Integrated vs Dedicated

I'm interested in what your views are on integrated and dedicated graphics cards.
Over the past year, integrated graphics cards have made incredible leaps in performance. The ATI Xpress 200M and nVidia GeForce Go 6150 are excellent examples of these and are as capable as some older dedicated graphics cards. integrated cards give the user a longer battery life, low cost, and virtually no addition heat. However, even though IGP graphics will continue to improve in the future, performance will never reach that of a mainstream dedicated card.
Dedicated mobile graphics cards such as the new nVidia GeForce 7700 and ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 are amazing, in the sense that they can deliver desktop performance in a thin notebook form factor. However, these cards tend to be extremely expensive and add to the problem of heat.
Some notebooks manufacturers have come up with a solution to combine the two technologies in a notebook. Several notebooks out there have both integrated and dedicated cards and can switch between them to conserve power or incerase performance. Others have found a similar solution; some notebooks equipped with the ATI Xpress 200M and an AMD CPU have a small amount of dedicated memory (usually 32-128MB) included. These systems tend to run a bit better than those without the dedicated memory.

So what's your choice?

 

I will always take a dedicated video card, because I like to play games and gaming on an integrated card just wont do. Yeah they're getting more powerful, but so are dedicated cards, and games are getting more graphically intense. Yeah they're getting more powerful, but they will never reach the level of dedicated, and will never be able to game like they will. It may create more heat, and use more battery, but those are trade offs im willing to take for the ability to play games well.

 

It depends on needs.

Integrated graphics are great for office tasks and the needs of the mobile. They are cool and power effiencent, and capable for all basic task (office, DVD, etc).

Discrete graphics also have their place. If you need to game or have special 3D needs, there is a whole array of optoins from low to high end.

Mixed Integrated/Discrete options also have their place for the niche that sometimes needs good battery life and cool running and sometimes need powerful graphics performance.

So, each has its place. There is no better or worse, only better or worse for a paticular situation.

 

I'd want dedicated since I like/need the extra performance. Still, I think that all IGPs should have some amount of dedicated memory. Memory seems very cheap nowadays so it really shouldn't add the much to the cost. I guess the problem may be that IGPs would then need a more complicated dedicated memory controller which adds transistor costs, heat, etc. and may not be worthwhile to go to all that effort just to add 32MB of low cost, and (relatively) low frequency memory. It's interesting to note that at one time, Intel IGPs like the 815G had the option of placing a dedicated memory card in the AGP slot and this was back on a 250nm or 180nm process (I don't really remember which one for sure) so it can't be that bad. Intel discontinued the option for the 845G, but I got the feeling that it was more because it wasn't popularly used rather than it being too expensive. It would be about time for them to add dedicated IGP memory back since they plan on adding dedicated Flash memory with Robson too.

 

i don't think there is such a thing as intergrated and dedicated in a laptop


EDIT: your definition of intergrated and dedicated in combination is a little misleading. the x1400 uses hypermemory and has it's own memory so are you classifying that as the same as an x200 in which some models have 128 dedicated memory and shares another 128 memory even though one is an intergrated chip while the other is a card?

EDIT2: is this what you mean?

Combination: a dedicated card with some shared memory and it's own dedicated memory
Intergrated: an intergrated card with some dedicated memory and some shared memory

your definition in the poll is kinda misleading because intergrated videocards are on the mobo while dedicated graphics card are on it's own card, while both intergrated and dedicated cards can have dedicated memory and shared memory

 

The HP dv5000z has a 128MB dedicated X200M, maybe a few other machines.

I'd take dedicated because I occasionally like to fire up a 3D game.

 

Are you trying to say that there are notebooks out there that have both an integrated GPU, such as a GMA 900, and a dedicated chip, such as X1600, and that people can switch between the two? Or do you mean integrated chip with dedicated memory?

 

chaz, i know that the x200 has dedicated and shared memory

i think the poll starter has some misconceptions as to what a dedicated and intergrated card is and the difference between that and shared/dedicated memory.

both dedicated cards and intergrated cards can have dedicated memory and shared memory.

 

I believe the definitions are integrated as in IGP on the chipset. An integrated with some dedicated memory is therefore a IGP on the chipset that genearlly shares memory, but also has some dedicated memory of it's own.

A combination is having 2 graphics chips in a system. A IGP on chipset + a separate dedicated GPU. I guess kind of like that Sony system with the GMA 950 and a Go 7400 that you can switch back and forth.

Dedicated graphics is then a GPU that is not integrated into the chipset. These may also share system memory if needed, but generally have decent quantities on their own.

 

it totally depends on needs.

so many people think that if they get a high end GPU it will somehow magically make their dvds look better which is sad because they end up paying hundreds of dollars more for something they absolutely do not need.

the only people who need a dedicated gpu are those who play games or need some type of 3d rendering.

otherwise, an integrated unit is better because it's cheaper, gives better battery life, and runs cooler.

 

Does an IGP really save that much power compared to a low-end dedicated. Like a MR X1300 is definitely a step above an IGP, and it's clock speeds are low and it doesn't have many transistors (comparatively) so does it shorten battery life signficantly? Like from 3 hrs on IGP to say below 2 hrs 45min?

