go 7600 / x1600 / fx 2500M

I don't play games on my laptop.

I primarily do graphic design using CS2
I also will do some video using Vegas Video (maybe Premier)

I'm between 3 different laptops. The -biggest- difference between the 3 is price and video cards.

Dell M90 : $2900 : Nvidia Quadro FX 2500M 512mb dedicated : WUXGA 17"
HP nx9420 : $2049 : ATI Radeon x1600 256mb dedicated : WSXGA+ 17"
Toshiba P100/105 : NVIDIA GeForce GO 7600 256 discreet : WSXGA 17"

So keeping in mind my needs (photoshop, illustrator, indesign, and some video) how much will I benefit from the large card?

I know this sounds like it might belong in the which laptop to buy, but since it's primarily a graphics card question I thought it best here.

Thanks!

 

Well the Quadro FX 2500M is basically the counterpart of the 7900GTX which makes it better then HP and the Toshiba but might be overkill for CS2. But do you have a specific price range and you might want to look for a laptop that has a WSXGA screen and what about mobilty?
Also please fill out the FAQ so we can help you better.

Meaker's gfx chart
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=70254

 

I did fill out the FAQ in the 'what laptop should I buy'

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=108462

but I am trying to figure out specifically what I -NEED- and -SHOULD- get for a graphics card. The Dell certainly has a bigger card and a WUXGA screen, but I'm not sure if it'll make a big difference especially in CS2 but even in Video apps like Premier and Vegas.

I'll check out that chart. Thanks.

 

you won't need the fx2500 or even the x1600 to run photoshop or any other photo or video editing software
a built in graphic card will pretty much the same performance because it's performance doesn't depend on the graphic card by any way,it is only affected by the amount of ram and hd speed,so consider upgrading the memory on any system you get ,they are always very hungry application especially if you work with high resolutions

higher video cards are better for games or 3d graphic applications

so I think the nx9420 is the best choice,better battery and lighter and thinner than the m90 and has a great build quality and also have a free memory slot in order to upgrade easily

 

true, but thats just to run it. thats like arguing minimum requirements and recommended requirements for a game. I have a 7900gs and when I put autocad on my notebook, it said some options were turned off because my vid card didn't support it. just something to consider.

 

You could also get the HP nw9440 model #RB551UT from HP small biz. It costs $2349 and has WSXGA+ and an fx1500m video card. It is a workstation machine like the M90, but not quite so high end to keep those costs down.

 

If you really want the m90 try the outlet. I got whats in my sig for around $1750 and you cant tell its a refurb. Just keep a eye out, good deals go fast.

 

Thank you! That answered my question...I haven't been able to find any information on whether or not the video card made a difference in Photoshop or Premiere...that definitely helps. I may still get the M90, but can get a refurbished machine with something like the FX 1500M for $1700.

I do like the HP but it doesn't look like I can have dual external monitors...I am only seeing a VGA also need a DVI.

Can anyone else verify that the video card isn't going to play a part in CS2 or Premier? I'll end up with 2 gigs memory and at least 2.0ghz core 2.

Thanks!