Intel x3000 and x3100 graphics cards - are they "real" graphics cards?

[e-man]

...or are they shared memory graphics cards?

Thanks.

[board123]

AFAIK Intel doesn't have any "real" video cards by your definition.

[ShadowVlican]

AFAIK Intel doesn't have any "real" video cards by your definition.
:arrowu: :lol:

e-man, the terms you're looking for is discrete ("real") or integrated ("shared memory")

(though i'd like to add that some "real" graphics cards also have "shared memory" :lol: )

[willy]

Another news ... Intel is planning to enter discrete graphics card market in 2008 !

http://digitimes.com/mobos/a20070606VL207.html

[Oversized Rooster]

:arrowu: :lol:

e-man, the terms you're looking for is discrete ("real") or integrated ("shared memory")

(though i'd like to add that some "real" graphics cards also have "shared memory" :lol: )

True. Specifically, there are some low-end models from both ATI and nVidia which have a discrete GPU and PCB, but share system memory. Well...such cards DO pack in something like 16-32MB on dedicated discrete memory (memory on the PCB), but to deliver you the true 128-512MB they advertise, these cards tap into the system memory for the rest.

I think the ATI technology was called HyperMemory. I don't recall the nVidia term, but it's all the same. Some GeForce 6200 cards, and ATI X300-series cards do this.

[SkeptiKal12]

True. Specifically, there are some low-end models from both ATI and nVidia which have a discrete GPU and PCB, but share system memory. Well...such cards DO pack in something like 16-32MB on dedicated discrete memory (memory on the PCB), but to deliver you the true 128-512MB they advertise, these cards tap into the system memory for the rest.

I think the ATI technology was called HyperMemory. I don't recall the nVidia term, but it's all the same. Some GeForce 6200 cards, and ATI X300-series cards do this.

Turbocache perhaps for the nVidia camp.

[e-man]

You think these cards are any good? I need to get a new notebook for work (yes, we get to choose and order our own) and I was thinking of a Dell M1210 with a discrete Nvidia card or a Lenovo V200 series with a Santa Rosa chipset and an X3100.

Price is very similar, so I'm a little torn as to which one to get. Better chipset (Lenovo) or better graphics (M1210)

I don't do tons of graphics, but do the occassional Photoshop. I do a fair amount of Visio too.

Thanks.

[matkun]

If your not gaming on it, the Intel integrated graphics (the X3100) is absolutely fine.

I'd go with the Lenovo. Hands down better quality then Dell laptops.

[Kwirky]

You think these cards are any good? I need to get a new notebook for work (yes, we get to choose and order our own) and I was thinking of a Dell M1210 with a discrete Nvidia card or a Lenovo V200 series with a Santa Rosa chipset and an X3100.

Price is very similar, so I'm a little torn as to which one to get. Better chipset (Lenovo) or better graphics (M1210)

I don't do tons of graphics, but do the occassional Photoshop. I do a fair amount of Visio too.

Thanks.

This graph shows 3Dmark06 scores: http://www.pcwelt.de/index.cfm?pid=1175&pk=79788&p=10

[Sgt_Strider]

If your not gaming on it, the Intel integrated graphics (the X3100) is absolutely fine.

I'd go with the Lenovo. Hands down better quality then Dell laptops.

Looking at the budget lines of Lenovo laptops, I would disagree with your opinion. If the OP wants a Lenovo laptop, I would strongly recommend that he consider the Thinkpad lineup of laptops.

[Sgt_Strider]

You think these cards are any good? I need to get a new notebook for work (yes, we get to choose and order our own) and I was thinking of a Dell M1210 with a discrete Nvidia card or a Lenovo V200 series with a Santa Rosa chipset and an X3100.

Price is very similar, so I'm a little torn as to which one to get. Better chipset (Lenovo) or better graphics (M1210)

I don't do tons of graphics, but do the occassional Photoshop. I do a fair amount of Visio too.

Thanks.

If you're just going to use Office software with your laptop then the Intel integrated videocard will be more than adequate. I'm using Office 2007 on my ultraportable laptop with GMA 950 graphics without any slowdowns.

I don't know about photoshop though since I don't use that program. I think it would be fine though, but I think the CPU may be more important since photoshop is more resource intensive than office.

