Most people currently have a single dedicated GPU or an on-board GPU in their laptop. Having more of these powerful GPUs is detrimental on battery life after all. However, there is a growing trend to include multiple GPUs inside laptops that are switched on and off according to the needs of the user. The idea works and will be successful based on the fact that when a user is roaming, there is no need to have a powerful video card running. If the laptop was used to play a game, the battery would be dead in an hour anyway. Though, when the user connects to a power supply, the extra video power is available as required.This method allows a notebook to be both a gaming laptop and a mobile laptop, casting away the traditional view of a gaming laptop being a massive desktop replacement. As this configuration becomes more popular, it will allow people to merge two devices in to one for a number of situations. One such situation would be a university student who wants a laptop to take to classes as well as a computer to play games on when they arrive home.
It seems that AMD pioneered this idea or atleast began to make it popular with ATI Hybrid Graphics announced at the start of the year. More recently, Apple released their new Macbook Pro containing both a GeForce 9400M and a GeForce 9600M. However, there were complaints in that switching on-the-fly is not possible (requires a log-out) and it is not possible to use both cards at the same time. Though it has been mentioned on the Neowin forums that the machine may actually be making use of its secondary videocard in gaming.
The latest laptop to make use of such a configuration is the Toshiba Qosimo X305-Q706 and X305-Q708. The laptop uses a silent integrated GeForce 9400M when the user is roaming. When the owner gets home, however, is when the fun starts. Two SLI'd GeForce 9800M GTS cards are enabled and the laptop becomes an ultimate gaming machine.
On the other hand, an obvious drawback of such a computer would be the increased weight and size due to the GPUs with the increased cost.
What are your thoughts on these type of machines? Has this tempted you and would you ever consider buying such a configuration? Do you believe this is the future?
It's called customization?
I just bought a Lenovo T400 with a Radeon HD 3470 and 4500 on the fly switch, with a 9-cell and a LED screen. 9 hour battery life FTW.
You're not going to have a 1 kilogram (2 pound) laptop this way.
Outside of gaming there really isn't much use for multi GPU.
I got a lower spec Puma, but eventually I'll be getting one of the multi GPU ones.
Apple
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