New MacBook Pros with Vega GPU's

[jaymonkey]

It seems that Apple kept this quiet during the recent October 30th event
Looks like they are going to add Vega GPU's to some MacBook Pro models

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...-with-amd-vega-graphics-starting-in-november/

The article claims Apple with be using AMD Vega Pro chips, ... thats a big TDP to deal with on what is already a pretty compact and thermally compromised laptop chassis ....

I wonder if what Apple are really going to do is use the same Kaby lake G series chips that we've seen in some recent HP and Dell Laptops that have an Intel Kaby lake H CPU combined with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics on a single high destiny package ?

If so it could make for a powerful hackingtosh laptop ...

I guess it's also possible that AMD have produced a custom Vega GPU specialy for Apple ..

I guess we'll know soon enough ....

Cheers
Jay

 

[Gigamaxx]

It seems that Apple kept this quiet during the recent October 30th event
Looks like they are going to add Vega GPU's to some MacBook Pro models

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...-with-amd-vega-graphics-starting-in-november/

The article claims Apple with be using AMD Vega Pro chips, ... thats a big TDP to deal with on what is already a pretty compact and thermally compromised laptop chassis ....

I wonder if what they really mean is that the new MBP's will be based on the same Kaby lake G series chips that we've seen in some recent HP and Dell Laptops that have an Intel Kaby lake H CPU combined with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics on a single high destiny package ?

If so it could make for a powerful hackingtosh laptop ...

Cheers
Jay

We discussed it on another thread, it seems to be the same basic chip and hbm2 but not on the intel cpu die. Vega 20 and Vega 16 but as dedicated GPUs. 0x69A0 and 69AF Vega IDs have been in the 10000controllerkext for awhile. But the latest 14.2 beta has split off a Vega 16 section in the info.plist. Check it out.

It would be nice if they use a intel + Vega chipset, we will have to wait to find out.

Navi code is starting to show up (AMDRadeonX6000HWServicesKext) and these may get used as well later on. Maybe they are making it ready for the Mac Pro?

 

[jaymonkey]

it seems to be the same basic chip and hbm2 but not on the intel cpu die. Vega 20 and Vega 12 but as dedicated GPUs. 0x69A0 and 69AF Vega IDs have been in the 10000controllerkext for awhile. But the latest 14.2 beta has split off a Vega 16 section in the info.plist.

I think the G series Kaby lakes chips also have an IGPU (HD630) in addition to the Vega M GPU ? so it seems odd that Apple would choose to implement it using separate silicon for the Vega, You would have thought that the Kaby Lake G series chips would be a perfect off-the-shelf solution for an Apple MBP with Vega Graphics ?

Unless of course Apple are going to add Vega to the i9 version of the MBP .... but the extra thermals that would bring would surely push what is already an inadequate cooling solution beyond what is possible within the current MBP chassis and turn it into a something you could fry burgers and eggs on

Will be interesting to see what they do ....

Cheers
Jay

 

[Gigamaxx]

I think the G series Kaby lakes chips also have an IGPU (HD630) in addition to the Vega M GPU ? so it seems odd that Apple would choose to implement it using separate silicon for the Vega, You would have thought that the Kaby Lake G series chips would be a perfect off-the-shelf solution for an Apple MBP with Vega Graphics ?

Unless of course Apple are going to add Vega to the i9 version of the MBP .... but the extra thermals that would bring would surely push what is already an inadequate cooling solution beyond what is possible within the current MBP chassis and turn it into a something you could fry burgers and eggs on

Will be interesting to see what they do ....

Cheers
Jay

I picked up a NUC Hades Canyon when they were released for testing. The IGPU has no video connectors so it only helps with decoding. It runs on default display drivers and I was able to partially spoof the Kabylake Kexts by adding the ID so it showed up as KBL CRB graphics. It browses ok but no accelearators worked or attached. The Vega Kexts would not initiate at all. Maybe with these changes there will be hope but I’m not holding my breath.

 

[jaymonkey]

The IGPU has no video connectors so it only helps with decoding. It runs on default display drivers and I was able to partially spoof the Kabylake Kexts by adding the ID so it showed up as KBL CRB graphics.

That seems an odd design choice by Intel, you would have thought that the Vega would be routed through the IGPU similar to how Nvidia Optimums works .... thus allowing for low (IGPU) and high (Vega) power GPU modes ... I guess it's also possible that the Vega M architecture might support its own low and high power modes. I haven't had chance to play with a Kaby Lake G series laptop so don't really know much more than what i've read on the review sites.

I guess if Apple are going to implement the Vega 16 and 20 as a separate DGPU in these new MBP's it's possible that they may be 7nm parts thus the TDP should be reduced significantly ...

Cheers
Jay