Gfxcardstatus integrated only
![gfxcardstatus integrated only gfxcardstatus integrated only](https://mihail.stoynov.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Screen-Shot-2013-02-15-at-2.05.32-PM.png)
Whenever your Mac switches between them, gfxCardStatus will notify you. When the discrete graphics is running, the icon is a “d”. In the screenshot below, it’s the second app in from the left. When the integrated graphics is running, the icon is a little “i”.
![gfxcardstatus integrated only gfxcardstatus integrated only](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/plOfY93wyB4BLZRiLGYIC_04DFI=/644x0/2011/10/13/688bff46-fdc3-11e2-8c7c-d4ae52e62bcc/gfxCardStatusPrefs.png)
To get started, download gfxCardStatus, drag the app to your Applications folder, and run it. It can force your Mac to use integrated or discrete graphics.It lets you know which graphics card your Mac is currently using.The solution I’ve found to this is to use a small menu bar app called gfxCardStatus. That’s quite ironic for a productivity app.
![gfxcardstatus integrated only gfxcardstatus integrated only](https://images.anandtech.com/doci/3709/5.png)
All it’s doing is draining my Mac’s battery life. There is literally no graphical component. Now Photoshop using the GPU is understandable, but RescueTime? It’s a small background process that records what app I’m using. You can see in the screenshot below that it’s one of the “Apps Using Significant Energy”. Unfortunately, some apps hijack the discrete GPU.įor example, I’ve found that for some completely ridiculous reason, RescueTime’s background tracking deamon forces the discrete GPU to run. If you don’t need the performance of the discrete GPU, macOS keeps it turned off. That way, you can use the integrated chip when you need better battery life, and the more powerful graphics card when you’re editing video or playing games.Īpple has obviously thought of this, and which graphics card you’re computer is using is determined by a dynamic switching algorithm.
GFXCARDSTATUS INTEGRATED ONLY PRO
Apple’s top end MacBook Pros come with two graphics chips: an integrated Intel Iris Pro chip and a discrete graphics card with more power.