 

Sorry if I made any mistakes on the post. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that I've read about some notebooks that can switch between an IGP and dedicated graphic card (I think it was in PC mag or PC World); however I could very well be mistaken. Sorry for any confusion/misunderstandings.

 

i think the graphics card x1600/7600 and up that are starting to be real battery killers

the IGP graphics use very little power, x1300/x1400 laptops IMO still maintain very good battery life, especially with a 9 cell, which can last up to 5h

 

Yeah, I think you're right nix, I read somewhere about a lappy with an intel mobo that could switch between the integrated gma on the board and a dedicated card.

Anyway, I'd use Integrated if you played either no games whatsoever, or maybe just older games like Quake III, and dvds, etc.

If you plan on playing anything remotely modern, and I mean anything, its always better to go dedicated because you will end up feeling frustrated by the limitations of integrated at some stage.

 

some sony viao lappys have intergrated and dedicated cards but people who have them make up a small % of all people who use laptops

 

No, you are correct. There are some systems that can switch back and forth between the two as mentioned a few times above.

That is true that they will use more power--but many systems with these cards are getting some pretty decent battery life these days. The top-end GPU systems are the ones that have very short battery lives.

 

Yes.

A believe a certain model of Sony has both a gma950 and some nvidia dedicated card. SZ line? You can switch between the 2, but must restart with every change.

 

Not at all, I think you forget that these graphics cards automatically downclock (if you want them to) when on battery to save power, and keep cool. My NC8430 (with X1600) barely ever has its fan on when doing general day to day tasks and is cold to the touch. I can also get upto around 4 hours of battery life out of it as well with its standard 8 cell battery.

 

I like integrated. Because of the low heat and what not. But i can't play any of the newer games and that sucks. But i can play good games. It doesn't matter if they are old, a good game is a good game. I just got the DoW game and the winter assualt expansion pack. never played it before in my life but it's a good game and you know what it plays fine on my 200m on high settings. So sure i can't play all the new games but i can still play good games

 

I'm with every one else that said it depends on your needs. But for me it will always be dedicated I like to game

 

I'm another one to agree with everyone that says it depends on your needs,I like to play a game or two so a midrange to low midrange dedicated card is good for me.

 

i say integrated/dedicated

 

integrated/dedicated. That way you have the best of both worlds.

 

Depends on your needs. If you are a gamer: dedicated. If you use your notebook for work and bussiness: shared.

But because I am a gamer: dedicated!

Charlie

 

/agree with Hitman ded if gamer, Intagrated if you ride on long bussiness plane trips.

 

I'd like integrated, if I could find a decent small & light notebook with ATI or NVidia integrated graphics. I'd like to have the broadest possible featureset (so preferably SM3.0 support) for coding, but don't really need high performance (can use my desktop for that)

So I guess I'll vote integrated, even if I'm probably going to end up having to buy dedicated

 

I think Integrated/dedicated will take over specially since amd/ati started workin together. A GPU/CPU combo along with a dedicated card when you need it would be just about perfect.

 

I think this thread has run its course by now. Last 2 pages are of people just repeating the same thing over and over!

 

I said something similar yesterday

but my post mysteriously disappeared

 

My notebook has dedicated, but emits quite a bit of heat though. Even though I don't use it for gaming, I should of bought a integrated one because it would of been cheaper. I don't mind though.

 

Basic question - whats the difference between and interated & dedicated card ? Architecture wise ? Isnt an integrated card a seperate card from the cpu ?

 

Basically in quick terms, Integrated means that it's an onboard video card on the motherboard and Dedicated is quite the opposite where there is a card plugged into the motherboard.

 

Acctualy, Integrated cards are built into the Northbridge chip on the motherboard while Dedicated cards are separate from the motherboard and usuallly they are soldered firmly (with few exceptions)

 

I can't believe... this annoying thread is still alive and 'on the top' only because someone thinks that is very important to vote here....and now probably the people will continue repeating one and the same thing over and over....

that's just incredible...

 

If people want to discuss the topic then I don't have a legitimate reason to close the thread. Sure, it may be repeating the same thing but if that's what people want to do, then so be it.

 

I like some older games but I dont play them much, mostly desktop apps like firefox, messenger, office etc. so 200m is great.

 

Have I said how much I like this thread?

Just keep voting! Otherwise, the dedicated cards would disapear... who knows

 

I don't know I think that AMD fusion thing with the cpu and gpu combined sounds really wierd, but maybe that would bring IGPs up to a better level of performance.

 

wow, this post is still running. I didn't intend it to stay for so long sorry.

 

meh.. I personally feel that the names kinda reflect the need.

If you integrate games into your life.. if you make it a part of your life.. then integrated just might suit you.

If you dedicate a part of your life to gaming on the other hand..you need a probable need a dedicated graphics card..

Anything inbetween is just that.. inbetween. So it will depend on the person.

Me? I'm dedicated..

 

The graphics card is one of my top priorities. I would get a dedicated graphics card.

 

Alright. The elections ended, we have a winner... I hope this who dug up this thread and voted will sleep better tonight...

 

Closed as requested.