On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 1:10 PM, Kristin Low <kristin....@queensu.ca> wrote:
> I’m looking at upgrading my current laptop to a newer MacBook Pro. I’m > torn as to whether I need integrated vs discrete graphics for structural > biology, including molecular modelling, especially since the latest > advances by Intel in terms of integrated graphics. Right now with the new > releases, the options are between Intel Iris Pro (5200 series) and Intel > Iris Pro + Nvidia GT 750M. > It depends on how demanding your graphics needs are. I have no experience with the Iris Pro chips, but I've been using a MacBook Air from late 2011 almost exclusively for most of the last two years, including heavy use of Coot and PyMOL, and the only times I've been annoyed by slow graphics is when I'm trying to visualize a very large and/or high-resolution region of density. And even that doesn't happen too often. Most of the time it runs very smoothly. However, there are some persistent glitches with the graphical display in Coot - sometimes I get weird visual artifacts, or messed up depth perception. Whether this is the fault of Coot, XQuartz, or Intel is unknown. But speed is not an issue. The premium for the model with the Nvidia chip is quite steep at $600 (perhaps it's less with academic discount?). I don't think the graphics upgrade alone is worth it - but I'd be very tempted by the faster processor, doubled memory, and doubled SSD, all of which will come in handy when refining or rendering. Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about the availability of stereo options with any of these systems. It's possible the NVidia card has additional capabilities in that respect. -Nat
