new laptop videocard upgrade or not

Hi to all, I love forums, the people on forums are usally so helpful and want to share their advice, thoughts and opinions. Hope to get some good advice here thanks in advance.

I'm planning on buying a Dell Vostro 1500 with these specs. and have a few questions. I would like to keep my cost around $800.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7100 1.8GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB (upgraded from 1.4GHz), 2 meg ram, 200g 7200 hard drive(upgrade from 160mb 5400rpm), Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition

The video card is a Intel integrated graphics media accelerator x3100. I will be using this laptop for internet, watching down loaded video clips, pictures storage and editing, burning and such. No gaming at all. Would this Intel integrated graphics media accelerator x3100 be fine for what I'm doing or should I upgrade to a 128mb NVIDIA GeForce 8400m GS for $100.?

I upgraded the hard drive and processor speed already and I would like to keep the cost down and not get anything I wouldn't realy benifit from.

Would is be or is it hard to add this upgraded video card later?

Should I change to a 1.6 GHz processor and go with the 128mb NVIDIA GeForce 8400m GS. $837. or stick with the 1.8 GHz processor and the Intel integrated graphics media accelerator x3100 $793.?

Any thoughts or advice would be helpful.

 

If you're not gaming, get the X3100, but upgrade the CPU to the 1st one with 4MB cache

I'm not sure, but I don't think you can change the X3100 later on. It depends on whether Dell provides a slot for it

 

If you're not gaming at all, then don't bother with a dedicated gpu. The x3100 will be perfectly fine for what you do.

They don't. If you get a dedicated card, then yes there's a slot for future expansion. But if you get the integrated card, then there isn't.

 

How can I tell if there is a slot? Maybe you can tell me? Here is the link.

 

seriously ?

 

X3100 will be good enough for you.

 

Integrated cards are soldered onto the motherboard. This means that they are absolutely not upgradable. Some discrete cards are; the best thing to do is to max out your spending on the non-upgradable components in your laptop and upgrade later.

 

I also agree that a X3100 would be suited for your needs.

If you would like to find about more information about upgrading GPUs please look at this thread- Upgrading Mobile Video cards

 

a bot off topic, but with the alienware MX15, you get AND an IGP AND a dedicated 8800M
nothing for the TS, but it sometimes does happen that an extra slot is provided

 

Spacoli is talking about upgrading his dell purchase to the dedicated board, not after the fact.

 

he also asked whether it was easy to upgrade later

 

My bad I missed that part.