NVIDIA unveils Quadro FX 3600M for laptops

Desktop gamers weren't the only ones scoring a little love from NVIDIA today -- the company also rolled out the Quadro FX 3600M laptop graphics GPU, which it says provides professional workstation-level performance on the road. The CUDA-capable chip is designed to be mounted on a standard mobile graphics board, and the stock configuration sports 512MB of RAM, power-management features, and a 256-bit memory interface that opens up 51.2GB/s of graphic memory bandwidth. Sadly, there's no word on price, but the first machine out the gate with the new GPU will be the 17-inch HP Compaq 8710w, which currently runs in the $2,500 - $3,000 range.

[Jeff @ Feb 21st 2008 1:13PM]

I'd like to see this along with a Blu Ray burner included in the next MacBook Pro. Apple are you listening?

[Anton @ Feb 21st 2008 1:19PM]

Steve Jobs doesn't read Engadget.

[Scottie @ Feb 21st 2008 1:22PM]

Yes, we here at Apple hear you loud and clear. BUT we had to put all our focus on making the MBA the thinnest notebook in the world!

We hope you understand and we hope to have the updated MBP out next Tuesday.

[melloncollie @ Feb 21st 2008 1:56PM]

I would never use a MacBook Pro as a laptop workstation.
Especially if you're in the architectural field.

[Ruben @ Feb 21st 2008 2:05PM]

@Anton: Sometimes i wonder if he writes for it.

[Jeremy @ Feb 21st 2008 2:48PM]

@ melloncollie:

funny you should say that... i happen to be in the architecture field... and I use my 17" macbook pro as a mobile workstation... works like a charm! also one of the top Autodesk consulting guys also has the same machine and works heavily in the architecture field (freedom tower, etc.), seems to work well for him as well!

[L. M. Lloyd @ Feb 21st 2008 5:28PM]

@ Jeremy

Ok, I'll bite. Aside from Maya (which has several display issues on OSX), which Autodesk apps run on OSX? For that matter, which apps used by anyone in the 'architecture field' run on OSX?

Or are you just running a Macbook with XP so you can feel fashionable, but still get work done?

[khalil @ Feb 22nd 2008 10:06AM]

Or you could just get a sony vaio, mine has blu-ray and a 512mb 8800 GT, the new ones will probably have this chip.

[DarkLeaper @ Feb 21st 2008 2:09PM]

Yeah, the MBP is too pretty to be a workstation.

[Jeff @ Feb 21st 2008 2:19PM]

I wonder if these will make their way into the iMac.

hm.

[Bosscat @ Feb 21st 2008 8:27PM]

@L M Lloyd

You you not aware that *ALL* Windows applications are availible on a MBP. Either via VMWare or they can run native using Bootcamp.

Care to bite now! Kids.....

[L. M. Lloyd @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:42AM]

Like I said, sure, you can install XP on the machine, at which point it is just another Windows laptop with a fashion logo on it, but you aren't even going to want to try running a professional CAD program in VM.

[dejan @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:14AM]

I also have a MacBook Pro 17, and I'm an architect.
I switched to Mac platform after working 20 years on PC and 10 years in architecture field, working on Autodesk programs.
Today, I'm primarily working under OS X, and using ArchiCAD 10 as my main program for architecture design, then Maya 8.5, Modo 301, CS3, among others...
In ArchiCAD I can work wit DWG, so no need for AutoCAD. True, it's not so good with 2D drawing, and I mean I'm not so fast like in AutoCAD, but that is just one faze of any project, and I lose about 15% more time which is not to much. If there is more 2D work on some project, I decide to power up boot camp and do it in xp, save and transport everything back to arhicad on osx. I'm not using 3dsmax, but maya and modo.
Working under OS X is a poetry. And what can I say about MacBook Pro, it is a beautiful and power full computer. I know now why is it little expensive. There are so many details, everything is so quality done, it's not just the CPU speed, size, screen, there are much more hidden stuff. I just love it, and I can work on it for hours and hours... Of course, you can continue to do everything on Pc, as I was, but moving over to Mac was right choise for me, especialy now, when intel architecture is inside.
Best regards.