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    Which uses more power?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by SP Forsythe, Jan 4, 2011.

  1. SP Forsythe

    SP Forsythe Notebook Evangelist

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    A MBP running Windows 7 via Bootcamp,

    or

    a MBP running Windows 7 via a VM in Fusion?

    Does VMware or Parrallels run Win7 with greater power efficiency than running it with Bootcamp's drivers?
     
    SP Forsythe, Jan 4, 2011
    #1
  2. Nick

    Nick Professor Carnista

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    I think running it through VM Fusion would, as the Macbook would be running OS X and Windows 7 at the same time. My MBP 13 was getting like 5.5 hours in Windows 7.
     
    Nick, Jan 4, 2011
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  3. jeremyshaw

    jeremyshaw Big time Idiot

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    Though Bootcamp doesn't allow Win7 to turn off the nVidia GPU, so run it in a VM or in Parrallels for more batt life.
     
    jeremyshaw, Jan 4, 2011
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  4. Nick

    Nick Professor Carnista

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    The OP has a MBP 13, which only has a very power efficient Nvidia GeForce 320m.
     
    Nick, Jan 4, 2011
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  5. jeremyshaw

    jeremyshaw Big time Idiot

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    Ah, he doesn't have one of the switchable GPU ones. 320m isn't power efficient by a long strech of the imagination, but it's a bit better than my MBW's 9400, lol.
     
    jeremyshaw, Jan 4, 2011
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  6. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    depending on what your doing in the VM, and what your doing in OSX... its possible to get better battery life booted directly into Windows, and not use a VM... if your running a program or two that are not very intensive, then the VM can run better, but from what I've found if you push the VM hard, it eats the battery up extremely fast... and its much much easier to make a VM push hard, than a native boot.
     
    doh123, Jan 4, 2011
    #6