SL on a 13" MacBook Pro?

[zircon Cham]

Can anyone tell me if SLwill run on a 13" MacBook Pro (Core Intel i7, Intel HD 3000 Graphics card)? It's supposed to be a fast machine but the Intel HD 3000GPU is integrated and doesn't appear on the approved list. Thank you

[Rolig Loon]

I'm not a Mac user, so all I can give you is a generic two-pronged answer:

First, in general, graphics cards that are not listed as meeting LL's minimum or recommended standards, don't.  The ones on that list have been tested by LL and are known to be suitable.  Anything else is a crap shoot.  That's not to say that there aren't many perfectly good unlisted cards, but you're taking a greater chance.

Second, again in general, an integrated GPU is not as satisfactory as a separate card. You can't trade up to a better card later if the GPU is built into the mother board, unless the machine also has a slot for it and can handle its power requirements and ventilation.  Also, in general, you often have fewer choices for memory, speed, etc. with an integrated GPU than if you can shop for a separate card.

That said, the particular machine that you are considering may still be fine for SL.  Someone with more Mac experience will be along shortly to give more pointed advice on that.  :smileywink:

[Knowl Paine]

You could look at this link and compare. I use a newer graphics cards not yet listed and it's performance is acceptable to me.

 

http://secondlife.com/support/system-requirements/

[valerie Inshan]

Unfortunately, SL performances on Mac laptops are really poor. Even worse if you use a wireless connection: a regular cable connection is highly recommended. I use my laptop when I am away from home and cannot stay in SL more than 5 minutes before SL freezes and crashes...:smileysad: Hopefully a strong internet connection will help you to fix your problem somehow.

[Nyll Bergbahn]

The HD3000 is one of the new Intel Sandy-Bridge processors with the graphics built into the actual processor. A big improvement on the old Intel integrated chipsets but still some way short of providing good gaming capability on its own.

You can read about it here http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Intel-HD-Graphics-3000-graphics-solution.43710.0.html

As it says, performance of an entry level graphics card so don't expect great performance in Second Life.

[Luc Starsider]

As the others have said, the integrated Intel graphics card is most likely going to let you down. If you have the chance to try it before you buy it, you should. By trying, I mean spend some time in world and do what you normally do. Then you should be able to find out if it performs well enough for you.  If you have the chance to get one with a better graphics card, you should definitely consider it.

@Valerie. I have to disagree about SL performance on a Mac portable. (Sorry, I just have to ) Even if it does not compare to some other systems, and even if I don't run SL on the highest graphics settings, I do get OK performance on mine. One has integrated graphics (from nVidia), and I can easily stay in for an hour at a time with OK frame rates, with the graphics settings at mid(ish).

- Luc -

[valerie Inshan]

Lol Luc, OK, mine must be lousy! You are giving me an idea for my next birthday present!!! (in the meantime, I bought the latest quadricore imac, woot! awesome!)

[Luc Starsider]

Wow! Color me envious!

If only LL could get shadows working properly with ATI cards..... Do you get shadows on it in TPV's?

 

- Luc -

[valerie Inshan]

Eeek, not on Phoenix as far as I know but I'm just getting started on it... Stay tuned, I will investigate and let you know! (hey, I may sound noob but how do you put smileys in comments??? /me blushes in shame)

[Luc Starsider]

Gawd - you really are a noob. (Not really!) . Just type : and ) for , ; and ) for or : and D for and so on. OR you can post your comment, then go back and edit it, because then you get to use the Rich text editor as you do in other posts. Smileys all around!

 

I wouldn't think shadows worked in tpv's. I think they use the code LL provide, but post back anyway.

 

- Luc -

 

[Peewee Musytari]

Yus, TPVs have shadows, I don`t know about them all but Phoenix, Firestorm and Kristens do.

[Luc Starsider]

On a Mac with an ATI card? (Which is what I was thinking of above. I didn't manage to be very specific about that, did I? )

- Luc -

[Nyll Bergbahn]

Shadows didn't work for me using Kirstens or V2 with my ATI HD 5850 on my PC until I updated my graphics card driver from 10.4 to 10.9. What driver are you using with your ATI card on your Mac?

[Luc Starsider]

The driver Apple provide for us. There is not much choice, although I seem to remember one card maker (don't remember which one) providing mac drivers on their site a while ago. I could be wrong about that.

 

I know shadows do not work on a Mac with an ATI card in LL's viewer. Last I heard, they were going to make it impossible to try to enable shadows on these Macs. I was just curious and wondering if TPV's had done anything in this area making shadows possible on ATI Macs.

 

- Luc -

[BlowingBubbles]

I just got the 13 inch Macbook pro i-7 two days ago and so far it plays sl really well and the graphics look great. It plays smoothly on high, and i can even go on ultra. I can also enable shadows though that makes it lag a bit so i don't keep them on regularly. The only thing that makes me worry is the fans get loud so I can tell it's working hard. And I wonder if this is going to fry my new laptop? -.-