Is it better a good graphic card with less dedicated memory or a bit worse card with more dedicated memory?

Gamer here, I have to choose one of these two laptops:

Asus A53SV-SX487V 579 euros

Processor: Intel CoreTM i5-2410M

Memory size: 4 GB DDR3

Graphics: Nvidia Geforce GT 540M with 2 GB DDR3


Lenovo Y570 08622LU 595 euros

Processor: Intel CoreTM i5-2410M

Memory size: 6 GB DDR3

Graphics: Nvidia Geforce GT 555M with 1GB DDR5


They're similar, but basically I wanted to ask: Is it better to have a better graphic card with less dedicated memory(Lenovo) or a not so worse card with more dedicated memory (Asus)?

Let me know what you think, thanks!

 

More than 1 GB memory on a graphics card isn't really worth it.

Plus, of those two cards, the one with 1GB has faster memory than the one with 2GB.

 

Agreed with the above poster. As long as it has at least 1GB of VRAM always go for the better GPU.

I don't really think any GPUs come with less than 1GB of dedicated memory now days, so the faster card is always the better buy.

 

Theyre not similar at all, beside the same cpu.
The GT555m has its roots into GTX460-560m, which makes it a good medium-end card, for sure its a huge step above the GT540m with the DDR3.

Plus more RAM, go for the second one.

 

Better card, less memory. Although it may have less memory, it'll squeeze everything that it can out of that 1GB.

 

Not really... The 555m in the Lenovo is he gimped 96 shaded version, which means it's pretty much just a 540m with gddr5 memory.

It still should be the faster card by a moderate margin, though.

 

what is a gimped version? and nobody really needs 2gb of graphics memory (if you did you wouldn't ask)

 

there are 4 gt 555m models out there, the lenovo is the one with the 96 core and GDDR5, there are other differences, like rop units and so forth, but I dont remember right now.

 

2GB is not needed for laptop use and is just a way to fluff the product and make you think it is better.

If your going for desktop graphics 2GB does have a purpose on higher resolutions (30" panels or multi monitor)

 

Yea the 2GB is unnecessary for a GT540. The 1GB GT555m would definitely have the edge, though not as much as the other, DDR3 GT555m models...

 

As other already noted, 2GB on a laptop GPU is unnecessary.
Predominantly because the gpu will never use more than 1GB, or theoretically perhaps 1.5GB (for high-end mobile gpu's).

The 1GB vs 2 or 3GB is nothing more than a marketing trick to make it seem as if the worse gpu with more video ram is better.

If I was in your shoes, I would definitely get the second laptop (the one with GT 555M with 1GB DDR5).
It's gpu has twice the memory bandwidth which will make for a nice performance boost... and for that price difference, you get extra 2GB system RAM (totaling out at 6GB), which will come in handy for x64 OS.

 

^^^^^^ Agreed!

 

One important stat that is missing above is the native screen resolution. If they are 1366x768, then those machines will be enough for gaming at moderate to decent IQ levels

But regardless, the 555 in the Lenovo, although gimped to 96 shaders will have a little more gaming guts as the 555 is running at higher speeds to the 540. You can compare them here:

NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

In desktop reviews, you generally see cards with more ram start to have an advantage above 1920x1080 so the 540m with 2 gigs of ram is purely a selling feature that serves little purpose in that laptop