[terrybear]

sounds like you might want to look at a lappy with at least 2 gig of ram a high speed core2duo cpu & at least a mid range graphics solution like if you wait long enough something like the moble radeon HD 2600 XT to help with any photo or video type of work you may do.

thing may burn your lap but you will have LOTS of processing power for the next few years to come. :)

[board123]

I don't know about photoshop though since I don't use that program. I think it would be fine though, but I think the CPU may be more important since photoshop is more resource intensive than office.
Photoshop doesn't rely on the video card at all. In CS3 there's a "3D acceleration" feature but that's only for 3D work and some have reported that it does nothing. I find CS3 quite a bit more intensive than CS2, even on my desktop computer. I think RAM is more important than CPU power in this case.

[Sgt_Strider]

Photoshop doesn't rely on the video card at all. In CS3 there's a "3D acceleration" feature but that's only for 3D work and some have reported that it does nothing. I find CS3 quite a bit more intensive than CS2, even on my desktop computer. I think RAM is more important than CPU power in this case.

Now that you mentioned it, I think CPU and RAM is important for photoshop. Some websites use Photoshop as a benchmark for CPUs.

If the OP really want to use photoshop on his laptop, I suggest he do some more research. I can assure him that Office 2007 will run fine on most modern day laptops.

[board123]

Office 2007 is certainly more demanding than 2003 but it runs fine on my T5600 laptop. Sometimes scrolling is choppy when there are pictures in the files but I think that's more of a software rendering issue than poor performance because it sometimes gets choppy on my desktop as well.

[Sgt_Strider]

Office 2007 is certainly more demanding than 2003 but it runs fine on my T5600 laptop. Sometimes scrolling is choppy when there are pictures in the files but I think that's more of a software rendering issue than poor performance because it sometimes gets choppy on my desktop as well.

How so? I ran Office 2003 and Office 2007 on my ultraportable with no noticeable differences in speed. Neither software had problems with my Core Solo U1400 even when it's in battery mode.

[e-man]

Now that you mentioned it, I think CPU and RAM is important for photoshop. Some websites use Photoshop as a benchmark for CPUs.

If the OP really want to use photoshop on his laptop, I suggest he do some more research. I can assure him that Office 2007 will run fine on most modern day laptops.

Well, I do need to do some Photoshop, but not tons. I like the Dell, but the Lenovo has better specs. The Santa Rosa sounds like it could have more legs than the Dell. Decisions decisions...

[Sgt_Strider]

Well, I do need to do some Photoshop, but not tons. I like the Dell, but the Lenovo has better specs. The Santa Rosa sounds like it could have more legs than the Dell. Decisions decisions...

Santa Rosa is part of the Centrino platform that Dell does carry.

[JLee]

i wouldn't hesitate to get an intel gma x3100 on a laptop.

[1madman1]

Intel USED to make discreet add in display adapters for a while -back in the Voodoo2 era (i740, i750, i752/i754). They didn't perform all very well though, despite Intel's marketing claims at the time.

[Sgt_Strider]

Intel USED to make discreet add in display adapters for a while -back in the Voodoo2 era (i740, i750, i752/i754). They didn't perform all very well though, despite Intel's marketing claims at the time.

Yea, that's why Intel left that and the RAM business.

[e-man]

Anybody know how much of a performance increase I could expect from a Santa Rosa 2.0 CPU versus a normal (Napa) 1.83 CPU? Both are Core 2 Duos.

The reviews for the x3100 seem pretty positive so far, although I do like the look of the m1210.

Thanks.

[matkun]

Looking at the budget lines of Lenovo laptops, I would disagree with your opinion. If the OP wants a Lenovo laptop, I would strongly recommend that he consider the Thinkpad lineup of laptops.

Ah, I assumed that Lenovo still had only Thinkpads.. didn't know they had a budget lin.

[board123]

Not exactly a "budget line." It's their original product line before they took over the Thinkpad business from IBM.

[Sgt_Strider]

Not exactly a "budget line." It's their original product line before they took over the Thinkpad business from IBM.

Yea it's like a quasi-budget line. If you look at the product though, I think you can agree that it's a budget ultraportable notebook. I think it uses a plastic case.

[1madman1]

I think it uses a plastic case.
So do the new Thinkpads.... The solid magnesium outer casing of the X30/T40 days is no more.

[lazybum131]

So do the new Thinkpads.... The solid magnesium outer casing of the X30/T40 days is no more.
Not according to Tabook (http://www5.pc.ibm.com/us/me.nsf/webdocs-L/Personal+Systems+Reference:ThinkPad+Notebooks:Engl ish/$FILE/tabook.pdf), X61's casing is still all magnesium alloy.

