22.12.2008 09:20 Uhr, Quelle: Hardmac.com

Towards an Exclusive Partnership between Apple and NVidia?

So far, Apple always tried to have discrete GPU solutions in its hardware coming from both GPU giants: NVidia and ATI/AMD. In previous generation of MacBook Pro, all mobile GPU were from NVidia, while current iMac sports ATI GPUs. But such balancing evolved with time. With the recent adoption of the NVidia GF9400M chipset, powering the current MacBook models, and the forthcoming new iMac and Mac mini, Apple might shift its entire hardware to NVidia GPU solutions, leaving to ATI/AMD the opportunity to release Mac edition of their flagship GPU for the Mac Pro. On a technical point of view, such decision might make sense especially if one considers the forthcoming Snow Leopard and its Open CL. Indeed, having more uniformed hardware architecture will help Apple to ensure a smooth transition. Of a pure marketing point of view, NVidia is currently in a bad phase, with the manufacturing defect of the GF8x00 GPU, and with the very successful current ATI/AMD GPU solutions built around the HD 48xx.

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