Just how bad is an integrated graphics card anyway?

[BlueTear]

I'm putting some serious thought into expanding my personal tech park with a laptop, because I'll end up loads of time away from home in the coming six months. My only requirements so far is cheap as possible, but still able to put out a decent performance on games like WoW and CivIV,so we're talking 1.6ghz+ processor and at least one 1gig of RAM, but most importantly a decent graphic's card.

 

 

 

Looking around in retail site's, there's one top candidate - HP's NX9420 (without vista, 'cause that means I save 200ÃÆââââ¬Ã¡Ãâì+ and I don't need vista to run WoW...). It has acceptable processor speed, 1 gig of RAM and a ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 256 MB. I've read a bit about it and it seems like it will perform up to the spec's I want.

 

 

 

Then I wandered into Dell's homepage and found a laptop with 2 gig's of RAM, slightly lower processor speed called 640M Inspiron (N066M7). Price is pretty much the same. But I'd get Vista (which I'm fairly ambivalent about) and an integrated graphic card called IntelÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâî Graphics Media Accelerator 950.

 

 

 

Now from what I've heard, integrated graphic's cards are just a major no-no due to their crappy performance. But I'd be looking at a pretty large RAM increase, and WoW eats RAM pretty fast. Opinions on which option would give me the better performance?

 

 

 

(Completely different suggestions for laptop's capable of a similar performance wouldn't be too bad either)

[Nadril]

Integrated video cards are a big no-no for gaming. Not only are they poor in general but they also use up your own systems memory instead of their own (since it is integrated).

 

 

 

 

 

How much money do you have to spend on it?

 

 

 

 

 

Out of the two though the HP sounds nice.

[kemikalkadet]

I have an Intel graphics media accelerator 900 with 128mb shared memory, which i'm guessing is the one down from the one you mention. I tried playing wow with it and it crashed and burned to be honest. The game put enough strain on the ram as it is without trying to deal with the graphics at the same time.

[vtm]

Integrated video cards are a big no-no for gaming. Not only are they poor in general but they also use up your own systems memory instead of their own (since it is integrated).

 

 

 

 

 

How much money do you have to spend on it?

 

 

 

 

 

Out of the two though the HP sounds nice.

 

 

 

 

 

512MB Video cards are ($CA)147 on store.jtec.ca

[mastermule52]

Getting a good graphics card is important, yes, but it's not the end of the world if it isn't top of the line.

 

 

 

Yes, it taps into main memory (well not all do... many do though.)

 

No, you can't really upgrade them.

 

 

 

But integrated cards can have their advantages. I prefer having an integrated graphics card on my mobo so I can slap a better card in as a daughter card. Most of them have two monitor outputs, giving me a three monitors. This has proved to be very useful at times!)

 

 

 

Plus it's usually about $100 bucks cheaper (although I'm sure someone can find cases where it isn't.)

 

 

 

A 1.6 ghz processor with a semi-modern integrated graphics card should be able to run WoW on decent settings. I don't know about CivIv because I haven't played it, and don't know how intensive it is on the gpu.

[blade995]

mastermule52 have you ever tried to run a game on an integrated graphics card? It sucks big time, there is no way he would get playable frame rates on one.

 

 

 

I would have to suggest the laptop with the dedicated GPU. The x1600 is still a decent graphics card and would be perfect for WoW (and other games).

[Albosky]

whoa slow down , hes looking at laptops , an add-on stand alone card isn't really an option:P

 

 

 

 

 

Its not really the memory you need to worry about, you could stuff 4GB of ram in the laptop and dedicate 512 of it to the graphics if you wanted and it still wouldn't help. Mobile processors, including video processors are downclocked and way underpowered to prevent excess heat.

[BlueTear]

Skipping the integrated graphics card (though I'm keeping that thing about the monitors in mind when I upgrade my stationary. Last time I dual screened my gfx card... uh... fried itself >_>) and going for a standalone one then. Also seriously considering buying blocks of coolant you use in portable refridgerators and use 'em in conjuction with the computer.

 

 

 

The weather on Gotland is friggin' making *me* melt...

[mastermule52]

mastermule52 have you ever tried to run a game on an integrated graphics card? It sucks big time, there is no way he would get playable frame rates on one.

 

 

 

yes, I have. Also, many of my friends ONLY play on laptops. My best friend used a laptop for WoW, and he got perfectly good frame rates. The only problem was that it did take a while to get back to the OS after exiting. Come to find out, it does that on my machine too, and just about every machine I've seen it played on (except one particular mac :P )

 

 

 

 

 

whoa slow down , hes looking at laptops , an add-on stand alone card isn't really an option:P

 

 

 

 

It will be in the very near future actually. I've been reading up on pci-express slots going into motherboards within the year. :-)

 

 

 

Btw, other than that I agree with the rest of your post :P

[Mercifull]

I've been reading up on pci-express slots going into motherboards within the year. :-)

Good luck getting a high spec card in there tho. My PCI-E card takes up two whole slots at the back.

[mastermule52]

I've been reading up on pci-express slots going into motherboards within the year. :-)

Good luck getting a high spec card in there tho. My PCI-E card takes up two whole slots at the back.

 

By the time they get implemented, single slot high spec cards won't be high spec, but will be more than adequate for what this user's goals are.

