Didn't Want to Do This

Hey. I really didn't want to make a post like this, but for all of the site browsing I've done, I can't seem to find an answer that difinitively reassures me.

I currently have a Dell Inspiron 9300 with a GeForce Go 6800. The GPU just pooped out so I was forced to purchase a new computer. (It had spent a year in Iraq with me so it was pretty nasty and to be completely honest, I didn't want to send it to Dell to get repaired.) I went with the Inspiron 1720 with the 8600M GT.

I understand that the 8600 is two generations newer than the 6800, but at the time the 6800 was top-end for that line. All I've been able to find so far is comparisons between the 8600 and last generation cards, not the 6-series. I just want to make sure that I made an upgrade in the GPU department for performance on current games or at least am staying at the same level.

The answer should be common sense to anybody that follows this technology, but I've been out of the loop for quite a while and am just now able to get back into it.

Thanks a lot!

 

I'm not exactly sure where to get a comparison, but I can assure you that the 8600gt is way better than the 6800. I think everyone on here would have to agree with me on that one.

 

Hello! Welcome to Notebook Review!

No problem. You might find the following link fairly useful:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

According to them a 8600 GT got a 3566 in 3dMark06 (results may vary) while the 6800 only got 1900. So you should definitely be better in the way of newer games. Hope that helps!

 

Yes a better card . Also with newer games and even some not so new (6800 not new) 8600GT should really show itself.

But the (6)800 vs (8)600 not the top series

 

its an upgrade, but i'm not sure if you will get much more fps out of it.

the major difference is dx10 in my opinion. you will be able to play all those nice new dx10 games on medium settings (when they come out) which you couldn't have done with the 6800. plus it is less power hungry.

 

Outstanding. Thanks for the quick replies. Those answers definitly help concrete what I was thinking, but it's always better to hear it from some people that have actually been following the tech. Also, thanks for being good sports for a question with such an obvious answer.

 

I am no expert, and I am (very) new to the notebook world. But from what I have heard and from the benchmarks I have seen, I would think that it would be a nice improvement.

By the way, here is somebody with a similar set-up to what you might have (A Dell 1720 with a 8600 GT).

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=142038

His link shows his 3DMark06 score (although I think he overclocked to reach the max score). He said he scored a 2830 as his "stock" score, which is still higher than the 6800's 1900 as reported by notebookcheck.net (that is the only source I have for benchmarks, if somebody knows of others or could correct me, please do). He could push it up to 3676, so if you do not mind overclocking you could probably even see greater performance.

Also, I am hoping that newer drivers and other issues will be resolved and that we will see an (albeit small) increase in the future as well. I hope (and believe) you will be pleased with your new purchase!

 

i would like to see some real world comparison's. 3dmark06 is nice, but unless you are going to be sitting at home looping it, its a pretty pointless test. you want some actual in game frame rates at different settings to really compare.

 

I can not tell you how happy I am to actually be handing on information that 2-4 weeks ago I would not have had the slightest clue what it even meant.

I do not think that this was a painfully "obvious" answer either. I know that before I found notebookreview.com I could not find a gpu benchmark list for notebook cards anywhere. Everything I had read before said that notebook gpu's were too unpredictable due to the other factors in a notebook. But even if these benchmarks are not terribly accurate they at least let you ballpark it so you know whether you are getting a clam or a steal.

Happy Gaming!

 

If you want some real world test you can look at screenshots of the 8600 GT in an Asus G1S (although that machine is slightly more optimized for gaming). Try the following link:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=125246

 

I have the desktop 6800, and based on 3dmark06 benchmarks, the 8600m gt is much better (1,200 vs ~3,000)