Integrated vs. discrete graphics - vista home premium or 7

[robby]

I will be running Vista Home Premium at the get-go but plan to move to 7 as soon as it comes out.

Is it really important to have discrete graphics?

I would hate fuzzy or jerky video. I am NOT a gamer but will tend to have a number of windows/apps going at same time and I would like to view video off the internet.

 

[Bluescreendeath]

It will definitely help running Aero. Just get a cheap PCI-e video card (ie. 9600GSO, 4650, 9400GT, 9500GT, etc) and you're set.

 

[shadow187]

If you're not doing games than the 9500GT will do you fine.

 

[Twoboxer]

In your case, fuzzy or jerky video may depend more on what your other "apps" need and your cpu's speed and number of cores as well as RAM quantity. Generally speaking, a quad core

If you could be more specific about the rest of your system's specs, and the kinds of "apps" you are talking about, we could get more specific.

 

[apache_lives]

Ummm if your happy with current performance with your integrated video, it will actually function better with windows 7, but having a video card will allow better video acceleration and free resources, offloading video to the card and its dedicated memory etc

As for 9500GT? Why bother when its the same, running an ATi 3450, 4350, or Nvidia 8400, 9200, 9400 etc - cheaper and all 10x better then integrated (most likely intel too lol)

 

[uh_no]

I run windows 7 64 bit dual screen with aero on an integrated chipset....no problems