Put your 2 cents in about switchable graphics on Anandtech hardware review site

This article is discussing the new AMD 6990M mobile gpu but it also touching on the site wanting to test out AMD's new Switchable Graphics tech.

AnandTech - AMD Raises the Mobile Performance Bar with Radeon HD 6990M

Put your two cents in the comments section and ask the author of the article to review the DV6 6100 for himself.

Anandtech is a top tier, reputable tech review site for those not familiar.

 

I personally wouldn't buy switchable graphics due to the cost. I would much rather have a better gpu than have two inferior ones for the same price. I have my asus for gaming and my gateway for travel. I do understand that some people might need the 2 in 1. I've priced them around a little bit and the cost of getting laptop with a high end card and a igp is almost enough to buy 2 laptops.( which is what I ended up doing). But like i said some people might need them, but I'm cheap =P

 

You're paying for two graphics cards regardless of whether the discrete is strong or weak. Even discrete-only systems have the integrated graphics. They just can't access it.

 

PC's in most cases do, but not laptops. I don't know where you've been getting your information.
As a manufacturer It wouldn't make any sense to pay for a igp in a laptop when it has a dedicated card. Unless it is switchable.

 

For Sandy Bridges, the integrated graphics card is on the same die as the processor. You're not getting a different processor so essentially it is a hidden cost in your laptop.

 

In some cases kinda. That is a new cpu and when the igp is not set up it aids the cpu in other tasks. The motherboard still has to be set up to use the igp. Your paying for the cpu the igp isnt a bonus its just part of the cpu able to render Graphics more efficiently than the other. And what if you don't have a sandy bridges prossesor and have a dedicated gpu?

 

What else would it be paired with? You would have to get a SB proc to make sure you're never bottlenecked by the CPU.

 

What would what be paired with?

 

The IGP portion of the processor does nothing at all when you are running a discrete graphics card.

Arrandale (non-I7 versions) had integrated graphics in the package but not on die, so you paid for integrated graphics if you got an I3 and I5 mobile. If you couldn't switch to it since you were using discrete, its a hidden cost.

 

Actually the Igp on the sb helps to decode and incode hd video.

 

The discrete graphics card. (6770m in this case)

I don't think it does. Are you talking about quick sync?

 

Not on desktop models. I have sandy bridge on both my desktops but use P67 motherboards which dont allow me to use the IGP, which is fine by me because Intel IGPs are still pretty meh. In the desktop SB world, you need an H67 or Z68 board to use the IGP. With the H67 you then cant OC the CPU. With Z68 you can OC and use the IGP but its more expensive than the P67 and H67 boards.

To be honest an IGP is an unwelcome addition to all my setups so I agree with you in part.

I really dont think youve got your maths right though. Having an IGP in SB laptops is not a choice. You just have it; its there; you cant get rid - its on the die. To say Switchable Graphics is not affordable is not that logical either. There's no price difference with discrete only solutions...so overall not sure where youre going with your comment. You say its twice as expensive? So IF we could remove IGP from our DV6s our laptops would only be @ US$500? Bring it on! I want a DV6 that cheap - screw the Intel on board junk!

 

Hmm well i could be wrong about it using the igp. I thought i read an article about how it did ,but I can't find it. Buy a different laptop =P that's why sb is more expensive than other cpus.

A laptops with switchable video cards and laptops with sb are expensive.
Back in jan when I was pricing laptops I could buy a laptop with, I think it was the 360m gtx, was about $1500. I ended up getting my g73jw for $900.