What Is a Dedicated Graphic Card on a Mac?

Apple offers both dedicated and integrated graphics cards on its Mac computers and laptops.

Dedicated graphics cards offer certain advantages over integrated graphics cards in the way your Mac handles images, so understanding the difference can help you decide whether or not you need one.

Dedicated Graphics Cards

A dedicated graphics card is a graphics processing unit (GPU) that uses its own video memory. It occupies a graphics port separate from the primary motherboard.

Integrated Graphics Cards

An integrated graphics card is part of the motherboard and uses the same RAM (memory) as the central processing unit (CPU). Integrated graphics cards pull memory away from the CPU when in use, slowing the computer.

Available Models

As of January 2009, Apple offers dedicated graphics cards in its MacBook Pro and Mac Pro computers and as an option for iMac models.

Considerations

If you plan to use your Mac for heavy gaming or video editing, a dedicated graphics card is worth the price. For general computer use such as watching movies online and doing some light gaming an integrated graphics card is fine.

Two Cards?

Some Mac models offer both types of graphics cards on the same computer. The integrated graphics card saves power and battery life for everyday tasks while the dedicated graphics card jumps in as needed for high-performance applications like video editing.

References

• Apple.com: Mac Overview Page