The MX150

tipootipoo
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware


Whelp...That makes things a bit awkward. The MX150 is a GPU that replaces the 940M, and got nearly double the performance per watt, at the same power draw and end cost. It's showing up in 13" thin and lights like the Mi Air 13 or Acer Swift 3, on the very budget end. 

The chart makes it clear why it's a bit unconfortable for the 15" rMBP as it is...But man do I want this in the 13". Granted the relationship between Nvidia and Apple is unknown and may prevent it, but that would be unfortunate given the massive perf/watt advantage, especially over high end IGPs like the Iris 650 in the 13". 


Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,942administrator
    It's not really about performance per watt. It has more to do with CUDA versus OpenGL and Apple's codebase being optimized for Radeon.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    tipootipoo Posts: 1,159member
    It's not really about performance per watt. It has more to do with CUDA versus OpenGL and Apple's codebase being optimized for Radeon.

    While that's true, the 13" models (which I mentioned and which the MX150 would be a fit for) don't use Radeons currently. And while the Intel GPUs are good at compute relative to their graphics performance, the MX150 can out-shoulder the Iris 650 by pure virtue of being so much faster at everything. The 15" models are a different story as they can handle higher wattage. 

    Maybe it won't happen given the Nvidia-Apple relationship, but it would seem a shame if a part in the same wattage bracket was bypassed if it had nearly double the performance in the same power use as an Intel IGP. 
    edited August 2017
  • Reply 3 of 4
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,942administrator
    tipoo said:
    It's not really about performance per watt. It has more to do with CUDA versus OpenGL and Apple's codebase being optimized for Radeon.

    While that's true, the 13" models (which I mentioned and which the MX150 would be a fit for) don't use Radeons currently. And while the Intel GPUs are good at compute relative to their graphics performance, the MX150 can out-shoulder the Iris 650 by pure virtue of being so much faster at everything. The 15" models are a different story as they can handle higher wattage. 

    Maybe it won't happen given the Nvidia-Apple relationship, but it would seem a shame if a part in the same wattage bracket was bypassed if it had nearly double the performance in the same power use as an Intel IGP. 
    It is also another chipset demanding power, where at present it does not have one beyond the CPU's silicon. I don't think it's going to happen.

    I'd be on board with it, but don't foresee it.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    tipootipoo Posts: 1,159member
     
    I don't think it's too likely either, but I do wish for it. 

    The total power consumption is the same as the Iris at full tilt btw. It's fitting in laptops in the same size class/battery size. 15W CPU + 15W GPU is about what the 13" TB Pro dissipates at full load. 


    The alternative would be Intel pulling a 2x perf/watt gain out of their own GPUs, in which case it would be fine to stick with those, but otherwise it's a shame to miss out on the 150. 
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