I have a certain request of my fellow notebook users....*please read*

If any of you have ever noticed, I never say "graphics card" when refering to a notebook or laptop. When they say with dedicated graphics, it means the graphics processor has it's own full size (at least 128 MB for today's standards) dedicated VRAM pool contributed completely to it. Like all the other components , it's built onto the motherboard, not on a seperate board. However, very VERY rarely some notebooks will have an actual card or module. Nvidia's MXM and ATi's AXIOM technologies exist in a very few machines, but very rarely, as notebook manufacturers don't like the idea of easy upgradeability, because instead of letting the user upgrade, you can make them want to just get a whole new machine

So back to the real argument at hand, uh, please say "graphics setup" instead of graphics card when it comes to notebook graphics solutions. Please? I think it would help alleviate some of the allusion and confusion of newcomers to the world of notebook computing and gaming, so they as well as us can help them in their transition. Sorry if I sound anal about it. But I think it would be beneficial to all of us, veterans and newbies alike

 

I don't know, I think graphics card is actually more concise and less confusing to newcomers. It may not be a physical card, but it's a term that people are used to in desktops, and they know what it covers.

"Graphics setup" sounds much too vague, and it might not be apparent what it covers (does a "graphics setup" include the monitor, for example?)

Perhaps graphics chipset would be better?

But "graphics card" still has the advantage of being a familiar term.

 

Graphics chipset makes alot of sense, but people could confuse motherboard chipset with actual graphics chipset, as Intel 945M chipsets can have mobile dedicated graphics.

 

Couldn't we call them dedicated GPU's?

 

Many people don't know what a "GPU" is unfortunetly. I guess the best thing we can do is just try to nurture the newcomers, educated them and hope to release the hatchlings into the world.

 

I always wondered what "dedicated" truly meant.

I always figured it was eithier X amount of ram that was built into the card

So if thats not the case, then whats shared? I figured shared was to share the ram from your PC.

Now I'm confused ......whats the differ of Dedicated & Shared?

 

No, you were right on your original idea. And even still, it's more common to see laptops with both dedicated and shared video memory. Nvidia calls this "Turbocache" and ATi calls this "Hypermemory".

 

Well I didn't know what GPU was at first... But it's pretty obvious that it stands for something and a quick google search will tell you it's Graphics Processing Unit.
Are people that lazy that they wouldn't figure it out themselves?

Dedicated is the X amount of memory built in the card.
The word itself means:

One of the many definitions.

So your original idea was right. It's the memory the card has. Shared memory is when it shares it with the RAM.
And like mobius1aic said a lot of cards now do both.

 

You'd be surprised how lazy people are.

 

Some people certainly are I'm afraid.

I think Integrated and Dedicated graphics are the best terms to describe the difference between the types of graphics in laptops.

 

I mean in my opinion the best term would be Dedicated and Shared GPU. To keep it simple for the people who don't know much about computers the easiest terms would be dedicated graphics card and shared graphics card.
Like Jess said we could drop the word card at the end and just call them dedicated graphics and shared graphics.

The problem is that I don't think people are going to stop calling them cards. Look around the forum, the two stickied posts on top of this one calls them cards.

 

As long as the title of the forum is Gaming (Software And Graphics Cards), nothing is going to change.

 

I think calling it a graphics card makes it easier to understand for some of the non-tech savy readers of NBR. This may cause some confusion about the interchangeability of the part to be sure, but it beats bewildering members about the hardware name.

 

Never knew that. Thats why I was confused at first but reading your post for the second time now I understand.

I guess I was so use to seeing Graphics Cards for Desktops.

 

Well, as you've mentioned, in a desktop, the thing is more clear cut. Dedicated means a card that's dedicated to video that you plug in to your motherboard. Integrated refers to something that's part of the motherboard, and shares system memory. You can tell the dedicate card is dedicated because it's on its own card.

In laptops, I think it's ok to keep calling them "dedicated" and "integrated" cards, since that's the norm, and since that's functionally the same usage as in desktops -- i mean it probably simplifies more than confuses, even though it's technically incorrect, and just refers to the memory...

I'd call it an "integrated graphics chipset" or "graphics chipset with dedicated memory" if I was trying to be proper. It's too much bother though.

What will be fun is the first time there's high powered integrated chips. I think it'll happen sometime. Then the lingo will go out the window.

 

uhh, no. mobile gpu's are made to fit on a heatsink, so they are flat, so card works just fine.

 

From: here
That is a video card my friend. In fact, that is the video or graphics card that is in my laptop that I am using right now. It is it's own processor, memory, and heatsinks on it's own board, it just connects to the motherboard. But by the same time, so does a desktop graphics card, it's just a different kind of interface.

Now, granted, not all laptops are like Dells. But the fact is that laptops in general (with dedicated graphics solutions) are similar in design and have their own heatsink(s). I personally believe this qualifies them as a graphics card. But that's me. I think it's just easier for people to understand the term graphics card.

In the same vein, I wonder why Windows/*nix systems are considered PCs, but Macs are not. A PC is a Personal Computer, and is a Mac not a Personal Computer. They're even running on the same architecture now. But the line has been drawn over the years, and it's not going to change. Likewise, I don't think what you are suggesting will happen either. No offense, but I just don't see the problem with the way things are now.

 

Well, it's an interesting topic and I learned something from the discussion, but checking the service manual of my HP nw9440, I see that it has a video board that's completely separate from the system board.

 

I do not use the term PC anymore in reference to a Windows based machine. I just say "Windows PC" and "Mac PC".

 

The MAJORITY of notebooks with ati or nvidia chipsets today are using a daughterboard with pcie connection. Replaceable, but usualy the board dimensions are talored for only a few notebook types. Also bios support it still needed.

Chipset is the best term to use I think.

 

I agree! Good point about the Macs too...ever since they started putting Intel in em the whole PC and Mac debate has been moot. Or at least, it should be transformed into the OS X and Windows debate.

 

so what's the best graphics card out there for a laptop?

 

Nvidia GeForce Go7900GTX
Nvidia GeForce Go7950GTX


Just have a look at Dreamer's chart.

 

Hmm, but couldn't a "graphics chipset with dedicated memory" simply refer to something like the Go6150, that is still an integrated chipset, but also has dedicated memory?
Personally, I just like to stick to "graphics solution" when refering to a notebook, since the important thing really is what the notebook can "do" when it comes to graphics, not the actual physical connection between the GPU and the motherbord.

 

this has the shape of my credit card...excuse me, my credit processing unit...

 

Yes. I was talking about being technically correct, and trying to make the point that it might confuse the average guy who doesn't care about what actually goes on inside the box.

I share your view that what it can do is more important. Dedicated memory is what is used to differentiate "dedicated cards" from "integrated cards" right now, I think... except for exceptions like that. And there are graphics cards in laptops that are actually cards as well... that's why I was saying just stick to the incorrect thing we've been doing, as it's easier, and not really practical to change.