Need explanation about GPUs and video RAM for laptops

[avim]

Hi all,

I am currently looking for a laptop with a powerful graphics coprocessor so I can do multimedia recordings at my clients.

I understand I need a laptop with a *discreet* graphics coprocessor. Also, I remember reading somewhere that that's not enough: there must also be *dedicated* video RAM, i.e., *not* shared RAM with the CPU (or something else). Can somebody confirm the dedicated RAM issue?

TIA

avi

 

[hallowed_dragon]

Hi all,

I am currently looking for a laptop with a powerful graphics coprocessor so I can do multimedia recordings at my clients.

I understand I need a laptop with a *discreet* graphics coprocessor. Also, I remember reading somewhere that that's not enough: there must also be *dedicated* video RAM, i.e., *not* shared RAM with the CPU (or something else). Can somebody confirm the dedicated RAM issue?

TIA

avi

Shared RAM means that the GPU will use RAM from the system not only its own and you don't want that. If you plan to game on that laptop search for a GPU with discreet 512 RAM GDDR3. From nVidia: 9600M or better and from ATI 4600 or better.

 

[avim]

>> Shared RAM means that the GPU will use RAM from the system not only its own and you don't want that.

Great thanks for confirming this.

But is the presence of dedicated RAM understood *implicitly* from having a good quality GPU? Or do I have to search the laptop specs. to find this stated explicitly?

>> If you plan to game on that laptop search for a GPU with discreet 512 RAM GDDR3. From nVidia: 9600M or better and from ATI 4600 or better.

Not to do games. I don't game at all.
But to do multimedia recordings. For example: using a recording platform like MS Windows Media Encoder to record presentations of how to use a new GUI (installed on same laptop) while also recording voice.

Thanks!

avi

 

[hallowed_dragon]

>> Shared RAM means that the GPU will use RAM from the system not only its own and you don't want that.

Great thanks for confirming this.

But is the presence of dedicated RAM understood *implicitly* from having a good quality GPU? Or do I have to search the laptop specs. to find this stated explicitly?

>> If you plan to game on that laptop search for a GPU with discreet 512 RAM GDDR3. From nVidia: 9600M or better and from ATI 4600 or better.

Not to do games. I don't game at all.
But to do multimedia recordings. For example: using a recording platform like MS Windows Media Encoder to record presentations of how to use a new GUI (installed on same laptop) while also recording voice.

Thanks!

avi

If you do not game on the laptop then it doesn't matter what kind of GPU the laptop has. It comes down to the CPU (at least 2GHz), amount of ram (4GB recommended) and HDD (250GB at least).

 

[avim]

>> If you do not game on the laptop then it doesn't matter what kind of GPU the laptop has.

So you mean that a GPU is only for vector graphics?


>> it doesn't matter what kind of GPU the laptop has. It comes down to the CPU (at least 2GHz), amount of ram (4GB recommended) and HDD (250GB at least).

Hmmm ... well, I was using a 2.1 GHZ. It had "only" 2GB of RAM (does WinXP support a full 4 GB, anyway?). but when I checked the mem requirements in the Process window of the recording program and the GUI being recorded, the former was at 160 MB when recording, and the recorded app was about 10MB. So there is still loads of memory left. So why didn't it all work?



tnx

Avi