2012 rmbp gpu vs skylake igp

[FearoftheNight]

hey guys. I'm thinking of moving from a 2012 15" rmbp to a 13" rmbp with skylake when it comes out. any idea of how the gfx performance will compare?

 

[Essence_of_War]

No one knows for certain how Skylake igpu for ULV/Mobile SKUs will perform.

If I was ballparking, the discrete 650M you're currently using performs (I think) somewhere between the Iris Pro 6100 and 6200, where the 6100 is the current igpu on the 13'' MBP (Broadwell). I don't think you'll need to worry about a gpu downgrade, but we'll have to wait for benchmarks to see how much of an upgrade it will be.

 

[FearoftheNight]

so you're saying the iris is already at about the level of my discrete card? that was sort of fast...

 

[Essence_of_War]

Intel's iris pro graphics are moving REALLY fast, and it doesn't help that they're competing against the middle-of-the-road nvidia products that Apple uses on their mobile products to fit the TDP limits that their thinner and lighter designs demand. You can game on a MBP, but the MBP is not designed to be, nor is it marketed as, a gaming laptop.

Take a look at this for some context on how fast intel graphics are moving:
http://anandtech.com/show/9482/intel-broadwell-pt2-overclocking-ipc/8

This includes previous generation iris pro and the 650M on the 2012 rMBP as well:
http://anandtech.com/print/6993/intel-iris-pro-5200-graphics-review-core-i74950hq-tested

In the prev gen, iris pro was licking the heels of the 650M but the 650M had a consistent lead. Iris Pro had a pretty big edge in total system performance per watt. The 650M alone has 45W TDP, while Iris Pro has igpu and CPU in a total of a 45W envelope.

 

[Stuka87]

The Iris graphics in my 2015 rMBP are really quite decent. But they are significantly slower than the AMD card in it.

If you will be upgrading to a Skylake model next year, you can always go with the higher end model if you also want discrete video. That model should either come with a Maxwell V2 (Pascal mobile is unlikely at that point in time) or a GCN 1.2 card (Which may or may not be out by then also).

 

[Essence_of_War]

I'm pretty sure the OP said that they wanted to move to the 13'' MBP, which has not had a discrete card for a few years, right?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Is the only reason for getting a discrete GPU is if you want to game on the MBP? Would the Iris Pro graphics do a good enough performance for the majority of users (except big gamers)?

 

[Essence_of_War]

CUDA only applications? I'm not sure what the relative performance of Iris Pro vs. Nvidia/AMD in OpenCL stuff looks like either.

 

[FearoftheNight]

Is the only reason for getting a discrete GPU is if you want to game on the MBP? Would the Iris Pro graphics do a good enough performance for the majority of users (except big gamers)?

That's exactly my case. I just want some casual gaming, no need for a hardcore chip.

 

[FearoftheNight]

Intel's iris pro graphics are moving REALLY fast, and it doesn't help that they're competing against the middle-of-the-road nvidia products that Apple uses on their mobile products to fit the TDP limits that their thinner and lighter designs demand. You can game on a MBP, but the MBP is not designed to be, nor is it marketed as, a gaming laptop.

Take a look at this for some context on how fast intel graphics are moving:
http://anandtech.com/show/9482/intel-broadwell-pt2-overclocking-ipc/8

This includes previous generation iris pro and the 650M on the 2012 rMBP as well:
http://anandtech.com/print/6993/intel-iris-pro-5200-graphics-review-core-i74950hq-tested

In the prev gen, iris pro was licking the heels of the 650M but the 650M had a consistent lead. Iris Pro had a pretty big edge in total system performance per watt. The 650M alone has 45W TDP, while Iris Pro has igpu and CPU in a total of a 45W envelope.

Is driver support an issue?

 

[Zodiark1593]

I'd wager gpu performance would be more of a sidegrade, with a drastic benefit to power use. If a Skylake Iris Pro is used, performance may be even slightly faster depending on resolution.

 

[dagamer34]

That's exactly my case. I just want some casual gaming, no need for a hardcore chip.

The definition of casual varies from one person to the next.

 

[DarkRipper]

I just picked up a 15" rMPB with the discrete AMD chip and it plays WoW adequately (60fps on good settings), but given that I game on an external monitor I wish they'd offer this (or a 960m option vs the 3 year old AMD chip) in the 13" rMBP.

I don't understand (well... heat, I guess) why they keep using underpowered discrete gpus vs the newest generation.
I realize they don't market them as gaming machines, but there are folks who would like the option check box when buying, and would pay a premium for a rMBP with a real gaming GPU option.
Even if it's slightly thicker...

 

[Essence_of_War]

I don't understand (well... heat, I guess) why they keep using underpowered discrete gpus vs the newest generation.
I realize they don't market them as gaming machines, but there are folks who would like the option check box when buying, and would pay a premium for a rMBP with a real gaming GPU option.
Even if it's slightly thicker...

Especially with the rise of laptops like the Razer Blade that are thin/light AND have excellent GPUs, you would think apple might like to let people check that box also, right?