7 ms·

AKA: The chip that will finally let you buy a retina Macbook Air.

petercooper 12y ago
In practice, yes. In technicality, Apple probably could have done it already if they needed to.. Samsung has an ultrabook that's smaller than the 13" MacBook Air and rocks a 3200x1800 screen: http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP940X3G-K01US http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP940X3G-K01US .. I've been tempted to get one to Hackintosh, but I just know it'd be flaky as all get out.
wmf 12y ago
If the GPU is fast enough to drive a retina display.
- ChuckMcM 12y ago
  Well the current gen Haswell can drive a 4K display, and the Anandtech article suggested this GPU was the same but 'better' (more efficient and feature parity with DirectX 11_2) so I would guess that it can drive a retina display (which is nominally a 2K display on a 13" laptop)
  - wmf 12y ago
    But being able to attach a 4K monitor doesn't necessarily mean it can scroll a window at 60 fps.
- scott_karana 12y ago
  Why wouldn't it be? The Macbook Pro Retinas already use the onboard Intel GPUs on all but the highest-end models, and they'll only be more powerful with Broadwell I suspect.
- zanny 12y ago
  Even the "hd graphics" or low end Kaveri GPUs from AMD can drive 4k. Hell, Adreno from Qualcomm can probably drive 4k. Desktops, compositing, and light effects like transparency are nothing next to video game or 3d model rendering. In practice, any GPU manufactured today is enough for non-3d purposes, unless you try running 3 4k monitors off the numberless hd graphics or something. If you aren't getting 60 fps scrolling, it is usually due to the cpus being low powered and the application not using GL accelerated drawing for the scrolling.
  - mycookie 12y ago
    Also, just because the GPU can power 4K doesn't mean it will for a reasonably small amount of power, such that the MBA can continue to pull a 12-hour battery life.
    - FootballMuse 12y ago
      If you are plugged into a 4k monitor, you are probably reasonably close to a power outlet.
      - lloeki 12y ago
        Theoretically, Thunderbolt is capable of being your power outlet.
        estel 12y ago
        Yeah but if you're powering your 4K monitor from Thunderbolt, I doubt you'd get that 12 hour battery life either :D
- Tloewald 12y ago
  The iPad 3 could refresh 2/3 of the pixels at 60fps using less power than the Macbook Air.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

In practice, yes. In technicality, Apple probably could have done it already if they needed to.. Samsung has an ultrabook that's smaller than the 13" MacBook Air and rocks a 3200x1800 screen: http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP940X3G-K01US http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP940X3G-K01US .. I've been tempted to get one to Hackintosh, but I just know it'd be flaky as all get out.

wmf 12y ago

If the GPU is fast enough to drive a retina display.

ChuckMcM 12y ago
Well the current gen Haswell can drive a 4K display, and the Anandtech article suggested this GPU was the same but 'better' (more efficient and feature parity with DirectX 11_2) so I would guess that it can drive a retina display (which is nominally a 2K display on a 13" laptop)
- wmf 12y ago
  But being able to attach a 4K monitor doesn't necessarily mean it can scroll a window at 60 fps.
scott_karana 12y ago
Why wouldn't it be? The Macbook Pro Retinas already use the onboard Intel GPUs on all but the highest-end models, and they'll only be more powerful with Broadwell I suspect.
zanny 12y ago
Even the "hd graphics" or low end Kaveri GPUs from AMD can drive 4k. Hell, Adreno from Qualcomm can probably drive 4k. Desktops, compositing, and light effects like transparency are nothing next to video game or 3d model rendering. In practice, any GPU manufactured today is enough for non-3d purposes, unless you try running 3 4k monitors off the numberless hd graphics or something. If you aren't getting 60 fps scrolling, it is usually due to the cpus being low powered and the application not using GL accelerated drawing for the scrolling.
- mycookie 12y ago
  Also, just because the GPU can power 4K doesn't mean it will for a reasonably small amount of power, such that the MBA can continue to pull a 12-hour battery life.
  - FootballMuse 12y ago
    If you are plugged into a 4k monitor, you are probably reasonably close to a power outlet.
    - lloeki 12y ago
      Theoretically, Thunderbolt is capable of being your power outlet.
      - estel 12y ago
        Yeah but if you're powering your 4K monitor from Thunderbolt, I doubt you'd get that 12 hour battery life either :D
Tloewald 12y ago
The iPad 3 could refresh 2/3 of the pixels at 60fps using less power than the Macbook Air.

deleted 12y ago

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