The T61 got something called super-elastic polycarbonate for the top, and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic on the bottom, but with those internal magnesium rollcages I wouldn't worry too much about durability.

[e-man]

Hmmm...the Dell m1210 has a GeForce 7400 Go, and the Lenovo has an x3100. Amazingly, the GeForce won't support Directx 10, but the Lenovo will!

[tsehou]

Anybody know how much of a performance increase I could expect from a Santa Rosa 2.0 CPU versus a normal (Napa) 1.83 CPU? Both are Core 2 Duos.

The reviews for the x3100 seem pretty positive so far, although I do like the look of the m1210.

Thanks.

What reviews are you reading?

[matkun]

Hmmm...the Dell m1210 has a GeForce 7400 Go, and the Lenovo has an x3100. Amazingly, the GeForce won't support Directx 10, but the Lenovo will!

Yes.. except look at this (scroll down halfway for the table, doesn't matter that it's in Chinese, the game names are in Eglish and the FPS in #)

http://hkepc.com/bbs/hwdb.php?tid=788757&tp=santarosa&rid=788760

It's one thing to support and run.. but I doubt anyone would want to play FEAR at 10 FPS or Company of Heroes at 5, even at 1024x768 resolution.

The X3100 scores 800 on 3dMark05.. the 7400 Go scores 1900, so I'd expect the 7400 Go to manage twice the FPS roughly. That turns unplayable 10 FPS into barely playable 20.. and unplayable 5 FPS to unplayable 10 FPS.

Still not very useful :P

[e-man]

What reviews are you reading?

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3555&article=Intel+G965

[e-man]

Yes.. except look at this (scroll down halfway for the table, doesn't matter that it's in Chinese, the game names are in Eglish and the FPS in #)

http://hkepc.com/bbs/hwdb.php?tid=788757&tp=santarosa&rid=788760

It's one thing to support and run.. but I doubt anyone would want to play FEAR at 10 FPS or Company of Heroes at 5, even at 1024x768 resolution.

The X3100 scores 800 on 3dMark05.. the 7400 Go scores 1900, so I'd expect the 7400 Go to manage twice the FPS roughly. That turns unplayable 10 FPS into barely playable 20.. and unplayable 5 FPS to unplayable 10 FPS.

Still not very useful :P

But everyone seems to think it is a driver issue. Apparently only the beta drivers came out not long ago.

[matkun]

But everyone seems to think it is a driver issue. Apparently only the beta drivers came out not long ago.

Possibly, but drivers aren't going to provide a 100-200% speed boost, which is what would be needed to make those games go from being a fast slideshow to playable.

[e-man]

Possibly, but drivers aren't going to provide a 100-200% speed boost, which is what would be needed to make those games go from being a fast slideshow to playable.

Not disagreeing with you, but they say that the existing drivers may not have the hardware T&L activated.

Truthfully, I'm not sure that I need the high-end graphics anyways. This is supposed to be a work laptop! I'm thinking that the Dell's build quality will be a better choice than the Lenovo (non-ThinkPad).

[matkun]

I wouldn't trust the build quality on the Dell either.. if it's supposed to be a work laptop, I would go for the Thinkpad line.

[Sgt_Strider]

Not disagreeing with you, but they say that the existing drivers may not have the hardware T&L activated.

Truthfully, I'm not sure that I need the high-end graphics anyways. This is supposed to be a work laptop! I'm thinking that the Dell's build quality will be a better choice than the Lenovo (non-ThinkPad).

Even if T&L is activated, you're not going to get 100% increase ins peed. Most games don't even support DirectX10, so don't buy a laptop just for that feature. Even if more games come out with DX10 support, the X3100 chip is just too slow to run any modern day games at an acceptable framerate.

[Sgt_Strider]

So do the new Thinkpads.... The solid magnesium outer casing of the X30/T40 days is no more.

As what the other guy have said, you're wrong and I'm right :rolleyes:.

[Sgt_Strider]

I wouldn't trust the build quality on the Dell either.. if it's supposed to be a work laptop, I would go for the Thinkpad line.

Dell laptops aren't bad by any means. A friend of mine have a Dell laptop and despite the plastic case, I thought the build quality was pretty good. It seemed to hold up well despite the kind of abuse that the laptop went through.

I do agree with you that he should go with the Thinkpad line if he wants a good work laptop.

@OP,

Go for the X61 if you want a powerful ultraportable laptop.