Help with graphics cards

I'm about to buy a new laptop. I don't do much gaming, if any. I occasionally will play a game like Sim City or Starcraft or Flight Simulator, but not really into buying the new expensive games (ever). Main use of laptop is for internet, email, word processing, some photoshop, music, and quicken.

Given that, I have a question on a couple of video cards:

If I go with the Studio 15, is it worth upgrading from the Intel GMA 4500MHD to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 for $75?

If I go with the HP dv5t, is it worth upgrading from the Intel GMA 4500MHD to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 to the Nvidia GeForce 9200M GS for $25? I don't want to spend any more than I absolutely have to. Would either be worth the extra expense, given how I use the computer?

 

None of the games you play will require anything special, so in this situation, I would have to say you will be perfectly fine with the 4500MHD.

 

Unless things have changed drastically since 2004 the integrated Intel Chipset should be fine for the Flight Simulator.

And Sim City (if its similar to the old one I once saw) shouldn't need much either.

Photoshop could possibly profit from more powerful graphics though.
What will you use?
And what types of tasks will you perform?

I'm using Photoshop Elements 6 on a 2,5GHz Core 2 Duo and an Intel X3100

 

I would get the ati radeon 3450 its faster then the 9200m gs

 

I think you have overlooked that statement.
The games wont need the extra power of the NVidia over the Intel one.

Photoshop is interesting here, as I stated above.

How will you use it?
And what version?

 

i would say go for the 4500mhd if you aren't going to play the newer games.

 

Incorrect.

Flight Simulator X does require a good GPU. Its barely playable on an IGP. And on low settings. Get the ATI Radeon 3450.

If you're playing, like Flight SIm 98, an IGP is fine, but not for the newer one, FSX.

 

2004 runs fine on an Intel Chipset - even the 910 or 915GSM (speaking from experience)

I haven't tried FSX - which I understand is the direct successor.

 

I use Photoshop casually. Mainly, I use it to digitally enhance digital photos of family and friends (i.e. remove red eye for example).

 

Ok, I think you should be fine with the Intel X4500 with respect to Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 is graphics accelerated (I've only got Elements)

But: I sometimes stitch a 30MP or even 100MP Panorama - my laptop, 2,5GHz Core2Duo and X3100 take quite some time - but its a completely different league.

So a bit of enhancing, and red eye removal - the Intel will be fine for it.
_____
So we'd need to find out about the flight simulator.

We'd need someone who tried.
I was told Age of Empires doesn't run on an Intel X3100 - well, it did on my laptop, true, the NVidia 8400GS looks better, but still.

So: Anyone with FSX and Integraed graphics experience?

 

Yes.

I had to put everything on Very Low, and plane detail on Low at 1280x800 and it played ok. But there were times where it got choppy. At all low and 800x600 it played decent, but still sometimes got choppy. So, persoanally, its not (enjoyably) playable on an IGP.

Although, it was a GMA 950. Not a 4500MHD. Stiil an IGP though. I would recommend a deticated GPU for anything past Low at a decent res.

 

Ah, 950 vs 4500MHD - that's like comparing a Lada from 40 years ago to one from today
Well, not quite.

But overall the capabilities of the Intel Graphics cards have improved significantly.

I think I saw somewhere on here that the X4500 is 70% more powerful than the X3100 - but its a world between a 950 and a X4500

 

lol, i like your comparason.

Yes, they did improve. But still, for good FSX playing with good settings, a Deticated GPU will do much better. I can play it on 1280x800, most things on high. (Settings go up to Very High). Specs in Sig.

A 4500MHD would probably play it, but at a low resolution and low settings. Maybe some choppyness at very detailed parts.

 

It's your coin and you should spend it how you see fit. But and it's a big but! Would you buy a car that could only do the city speed limit, so deciding to take a woman friend for a picnic into the country would be out of the question, because one of you would die of old age on the drive back?

When engineers design anything they do so to exceed requirements, because many time unforeseen requirements are needed. In short if you buy a notebook that can only handle the bare minimum, your coin will be spent unwisely, if you need to run more GPU intensive programs but can't, your money would have been somewhat wasted!

I believe the GPU is probably one of the biggest disappointment of many notebook users, if you have a smaller hard drive you can get an external, not enough ports, docking station, screen not big enough, extend to an external monitor, but for 99% of notebook users the GPU you bought is the one you're stuck with be it good or bad!