Intergrated graphics

[Infern0]

Why are they so terrible?

why do they still use them?

It's 2010 surely even putting in a cheap ass dedicated card is easy to do these days.

When i se a $1800 laptop with "intergrated graphics" listed as a SELLING POINT it makes me sick!

Core 2 Duo 2.8ghz
4GB DDR3 Ram
750 GB Hard Drive
Blu-Ray Player
1080p Screen
Intergrated Graphics <---- What an insult

[KHRZ]

Probably sounds good to clueless people. Ususally it's the cheaper stuff that has some mediocre capability advertised with a bunch of exclamation marks though...

Best one I've seen was a computer advertised as "excellent at daily activies such as web browsing and viewing photos!"
There was a third thing, but it definitely can't have been worse than the photo viewing.

[NaturalViolence]

Quote:Why are they so terrible?

Limited hardware functionality (many tasks that can be done on a dedicated gpu cannot be done by an igp and therefore have to be done using software running on the cpu)

Few pipelines, narrow pipelines (low instruction level parallelism)

No dedicated video ram. Data is stored in system ram which is shared.

Just an overall lack of powerful fixed function hardware really.

Quote:why do they still use them?

They are super efficient for a system that doesn't do anything visual. Most computers are used for basic everyday things like browsing the web, viewing photos and videos, and making/editing documents. For these systems you don't need anything more than an igp, in fact it would be stupid to have a dedicated gpu in a system where it isn't needed. IGPs are small, dirt cheap to manufacter, produce almost no heat, consume only a few watts of power, and require very few support circuits.

Quote:It's 2010 surely even putting in a cheap ass dedicated card is easy to do these days.

It's easy but it costs more, consumes more power, takes up a lot more space, and since most people don't play video games or watch blu-ray movies it usually isn't needed.

Laptops that have dedicated gpus cost more and have much worse battery life, if you are not going to be doing anything visual with the laptop then why on earth would you spend extra for a system with a dedicated gpu?

[gamax92]

Exactly. Why put a super over clocked gaming video card if your only gonna look at pictures and do general things.

[Infern0]

(12-27-2010, 01:12 PM)NaturalViolence Wrote:

Quote:Why are they so terrible?

Limited hardware functionality (many tasks that can be done on a dedicated gpu cannot be done by an igp and therefore have to be done using software running on the cpu)

Few pipelines, narrow pipelines (low instruction level parallelism)

No dedicated video ram. Data is stored in system ram which is shared.

Just an overall lack of powerful fixed function hardware really.

Quote:why do they still use them?

They are super efficient for a system that doesn't do anything visual. Most computers are used for basic everyday things like browsing the web, viewing photos and videos, and making/editing documents. For these systems you don't need anything more than an igp, in fact it would be stupid to have a dedicated gpu in a system where it isn't needed. IGPs are small, dirt cheap to manufacter, produce almost no heat, consume only a few watts of power, and require very few support circuits.

Quote:It's 2010 surely even putting in a cheap ass dedicated card is easy to do these days.

It's easy but it costs more, consumes more power, takes up a lot more space, and since most people don't play video games or watch blu-ray movies it usually isn't needed.

Laptops that have dedicated gpus cost more and have much worse battery life, if you are not going to be doing anything visual with the laptop then why on earth would you spend extra for a system with a dedicated gpu?

I can understand that if the laptop costs $500

bit if your spending over $1000 then its fair to say you want a gpu that isnt bobbins!

[JackyCola]

(12-27-2010, 02:50 PM)Infern0 Wrote: I can understand that if the laptop costs $500

bit if your spending over $1000 then its fair to say you want a gpu that isnt bobbins!

Haha. Unless you buy a Macbook. Then you will pay 1.700 and still get some hardware like paying 600 for a non-apple =)

[NaturalViolence]

Quote:bit if your spending over $1000 then its fair to say you want a gpu that isnt bobbins!

Some people want a fast laptop with a good cpu and a large high resolution screen but don't care about running visual applications, maybe a portable workstation. If you want to buy a high priced laptop with a decent gpu then get one, that doesn't mean their isn't another niche out there to sell to though.

[Nolonar]

(12-27-2010, 02:50 PM)Infern0 Wrote: I can understand that if the laptop costs $500

bit if your spending over $1000 then its fair to say you want a gpu that isnt bobbins!

So you think the GPU alone is worth 500$?
The GPU and the CPU are about equivalent in price (if they're equivalent in power)
Then you shouldn't forget, a Laptop has a screen, which would already cost a few 100$ for Desktops

Not to mention that a Laptop is smaller, so every step in manufacturing the device needs a higher precision, thus takes longer to build and thus is more expensive even if it's using cheaper parts than a Desktop.

1000$ and dedicated GPU? That's a Desktop, not necessarily a Laptop!

I paid 2500$ for my Laptop and it would've cost 3500$ if I weren't a student. Chew on that...

[Starscream]

(12-27-2010, 10:27 AM)Infern0 Wrote: Why are they so terrible?

why do they still use them?

It's 2010 surely even putting in a cheap ass dedicated card is easy to do these days.

When i se a $1800 laptop with "intergrated graphics" listed as a SELLING POINT it makes me sick!

Core 2 Duo 2.8ghz
4GB DDR3 Ram
750 GB Hard Drive
Blu-Ray Player
1080p Screen
Intergrated Graphics <---- What an insult

The best thing to do is to just not buy it. Find out what's in it and if it's not to your satisfaction, just don't buy it. It does no good to complain about it after the fact.

[kernel64]

Quote:I paid 2500$ for my Laptop and it would've cost 3500$ if I weren't a student.

Laptops are not exactly gaming systems, many high priced laptops are built around the nvidia quadro series, which are cad oriented and way too expensive for casual users.

Even some of the most powerful mobile gpus are only equal to a 9800gtx+.

So, personally I think that unless you are a visual artist, cad engineer, or a hardcore gamer, there's no point on super pricey non-IGP laptops.