HP dv6561ee w/ 8400

[vanquish]

I am just about to buy a HP dv6561ee http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...0&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3545709&lang=en# and have a few questions about its graphics card.

1. The specs pages states the notebook has 64MB of dedicated video memory with up to 319MB with TurboCache. However, the page also states that the notebook comes with 1GB of RAM. If I were to upgrade it to 2GB of RAM, will the maximum amount of video memory WITH TurboCache increase from 319MB?

2. I don't plan on gaming extensively on the notebook but do plan to play present and upcoming games at playable quality settings (i.e. not maximum or even very high settings, medium settings and lower resolutions are entirely acceptable). Is the notebook be suited for this requirement?

3. I will probably use the notebook for either graphic design and/or interior design, which require image creating and editing, 3d drwaing and rendering, etc. I don't believe these tasks require as much graphical power as playing a game does but rather more processing power (the notebook has a 2Ghz Core 2 Duo processor and will have 2GB of RAM), and so I believe the graphics card and the notebook overall will prove capable and satisfying in this regard. (This point is of primary importance to me and takes precedence over the notebook's capability for playing games.)

I only hesitate in my purcahse because of the slight uncertainty and minor doubt caused by notebooks 64MB of dedicated video memory -- granted it's with TurboCache (I have had no experience with TurboCache).

However, my research indicates that the 64MB of video memory with TurboCache in adition to the notebook's abovementioned system specs will prove satisfactroy for my needs and enjoyable.

Thank you in advance.

 

[lostandwandering]

1)No, the card is limited to a certain amount of memory that it can borrow. That said, 2gb is still a very good idea especially if you plan on using Vista.

2) Depends on the game. It will be able to play all current titles to some degree save maybe Oblivion which might be ok if you turn everything down.

3) It should be fine for most of what you want to do.

You sound like you have a basic understanding of the Turbocache. The only downfall of it is that it basically robs your system memory of 255mb in order to get to the 319. That means that during games your system is no longer able to use the full 1gb of RAM because 255mb of it is being given to the RAM.

If you want some other ideas, give me a price range.

 

[killernotebooks]

1. If you are running TurboCache, then you could allocate more memory to that, probably a max a 512 MB.

2. The 8400 is a little light on the power side to handle the newer games, but at lower settings you could possibly get by. That is really more up to you and what you want to accomplish and in what games.

3. Rendering will more than likely bring this system to a crawl, that is, if it is serious rendering software and not like Home Design 18 from BestBuy or something. I am talking about Chief Architect or AutoCad.
I didn't see a price listed, but you may want to move up to something with a little more performance (if it is for work and especially if you work for yourself, rendering on someone else's time is one thing, but on your own is yet another), or if the company is springing for some or all of the bill.

You are correct in thinking the onboard video RAM is alittle light for production work, but again it is relative to what type and how much you do.

 

[lostandwandering]

1. If you are running TurboCache, then you could allocate more memory to that, probably a max a 512 MB.

Wow, I truly didn't know that. I thought that there was a limit set and it was whatever they claimed. Didn't know you allocate more.

3. Rendering will more than likely bring this system to a crawl, that is, if it is serious rendering software and not like Home Design 18 from BestBuy or something. I am talking about Chief Architect or AutoCad.
I didn't see a price listed, but you may want to move up to something with a little more performance (if it is for work and especially if you work for yourself, rendering on someone else's time is one thing, but on your own is yet another), or if the company is springing for some or all of the bill.

Oh, dang. I just got roasted on this one. Vanquish, ignore the majority of what I said in my first post. Except for number 2. Listen to K|N, he knows.

 

[killernotebooks]

I use Chief Architect X1 and rendering 3D views from the camera on my dual XEON 5140 server isn't exactly "immediate". It really just depends on what software he is using and how complex the drawing is. If it is a heatsink, ok, thet is no issue, if it is a 10 story office building he is doing a video fly-by through, then... probably not enough.

 

[vanquish]

Double Post. Correct post below.

 

[vanquish]

Thank you for your input.

I am aware that, ultimately, I am using a laptop, and that the capability of laptops is less than that of desktop computers.

killernotebooks, I am under the impression that rendering requires more processing than graphical power. Would the laptop do better with a faster processor OR 64MB more of dedicated video RAM? Would the laptop perform significantly better in regards to rendering if it had an 8400M with 128MB of dedicated video RAM?

Thanks.

P.S. I have a top of the line desktop system that can handle more intensive renderings. However, I want to be able to make 3d drawings (using CAD, 3DSMax, etc.) on the laptop when I'm out. If the 3d drawings are not very detailed, I can also render them on the laptop, otherwise, I can draw then on the laptop when when I'm out and render them on the desktop. Once rendered, I would like to be able to view them on laptop. This is what I want the laptop to be able to do - make 3D drawings and view them once they are rendered. Will the dv6561ee suffice?

 

[killernotebooks]

Yea it takes processor power, but you have to remember to render the image the processing power of the GPU is going to be a huge factor. They even have card specifically designed for CAD / CAM / Rendering in the Quadro family, so that should tell you how much of an impact that the GPU has on the process.

Think of it this way, it's the olden days and you are using drafting paper instead of your computer. Your brain is thinking up all these ideas right? You need to put them in a format that the other people not inside your brain can see, and then pay you for. You come up with this awesome design for let's say a house. If your hands were these little elf hands or something, it would be difficult to sketch out your drawings quickly and efficiently and make it look as good as possible so you could show the client your work. Think of your brain as the computers CPU and the elf hands as the GPU.

For your situation I would go for a better GPU and more video RAM (dedicated). It would perform much better if it had a better GPU. There is a big difference between an 8400 and even an 8400GS as that move doubles the pixel pipes and shaders delivering about 35-40% more performance. Move to the 8400 GT and you have a 128 bit memory bus as compared to 64 bit and more than doubles the performance compared to the base card. Move to an 8600 GT and you more than triple your performance compared to the 8400 stock card.

No matter how much more brain power you add... the "elf hands" are going to hold you back.

Since you are not really rendering the stuff on the notebook, it will be fine. Hey, I don't know what this baby costs (because I don't have the internet or anything that I could look it up), but you may want to consier investing a little more to gain the potential freedom that a notebook able to render can give you.