Nvidia chips score big in Apple Mac lineup
Updated at 11:50 a.m. PST with additional information on Nvidia and ATI graphics in Mac Pro
Apple's rollout of new Macs Tuesday was a vote of confidence for Nvidia: its graphics chip have now become as ubiquitous as Intel's processors across the Mac line.
Apple's entire Mac lineup now features Nvidia GeForce GPUs. "If you go into a retail store, it's (Nvidia) top to bottom," said an Nvidia spokesperson today. "The message is that Apple is differentiating itself, investing in the GPU," he said.
The GPU, or graphics processing unit, is used to accelerate HD video, image editing, video transcoding, and games.
So, which GPUs are where?
- New versions of the iMac and Mac mini use the GeForce 9400M GPU
- 24-inch iMac available with GeForce 9400M, GeForce GT 120, or GeForce GT 130
- New Mac Pro equipped with the Nvidia GeForce GT 120
- MacBook Air, MacBook, and MacBook Pro already use GeForce 9400M and/or 9600
Note that the Mac Pro is offered with either the GeForce GT 120 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory or the ATI Radeon HD 4870 with 512MB of GDDR5 memory.
Brooke Crothers has been an editor at large at CNET News, an analyst at IDC Japan, and an editor at The Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly, among other endeavors, including co-manager of an after-school math-and-reading center. He writes for the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET. Disclosure. 
And now no Ati Gpu“s... i smell intel like discount deals.
Good thing no one listens to Intel when it comes to graphics. Except maybe Microsoft who buckled under Intel pressure on the Vista Capable campaign.
Intel should just drop out of the graphics game and leave it to the professionals.
I agree though that the base intel chips don't compare and most makers offer chips other than intel for their GPU and should always do so, its good apple is making this move.
Apple always seems to be 1 generation behind available GPU's for their machines, though.
E-D-U-C-A-T-E yourself.
- by Rolv March 4, 2009 6:46 AM PST
- Aren't Nvidia's chips infringing on Rambus' patents? Strange that Apple would go full tilt with infringing products. See http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN0349253520090304
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