report by macworld on intel mac mini gpu

[JJC80]

at the very best the most marginal increase in hardware opengl acceleration. what an utter turd the gma950 must be.

what are you talking about? according to those benches the new mini trounced the old one in every aspect. did you even look at them? only hardware gl was about even, but the new mini was ahead slightly even in that. offcourse the super duper Core Duo is to thank.

 

[combatcolin]

TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THE JEREMY CLARKSON STYLE OF REVIEWING!!

In other words, how does the car hes reviewing (insert any brand/model/spec here) compare to a £100,000 Ferrari supercar?

Funny and intresting but not very useful.

The mini is not, and was never a "total" games machine, but it did hold its own ok.

WHile the GPU has only increased in power by a small %, the Dual Core CPU is a real powerhouse compared to the G4.

I wouldn't buy a Mini, but its not the disaster people are saying it is.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

I guess since Apple has a cpu that can be changed easily now they made absolute certain to give it garbage graphics. Eveyone should be pissed at apple for doing this. Send the bean counters a letter. What a bunch of hypocrits to say how they dont use the garbage only to now use the garbage Integrated graphics. Apple has found another way to kill Mini sales. Why did they even bother with the upgrade of the cpu if they were going to kill the gpu? What a freaking joke by a bunch of bean counting scum running Apple. Anyone who is giving them a free pass on this has to look in the mirror everyday at a dirtbag in my view.

Apple has stooped to a new low in Handicapping its machines. They went from $15.00 graphics to 99 cent graphics.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THE JEREMY CLARKSON STYLE OF REVIEWING!!

The mini is not, and was never a "total" games machine, but it did hold its own ok.

WHile the GPU has only increased in power by a small %, the Dual Core CPU is a real powerhouse compared to the G4.

I wouldn't buy a Mini, but its not the disaster people are saying it is.

Haha! So true! I think this Mini is definitely an improvement on the last one. The processor(s) are a lot faster and actually have a proper FSB! The Mini was designed as an introduction to the Mac or for people who want a cheap second computer. While the graphics performance is pretty much "on par" with the previous gen, in CPU dependant apps, the Intel chips would make the previous Mini look like a toy.

Oh and I just wanted to add that BYODKM would be a lot better now. With the previous one "plug in my USB keyboard, plug in my USB mouse and oops, no USB ports left".

 

[combatcolin]

I'll be intrested to se some proper gaming benchmarks, WOW Doom 3 that sort of thing.

See how much the CPU can compensate for the GPU.

RAM is much better than the G4 Mini, and a Gig is easier and cheaper than before, plus theres 2 slots now.

 

[neonart]

...Apple has found another way to kill Mini sales.

I have a feeling Mini sales will not be "killed". In fact, Mini sales will probably be quite good with the Intel Processors. Not everyone is stuck in Doom 3 land.

Why did they even bother with the upgrade of the cpu if they were going to kill the gpu?....

Because it slaughters the G4 you spend all last year whining about.

 

[thies]

what are you talking about? according to those benches the new mini trounced the old one in every aspect. did you even look at them? only hardware gl was about even, but the new mini was ahead slightly even in that. offcourse the super duper Core Duo is to thank.

to repeast myself, these are the figures that matter in regards to games:

Mac mini G4 1.5 GHz:
OpenGL Hardware Lighting: 506

Mac mini Core Solo 1.5 GHz:
OpenGL Hardware Lighting: 441

and the new mini does worse than the old.

 

[BornAgainMac]

to repeast myself, these are the figures that matter in regards to games:

Mac mini G4 1.5 GHz:
OpenGL Hardware Lighting: 506

Mac mini Core Solo 1.5 GHz:
OpenGL Hardware Lighting: 441

and the new mini does worse than the old.

506 is slow anyways. Not good enough for gaming. So it didn't matter anyways.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Does anyone have the same results for a Core Duo model?

 

[MovieCutter]

Why are people even THINKING of using this to play WOW or Doom 3??? You guys got the wrong computer...

 

[MacSA]

I wonder how this integrated chip set compares to 32MB ATI 9550 in the current iBooks?

 

[combatcolin]

Why are people even THINKING of using this to play WOW or Doom 3??? You guys got the wrong computer...

NEWS ANNOUNMENT

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A G5 QUAD OR INTEL iMac YOUR NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY WOW OR DOOM 3

That is all.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

99 cent graphics are just that 99 cent graphics, glad i own a real video card Its a shame they had to cripple old Mini with this cheapo graphics chip. With that said i think ill go do some gaming on that 6800GT with everything turned on.

Poor lil Mini all it needed was a GPU, Apple would have none of that.

 

[yoda13]

Why are people even THINKING of using this to play WOW or Doom 3??? You guys got the wrong computer...

That maybe the case, but folks would like an actual verification of that. A lot of people are pissed off because the last gen was advertised as a minimal type of gaming system. It was touted right on Apple's website. Now they have gone and put integrated graphics in the mini, right after they touted it not having these graphics as a virtue. For a lot of people this feels like a giant step back, regardless of the great new processors. That is why people are so divided on this computer. I have other Macs I can play WOW on, so it isn't an issue for me, other than I if I decide to buy this thing, I really don't want to have to rationalize my purchase over and over everytime I use it because apple decided to put a really really el cheapo graphics set in the new mini.

