Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > Mac mini 3D capabilities
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romeup   10-02-2007 at 05:30:24 PM

I'm considering upgrading to a Mac mini Intel 2Ghz Core 2 duo. It comes with an Intel GMA 950 graphics. Does this graphics card have real built in 3D rendering capabilities? Enough to meet the new Photoshop CS3 extended 3D hardware rendering requirements?

Has anybody tested this?

Rom

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rodney_ws   10-02-2007 at 06:21:03 PM
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Based on this I would say yes. Would you be better off with a beefier GPU? Probably.

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Note: Adobe® Photoshop® CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended have the same system requirements.

MacintoshPowerPC® G4 or G5 or multicore Intel processor
Mac OS X v.10.4.8
512MB of RAM
64MB of video RAM
2GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation)
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skittle   10-02-2007 at 06:21:22 PM
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yes, but it will be very very slow. consider a machine with atleast a discrete card.

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rodney_ws   10-02-2007 at 06:25:11 PM
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Anyone else find it funny the OP is considering "upgrading" to a GMA 950 based system? Dang... I'd hate to see his current rig.

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skittle   10-02-2007 at 06:53:23 PM
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not only that, but hes 'upgrading' to a mac mini.

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aziraphale   10-02-2007 at 07:01:00 PM
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I can't stand this mac hype...

Reply to aziraphale
rodney_ws   10-02-2007 at 07:08:40 PM
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skittle wrote :

not only that, but hes 'upgrading' to a mac mini.


Well, it was a C2D system... so I wasn't going to knock it for that... but the GMA 950 upgrade... yes, that's worth a laugh.

Reply to rodney_ws
Sailer   10-02-2007 at 09:37:48 PM
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rodney_ws wrote :

Anyone else find it funny the OP is considering "upgrading" to a GMA 950 based system? Dang... I'd hate to see his current rig.



Mac people can be like that. My older brother upraded his Mac to 4 mb of video memory a couple years back and thought it was a big deal. I told him that I was running 128 mb of memory in my video card and he stopped talking. Now he doesn't mention it anymore, except that he is still running the 4 mb.

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Message edited by Sailer on 10-02-2007 at 09:46:05 PM
------------------------------ Evil lurks in the databanks as it lurked in the streets of yesteryear. But it was never the streets that were evil.

Over 50. Seen it, done it, can't remember it, but I miss it.
 Reply to Sailer
warezme   10-02-2007 at 11:35:08 PM
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Sailer wrote :

Mac people can be like that. My older brother upraded his Mac to 4 mb of video memory a couple years back and thought it was a big deal. I told him that I was running 128 mb of memory in my video card and he stopped talking. Now he doesn't mention it anymore, except that he is still running the 4 mb.



So if you told him there were 768Mb on a GTX and you could have two in SLI for 1.5Gb, he would tell you where a liar and there was no such thing

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------------------------------ Evga X58 3XSLI : i7 920 @ 4.2Ghz :GTX295+ x 2 :12GB XMS3 Dominator 8-8-8-21 1600 :XFi Fatal1ty:150GB WD VelociRaptor: 150GB Raptor: 4TB WD 32MB x4: Monsoon Vigor III: Lian Li P80 (black): BFG 1Kw PS: 37" Westinghouse 1080p 8ms :Vista64bit
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emp   10-02-2007 at 11:40:32 PM
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warezme wrote :

So if you told him there were 768Mb on a GTX and you could have two in SLI for 1.5Gb, he would tell you where a liar and there was no such thing



Well he could call him a liar and that there was no such thing, since SLI setups do not add up memory (i.e. GTX + GTX is not 1536MB of V Ram), You have two GTXs on SLI running on "only" 768MB of total VRam (one card's ram modules only).

Anyway, macs are "fine" (not good) for people who like to watch a dvd, browse the web, check emails, and simple office apps (Word, excel, etc...). However for some "REAL" apps you'd be better off buying a REAL PC with better hardware. Simply put, with apple (Not only macs, but all their products) you don't pay for performance, you pay for the looks.

------------------------------ Anxiously awaiting the Hydra 100 and the Hydra Engine...
www.lucidlogix.com
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MrCommunistGen   10-03-2007 at 12:33:39 AM
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Not that I'm an expert, but I think they make some high end video editing software that is well regarded. They are also used a decent bit in some professional niches usually involving some form of creative design (audio, image, video).

