-
MacBook Pro :VRAM 126MB vs 256MB
i am considering to buy MacBook Pro 15inch.
I would like to use FCP studio with it.
My question is VRAM 256MB worth for extra $500?
I understand more and more application is taking advantage of VRAM.
but at the same time, according to article from barefeats
(https://www.barefeats.com/rosa03.html)
it is not that different and may not worth for extra $500.I would like to hear your opinion from filmmakers point of view.
thanks
-
6 Replies
-
Most graphic programs like Motion, AE and Combustion use the GPU intensively so if they are a big part of your workflow it probably be worth it.
$500 upgrade also includes a slightly faster processor and a little bigger HD. All add a little more value.
-
The two programs that you might be able to see a difference in with the 256MB VRAM is Color and Motion.
Currently Color doesn’t have full support for Nvidia cards. It will only use 8-bit for for the internal Color processing currently. Plus, there isn’t any video out support.
For Motion 3, currently it sounds like it’s not taking advantage of the extra RAM in the graphics processor, but that could change with an update.
For the rest of the programs, you won’t be able to tell a difference. If I were making the decision, I’d go with the 128MB card, but up the hard drive for sure.
-Russ
-
Motion can handle larger stills with more VRAM.
Regards,
Uli
Author of “DVDs gestalten und produzieren”, a book on professional DVD-authoring in German.
-
Thank you for your response.
But my answer is not fully answered yet.
I know that motion take advantage of more VRAM as well as other softwares.
But my question is how much different?
I know for sure that twice VRAM does not make the applicaiton run twice faster.
is $500 for additional 128MB VRAM worth?K
-
It’s not making it much faster. Is the difference in price that big now? Wasn’t when i bought mine.
You’ll need to decide if you’ll need to work with large stills (panning or zooming) for HD video. Motion will be limited in that aspect with 128 MB. If this is not important for you, go for less.
Regards,
Uli
Author of “DVDs gestalten und produzieren”, a book on professional DVD-authoring in German.
-
Here are some benchmarks:
https://barefeats.com/rosa02.html
Also, with the latest Color update, you need at least 256MB of VRAM to render in floating point.
-Russ
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up