Discreet or Integrated video cards?

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Padhead · #1 Post by **Padhead** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:17 pm

Hello,

A friend of mine told me that integrated cards have their own memory these days.

If the Integrated video cards have their own memory, and/or use less power and/or generate less heat, why go with a discreet card?

Thanks again.

#2 Post by **Harryc** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:26 pm

Mainly because the integrated GPU's don't have any where near the 3D video performance that discrete GPU's have. Lots of folks out there run apps that require video processing power that only discrete GPU's can provide.

Padhead · #3 Post by **Padhead** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:35 pm

Thanks Harry.

And BTW, I knew I was spelling discrete wrong.

Are the discrete cards upgradeable? (Without an electronics component repair degree that is.)

#4 Post by **Harryc** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:37 pm

No, they are soldered onto the systemboard. You'd have to change the entire systemboard to upgrade the GPU ... very expensive on the latest model X6X Thinkpads.

madcow · #5 Post by **madcow** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:28 pm

fparisi wrote:Hello,

A friend of mine told me that integrated cards have their own memory these days.

If the Integrated video cards have their own memory, and/or use less power and/or generate less heat, why go with a discreet card?

Thanks again.

If you don't play game, I don't see a reason to get a discrete video card.

#6 Post by **ryengineer** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:30 pm

Infact GPU isn't upgradable today on any laptop from any major PC manufacturer.

Asus had been looking forward to manufacturing such laptops with the implementation of nVidia chipsets. More info. can be found here.

You can put a compatible card in the Advanced dock to drive multiple displays or for other purposes in a capable lenovo thinkpad though.

dr_st · #7 Post by **dr_st** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 5:43 pm

ryengineer wrote:Infact GPU isn't upgradable today on any laptop from any major PC manufacturer.

That's not quite as true as it was several years ago. While the number of laptops properly implementing/supporting MXM/AXIOM is still negligible, several manufacturers have laptop lines using their own proprietary MXM-like solution (often referred to as "reverse MXM").

This allows you to upgrade the GPU within the same line by disconnecting the card and replacing it with a different one (as opposed to replacing the entire motherboard as required with a Thinkpad, for instance).

Models implementing this that spring to mind are the ASUS A8J and Dell Inspiron 1520 series.

Discreet or Integrated video cards?

Discreet or Integrated video cards?

Re: Discreet or Integrated video cards?

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