Integrated Video vs. Radeon Cards

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fokkerpilot

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Can someone help me out with this? I'm looking to buy a new computer; something for both home and gaming. I look at certain computers that have 2.8ghz processors and the price is right. Then I see that they have "Integrated Intel Graphics" which I find to be the pits on my son's computer.

Basically, I'm looking to run new games such as MOH Pacific Assault - which will no longer run on my Home Built AMD 1ghz machine. Funny thing is I installed an ATI Radeon card in that after I smoked the nVidia card that was in it.

All in all, I'm confused at why some top end machines are coming out with integrated cards. I tend not to trust them and I understand that they are a real pain in the rear to upgrade the video with. What's the difference between the integrated and the regular slotted cards?

Thanks,

Jack
 
The Intregrated Graphics are crap dont depend on those to give you 3D graphics. I would build a computer myself since they can be upgraded easily graphics wise, But if you dont want to do that at least buy one with a good card already in it, or the cheaper way is to buy one with the intregrated graphics and upgrade later. Just make sure you buy a computer with a 8x AGP slot. Some of these dells and gateways dont have AGP interfaces. Dont settle for a PCI card either. The intregrated graphics is slow and clunky compared to a HARDWARE display card. Also the intregrated graphics eats away at your physical memory. Example 512mb ram and you have the intregrated graphics at 128 mb. You will only have 384mb physical memory left with the intregrated.
 
You're correct in your decision to be skeptical of machines with integrated video. If you're going to play new games such as MOHPA, or Doom 3, or something of that nature, integrated graphics will most definitely dissappoint. Integrated graphics does nothing more than take away from your CPU and RAM. For example, if you have a computer with 512 MB of RAM, and integrated graphics of 64 MB, your computer will be effectively using 448 MB of RAM, because the onboard video takes up 64 MB. Also, the processor must help "pick up the slack" as well, because onboard video doesn't have a graphics processing unit of its own. In other words, stay away from onboard graphics for gaming :)

If you're looking to play the latest games, I would highly suggest building your own computer as opposed to buying a storebought one. You can get the graphics card you want, and build one that would far outperform something in the store for the same amount of money. If building your own is something you'd like to do, I'd be happy to help you pick out the parts on here. Just tell me your budget and what you need (monitor, speakers, etc, or just the computer) and I'll take care of the rest.
 
Uzi and Pizza, thank you so mucch for your input. I figured that building my own would be the best way to go about things. Dells and the rest offer such a mix-mash of stuff - some good, some crap; and it makes one's head spin trying to figure out exactly what you want.

Pizza, I'll take you up on the offer. I'll probably gut the case I have my AOpen Ak73 Pro Board in and see if that one can be used. I'll have to pull up the stats on what I have in the old home-built. I've never built one. My brother made mine but he lives on the West Coast now. So this will be a first. I can see either a blackout on the mid-atlantic seaboard or a small mushroom cloud once I plug it in - LOL.

I can say for sure that I lean toward the AMD Athlon for starters.
I'll email you with the rest of my wish list.

Thanks folks!!!

Jack
 
Yes, never buy ANYTHING INTEGRATED! I have a integrated Sony, runs at 1.8ghz 533mhz 1GB Ram. I got it when i was 15, that was 3 years ago, so it wasent extremely bad. But i like its design alot.

If you need help buying a (brand Name computer) rather then a custom built computer by yourself, heres a good site. Here are the systems i recommend.

http://www.ibuypower.com/ibp/store/configurator.aspx?mid=65

http://www.ibuypower.com/ibp/store/configurator.aspx?mid=90

Dont forget you can change anything about these computers, so take advantage.
 
I used to have integrated GeForce MX graphics in my old HP, and they sucked for anything newer than Quake 3 engine games.
 
integrated graphics use your CPU to process the video, and takes some of the RAM as VRAM
doing this leaves less resources to do other things, and the CPU is not designed for graphics processing so it cannot do certain things a proper video card can; i.e. it is unlikely it will have some of the DirectX features some games need to run

I would say at the very minimum get a Radeon 9600 XT, it is a cheap but alright video card; I would lean towards the 6600 GT if you have the money, it is probbably the best performing card for its price, stomps all over just about every card out except for these cards:
Radeon X800 XT
Radeon X850 Pro and XT
6800 GT, Ultra and Ultra EE

but they are getting on the expensive side of things
 
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