-mcg

Reply to MrCommunistGen
Sailer   10-03-2007 at 12:42:52 AM
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warezme wrote :

So if you told him there were 768Mb on a GTX and you could have two in SLI for 1.5Gb, he would tell you where a liar and there was no such thing



No, he wouldn't call me a liar. My brother and I get along pretty good. He started his computer life with an Apple 2E and I started with a Commodore 64. I migrated to an IBM clone and he went with Macs. Its always been a friendly thing, but he's a bit in the stone age when it comes to computers. Then again, for what little he uses it, he doesn't need the most powerful thing around. Computerwise, his biggest failing was buying into the idea that Macs were so much better than PCs despite all evidence to the contrary. Now, I think Macs are just a habit to him.

------------------------------ Evil lurks in the databanks as it lurked in the streets of yesteryear. But it was never the streets that were evil.

Over 50. Seen it, done it, can't remember it, but I miss it.
 Reply to Sailer
V8VENOM   10-03-2007 at 08:17:11 AM
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And I can't stand you **** retarded people talking about Mac that don't even ****' own one -- go away and hump Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer's leg and shut the **** up.

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Reply to V8VENOM
Valtiel   10-03-2007 at 12:11:46 PM
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V8VENOM wrote :

And I can't stand you **** retarded people talking about Mac that don't even ****' own one -- go away and hump Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer's leg and shut the **** up.



This a very well thought-out post and provides much insight into the neverending PC vs. Mac debate.

------------------------------ Q6600 (lapped IHS+ HSF) @ 3.55Ghz 1.425v (BIOS) TT-120
Foxconn 8800GTX(648/1560/2000)
http://www.computerbase.de/bild/news/18649/2/ <==EXCITED! :D
Fan roundup: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forum [...] p?t=170224
 Reply to Valtiel
human_error   10-03-2007 at 12:31:46 PM
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V8VENOM wrote :

And I can't stand you **** retarded people talking about Mac that don't even ****' own one -- go away and hump Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer's leg and shut the **** up.

 

Wow, that really put the above posters in their place didn't it?

 

I used my gf's mac for a week last year just to try it out, and she (who had always owned mac's) used my pc. You know what happened? She had no problems, crashes or anything while using my pc for the week, but on the 3rd day of using her mac i encountered a crash that needed me to turn off the power as the mac wouldn't respond, and when it started back up her i-tunes library had been "forgotten" along with other random settings. It was one of the new mac books with an intel dual core in it - not quite the flawless machines the hype machine makes them out to be is it?

 

I hate you fanbois who have to resort to swearing and random insults as soon as pc users prove that pc's are not as buggy and crashy as apple portray them and also show mac's to be the less-than-perfect machines that they are. Why don't you go out and buy some more move overpriced apple products? I'm sure that will calm you down.

 

**edit for typo**


Message edited by human_error on 10-03-2007 at 12:38:21 PM
Reply to human_error
skyline0511   10-03-2007 at 01:36:15 PM
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Mac is slow and overhyped. They even had adverts to make Mac people to look good but they seriously need a reality check.


Message edited by skyline0511 on 10-03-2007 at 01:54:31 PM
Reply to skyline0511
blashyrkh   10-03-2007 at 02:30:49 PM
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well, face it ppl. At least with Macs, you have style. Have you seen the movie "Wild Hogs"? That scene with the mac, I believe sums it up.

------------------------------ They mostly come at night. Mostly...
http://s2.battleknight.gr/index.ph [...] f=MzU4NzE=
 Reply to blashyrkh
runswindows95   10-03-2007 at 02:52:33 PM
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To the OP:
The Intel GMA 950 isn't designed for any 3D work really. It's great for 2d work, playing a DVD, and that's about it really. Since you're interested in a Mac Mini, I would suggest getting the 2GB of RAM with it. An actual GPU would be nice, but it's not an option with the Mini.

 

To V8VENOM:

 

If you will read, we find it funny how someone is considering an integrated card an upgrade when in reality it's a downgrade. That's what most of us were commenting until your "intelligent" response. Also, considering this is a PC/Hardware forum, what do you expect? I for one like building my computer with the hardware I selected which you can't do with Mac.


Message edited by runswindows95 on 10-03-2007 at 02:53:27 PM
Reply to runswindows95
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