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    Choosing the right gpu

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by Sodam_Insein, Jun 20, 2007.

  1. Sodam_Insein

    Sodam_Insein Newbie

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    Hi,
    I'm about to buy a new laptop and need help deciding. Mainly, im concerned about the graphics card. Which is better? in terms of longevity and performance.

    NVIDIA® GeForce™ go 7900 GS
    ( Dell Inspiron(TM) 9400 Notebook
    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7200
    2.0 GHz , Level 2 cache 4 MB, 667 MHz Bus speed
    17" WXGA-1440x900
    2gb ram)

    or

    NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400 GS.
    (HP Pavilion dv6500
    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7300
    2.0 GHz , Level 2 cache 4 MB, 800 MHz Bus speed
    2gb Ram
    15.4” WXGA Widescreen -1280 x 800

    Main uses,
    -gaming
    -Video editing

    i need my laptop to last me a couple of years.(hopefully 3)
    although the 8400 supports directx 10, it loses out to the 7900 in terms of performance. Is the hp laptop powerful enough to even support dx10 games in the first place??
     
    Sodam_Insein, Jun 20, 2007
    #1
  2. wave

    wave Notebook Virtuoso

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    Simple... the go7900GS is much better.

    You wont need derectx10 for a long time. Games will have a directx9 path. I think the 8400GS wont even be fast enough to play directx10 games.
     
    wave, Jun 20, 2007
    #2
  3. Zero

    Zero The Random Guy

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    If you can wait for some time, Dell will be releasing their new range of ntoebooks, and they have up to date graphics cards, like the 8600M GT. Have a look at the press releases to get some more information on the new notebooks.
     
    Zero, Jun 20, 2007
    #3
  4. osso002

    osso002 Notebook Evangelist

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    You'll find that the compal ifl90 and sager 2090 have the 8600GT which is almost as powerful as the 7900GS and in comes in a 15.4" notebook! Something to think about if you are considering being mobile a lot with the laptop. FYI, I switched from the 17" dell recently, because I got tired of lugging that monster around.

    edit\\ did I mention that my dell laptop started disassembling by itself?
     
    osso002, Jun 20, 2007
    #4
  5. mattireland

    mattireland It used to be the iLand..

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    I totally agree with wave. I, and I think most other developers, both professional and amateur, still program in DX9 and have no intention of moving on to DX10 for a good couple of years.

    Go with the go7900GS. Better drivers + better online support.
     
    mattireland, Jun 20, 2007
    #5
  6. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    I'm in your camp. Look at places like www.powernotebooks.com and www.xoticpc.com for those models. They offer much more bang for your buck than the "big" retailers like Dell and HP, faster GPU's in smaller machines and so on. I went with the 14" because I didn't even want to lug around a 15.4" any more... though in about 3 years when I upgrade again, I may change my mind ;)
     
    Pitabred, Jun 20, 2007
    #6