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    do I need a dedicated graphics card for movies?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by backpack, Sep 2, 2008.

  1. backpack

    backpack Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hello,

    Here are the specs for the laptop I want to purchase (Lenovo Ideapad U330):
    Display: 13.3″ Wide TFT LCD with LED Backlight
    Aspect Ratio: 16:10
    Pixel Format: 1280 x 800
    Webcam: Yes
    GPU: ATI M82SCE 256MB
    CPU: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350
    Chipset : Centrino 2 GM45
    RAM: 1066MHz DDR3
    HDD: 320GB 9mm 5400RPM
    Optical: 9.5mm Rambo Tray In
    Connectivity: HDMI, WiFi (802.11a/g/n), Bluetooth, 10/100 Ethernet
    OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit

    I do not play games, but I do like watching HQ movies. Do I need a dedicated graphics card? Will integrated graphics be fine for movies? A dedicated graphics card will drain battery & make the laptop warmer, so I don't want one if there are no benefits to watching movies & connecting it to my HDTV.

    What do you guys think?
     
    backpack, Sep 2, 2008
    #1
  2. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    The processing power needed for viewing HD or other HQ movies can be done by either the CPU or GPU, although the latter tends to be better at it. So in short, no; you do not need a discrete graphics card to view HQ content as long as you have a capable CPU.
     
    Bog, Sep 2, 2008
    #2
  3. jonhapimp

    jonhapimp Notebook Virtuoso

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    no you don't need a dedicated card
     
    jonhapimp, Sep 2, 2008
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  4. wywern209

    wywern209 NBR Dark Knight

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    no, but a dedicated video card will make it better and smoother.
     
    wywern209, Sep 2, 2008
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  5. plattnnum

    plattnnum Notebook Evangelist

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    nope dont need it
     
    plattnnum, Sep 3, 2008
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  6. stewie

    stewie What the deuce?

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    You don't "need" it, but it's good to have it.

    As for the heat and battery, a lot of people don't realized that it goes both ways, when you have an IGP, you will use a lot more CPU while watching HD movies. Plus, the U330 you posted, it has switchable graphics just like the T400, which means it has both IGP and GPU, when you don't need the GPU power, it will use the IGP for battery saving. I don't think you can get the U330 with IGP only, I haven't seen any yet.

    Here is the detailed spec of the U330:

    ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pcinstitute/psref/ipbook.pdf

     
    stewie, Sep 3, 2008
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  7. Phil

    Phil Retired

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    The U330 comes with hybrid graphics. This means you can switch between ATI Radeon HD 3450 256MB and Intel 4500HMD.

    Both will be fine to play 1080p fluently.

    I do not believe it's possible to order the U330 without Ati 3470.
     
    Phil, Sep 3, 2008
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  8. wywern209

    wywern209 NBR Dark Knight

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    yeah, if it is hybrid graphics, then ur good.
     
    wywern209, Sep 3, 2008
    #8