How fast is Mission Control on a 6 core mac pro with dual 4k monitors?

[macsplusmacs]

Hello.

I have a current macbook pro (high end config) 15". I run it in open shell mode and also drive a new Dell 4k 27" (not 5k).

I love it. its crisp and clean and gives me more real estate then my macbook.

Long story short,

there are a couple of downsides to my setup:

1) The fans rev up more i believe because the graphics card is near max driving this 4k monitor.

2) Mission Control (where you hit a hot key and see small versions of your apps in use) is choppy as heck.

I hope to budget for a new mac pro later this year, 6 core at least (or if they ship new models whatever the equivalent is.)

If I do buy a mac pro I would max out the video cards to whatever the highest apple sells and I would hook up a 2nd Dell 4K monitor to it.

My question is, I assume the mac pro will be silent (i do not play games or do video. I only would use it for coding) but will Mission Control be smooth as butter with a mac pro and tricked out vid cards?

The portability would justify an upgrade to a mac pro, especially if it would gives me a smoother, more quiet workflow and environment.

Has anyone hooked up two 4K displays and experienced Mission Control this?

thx

 

[omvs]

I have a 2012 rMBP w/ GT650m, and I run the internal at 2880x1800, and a external 4k at 3840x2160. No choppiness on mission control for me. However, if you're using one of the intermediate resolutions, it might be working the video card a lot harder.

What are the resolutions you're running for both the internal display and the external - native, or a scaled mode? Also, does your laptop have the discrete gpu, or just the intel video?

EDIT::just realized I have reduced transparency on - that could be why my video is smoother. Will have to retest at home

 

[macsplusmacs]

I have a 2012 rMBP w/ GT650m, and I run the internal at 2880x1800, and a external 4k at 3840x2160. No choppiness on mission control for me. However, if you're using one of the intermediate resolutions, it might be working the video card a lot harder.

What are the resolutions you're running for both the internal display and the external - native, or a scaled mode? Also, does your laptop have the discrete gpu, or just the intel video?

EDIT::just realized I have reduced transparency on - that could be why my video is smoother. Will have to retest at home

I have the default 4k setting. the one where i have to hold down the option key. I'm not near my computer but i think its this:

3840 x 2160

Hmm. will check out the reduced transparency on when i get home. thank you for the tip!

 

[ixxx69]

I have the default 4k setting. the one where i have to hold down the option key. I'm not near my computer but i think its this:

3840 x 2160

Hmm. will check out the reduced transparency on when i get home. thank you for the tip!

I have the 4 core D300 with two 4K displays (Dell P2715K) with Yosemite. I don't typically use Mission Control, but I just tried it with both "Reduce Transparency" on and off. The animation is definitely not "buttery smooth" in either case, but appears a little smoother with "Reduce Transparency" enabled. In either case, it still comes up within a split second, it's just the "animation" is a little choppy.

 

[macsplusmacs]

I have the 4 core D300

interesting, i wonder if the D500 and their extra VRAM would help

 

[ixxx69]

interesting, i wonder if the D500 and their extra VRAM would help

The D500's (or D700's) might be faster (doesn't have anything to do with how much memory though).

Hard to know how much is the hardware and how much is the software optimization.

I should have also added that my previous comment was based on about 20 "windows" open in MC. With half that many, it's quite a bit smoother (though still not what I would call buttery smooth).

 

[macsplusmacs]

I hope (but am not holding hope) that apple bumps the nMP with some new video cards.

prob. won't though.

 

[omvs]

I retested my rMBP with default accessibility settings and it still seems pretty smooth to me using 1440x900 on the builtin and 3840x2160 on the external. Granted, I don't have quite as many windows open (~10-15) - I opened a bunch of dummy safari windows though it didn't have a big impact -- perhaps not using enough VRAM...?

I did read people found the riMac less laggy after turning setting "Increase Contrast" in accessibility, but not sure if that was a problem in 10.10.1/10.10.2 thats been fixed in 10.10.3. Might be worth trying - I actually prefer the look in that mode anyway which is why i had it on.

I wonder if in your case its using the intel graphics. It also seems very odd the fans are kicking in from doing 2d stuff - that doesn't sound right to me.

 

[macsplusmacs]

I retested my rMBP with default accessibility settings and it still seems pretty smooth to me using 1440x900 on the builtin and 3840x2160 on the external. Granted, I don't have quite as many windows open (~10-15) - I opened a bunch of dummy safari windows though it didn't have a big impact -- perhaps not using enough VRAM...?

I did read people found the riMac less laggy after turning setting "Increase Contrast" in accessibility, but not sure if that was a problem in 10.10.1/10.10.2 thats been fixed in 10.10.3. Might be worth trying - I actually prefer the look in that mode anyway which is why i had it on.

I wonder if in your case its using the intel graphics. It also seems very odd the fans are kicking in from doing 2d stuff - that doesn't sound right to me.

oh cool tip about the contrast. thx

yah, the fans only kick up in my place when its over 72 degrees hot or so outside. i don't have air conditioning and i usually have 30+ windows open so i bet that certainly does not help

 

[damezumari]

interesting, i wonder if the D500 and their extra VRAM would help

Nope. I have D500 nMP and it uses only one GPU anyway, and it's VRAM usage doesn't seem to be even peaked; still mission control animation is 'few' fps on my 2x 4k display (one 2560x1440 hidpi, other 30somethingx17something hidpi).

 

[macsplusmacs]

Nope. I have D500 nMP and it uses only one GPU anyway, and it's VRAM usage doesn't seem to be even peaked; still mission control animation is 'few' fps on my 2x 4k display (one 2560x1440 hidpi, other 30somethingx17something hidpi).

I forgot about the mac pro only really using 1 vid card for normal graphics stuff.

Guess my dream of hooking up three 4K monitors at once (at full rez and full hz) and having butter smooth mission control may be a dream.

At this point for my purposes, there is no reason to plunk down on this over a 5K since it too can do an external 4/5k monitor.

But it has less video cards and the fans even on that spin up.

maybe skylake? guess time will tell.

thx