HP dv5t intel integrated or geforce 9200m gs? - details inside, thanks... again... :)

Hey guys, my sager2090 died so I am in the market for a new laptop. Now as I dont game anymore, but am getting into game programming i have a budget of 700-800 dollars for my new laptop. On the hp customize page i have a choice between:

Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
256MB NVIDIA GeForce 9200M GS +100bucks
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT + 200bucks

I need a card that will support pygame,xna,opengl programming (not super complex 3d just 2d slightly 3d games), and that can support vista/dual monitors with a samsung 22inch monitor at 1650x1080. I should also add that the hp monitor will be a infinite whatever at 1650x1080 as well. I also believe having a nvidia card makes dual monitors in ubuntu easier with twinview? Also does having the nvidia card make the computer last longer since less load on cpu?

Also (i know lots of questions) how do these cards compare to the 8600gt i used to have on my sager. Again i know my card prob blows these cards out of the water but do any of these cards have defects like the 8600gt? Im not going to be playing games again, just programming them, but i dont want my card to fail like in my sager. I want everything in this hp to last a lonnnnnnnnng time.

Thanks for even reading my post its convoluted i know

 

The 9200m gs isnt as good as the 8600m gt and the 9600m gt is better then it. I would go for the 9200m gs. As far as im aware the 9 serries dosent have defects like the 8 serries does.If your worried about failing cards then go for the Intel 4500 then you will have one whole less componet to fail.

 

well i cant seem to find anything about the 9200m gs failing online, but are you saying to go for the 9200 since i dont play games anymore but it will still give me xna and dual monitor performance? Will the 9200 get hot at all i hear this hp is prone to getting warm, if no games are played on it? Thanks!


*oh btw i see you live in maryland. do you go to umcp?

 

If you only have to pay $100 to go from the 9200m gs to the 9600m gt then I would go with the 9600m gt, it packs a much more powerful punch.
But the 9200m gs would probably do what you wanted it to do.

 

The 9200m gs will give you dual moniter support. Im pretty sure the intel GMA 4500 will too. Im not sure about dv5's heat because i dont own one but i know someone who owns one with a p8400 and a 9200m gs i could ask him for you. From experience my 9600m gt in my dv7 idles at 57°C. And no i dont go to umcp im still in high school lol.

 

ive got a 9200 gs and it runs really cool. the highest its ever reached is 54*C under load. coolest its run is 14*C on idle. generally it runs around the 25*C idle and 44*C under load, so its pretty cool runnin'.
ive been playing CoD4 on ultra settings at around 20-25fps at a resolution of 1280x800, which im astonished at.

 

thanks roosta just makes me feel better

 

lol why are you even asking this if you have the money to get the higher spec card.not like you would go with the lower specd one,would you lol

if you didnt have the money to get the higher one and compared to lower end intergrated cards that were the same price would be the question to ask.

 

Heat and battery life.