X1100 128MB dedicated memory - performance?

Hi,
I'm looking at the MSI s271 and have found one with these specs

AMD Turion 64x2 TL50 Dual Core processor
1GB DDR2 Ram
ATi Radeon X1100 128MB Dedicated Graphics

1. I'm a bit suspect that the 128MB are dedicated. If I get the laptop how can I check that the graphics card is dedicated and not shared? If I run Direct X diagnostic and look at the display will it show whethe

 

Its a shared graphics card, not dedicated. Read the specs of the laptop, they will say shared ram.

 

oops clicked on post accidentally.

So if I run direct x diagnostic will it just show 128MB or will it also say whether this memory is dedicated or shared.

2. If these specs are correct, how much difference would it make in 3D gaming compared to for example X200 chip with 128MB SHARED memory?

 

That's what I thought but I see in Chaz's review that some IGP's (X200 and X1150) can have dedicated memory. It's an ebay sale so have told the supplier that I want a refund if it's not dedicated memory as otherwise can just buy it for same price elsewhere without having to use ebay

 

You will absolutely not get any gaming done on a X1100. That card is pretty much obsolete. You will be able to play Counter Strike Source, but on very low settings. Oblivion is a long shot, and I know for a fact FEAR would not run good at all on it.

I am not sure what your question is.. but maybe that will answer it.

 

It's not obsolete, it's just designed for thin-and-light notebooks that don't have the space for dedicated GPU cooling systems. That said, yeah, I wouldn't try any significant 3D gaming on it. That's going to require something bigger than the 12" S271.

 

If the second number of a GPU isn't higher than a 4 (or first number for ATi's xXXX series), don't think about doing any kind of gaming.

 

But is the x1100 better than the x200? Quite a few people on this forum have said graphics on the x200 aren't too bad for an IGP. I am obviously not expecting great things from it....

 

i have an x200m and i am going to say i an play all the current rts's and most fps i just have to lower my resoltion and put it at medium to low settings. But as you can tell so people have been able to get F.E.A.R. on there x200m and got it to run at about 30fps on there x200m. i have not personnally tried but the x1100 is supposed to be 30% percent faster than the x200m. From my undersatnading is that it's actually the x300 fully integrated. While the x200m is based off the x300 but it has 2 pipelines disabled. The x1100 is supposed to be the full gpu

 

Its not a gaming gpu by any means. But that doesnt mean you cant do light gaming on it at low res. I can see that people think lowly of these cards, but if its all you can afford yes it will do very light gaming. Dont expect to play every new title at decent res or at all, but if you want to play rts games or older fps games then by all means try.

But always look at it this way, if you can afford a better gpu then by all means dont settle on either of the mentioned cards and go for something more powerful. But if this is all that is in your budget then there is nothing you can do but get the notebook and try the games out. Otherwise youll continue to get the same answers about your card.

 

Considering that the original X200M was 1/3 slower than the Mobility Radeon X300, and the X1100 is 1/3 faster than the X200M, then theoretically, the X1100 is as fast as an X300. However, if it doesn't use dedicated memory, then it is definitely not going to be as fast.
Either way, for gaming, a Go7300/X1300 would be considerably better for games.

 

Yeah the x1100/1150 only have half the pipes and features of the dedicated x300, but the same clocks. Initially they were gonna make them equal, but decided to save power by cutting back on pipes etc. Theres a sticky on this exact topic, and part of it compares the low end integrated gpus.