How do I know if a system is good for gaming?

Question

I'm buying a new laptop but have been stressing a bit about the graphics specifications recently.  I don't play a lot of games, but I do like to play Madden and NBA.  I was wondering what makes a laptop good for gaming.  

I'm aware of the importance of processor speed, RAM, and the Graphics Chipset, but I'm not so aware about Discrete, Integrated, Expandable, and overall Video Memory.

I was thinking of buying an LG R405-G.CP02A9, which has a 320 GB S-ATA hard drive, 2.0 GHz processor speed, and 4GB DDR2 RAM.  I love those specifications, but unfortunately, the Graphics Chipset is a Intel GMA X3100, which I'm fairly sure is quite poor.  It also doesn't have Discrete Video Memory or Expandable Video Memory, but it does have Integrated Video Memory and it's total Video Memory is 1599MB.  

I compared that with a Toshiba PSLC8C-040019, which has a 250GB hard drive, 2 GHz processor speed, and 2GB RAM.  The graphics chipset is a ATI Radeon 3100 (not great, but seemingly significantly better than the chipset that comes with the LG above).  No Discrete Video Memory, an Expandable Video Memory of up to 894MB, an Integrated Video Memory, and an overall Video Memory of to 894MB Shared.

I don't need a GREAT gaming system, but I'd like one that can handle NBA 2K9 (for example) which requires a pretty good system.  

So how important are the Discretion, Expansion, Integration and the overall Video Memory to it's performance?  Which type of system is better for gaming?

PhuKi · Accepted Answer

Integrated video is the most basic type you can get. It's the kind that allows the CPU to do the Graphics computing. So in essence, your CPU is running all of the program's data and graphic functions leading to a slower overall experience - this type of graphics card is heavily reliant on CPU speed and available RAM.

THIS TYPE IS THE ONE YOU WANT: Discrete graphics is like having a separate graphics card for your laptop. They call it discrete rather than "graphics card" because it is not a card at all. Instead it is a GPU chip that acts like a graphics card. Because it's limited by size, it performs a bit worse than its desktop counterparts, but it is a world of a difference regarding performance in comparison to Integrated Graphics. The GPU takes up the job of graphics computation and frees up the CPU to do any other data computation. It has its own RAM built-in on the chip (the higher the amount, the better)

===However, be sure to check out my Graphic Card Comparison list to see what kind of card you want. The minimum are the Class 3 cards. I recommend a Class 2 card or better.

Expansion is a new type of graphics card that has been in recent development/release. These are still hard to find and pretty expensive. They allow you to "expand" your graphic capability by using an external dock which has a PCI-E slot for a desktop graphics card. You then plug the dock to your laptop by means of the ExpressCard slot.

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Do not buy a laptop and expect to be able to easily upgrade the graphics card. Unlike Desktop graphics cards, which are limited only by available slots, Laptop graphics cards are hard to find, and even harder to replace.

Laptop GPUs are not cards at all, but GPU chips soldered into the motherboard, so as are some of the CPUs - meaning you have to melt the metal solder to take them out. This is the way most laptops today are made. You'll have to be a real expert to be able to swap them successfully - even then success isn't 100%. Manufacturers will not take them back for an upgrade.

Unless you have a laptop with a separate graphics unit or an MXM slot, you won't be able to upgrade/replace it. Check your manual to see if they allow any upgrades.

Your only solution would the ExpressCard external graphic docks, but these are still expensive and hard to find as I have mentioned.

How do I know if a system is good for gaming?

1 Answer