Utility of GPU

Not posting this in Gaming area as this isn't really a gaming question.

I've searched far and wide on the internet and these chat boards and find inconsisent answers to this question:

Set aside for this purpose any power savings and cost savings. Completely -- please just ignore that entirely. Is a GPU of any incremental value at all, as compared to the Intel HD integrated video processor, when doing non-gaming and non-3D work like: editing photographs using Adobe Lightroom, editing complex videos using Adobe Elements (but not using any GPU-enabled transitions), and watching DVDs? I undersand that the GPU may be used for the DVDs, but also think some sources have said that the Intel HD integrated graphics is easily up to that task. I know the GPU is used for limited Photoshop CS4 processes, but I think none of Lightroom. I have no idea aout Adobe Premier, beyond the transition effects that are described specifically as GPU-enabled.

I can factor in the cost and power losses associated with going with a discrete GPU, but what I can't figure out is whether a discrete GPU in fact gives me even a fractional, no matter how small, performance benefit if I'm doing the tasks described above. I'd certainly be interested to better understand the extent of the benefit, if possible, but as a threshold matter I'd love to know whether there is in fact any benefit at all.

 

I don't believe you will see any benefit with a discrete GPU in any of your tasks as compared to an integrated one.

 

For now, a GPU will be of no benefit. But when Adobe decides to accelerate all its filters/programs using the GPU, it will make a difference if you have a DX10 GPU.

 

Possible applications are only a few at the moment, for nvidia products check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CUDA - I'm too lazy to search and remeber what was the ATI equivalent but they have something too

 

As said above, for now, a GPU is still mainly used for intensive 3d applications such as games or 3d rendering softwares like AutoCAD/solidworks/maya. Outside of these applications, only GPU accelerated tasks will benefit from a stronger GPU. For now, the number of GPU accelerated tasks aren't plentiful enough to justify buying a stronger GPU if you're not using any 3d stuff IMO.