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Is it possible to replace your macbooks graphics card with a newer model?

C

ChillFactor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 17, 2006
5
0
Hello,

I was wondering will I be to replace my old graphics card with a new one when Nvidia or Ati release new graphics cards that are compatible with macs ?

If not they screw Apple and there overpriced computers. I rather buy an hardware compatible HP with and hd/dvd drive for $2100 than buy $2700 out the ass for a computer than isn't compatible with future hardware.
 
ChillFactor said:
Hello,

I was wondering will I be to replace my old graphics card with a new one when Nvidia or Ati release new graphics cards that are compatible with macs ?

If not they screw Apple and there overpriced computers. I rather buy an hardware compatible HP with and hd/dvd drive for $2100 than buy $2700 out the ass for a computer than isn't compatible with future hardware.
Click to expand...

graphics cards in these machines are soldered onto he board, i believe.
 
No, you can't upgrade it.


Look do you game? Do you do professional video editing?

If the answer to the first question is yes, then buy a PC Desktop, if the answer to the second question is yes, then buy an MBP, as it's far more suitable.

Otherwise the MB will do you just fine, the graphics card is pretty much irrelevant for other usage.
 
IIRC MacBooks don't have a graphics card, they have a graphics chip with shared memory. I think the replacement of that might be a bit of a problem. What I'm also wondering is the fact that the OP is looking for a graphics card in a MacBook. If you need a graphics card in Mac look at a MBP. Also, i don't know of many laptop models that are inherently upgradeable. Its the form of the laptop that prevents from successful upgrades, what with heat concerns and other issues.
 
Blubbert said:
IIRC MacBooks don't have a graphics card, they have a graphics chip with shared memory. I think the replacement of that might be a bit of a problem. What I'm also wondering is the fact that the OP is looking for a graphics card in a MacBook. If you need a graphics card in Mac look at a MBP. Also, i don't know of many laptop models that are inherently upgradeable. Its the form of the laptop that prevents from successful upgrades, what with heat concerns and other issues.
Click to expand...

From http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...browse&mco=98037AD8&node=home/macbook/macbook

"Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory (4)"

(4) Memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 80MB, resulting in 944MB of system memory available in 1GB configurations.
​

Does the above mean that it is a chip or card? It seems to support that it is a chip (processor)...not that this really makes a difference. Whichever is the case (doesn't really matter), the graphics aren't dedicated, which is probably isn't what the OP needs/wants...shared memory is a bad thing if you're looking for performance in things such as gaming or other graphically intensive tools.
 
unixfool said:
"Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory (4)"

(4) Memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 80MB, resulting in 944MB of system memory available in 1GB configurations.
​

Looks like a real card to me, unless Apple has their product all wrong and they've jacked up their own spec sheet.
Click to expand...

It's not a card. The GMA 950 processor is built into the chipset chip. Even on Apple laptops with discreet graphics the chips is not no a removable card, but soldered onto the mainboard.

No matter how much you want to believe otherwise you cannot upgrade the graphics.
 
robbieduncan said:
It's not a card. The GMA 950 processor is built into the chipset chip. Even on Apple laptops with discreet graphics the chips is not no a removable card, but soldered onto the mainboard.

No matter how much you want to believe otherwise you cannot upgrade the graphics.
Click to expand...

You posted 10 sec after I did and decided to edit...you're quite quick on the trigger there, Tex.

Anyways, you're talking symantic here. The device is sharing memory, which is not conducive to graphics performance (ie, gaming or heavy editing).
 
Blubbert said:
IIRC MacBooks don't have a graphics card, they have a graphics chip with shared memory. I think the replacement of that might be a bit of a problem. What I'm also wondering is the fact that the OP is looking for a graphics card in a MacBook. If you need a graphics card in Mac look at a MBP. Also, i don't know of many laptop models that are inherently upgradeable. Its the form of the laptop that prevents from successful upgrades, what with heat concerns and other issues.
Click to expand...

In either case, I'm fairly certain the OP was referring to the MBP and not the MB based on the price points he was talking about.
 
ChillFactor said:
I was wondering will I be to replace my old graphics card with a new one when Nvidia or Ati release new graphics cards that are compatible with macs ?
Click to expand...

Either you're confusing the laptops with the desktops, or you're not realizing that even the precious HP laptops you're mentioning aren't upgradable either.
 
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