[q] MacBook Pro has 2 video systems?

[robm99x]

Can anyone shed more light on the 2 video systems built-in to the new (2011) MacBook Pro 17" laptops? I can read the Apple marketing specs:

# AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
# Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory

(Memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 384MB)

And with Snow Leopard's new OpenCL has something to do with using the GPU and its 1Gb of RAM for the OS X own purposes.

Thx
Rob

 

[alust2013]

The computer will use the AMD graphics card when it thinks it needs more power in the graphics department, and it will use the power-saving Intel graphics when just doing basic tasks. You can also use an app called gfxCardStatus to monitor and control which chip is in use.

 

[goMac]

In the older models, OpenCL could use both cards at the same time, although the new Intel graphics don't have OpenCL.