Is Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 suitable for a prorammer?

Hi all,

I'm from Egypt and here and I'm planning to buy a hp pavilion dv6700 and use it for my work (Web development and java and .NET programs).

It has a core 2 due T7500 (2.2 GHz,4M) and 1 GB of ram (I will increase it with extra 1 GB). It has Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with 0 dedicated and base 128 of memory and max 256. I believe that I don't need a higher capacity for graphics but I'm afraid that sharing graphics memory with system memory through the same bus may slow down the notebook especially if I'm running applications that occupy the main memory.

Do you think that I should worry about this point or a bus 800 FSB with 2 GB of memory would make my life better than my imagination?

 

Since you're doing no graphical things, ie games, the x3100 will be fine. For programmers, you will want a fast CPU and enough memory to run everything. As you said, you have the T7500 and 2GB of RAM, therefore, you're set. Happy programming.

 

X3100 will be perfectly fine for you.

The more ram you can afford, the better. Visat runs better with more ram.

 

Yeah, as long as you aren't a game developer, the X3100 will do just fine.

The additional RAM is important, especially if you are using your machine as a virtual server for development purposes (and SQL Server express as the back end database engine).

 

is this the funniest thread youve seen all day or what???

maybe im just being a dick

 

I am currently developing a .NET wrapper for some low level re-configurable hardware in a Windows XP VM on my Intel Macbook with GMA950, and it's going perfectly fine. Compiling and debugging takes a while, but that's because I'm using a VM.

However, a month ago I was doing some development in C++ which used OpenGL, and for that I had to use an Ubuntu Linux/XP dual boot machine with a Geforce 8600.

Therefore, it solely depends on what kind of development you are doing. If you foresee that you will have to use OpenGL/Direct3D or do some other 3D rendering in the near future, I would strongly recommend you get a laptop with a dedicated graphics card.

 

thanks a lot

Ya you are right...that's way I'm planning to add the extra 1 GB ram. Another notebook with 2 GB ram and dedicated memory (nvidia 8400 GS) but I will pay extra 1300 LE (240$) while 1 GB ram will cost me 200 LE (40 $)

yes man . That's exactly what I'm working at whether using .NET or java
thanks a lot for you

In the near future I won't work in Graphics. Thanks a lot for your post.

 

The X3100 should work well for you.