Apple looks to Nvidia for chipset support
Superior GPU needed for OSX 10.6
AFTER PREVIOUS rumours of Apple including different, and possibly proprietary, chipsets in its next round of Macbooks, comes additional speculation regarding the future internals of Apple hardware.
A report on PC Perspective has identified that Nvidia's chipsets may be the perfect fit for Apple's new range of laptops, expected in September.
Ryan Shrout certainly provides a compelling argument.
He believes that Apple would have refreshed products at the same time as the Centrino 2 product release if Apple was to provide a 'standard Centrino 2' product base, otherwise the announcements would appear stale.
Nvidia is to produce a a chipset compatible with the platform, that incorporates much superior graphics - ideal for the alleged nativeGPU support of OS X 10.6 - on only one chip. Intel provides two.
The chip has the ability to scale from ultra-low power versions to SFF machines fitting in with Apple's wide-range of current products.
Nvidia has also gone quiet on its future chipset developments - which Shrout believes is due to development for the notoriously shrewd Apple.
There's also a definite wind of change regarding Apple hardware, flowing through the rumour mill. It all fits together quite nicely.
But while we agree that the fit seems almost perfect, we can't imagine Intel would allow this to happen.
Firstly, Intel has been affording a lot of special attention into Apple in relation to delivering products early and en-masse, and even going as far as to developer a unique processor for the company under the hood of the Macbook Air.
Secondly, the September refresh of Apple's notebook line will certainly announce the delivery of the new 45nm Core 2s (currently used by PC manufacturers under the Centrino 2 brand) into the company's products. Intel would certainly find it harder to find processors for Apple if the company was going elsewhere for other chips.
We suspect Apple's relationship would be seriously tarnished with Intel if Apple decided to use a competitor's chipsets, and that Apple's previous favours from Intel would be much reduced and harder to come by.
However, stranger things have happened and Apple has a track record of doing whatever it pleases. It seems we'll have to wait a bit longer until these rumours are put to bed, one way or the other. µ
Comments
Hybrid SLI
That's the key feature, that you didn't mention.On low spec models IGP only can be used, as well, they are better than Intel ones.
On higher specs they can use the IGP and a separate GPU with Hybrid SLI, so the GPU chip is used only when it's needed, which is perfect on a laptop to save batteries, thay couldn't do that with Intel nor AMD/ATI.
BTW, where is Charlie?!?! Come on... he should have written this one. So he writes only bad news on nVidia??
or maybe....
Perhaps Intel is doing a special SKU just for Apple? Don't count that out.Crystal ball....
...says Apple will have to apply a BIOS update to run the fan all the time to keep the chipset from overheating if they use an Nvidia chipset.I don't see a problem
Why should there be a problem with Apple and Intel if Apple needs something that Intel can't make? Intel is great, but for right now, there great at making CPU's. They do an ok job on integrated graphics, but because Apple is pursuing something greater then what intel can offer. There really is nothing they can do. They can't be mad. They just have to come up with something that Apple would want in the future. I'm almost willing to be the farm and say that Apple went to intel first and asked them if they have anything that will do job X by a specific time frame. Intel most likely said, not by that point in time but, we are working on it. Apple said, "ok, thank you. When you get it let us know cause we are going to need this in the future." But, for now we need it well, now.I highly doubt that Apple didn't at least check intel first for such a product, before going elsewhere. And to boot, if this is true. They didn't go to DAMMIT for it either.
nvidia notebook quality issues
Don't see how apple would chance using nvidia right now with the heat/build issues with the G8x series issues on the HP, and DELL laptopsmaybe more of a ploy to get more favorable deal with the other two.
VIA Nano
I wouldnt worry about the relationship with Intel. If they would be angry after a nvidia deal, then Apple could switch to VIA Nanos for their following refresh. 45nm dual core C8 are due next year ...cheers
Alex
An Apple State Secret
Is Apple hoarding information like the Soviet-era Kremlin? Are Iphones a wireless tap conspiracy with the NSA?Someone needs to give Jobs a buzz.
Just press the iSteve accelerator and say: "Look here, Steve-O, this is London Calling, and we'd like to know if this Laughabee chap is a mate of yours, or is this ringing in me ears just Big Ben tocking to me a bit?_ Of course, we'll be discreet! We're British and not all psychic mediums over here!"
Oh Brilliant! Vodafone's dropped me call! Cheeky Snow Leopard Celebrity!
News reporting
This is really funny. INQ has one guy reporting unbiased news concerning Nvidia and the other guy just flaming nonsense.Hybrid Crossfire
@Titius the nVidia fanboi..."use the IGP and a separate GPU with Hybrid SLI [...] couldn't do that with Intel nor AMD/ATI."
I guess you haven't heard of Hybrid Crossfire. While you're Googling that term, look for "AMD Lasso" as well. You might learn something...
Nvidia performance has been poor in Macs to date.
Nvidia performance is utter crap in its implementation in Macs so far.The OpenGL (core of apple graphics) support in Nvidia drivers has been historically poor both in support, updates, and performance.
The ATI equipped Macs had better performance.
As an OpenGL programmer, I notice the disappointing performance results compared to the advertised product specs in all the Nvidia equipped Macs to date.
I'm not a fan of ATI, or any one company, but I say it how it is.
Nvidia was a bad choice for Apple.
Yes, I'm an nVidia fanboy
You wanna know why? Becasue I develop 3D software I want to concentrate on features, not on workarounds for buggy drivers.Since you won't believe me:
http://www.openscenegraph.org/projects/osg/wiki/Community/Tasks/OpenGLConformance"
"Note from Robert Osfield, ATI drivers have year in year out caused far more problems to OpenSceneGraph users than all other vendors put together. The problems tend to be more severe, and sadly rarely get fixed. I call on ATI to prioritize fixing OpenGLdriver bugs. This will alleviate a great deal of grief to developers and end users, as the poor quality of drivers wastes a huge amount of time, money and good will."
Amd Lasso is a bad idea, who would want to bring around an external box that would be bigger than the laptop itself? What's the purpouse of it?