performance just suffer? As long as I can run all of the applications I need to speed should not be an issue because I will have access to plenty of iMacs. I'm sorry but I do not know the specs of th programs I will be running. I am visiting Iowa State this weekend for Scholars weekend and I am going to get all of this straightened out. Thanks for the responses.
Do you think that this is possible and can be accomplished with a software update? Would it be retroactive for all MBs?? Why is that I see some GPUs with up to 128 shared memory...couldn't apple do this?
Well there you go. You're assuming, while I'm experiencing, and so have others on this forum.
"Good" and "Bad" are relative terms.
I personally do notice the effects of the GMA 950. Particularly, when using my C2D MacBook with my HDTV in both display mirroring/spanning modes. Some video content does appear soft, and I have seen it "tear" (particularly with h.264 and MPEG-4) on occasion.
Another MacBook owner, Leo Laporte mentioned the same issue on his latest "The Tech Guy" podcast.
If Apple would lift the 64MB hard-limit, and let the driver function similarly to way it does on Windows ... the softness and tearing may be less of a problem.
I think this thread didn't get this article linked.Well if our CD MacBooks can run an external display just fine, then yes, his assumption that your C2D MacBook should run an external monitor fine as well is correct. Your MB is simply better than ours. The GMA 950 is the same, and the cpu is faster.
Maybe you're running an external monitor and your MacBook LCD simultaneously. If you are, then I guess you could experience some slowness, as the 64 MB of RAM that's usable by the GMA 950 is split into 32 MB for each monitor.
PS: I have 1.5 GB of RAM.