

For example, Google Chrome and Skype, among many others. But it's not perfect, and a lot of apps will inadvertently force the system to use the better graphics card. the OS will switch to the better graphics card, and when you're done, it will switch back to save power. When you connect an external display, load something up in Flash, start a game, etc.
GFXCARDSTATUS 2015 MAC MAC OS X
Mac OS X automatically switches between the available graphics cards. Most 15"/17" MacBook Pros sold since 2009, if I remember correctly, have 2 graphics cards - one discrete card that is very powerful, but somewhat power-hungry, and an integrated one that is much less powerful but draws less power. It is an open source application that works on Mac 10.6 and higher.
GFXCARDSTATUS 2015 MAC PRO
well, now that you mention it, I guess it's only been about 2 years :) gfxCardStatus is a must-have app for MacBook Pro users, as it not only brings convenience in switching between installed GPU but also prevents quick battery drain by automatically switching to specified graphic card. How many people have multiple graphics cards?Haha. GfxCardStatus is a free download from creator Cody Krieger's website. I simply didn't have the stamina to test that claim, but I did make one nine-hour run with OS X reporting a nine percent remaining battery capacity. Turning down screen brightness to just two "dots," a technique I often use to maximize battery life when using a MacBook Air during conferences, caused OS X to report potential battery life as high as 10 hours. I was consistently able to get between 8 and 8.5 hours of continuous use from the Retina MacBook Pro when running integrated graphics only. gfxCardStatus is a menu bar application for OS X that allows MacBook Pro owners to view which GPU is in use at a glance, and switch between them on-demand.Īrs Technica has much more, including the fact that the Retina MacBook Pro can be pushed to nearly 10 hours of battery life with some minor battery saving techniques: By more precisely controlling when each graphics card is enabled, users can improve system performance or battery life. GfxCardStatus allows users to control which graphics card is enabled - integrated or discrete - on MacBook Pro models with multiple graphics cards.
