Any reason to get a standalone graphics card instead of integrated graphics

[Maximilian]

My usage will be only browsing, youtube hd, music and office work. In other words, it will be a productivity computer. I'm a sucker for lag free computer and would like to know if getting an additional graphics card(a minimum spec one) will help my case.

Thanks

No.

 

[mv2devnull]

I'm surprised. How is Skype affected by graphics?

It can have video?

 

[njdevilsfan87]

My modeling involves running large numbers of simulations or iterative processes where I can take full advantage of multi-threading. For what it's worth, some of my code must be run through Excel/VBA, which probably ups the RAM requirements. Right? That's the reason I'm considering 8GB. Upgrading the proc. to i5 and a board with HDMI and DVI connectivity options.

Sounds like you're best off just getting the best CPU your budget can fit without any dGPU. If you're taking advantage of multi-threading you may want to look into some of the cheaper E3 server chips that will run on mainstream motherboards, and offer you HT like the i7 chips do. If you do that just make sure it comes with an IGP because I know some of them do not.

 

[KingFatty]

I think the title of this post is throwing off several people. It's a false-dichotomy, because you aren't forced to make an either-or choice at all (contrary to what the title suggests).

Just start off with the integrated graphics at step 1, and if it's sufficient, you are good to go. If integrated is insufficient, then proceed to step 2 and buy a discrete graphics card to have the best of both worlds.

For me, the question collapses down to asking whether you should specifically try to find a CPU/motherboard combo that *DOESN'T* have integrated graphics. But I think everyone would agree that it's a poor sacrifice from any cost/benefit analysis to do that. Rather, just get a CPU/mobo set up that has integrated graphics, and go from there.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm surprised. How is Skype affected by graphics?

It has to do with Windows 7 and clip rectangles and desktop compositing.

It depends on the windows underneath the Skype window, and their clip rectangles. If you have a window with a border that is in the middle of the Skype window, you get tearing of the video, because the two halves of the Skype window on each side of the underlying window border get updated separately, and not always in sync. It looks like tearing, it's pretty bad.

The problem is greatly reduced, but not eliminated, with an NV discrete card.

 

[richaron]

If I was buying a computer for "intensive" spreadsheets I would think very, very hard about buying a Kaveri chip and running LibreOffice.

There is the potential a ~cheap~ AMD chip would smoke anything Intel has made.

 

[Blue_Max]

If I was buying a computer for "intensive" spreadsheets I would think very, very hard about buying a Kaveri chip and running LibreOffice.

There is the potential a ~cheap~ AMD chip would smoke anything Intel has made.

Dang.... clever! :thumbsup:

 

[Deders]

If I was buying a computer for "intensive" spreadsheets I would think very, very hard about buying a Kaveri chip and running LibreOffice.

There is the potential a ~cheap~ AMD chip would smoke anything Intel has made.

I'd double check that Libreoffice with hardware acceleration calculated accurately. When I tested it with my Mandelobrot fractal sheet for some reason all the results were wrong. Not sure if it's because of rounding errors or not enough decimal places.

 

[richaron]

I'd double check that Libreoffice with hardware acceleration calculated accurately. When I tested it with my Mandelobrot fractal sheet for some reason all the results were wrong. Not sure if it's because of rounding errors or not enough decimal places.

That's probably a floating point thing. Unless you understand the nuances of how the data is handled, or software is specifically designed (i.e. "scientific"), this is a problem in many different programs (and completely independent of processor).

I wasn't saying it was perfect for all situations, but for some situations Kaveri would rule.

 

[lynna]

If you're willing to spend more for integrated graphics then suit yourself into it. You have to decide something that will make you comfortable and something that will help you in anything that you want to do your computer.