The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Utility of GPU

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by dropro, Feb 4, 2010.

  1. dropro

    dropro Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    26
    Messages:
    79
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    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.
     
  2. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,389
    Messages:
    10,552
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    456
    I don't believe you will see any benefit with a discrete GPU in any of your tasks as compared to an integrated one.
     
  3. jenesuispasbavard

    jenesuispasbavard Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    51
    Messages:
    412
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    31
    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.
     
  4. KLF

    KLF NBR Super Modernator Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    2,844
    Messages:
    2,736
    Likes Received:
    898
    Trophy Points:
    131
    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 :)
     
  5. Melody

    Melody How's It Made Addict

    Reputations:
    3,635
    Messages:
    4,174
    Likes Received:
    419
    Trophy Points:
    151
    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.