Buyin SR today. Graphics Card?

Hello everyone. I will be buying the SR online with the 200 dollar off coupon and was wondering if upgrading the graphics card to the ATI one for $100 will make a difference for what i will be using it for. No gaming, only hooking it up to a 42 inch tv and streaming WMV HD videos online. Do i need it?

 

does the TV use VGA or HDMI? just wondering.

As for the 200 off coupon, does it still work? i havent tried it recently.

Unless you plan on gaming, I don't see a reason to get the ATI card... I enjoy the extra 1.5 hours I get from the intel GPU, but it's all based on what you're going to do with it.

 

I hope the coupon works. It says on computermonger.com that it expires on the 26th. tv has hdmi.... but you are saying i will get 1.5 hrs less usage per charge with the graphics card? maybe im better off buying a 22 or 24 inch monitor and hooking up with vga?

 

I'd say go for the dedicated card. You never know when you might need that little bit of extra juice. Also, the "1.5 hours" of battery life difference is a gross overestimate, the real difference might be in the 20-30 minute range.

 

just looked at the back of my tv and it also has what looks like vga but under it, it says RGB... ?

 

Red green blue. Don't worry about it. Anyway, HDMI + integrated graphics is uh.........I wouldn't be sure if it would work with it or not on an HDTV. However, I got my studio with an ATI graphics card, and it works just fine.

 

I thought the SR had no hdmi port?

 

I was just thinking that

Apparently the IGP in the SR can handle decoding duties anyway, so unless you're playing games, I'd save your money. http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphics-Media-Accelerator-4500MHD-GMA-X4500MHD.9883.0.html

 

it doesnt haha. heck, it doesnt even have a vga port...at least on mine...
so im not too sure how youre gonna hook it up to your tv OP hehe

EDIT: oh! nevermind! i just found the vga port! haha its on the left side beside the heat vent right? oh and looks like there was originally a cutout for an hdmi port too...wonder why sony didnt just put one in

 

Unless you plan to game, get the integrated.

 

I think there's gonna be a SR200 series with blu ray and hdmi coming out soon... it's on amazon for pre order already

 

if there is blu-ray and hdmi, i think i might have to return the one i just ordered

 

wait, just had a look at the pictures at amazon, doesnt seem like they have hdmi, the only difference i saw was that now, the silver version has black keys..

 

i hope you're right

i would be so mad... if they put blu ray and hdmi in the new SR... that was one of the big reasons why i hesitated to buy the SR..

 

yeah, same here, i dont want to pass on the great deal i had

 

the new SR with bluray sounds good. makes me regret buying asus u6v even more.

and i would get the ATI graphics card regardless. it's only $100 bucks but it's a good investment. you never know when you're going to need it.

 

Okay, the estimate of Intel GPU and ATI is MORE than 20-30 minutes. I've owned both. The Integrated will easily get at least 45-1 hour more life and it's cooler as well (slightly- but not enough to warrant a purchase).

Anyway..the SR200 better not have HDMI. I will personally complain to sony and have them install an HDMI port on my SR190 or else....

 

haha im with ya

 

Do we have any idea when this is going to occur? If it's on Amazon for pre-order does that signify an impending (soon) release?

I don't want to order the SR100 series if 2 weeks later I will have been able to grab the 200 with HDMI...

 

just the the one u need now, and ship it back if you want to get the new one

 

If it has hdmi and a freakin better GPU, all hell is gonna break loose. **** sony! My return period just ran out(30 days AFTER purchase...not after recieving the computer) bleh.

Oh well, i still got an amazing deal on mine...so i cant complain too much. Besides, who needs bluray on a 13.3 inch nonHD screen when you have a PS3....and a soon to be HD TV

 

But i want a portable blu ray reader/burner with hdmi output

 

I seriously doubt that it'd get a better GPU dude. Really.... I don't see Sony really upgrading it for the SR. I see the need for the FW.... but not the SR.

HEY, it's a DARN EXPENSIVE privilege to have Blu-Ray ability on any laptop or any computer right now. Personally I think it's a waste of money until it does become more widespread and used more. (When it doesn't cost an arm to buy. xD)

Personally, I think it's just for the retail outlets to try and pass off mediocre models and stuff, but still somewhat appeal to the masses. I love my SR, and I think the only thing I'd trade it or also like to use concurrently is an IdeaPad u330. That's it. I love the screen and microphone and other stuff... too much. xD You just can't get that kind of quality in other laptops.

 

I agree with this. Additionally, I absolutely refuse to shell out the $500 until Sony gets its act together and makes it a slot-loader rather than tray. Every VAIO I've owned has had the tray-loader break at some point or another. Luckily, I'm not at all reliant on having an optical drive (though I do prefer to have one).

 

are you sure about this?

 

I totally disagree....blurays are pretty cheap on the new upcoming vaios, they are a $150 dollar upgrade...so its totally possible


In terms of my return period thing...from the research i have done on the net about sonystyle's return policy, its 30 days from purchase, not 30 days from recieving the machine. Eitherway, in 5 days it will be 30 days from recieving the machine and i'm most likely not going to return my machine with office 2007 for free, the campus bundle, 2 year ADH warranty, etc etc. to pay MORE money for a computer that will most likely be less powerful/identical to the SR190...