Intel’s integrated graphic solutions are pretty lame even on Windows machines, but that makes them doubly so when running an operating system as GPU-intensive as Snow Leopard, which is exactly why Apple has embraced NVIDIA’s superior mobile chipsets.
Unfortunately, a lawsuit between Intel and NVIDIA complicated matters from Apple, and ultimately ended up resigning Apple’s current-gen laptops CPU obsolescence, but it was recently suggested that Intel and NVIDIA were soon to settle their differences, allowing Apple to update their MacBook line to more advanced Intel CPUs without having to sacrifice the integrated NVIDIA graphics architecture that helps keep even entry-level Macs running speedily along.
A new rumor, however, suggests the smaller MacBook line (13-inches) might be advanced through a different method: by ditching NVIDIA entirely.
Sources say that next year, Apple will move over to Intel Sandy Bridge processors, abandoning the integrated NVIDIA 320M graphics that have been ubiquitous in modern MacBooks up until now. Instead, Apple will again rely on integrated Intel graphics for MacBooks that are 13-inches or less in size, while the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros will get discrete AMD GPUs.
I’m pretty skeptical. While Sandy Bridge’s integrated graphics are significantly faster than Intel’s previous solutions, they’re still not as good as the NVIDIA 320M. Moreover, Sandy Bridge’s graphics don’t have OpenCL support, which is Apple’s baby and they want to se supported.
It could be hogwash. It could be a back-up plan. It could be a negotiating ploy. We’ll know soon enough.