 

 

 

But consider:

 

http://www.magma.com/products/pciexpress/expressbox1/

 

 

 

And this has been around for two years or so:

 

 

 

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/89

[Markup]

whoa slow down , hes looking at laptops , an add-on stand alone card isn't really an option:P

 

 

 

 

 

Its not really the memory you need to worry about, you could stuff 4GB of ram in the laptop and dedicate 512 of it to the graphics if you wanted and it still wouldn't help. Mobile processors, including video processors are downclocked and way underpowered to prevent excess heat.

 

 

 

Hmmph, integrated cards such and I know it considering im using one right now. Firstly Vista sucks, others may have different opinions, but it usess pointless "power" on stupid graphical enhances which, also in my opinion suck. I would say that Vista looks really bad with only one or two nice features.

 

 

 

now...Albosky, how do you dedicate RAM to graphics as my graphics card "broke" and apprently only has 1mb(according to dxdiag[Caution: Executable File]). Probs be a great help :D

 

 

 

anyway, it's your choice.

 

 

 

MAK

[Albosky]

 

now...Albosky, how do you dedicate RAM to graphics as my graphics card "broke" and apprently only has 1mb

 

 

 

normally every system that comes with integrated video that shares system memory will have a setting in the system BIOS*. Graphics cards have their own memory on the PCB, you cant really dedicate system memory. I would try updating/reinstalling your video drivers before anything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I do not recommend making any changes to BIOS settings unless you are sure you know what you are doing.

[vtm]

Intergrated video is just the there for basic PC use nothing more.

[mastermule52]

Intergrated video is just the there for basic PC use nothing more.

 

 

 

No offense, but this is a common uninformed stereotype. While integrated graphics cards do not outperform most daughter cards, this does not mean they are only for "basic PC use."

 

 

 

On the contrary there are quite a few laptops that are designed for gamers in mind, and really can pack on the power, especially when you consider the fact that integration also means optimization, and removing entropy from the system. Many of these are designed for gamers who frequently move their computers (because they go to events and tournaments) and are very serious about the performance of their computers

[blade995]

Intergrated video is just the there for basic PC use nothing more.

 

 

 

No offense, but this is a common uninformed stereotype. While integrated graphics cards do not outperform most daughter cards, this does not mean they are only for "basic PC use."

 

 

 

On the contrary there are quite a few laptops that are designed for gamers in mind, and really can pack on the power, especially when you consider the fact that integration also means optimization, and removing entropy from the system. Many of these are designed for gamers who frequently move their computers (because they go to events and tournaments) and are very serious about the performance of their computers

 

 

 

The gaming laptops do not have integrated graphics. They have a dedicated card.

 

 

 

In laptops it may not be a dedicated card that you would find in a desktop but it is indeed a dedicated graphics chip.

[das1330]

bottom line, Integrated = bad all integrated graphics are is software that uses the processor to create graphics. If you get an integrated graphics card, it will eat up 70% of the processors power alone, making even old games nearly impossible to play. Intagrated graphics are Low end ONLY. they are not made for any gaming whatsoever, and you will not be able to game with them at all.

[Cruiser]

bottom line, Integrated = bad all integrated graphics are is software that uses the processor to create graphics. If you get an integrated graphics card, it will eat up 70% of the processors power alone, making even old games nearly impossible to play. Intagrated graphics are Low end ONLY. they are not made for any gaming whatsoever, and you will not be able to game with them at all.

 

Yes integrated graphics suck, but saying you can't game at all is just plain wrong. Saying it'll eat 70% CPU usage is also nothing more than a number pulled out of thin air.

 

 

 

There are plenty of low end games that run very well on integrated chips that will give plenty of people enjoyment. Gaming is not limited to the world of high end graphics.

[Mr_Putter]

Intergrated video is just the there for basic PC use nothing more.

 

 

 

No offense, but this is a common uninformed stereotype. While integrated graphics cards do not outperform most daughter cards, this does not mean they are only for "basic PC use."

 

 

 

On the contrary there are quite a few laptops that are designed for gamers in mind, and really can pack on the power, especially when you consider the fact that integration also means optimization, and removing entropy from the system. Many of these are designed for gamers who frequently move their computers (because they go to events and tournaments) and are very serious about the performance of their computers

Well they do make actual graphics cards for laptops...I doubt you're going to see a lot of integrated graphics (or even laptops) at serious gaming tournaments. Integrated just doesn't mean performance -it's bad for any serious gaming, period.

 

 

 

Dude, go with the first one. Sure WoW eats RAM, but this report shows that most slowdown stops after you have 1gb of RAM, unless you have Vista (which you said you weren't getting anyway). And it also shows that, despite it not being a super high range games, it benefits alot from the graphics.

[BlueTear]

yes, I have. Also, many of my friends ONLY play on laptops. My best friend used a laptop for WoW, and he got perfectly good frame rates. The only problem was that it did take a while to get back to the OS after exiting. Come to find out, it does that on my machine too, and just about every machine I've seen it played on (except one particular mac :P )

 

 

 

How good a laptop does he run, and does he raid? (raiding is quite likely to be the most resource intense type of WoW gaming)

 

 

 

I asked my dad - who isn't busy being in the military - to look around until my next furlough when I'll actually buy my new piece of equipment, and the guy at the store he went to basically said you'd never get a computer capable of what I wanted it to do at that price range, but tried to double it. I personally call complete and utter BS on that, the equalent of 900ÃÆââââ¬Ã¡Ãâì is quite enough looking at the spec's in theory, but it still made me curious as to how good the laptops that are used for WoW are.

 

 

 

And yeah, the RAM should be enough. I saw no major difference in performance when my stationary RAM got upgraded from 1.5 to 2, where as it was definitely felt going from 512 to 1.5.