Dedicated Vs integrated.

[snapcam]

A question on behave of a friend who is about to replace an aged laptop.

Dedicated graphics seems to be the preferred option for running and producing our sequences. However my question is if the laptop is only being used to show sequences produced on a desktop and for the occasional use when remote from the desktop would integrated graphics do the job? If so it greatly reduces the cost of laptop replacement.

Snapcam

[Guest Yachtsman1]

The short answer is probably not. If the show has any of the features currently available such as complex animation and runs OK on the DT, if the graphics end of the LT is not up to the same spec, it will not run to the same standard as on the DT. However, if the show being produced does not stress the DT graphics it will probably be OK. Personally, when I changed my LT, I made sure it was a higher spec than my DT, if my show has issues on my DT I clear the issues before running on my LT, using my DT as a default so to speak.

Yachtsman1.

[PGA]

Take a look at this website and work out how the laptop graphics fares against the existing desktop graphics: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

regards,

Peter

P.S. Thanks to Lin Evans for bringing this site to my attention, some years ago now, and through this forum.

[snapcam]

Many Thanks

I will pass it on.

Snapcam

[goddi]

A question on behave of a friend who is about to replace an aged laptop.

Dedicated graphics seems to be the preferred option for running and producing our sequences. However my question is if the laptop is only being used to show sequences produced on a desktop and for the occasional use when remote from the desktop would integrated graphics do the job? If so it greatly reduces the cost of laptop replacement.

Snapcam

=============================

Greetings,

If I may jump in here with an observation and question that has to do with this 'integrated vs. dedicated' graphics card question. I recently purchased a laptop, my first. I went ahead and added an Nvidia graphics card with 2Gb of memory. Why? Just to be safe and it was only $75 more.

When I asked the Toshiba tech guys about how the integrated graphics card worked with the added Nvidia card, they said the laptop will choose it automatically based on the demand. Hmmmm... I did not like that answer because I wanted to know when it was being used or not being used. Anyway, I just found an interesting discovery. If I right click on a program's executable file (.exe), I get a choice of which graphics card can be assigned as the default to that program. I have Win8. So this might be useful for those who might have not discovered it yet.

But...my question is, does it make sense to change the default integrated graphics card to the Nvidia for PTE or Photoshop, etc? Or just leave it to default to the integrated (less powerful) Intel HD 4600 card and hope it really is using the Nvidia when needed?

Gary

[PGA]

From conversations with some UK AV workers, this is a potential minefield. If you want to be as certain as you can that the graphics-intensive applications are using the dedicated nVidia card then use the right-click menu to make the assignment. BUT... on at least one occasion in the UK, doing that still left the system using the integrated graphics. The hardware was eventually returned to the supplier and even their specialists couldn't work out why that particular system refused to switch the graphics over as it had been instructed to do.

regards,

Peter

[goddi]

From conversations with some UK AV workers, this is a potential minefield. If you want to be as certain as you can that the graphics-intensive applications are using the dedicated nVidia card then use the right-click menu to make the assignment. BUT... on at least one occasion in the UK, doing that still left the system using the integrated graphics. The hardware was eventually returned to the supplier and even their specialists couldn't work out why that particular system refused to switch the graphics over as it had been instructed to do.

regards,

Peter

======================

Peter,

That is interesting. So it comes back to my initial concern. How do you determine that any particular program is actually using the dedicated Nvidia card that you have assigned to it? How did they know the assigned card was not being used?

Gary

ADDED LATER: I just was playing around with one of my PTE shows after I had changed the default from the Intel 4600 to the Nvidia GeForce GT740 with 2mb. I noticed that an animated of text and the panning of a couple slides seemed to have a little jitter in the movement. I then switched the default back to the 'Auto' selection of the graphics card. The panning looks smooth now. Hmmmm..... Well, I guess the answer it to leave well enough alone and let the PC decide.

If anyone has any idea about what is actually going on, please let us know.

Thanks... Gary

[Guest Yachtsman1]

I reported on this about 2 years ago when I up-graded my LT & again a couple of weeks ago when a member didn't realise he had 2 graphics cards in his LT. I use my LT mainly for public shows. Before I begin a show from a pre-made menue, I go through the right click proceedure which continues to use the total of up to 12 exe's in the menu without hiccup, well it has up to now, (touching wood). :rolleyes:/>

Yachtsman1..

[jkb]

From conversations with some UK AV workers, this is a potential minefield. If you want to be as certain as you can that the graphics-intensive applications are using the dedicated nVidia card then use the right-click menu to make the assignment. BUT... on at least one occasion in the UK, doing that still left the system using the integrated graphics. The hardware was eventually returned to the supplier and even their specialists couldn't work out why that particular system refused to switch the graphics over as it had been instructed to do.

regards,

Peter

Peter, I believe that you are referring to the incident that was reported in AV News last year?

That particular laptop had no way of assigning the high spec graphics card & it was always set to let the laptop choose.

That is why it was returned for a full refund.

With most laptops you can assign the graphics card of your choice by right click.

I have 2 graphics cards on my laptop & doing some tests I found that if you assign PTE to use the Nvidia card when making a

show rather than just when playing an exe show it is better.

So I have mine set to always use the Nvidia card for all versions of PTE that I have installed.

But in most cases the laptop will play even complex shows with the graphics set to Auto.

Jill

[snapcam]

Thanks to all for your replies and thanks Jill I had passed your A.V. News article to my friend. That article is well worth anyone reading.

Snapcam

[Guest Yachtsman1]

On Holiday in Somerset at the moment, brought my LT along to sort the pictures & a memory stick with various shows made on my DT. One in particular is a new promo on my Aladdin's Kampro Lamps, in exe & MP4 format. As I am paying £14 for the benefit of using the internet connection at our holiday cottage I thought I would get the value by uploading the promo to Youtube. I did this from the memory stick which took forever, (130mb plus) & was surprised to find the quality rubbish, jerky & blurred. I put this down to uploading from the memory stick not my HD. Just back from an excellent day in Bath (an extremely photogenic city) & thought I would have another go at uploading the promo. This time from my LT HD. So I transferred both the MP4 & the exe & test ran them, the MP4 was OK but had a couple of transition spats, the exe, excellent. So it got me wondering, which video card the MP4 was using, the right click method doesn't give the option of which card to use & couldn't find anything in WMP tools. So, before I go to the trouble of uploading the promo to YT I'd ask the question on here, does anyone know how to authorise WMP to use the high spec card?

Yachtsman1 :blink:/>

[goddi]

...So, before I go to the trouble of uploading the promo to YT I'd ask the question on here, does anyone know how to authorise WMP to use the high spec card?

Yachtsman1 />

=========================

I mentioned this in my posting above. Go to the WMP's executable file (wmplayer.exe). Right click and you might see ("Run with graphics processor") where you can select which video card you want to make default. Now this happens in my Win8 laptop that has an added graphics card so I don't know if it will show up in whatever operating system you have. But take a look. I did not like the effect it had when I did this with PTE; made it a bit jittery. But I have not experimented doing it with any other programs.

Gary

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Gary

As I explained in my post, I didn't get the option to select my high end card when I right clicked the wmp file thumb. However while selecting screen shots to illustrate what I did see, I saw an option to make my high end card my default. So I have just clicked that option & the plot thickens. With my hi end nvidia card selected the option to make wmp use it is greyed out. However if I select window explorer to use it then right click the wmp file thumb, it says it will use the default hi end card :blink:/> :blink:/> :blink:/>

I'm working on my LT here which has a 15inch screen & finding it difficult to see all the small print so please bear with me if this seems confused.

Yachtsman1