Video Card

[snertdog1]

Hey I have the newest baseline macbook pro (2.2 ghz 2gRAM etc.) And it comes with a 128mb 8600M GT Geforce video card form Nvidia. I was wondering if its possible to swap out the old video card for the bigger 256mb 8600M GT version later on when I have the money for the upgrade. Im into games and I think the bigger video card would help a little ways down the road. Also has anyone used bootcamp to get vista and play Halo 2 yet?

-Kyle

 

[squeeks]

all laptop components are soldered to the logic board, sorry

 

[dannewell15]

No trying to cause a massive uproar but if your into games and want the better video card why didn't you just save up for a bit longer and get the 2.4 ghz with the 256 card in the first place. Now your stuck with the 128 card. Just my opinion. :S

 

[snertdog1]

First off, thanks that reply was quick. That sucks that it can't be upgraded. I don't have the money to get the better pro and I need my computer before school starts.

 

[jdechko]

First off, thanks that reply was quick. That sucks that it can't be upgraded. I don't have the money to get the better pro and I need my computer before school starts.

In almost all laptops the main components (CPU, GPU) can't be upgraded. It's one of the main tradeoffs for getting a laptop in the first place (price and performance are the others). There are certain laptops that will allow you to drop in a new GPU, but none of them are 1" thick either.

If Halo 2 is your main concern for gaming, then the 128MB card will be fine, as will most games. The important thing to realize is that you will still probably be able to play the games, but you may have to lower the settings a little bit to get the framerates smoother. AA and AF take up a lot of GPU memory as do the higher res textures. Play with the settings to find what works for you.

Thirdly, if you run Vista under bootcamp, then you have another "ace in the hole". Under Vista, the way graphics memory is handled is different. Vista can allocate some of your system RAM as graphics RAM. It won't be quite as fast as the GDDR3 that's on the card already, but it should certainly make a difference. Save the $500, don't worry about it and take some money and go and upgrade the computer to 4GB of RAM (some people have found it for a few hundred bucks so you could save over $300). This link from MS details what's going on.

 

[snertdog1]

thanks. This forums is really helpful even more so than the people at the local MAC store downtown. Thanks for the quick reply's.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Like others said, the 128MB card should be sufficient for pretty much any game the MBP can handle. Getting that extra 128MB RAM would mean swapping out logic boards - obviously not a realistic option.

 

[wallaby]

Also to console the OP, Macbooks seem to be notorious for holding their value, so if you happen across more money sometime, you could just sell the one you have and buy the better version.