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Need advice on low end gpus

post #1 of 15
3/7/11 at 6:47pm
Thread Starter 
Im looking for a cheap small laptop, preferibly 12". I would like the option to play games, but looking at some gpu charts im not sure if the gpus available to me are worth the extra cash!

Ive got the basic intel x4500

and then the other options are:
Nvidia 8400M GS
9200M GS
9300M GS
nVIDIA ION 2
ATI MOBILITY RADEON 4330

These are all in rank 3 according to http://www.notebookcheck.net/Compari...rds.130.0.html but some arent far off the standard intel set, so can anyone give me some guidance as to the level of benefit ill recieve from anyone of these gpu's vs the intel?

btw, not sure exactly what games id be playing, and it wouldnt be the worst thing if there were some that i couldnt play, but id like to be able to play oblivion
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post #2 of 15
3/7/11 at 7:37pm
If you can afford to buy any new system with an Intel Sandy Bridge processor (Core i3/i5/i7 2xx0), the on-die graphics Intel uses for that are roughly twice as powerful as their previous generation and also better than any of the graphics cards you listed. Basically, a notebook with Sandy Bridge will be able to play most current games at low settings or resolutions and older or less demanding games at medium or high settings or resolutions.
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post #3 of 15
3/8/11 at 5:46pm
Thread Starter 
I dont think i can afford an i3.. plus not all have the hd300 graphics.. Can you tell me if the graphics card on that list are in order of decreasing performance? or are they just put into the 5categories and then randomly listed? thats all i really need to know, then i can decide myself.
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post #4 of 15
3/8/11 at 5:48pm
What is a price range that you would want to invest?

cheers ...
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post #5 of 15
3/8/11 at 6:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by maxitwist View Post
I dont think i can afford an i3.. plus not all have the hd300 graphics.. Can you tell me if the graphics card on that list are in order of decreasing performance? or are they just put into the 5categories and then randomly listed? thats all i really need to know, then i can decide myself.
Okay. From best to worst:

1.) ATI Mobility Radeon 4330 (better than the others in almost everything)

2.) & 3.) Nvidia 9200M GS & 9300M GS (exact same specs)

4.) Nvidia Ion 2

5.) Nvidia 8400M GS
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post #6 of 15
3/8/11 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 
thanks, but does anyone know if the % signs next to these cards http://www.notebookcheck.net/Compari...rds.130.0.html is how good they are?

Edit: i meant this list
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post #7 of 15
3/8/11 at 6:33pm
Yes, the percentages indicate the approximate percentage of power each card has in proportion to the top mobile graphics card(s). Notebook Check typically ranks graphics cards primarily by their performance in 3DMark05 and then by other benchmarks and game tests.
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post #8 of 15
3/9/11 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 
Hi, thanks for the help thus far. you mentioned that the sandy bridge processors contain better graphics then most of the cards listed. You also said these come with any ix processor? However according to that chart there are 3different kinds of graphics that come with the sandy bridge processors:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-H...0.37948.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-H...0.37994.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-G...D.23065.0.html


I could have bought a really good lappy for €500 on ebay, core i5 but i chickened out because i was unsure which graphics i'd end up with...! thanks man
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post #9 of 15
3/9/11 at 6:21pm
Due to Intel's poor naming scheme, you have to pay attention to the number after the Core i(3/5/7) as well. if the number is 4 digits long, starts with a 2, and ends with a 0, then it has the graphics you want.
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post #10 of 15
3/9/11 at 7:51pm
Thread Starter 
so this, http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...=STRK:MEWAX:IT laptop doesnt have the good card since its called 540M ?

and so everything named in this link http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-G...D.23065.0.html
  • High End: Core i5 520M, 540M, i7 620M: 500-766 MHz
  • Low End: Core i3 330M, 350M: 500-677 MHz
  • Low Voltage: Core i7 620LM, 640LM: 266-566 MHz
  • Ultra Low Voltage: Core i5-520UM, i5-620UM, 640UM: 166-500 MHz
is also wrong?!!
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post #11 of 15
3/9/11 at 8:52pm
All of the i(3/5/7) series are good processors, but the integrated graphics on last year's versions (called Intel HD Graphics) is not anywhere near as good as it is on this year's models (called GMA 3000).

None of the processors you mentioned in your post are this year's models, so none of them have decent graphics.
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post #12 of 15
3/16/11 at 9:09pm
Thread Starter 

Now to buy one..

Thanks for everything, now ive just got to decide which one to get. I was fairly set on this one, the specs seem perfect http://www.amazon.co.uk/dv3-2310ea-1.../dp/B0033PRQGU However ive read some bad reviews about serious overheating and/or poor build quality.
An alternative is the dell xps here: http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

But perhaps i havent researched enough.. most of my finds have been through searches on ebay. Is there any other options or should i go with the hp anyway?
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post #13 of 15
3/16/11 at 11:27pm
The HP is much more powerful (better processor and video card). I don't think you'll find much of a build quality difference between HP's consumer line and Dell's consumer line. Neither are fantastic, but if you want something with good build quality at your price point, you may have to sacrifice a lot of performance. If I was choosing between those two, I'd take the HP. If I wanted to get something that had a very good chance of lasting a while at your price point, I'd look for a used Thinkpad.
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post #14 of 15
3/22/11 at 5:29am
Thread Starter 
Yes, things like that make me want a thinkpad or an ideapad. And im not sure if I entirelly need a graphic card, the only thing really keeping me away from one. From what i can see the only graphics these have at my price is radeon hd3200 or 6310.
Djembe, do you think id be able to play games on this chip? i never really cared about the quality and would gladly diminish the detail to as low as possible, the ability to play games was all i was ever looking for. Do you think that that would be possible with this measly chip? Could it handle oblivion? (it seems pretty graphic intensive to me but then again it is 4-5yrs old so maybe its not anymore?)
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post #15 of 15
4/4/11 at 9:42pm
I dont know the Alienware M11x is a pretty nice machine and not very expensive with better than lower end graphics for the money... You can get it with an i5 or i7 ULV cpu as well.
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