Integrated Graphics Ok?

[Unarmed]

Ordering a Dell 6000, will be using it for 4 tabling, watching DVD's and thats about it. Should I spring for discrete graphics? (64 MB)

Thanks.

[rdu $teve]

Integrated graphics systems blow. If you decided to update (more memory, faster, etc), it can be hard to turn the integrated card off. Another possibility is a conflict with a second card if you want to add another monitor.

Definately throw the extra cash at the discrete system

[crownjules]

Integrated will do fine for just poker playing and DVDs. If you ever think you're going to game, however, you should spend the extra money now on a separate graphics card.

[jmgurgeh]

A friend of mine just bought a new computer with integrated graphics. I don't think the computing power is as much a problem as the fact that the card takes its memory from the RAM. If you're running Windows XP, you want 512MB, and that's without something like an integrated graphics card sucking away 64MB. If you have extra RAM though, it might make little or no difference. Either way, you can get decent graphics cards for $50 that will take the load off the rest of your system (I'd go higher if you play games though). Check www.newegg.com for video cards.

The other consideration is how it affects your monitor. This doesn't matter if you have an LCD, only if you're using a standard CRT monitor where the refresh rate is important. Crappy integrated graphics chips might not get you as high a resolution and refresh rate as you want, so check to see how high you can go. A lot of people like 1600x1200 for 4 (or more) tabling, but I prefer to keep it at 1280x1024 at 85 hz. If you start playing around with this, just take one wraning to heart: DON'T set the refresh rate as high as it can go. Yes it can still technically run, but it might also damage the monitor. Choose a refresh rate one below the max, which will hopefully be at least 75 hz.

[TomBrooks]

A separate graphics card will usually get you two video outputs so you can use two monitors. I have a new XP w/ integrated video and it runs one CRT pretty OK, but it's flickering even though it's on 85 Hz. But it was flickering on my other XP machine with a GForce 5200. Funny, I didn't notice it until I got an LCD. Then I realized the CRT was flickering. Maybe the monitor is going bad.

TomBk

[Unarmed]

Ah good point.
Alright so I'll nab the discrete card then.
If I'm running one external monitor will 64 MB do the trick or should I be getting the 128?

Thx.

[AncientPC]

64MB will do the trick. More video card memory is mostly for gaming.

[Tony Corbett]

I run a Dell 2001FP at 1600x1200 as an external monitor for my Packard Bell 1.5 celron laptop with 256Mb RAM (32Mb used by the onboard graphics card.) i also run XP Home and have no problems surfing on the laptop screen and playing 4 tables on the Dell. PlayerView sometimes needs restarting after a couple of hours.

The compromise I had to make was knocking the colors down to 16 bit which is fine for poker and surfing

[rivered]

[ QUOTE ]
If you have extra RAM though, it might make little or no difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not the problem at all. It's not that it ties up ram, it's when the video card is currently using the ram your cpu can't. You can't have both the CPU and vid card reading from ram at the same time. It just kills your system and if you're going to play at somewhere like absolute or paradise, it's brutal. If you're only going to play at Party or Poker stars it shouldn't be too bad but upgrade when you can.

[AA suited]

64megs integrated graphics should be enuf to run at least 1600x1200x16bit color @75hz.

i do not notice a difference between 16 bit (64000 colors) and 32bit (1million colors) except when i'm gaming (ie: Doom3). but then again, dont even think of playing heavy graphic oriented games w/integrated graphics.