Laptop manufacturers confused about dedicated GPUs w/ mobile Sandy Bridge?

[bradsh]

According to wikipedia and anandtech, all mobile sandy bridge processors feature the Intel HD 3000 graphics GPU. Yet a bunch of new sandy bridge laptops have just come out displaying specs with dedicated GPUs slower than Intel HD 3000.

Benchmarks:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4084/intels-sandy-bridge-upheaval-in-the-mobile-landscape/5
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-3000.37948.0.html

For instance, the Sony SB pairs Sandy Bridge i5-2410m ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Bridge#Mobile_processors ) with AMD 6470m ( http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6470M.43075.0.html ) which you'll notice actually benchmarks a little slower than HD 3000. How odd would it be to throw the switch from "stamina" to "performance" and have your game run slower?

What the hell is going on here? They cannot really have missed this, can they?

 

[mnewsham]

AMD and Nvidia still have better drivers

 

[Synomenon]

I've NEVER had any problems with Intel's GPU drivers. Can't say that about NVIDIA or AMD.

 

[mnewsham]

I've NEVER had any problems with Intel's GPU drivers. Can't say that about NVIDIA or AMD.

you've never played many games with intels drivers then

 

[Synomenon]

That's a different story. Who plays games with just the built in Intel GPU anyway?

 

[podspi]

So your proof for Intel having decent drivers is that ... nobody uses them anyway?



I'm not going to go all rabid and say Intel's drivers have sucked, do suck, and will always suck. But I've had lots of visual glitches over the years that traced back not to faulty hardware, but Intel IGP driver issues (why do I keep buying laptops with Intel IGP? WHY?!)

 

[Synomenon]

I didn't say anything about proof.

Most people I know though use Intel integrated graphics and I never hear them complaining about them. It's just the small enthusiast crowd that does.

 

[mnewsham]

Because people DONT play games with the IGP until SB because SB is the first IGP that could possibly play something modern.

 

[podspi]

And what games are they playing? Man I just tried playing freelancer a few weeks ago (do you have any idea how old that game is?!) and it STILL doesn't work on Intel's newest drivers.


And it didn't back in the day either. Same visual glitch.

 

[bradsh]

HD 3000 may well be different as far as drivers because the hardware is different

 

[biostud]

I don't get it either. The only reason to add a dedicated GPU would be if it was significantly faster than the HD3000.

 

[alaricljs]

Unless they're aiming them at the informed idiot market. "My computer buddy said don't get integrated graphics cuz it's slower, so I NEED discrete GPU"

 

[mnewsham]

If you guys read the mobile SB article on Anandtech, it says something like if intel is going to be successful with the igp in gaming (when at low settings) they will need to improve divers as AMD and nvidia still reign supreme there.

 

[cotak13]

Psss, DX11.

Also, I am not sure the results you cherry picked is reality. I also noticed you posted the exact same thread to other forums.

Plus wtf is a i5-2140m? Isn't even listed on Intel.com.

 

[mnewsham]

Psss, DX11.

Also, I am not sure the results you cherry picked is reality. I also noticed you posted the exact same thread to other forums.

Plus wtf is a i5-2140m? Isn't even listed on Intel.com.

Psst click here

The i5-2410m is one of the lower end mobile Sandy Bridge chips at the moment. I'm fairly sure OP just mixed the 1 and the 4 making it 2140 instead of 2410

 

[bradsh]

Psss, DX11.

Also, I am not sure the results you cherry picked is reality. I also noticed you posted the exact same thread to other forums.

Plus wtf is a i5-2140m? Isn't even listed on Intel.com.

I posted to other forums because I'm hoping someone has an explanation. Notebookcheck is basically the gold standard of notebook GPU benchmarking; they have multiple results usually which they aggregate into a single result with standard deviation marked on a line. I added the anandtech link to bolster that stat.

I just think it's very weird. I was considering buying a Sony SB until I dug a little deeper and then I got very confused. Apple, notably, seems to not be following this route; the 13" MBP (announced today) has no dedicated gfx, while the 15 and 17 have very powerful dedicated gfx. They seem to have realized the strength of the IGP (much to my dismay, because I would buy a 13 MBP if it had *DECENT* dedicated gfx) and dumped weak dedicated gfx altogether.

The point of this thread is not so much to proclaim IGP as awesome but to puzzle on why these crappy dedicated chips are still in the market at all.

Psst click here

The i5-2410m is one of the lower end mobile Sandy Bridge chips at the moment. I'm fairly sure OP just mixed the 1 and the 4 making it 2140 instead of 2410

yep thats probably a typo on my part; sorry

 

[mnewsham]

I posted to other forums because I'm hoping someone has an explanation. Notebookcheck is basically the gold standard of notebook GPU benchmarking; they have multiple results usually which they aggregate into a single result with standard deviation marked on a line. I added the anandtech link to bolster that stat.

I just think it's very weird. I was considering buying a Sony SB until I dug a little deeper and then I got very confused. Apple, notably, seems to not be following this route; the 13" MBP (announced today) has no dedicated gfx, while the 15 and 17 have very powerful dedicated gfx. They seem to have realized the strength of the IGP (much to my dismay, because I would buy a 13 MBP if it had *DECENT* dedicated gfx) and dumped weak dedicated gfx altogether.

The point of this thread is not so much to proclaim IGP as awesome but to puzzle on why these crappy dedicated chips are still in the market at all.

You need a 13"? i would think the 15" MBP would be a good compromise

 

[Synomenon]

The point of this thread is not so much to proclaim IGP as awesome but to puzzle on why these crappy dedicated chips are still in the market at all.

Because for a large percentage of those buying notebooks, the integrated graphics are more than enough.

For those that don't want integrated graphics, the companies usually offer build to order models that let you upgrade certain components (though not all offer more advanced graphics in those build to order models).

 

[gorobei]

The point of this thread is not so much to proclaim IGP as awesome but to puzzle on why these crappy dedicated chips are still in the market at all.

part of it is business relationships. HP has been a long time supporter of amd/ati chipsets. They may have some contractual obligations as far as igp/low end card purchase minimums.
Though a more likely reason is familiarity with the system and drivers as others have mentioned. SB is very capable when it comes to handling 1080 output, but HP's engineers are way more familiar with amd's video chips and know they will definitely work in "such and such" setup. Whereas SB may have some hidden conflicts that havent come out just because it is that new.