Intel HD Graphics 4400 enough for HD video editing?

I'm currently looking at getting a new laptop. It would mainly be for everyday use as well as some HD video editing. Nothing too extensive, but I'd like a laptop that would manage it well enough.

How important is a graphics card compared to memory and processor when it would come to light/medium work on HD video editing?


I came across the Lenovo Yoga 13 and it really sparked my interest. $1,200 for i7, 8gb, 256gb SSD, and a 3200x1800 screen. But only intel 4400 graphics. I really like the option of turning this into a tablet (also it's portability), which is why I'm liking this compared to something more like a desktop replacement.

Would 4400 be fine for this type of work? Or should I look at something else? Suggestions?

Thank you.

 

ive got optimus with HD4000 and also a nvidia 680 and whenever i do heavy graphics rendering it uses my 680.
64bit operating system is a must. i7 is recommended. 8gb+ is a must but i also think you will need a dedicated graphics card.
do you game at all as well?

ive been using cyberlink power director 10 which was the fastest 64bit software. ive just updated to power director 12 which is even faster. rendering can be a serious drain on resources.

im only going by what ive used but my 6 year old clevo, even though it was the fastest thing back then struggles now and that has a dedicated 260gtx.

hopefully someone else can advise better if they have a lower spec than me.

 

That last statement makes it kind of ambiguous. Well enough is what you consider it to be and it may be very different from what I consider it to be. MrDJ gave you an idea of what kind of power is required for his needs but it depends on what you would be using it for. You are bang on with the higher density screen but there might be other laptops better suited that sacrifice (if you could call it that) the screen quality donw to 1080p but have better GPUs.

 

Yeah, I left it quite ambiguous i guess, mainly because I'm not sure how often I'd do it myself. I have the Adobe Premiere Pro from CS4 that I'd be using. I know that it's more demanding than other software, but also thought that because it's an older version it might be fine with the new haswell graphics.

It seems that I probably should go about getting a nvidia chip or something. Any recommendations on laptops that match close to what is in the Yoga 2? I'd be fine with a 1080p screen, 1800 was just a perk. I could also go down to 128gb SSD. I'd like it more on the portable side though.

Or what is needed to make it possible to add a graphics card, and/or how easy is that to do?

 

I've been looking at the Dell XPS 15 and M3800 options. Cost is higher than the Yoga 2 Pro, but you get dedicated graphics, more ports, option of FHD or QHD+ displays, etc. Heavier than the Yoga 2, but the M3800 is only 4.15 lbs and you get a gorgeous 15.6" display, which can really help for photo & video work. The lowest price M3800 is $1799 right now (4th-gen i7, FHD display, 500GB SSD, 8GB RAM - upgradeable to 16GB, and Nvidia Quadro K1100M graphics card w/ 2GB GDDR5), and I think there is a coupon for $150 off. The XPS is generally cheaper, but the middle 2 configs use 5400 drives instead of faster 7200 drives or SSDs, so you can get a suitable M3800 for cheaper.

Sounds like you're in a similar quandary as me. I don't need the raw power of the M3800 or XPS 15, but there is a gap in the market between these types of machines and those like the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro or new X1 Carbon. The only reason I haven't bought the Dell Precision M3800 yet is b/c I'm trying to decide on the FHD or QHD+ display.

BTW for what it is worth, I would consider your drive & memory needs. My current Sony Vaio Z is a nice system with 13" 1600x900 display and 1GB dedicated graphics, but I really find it lacking for video work. The bottlenecks seem to be the older processor, RAM (max of 8GB), and storage (128GB SSD - fast, but I'm constantly running out of space). So I'm looking for something that has at least 256GB SSD or a 7200rpm HDD and at least the option of bumping RAM up to 16GB.

Please share what you end up getting and how it fits your needs.