 

[Tilmitt]

Reaping what you sowed

Now everyone is seeing the true fruits of the betrayal to Intel. You sold your souls when you accepted Intel and now everything that the "Mac" fanboys told us wouldn't happen is happening. Apple's long term elegant stance is going down the drain.

I have ever railed against this disgusting switch, and I feel very betrayed over the mass rationalisations that people have made in order to justify the switch to x86 in their minds. It's disgusting. I often thought how could people possibly let something like the holocaust happen, but now that I've seen how Mac users so easily betray their principles (which they endlessly touted), I no longer have any doubts that most people are incapable of doing the right thing in the face of trying times.

You all cheered for the Intel switch, you deserve your Intel Integrated Graphics!

 

[neonart]

...t's disgusting. I often thought how could people possibly let something like the holocaust happen, but now that I've seen how Mac users so easily betray their principles (which they endlessly touted), I no longer have any doubts that most people are incapable of doing the right thing in the face of trying times.

Are you ok!? Comparing the holocaust to a piece of silicon in a computer!

Just so you know:

CPU's and graphics chipsets: TRIVIAL

Holocaust and genocide: NON-TRIVIAL

Wow.

 

[Tilmitt]

Are you ok!? Comparing the holocaust to a piece of silicon in a computer!

Just so you know:

CPU's and graphics chipsets: TRIVIAL

Holocaust and genocide: NON-TRIVIAL

Wow.

I'm comparing the personality trait. It's the exact same trait.

Imagine we're in France. We've been saying all these bad things about NAZIism and whatnot. Then we're suddenly defeated and Vichy France is set up. You guys are the Vichy French, cheering on the new government saying it was always what you wanted, going back on all your old words and trying to cover up or dismiss anything that's wrong with the new society. Collaborators, you just want a comfortable life regardless of what's right. Maybe it's socially acceptable to be like that, but it revolts me.

 

[JJC80]

to repeast myself, these are the figures that matter in regards to games:

Mac mini G4 1.5 GHz:
OpenGL Hardware Lighting: 506

Mac mini Core Solo 1.5 GHz:
OpenGL Hardware Lighting: 441

and the new mini does worse than the old.

oh, my bad.

I was using 123macmini.com benchs which had th 1.42 G4 against the 1.66 core duo.

and it went like this

OpenGL Hardware Lighting G4 1.42 - 518
OpenGL Hardware Lighting Core duo 1.66 - 543
Open Gl Speedup G4 1.42 - 3.38
Open GL Speedup Core duo - 3.58

cinebench 9.5

this was the benchmarks I were talking about. the new core duo does beat the old mac mini.

 

[neonart]

I'm comparing the personality trait. It's the exact same trait.

Imagine we're in France. We've been saying all these bad things about NAZIism and whatnot. Then we're suddenly defeated and Vichy France is set up. You guys are the Vichy French, cheering on the new government saying it was always what you wanted, going back on all your old words and trying to cover up or dismiss anything that's wrong with the new society. Collaborators, you just want a comfortable life regardless of what's right. Maybe it's socially acceptable to be like that, but it revolts me.

There is absolutely no way you can compare these to things. It's insane. Sorry.

I'm done with this thread.

Pffft.

 

[thies]

506 is slow anyways. Not good enough for gaming. So it didn't matter anyways.

oh, it matters in an "going from bad to worse" kind of way while an upgrade should instead improve things.

 

[asencif]

While I know that poster was trying to make a point, I don't think bringing up Nazi Germany was a good idea. That's something that nothing can compare to.

I do see that you're not a backer of the Intel switch and I can understand that. I am half and half on it since I don't think it was needed at all on the desktop end, however it was a no-brainer on the laptop line. Unfortunately, there was not other solution to improve the aging laptops and get them out of G4 land.

I can't fault Apple on that and I can't fault their marketing either, although it is very 360 degree reversal. Intel is now powerful...2.5x faster iMac...Ahh well of course...It's a 32-Bit CD chip compared to a single 64-Bit G5. It should be even faster than that in my opinion if it's so great. Now we have this Intel Integrated graphics being used when they clearly trashed beyond belief, making it seem that it's something Apple doesn't stand for in their products.

So I can't fault anyone who feels that Apple is selling out in the aspect. Apple has always used quality design and made computers with specially picked parts. This is what made in even more distinguishable. Now they have what a Dell has in it. While computers are just computers and people go overboard and get too fanatical, it is understandable behavior by some that have been very loyal and purchased Apple's products based on this difference.

To sum up, the Intel switch was needed badly on the laptop side, however I totally disagree on the desktop end. The G5 over the next year or two would have been improving more, eventually hitting 3GHZ by the time the new Merom and Conroe chips come out. It is reported that these chips are also topping out at 2.5, so it remains to be seen how much more powerful they will be than a G5.