Should I upgrade my graphic card?

It comes standard with a Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000 or should I upgrade to the the 1GB AMD Radeon(TM) HD 7470M GDDR5 Discrete Graphics(TM) [HDMI, VGA] for $75 more dollars. Which is better and why? Thank you!!!!!

 

Yes.

GPU is better than iGPU.

 

What makes it better? Is there a large noticeable difference and is it worth the extra $75? Sorry I am just trying to learn! Thanks!

 

The HD3000 isn't that bad in the great scheme of things but it simply cannot compete with other cards in the range (Whatever that range might be). The latest version will be the HD4000 and while better still isn't that great but any added performance is welcome.

Intel HD Graphics 3000 - Notebookcheck.net Tech
AMD Radeon HD 7470M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

Have a careful look at the fps from the links above as it's not as clear cut for the $75 extra. Either way it is probably better to get the card

 

What are you planning on using the laptop for? That will determine which graphics option you choose. If your only going to be using it for web surfing, email, office, printing, etc., then the Intel graphics should be fine. However, if you plan on doing anything that requires 3D acceleration, particularly games, then go with the Radeon card.

 

Hello, maybe I missed where you stated what machine you had or were getting, but based on what you said and looking at other post in response to your question, leads me to believe you haven't purchased the laptop yet. I say this because in most cases you cannot upgrade your GPU, they are soldered directly to the board via a BGA chip. So with that said I'm assuming you have the option of choosing which to get, based on our experience as a company. You want the best you can get period. People tell others that it depends on what you are doing with the laptop which is true to a degree, but almost inevitably in all circumstances you are not going to be happy with the cheapest one.

If you surf the web having a high video resolution will make things loader faster and cleaner, period. If you watch videos or you do graphic design, or music, CAD, or games you are going to want a laptop with a actual video card in it not just a chip. These machines are well over $2000 in most cases. So you really have to think about what you want, in most cases it is safer just to go with the better chip.

If used for the wrong things they will eventually fail, how do I know this? Well this is where my expertise comes in. I work for one of the largest component level repair companies for laptops in this country. We see every laptop you can think brand and or model, some more than others. Hope this helps out...

Regards,

Don