Real world speed difference with separate graphics card

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I am looking at getting the 15" MBP and my big debate is do I get the upgraded model with the separate graphics card. I do some video editing, photoshop work and enjoy watching a movie form time to time. I do understand the separate card is faster but what is the real world difference ? If I am exporting a 30 minute movie am I going to see a 1 minute difference with a video card or am I going to see 1 10 minutes difference in the time it takes? (Im just making up numbers for this question). Also am I wrong in thinking there is that big of difference or is it more like a few seconds?
Thanks!
 

bobtomay

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Video encoding and most of your photoshop work is CPU intensive, not GPU intensive. For the work you are talking about you would see little to no difference between the two video cards.

The primary difference you'll see would be related to any 3D work and/or during 3D game play.
 
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Oh ok, I did not realize that. Now within the MBP lines there is some variance in the CPU speed, would the the different models allow me to see any real world improvements or is the difference between, say a 2.53 and a 2.8 be so little I would be looking at something like 10 seconds of improvement in a 1 hr rendering or some other miniscule amount?
 

bobtomay

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Have not seen (nor even looked for) any benchmarks. My best guess is that the 2.8 would provide a bare minimum 5% decrease in encoding times. With double the level 2 cache, I wouldn't be surprised to see it shave 5-6 minutes from a 60 minute encode vs. the 2.53.

For some differences in game play between the 9400 & 9600 check this one out. You'll notice in that test, there's not really any difference between the CPU, because with gaming we are dealing with GPU intensive activity.
 

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