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[IDV #FUV-835743]: IDV and Graphics Cards

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  • Subject: [IDV #FUV-835743]: IDV and Graphics Cards
  • Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:33:03 -0700
Hi Dave-

> We're looking at the differences between Apple's MacBook and MacBook
> Pro laptops with an eye toward their respective abilities to run the
> IDV. The key difference for this purpose seems to be the graphics
> card. The MacBook has an Intel GMA 950 while the MacBook Pro has an
> ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3). The former is described as
> "a poor graphics card, but if you will not play 3D games, if you are
> a light gamer or do not use 3D professional apps, this will not
> matter to you" (http://guides.macrumors.com/
> Buying_a_MacBook_versus_MacBook_Pro).

Jeff has a laptop with an Intel card running Windows and he says
he occassionally has some weird effects (gray squares) on his
IDV displays.  As you've found out, the ATI cards are not always
perfect with the grey window showing up when switching contexts
for cross section displays.  All in all, it would be a better
performer in the long run.  NVidia seems to be the best card
and I know some Macs have those so if that was a possible 
configuration, I'd jump on that.

> Is the IDV a 3D game? That is, will a graphics card designed to
> accelerate 3D graphics make much of a difference with the IDV? (If we
> can get ahold of each machine and install the IDV on it, we'll get a
> sense of this ourselves, but at this point we don't have a MacBook or
> a new MacBook Pro.)

Accelerated graphics will help when things like isosurfaces are
being rendered and manipulated.

> The price difference between the two machines is on the order of a
> factor of two to two and a half. With budgets such as ours, when we
> contemplate replacing a lab with 18 machines (4.5-year-old 800 MHz
> Mac G4 laptops) in it, which is what we're going to need to do in the
> not-too-distant future, that difference becomes serious.

There was just an announcement for the Unidata Equipment Awards with
one focus on upgrading machines to run IDV.  If you want to apply for
that (no guarantee on success), look at:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/community/equipaward/RFP2007.html

That might be a way to get more money for higher end machines.

Don


Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: FUV-835743
Department: Support IDV
Priority: Normal
Status: Open