Laptop Video Card Buying Guide

Laptop video card recommendations and tips so you get the most out of your laptop computer.

How important is a laptop video card anyways?

Video performance demands for many of today’s applications are greater than ever also, and because these demands are going to only increase if you want to future proof your investment a powerful laptop video card is simply a must.

Today there are choices galore from leading laptop graphics card manufactures NVIDIA and ATI Corporation.  In fact they offer solutions that meet the demands of just about everyone from the low-end all the way to the extreme high-end of the scale.

In today's demanding computing environment Intel Corporation even makes laptop video cards that are powerful enough for Windows Vista 3D features and very light gaming duties. Solutions in the past from Intel in comparison were what many would call lackluster.

So as you see picking up a powerful laptop graphics card is a must, and because we want to see you have the best laptop experience, we are going to help you pick one perfect for your needs.

What is recommended right now?

Laptop video card options will most likely be either a dedicated graphics card from NVIDIA or ATI, or an integrated Intel branded graphics card. 

Not sure what integrated or dedicated means? Don't worry we will be covering those details in the next section shortly.

As of now however these dedicated solutions from NVIDIA and ATI Corporation are the current performance leaders in the laptop graphics department.  

In fact NVIDIA slightly edges out ATI by having the larger selection of more powerful chips these days.

As of this writing NVIDIA’s laptop video cards are among the most powerful on the planet.  ATI also manufactures extremely powerful mobile graphics cards though we have to admit that NVIDIA is our current favorite.  

Intel’s notebook graphics card solutions in comparison to ATI or NVIDIA aren’t as powerful for they are tailored strictly for the mainstream.  They are however better then previous generation integrated Intel chips thanks in part to the graphics demands of Windows Vista and pressure from the industry.

Despite this increase in Intel graphics horsepower we still honestly recommend a dedicated graphics solution from either NVIDIA or ATI for numerous reasons which we also detail shortly.

For high-end enthusiast level gaming and multimedia laptops we recommend any GeForce 8800M chip or higher.  You guys are going to need this graphics muscle so look for one of these babies.  

Of course for the absolute pinnacle of performance in gaming and 3D applications our ultimate recommendation hands down is an NVIDIA 8000 series in an SLI configuration. 
Just in case you aren't in the know, SLI configurations are in a nutshell 2 graphics cards that work together simultaneously to improve the performance in 3D games and applications.  

For all you mid-range gamers and multimedia jugglers, or average cats simply looking for something powerful enough for all but the hardest of the hard-core 3D applications, we say go for any Geforce 8600M chip or better.  They are a great all around performer and the typical system containing one won't break your bank.

For everyone else a Geforce 8400M series chip is going to be great for your needs and then some.  In fact if you are looking for a thin and light laptop you will most likely find one which offers the 8400M series as an option.  

The Geforce 8400M series cards are a great all around performer, cost less, and they also consume less power then their big brothers contributing to an increase in laptop battery runtime. The main reason in fact that you will normally find them in smaller thin and light notebooks is because of this reduced power requirement.

As you see there is a NVIDIA GeForce 8000M series graphics processor ready to meet the demands of pretty much any of you currently looking for a new laptop computer.

Of course let's not forget ATI, for if you do decide to go with an ATI graphics processor  we really recommend you look for something currently with any ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2000 Series or higher in general.  

We feel the Radceon HD 2000 series is a solid starting point for most applications.  Even something a bit lower than the Radeon HD 2000 however will normally knock the socks off your average integrated Intel graphics processor so always look over your options closely when shopping around.

But at the end of the day we feel any ATI or NVIDIA graphics card is honestly going to be a great purchasing decision from a performance and future proof standpoint over a basic solution from Intel anyday.

So what exactly should I look for in a laptop video card?

Like any laptop component it all really depends on your specific needs. In general we recommend you purchase a laptop with a “Dedicated” graphics card solution from either ATI or NVIDIA as we mentioned earlier. 

All you gamers and multimedia users this is a must. A dedicated card is also a wiser choice if you want to future proof your investment.

Dedicated? A dedicated graphics card is one that has its own memory (RAM) onboard. Typically anywhere between 128-512 MB or more. 

Integrated on the other hand use a portion of your laptops main memory for graphics related duties, thus using up some of your overall memory.

Dedicated solutions are also faster and more feature rich in graphics features allowing them to better take advantage of 3D games or multimedia applications.

All you word processors, other light duty users, or those simply on a budget on the other hand may want to look at an “Integrated” laptop graphics card from Intel just in case for they may be a better option for you.  Remember as we previously mentioned Intel solutions are better than they've ever been. 

Of course always remember to pay attention to your options for these days a dedicated solution from ATI or NVIDIA may not be that much more price wise, and if that is the case always go for the dedicated folks.

As you see choosing the correct laptop video card is an extremely important step when purchasing a new mobile computer. Definitely pay attention to the video card when shopping for it can honestly make or break your purchase.  

Maybe you don’t need something powerful now, but we personally recommend you think at least a year or two in the future for software demands will surely change and maybe your own demands will too.  You could get into 3D design or gaming for example.

From a performance and future proof standpoint always go for a dedicated notebook graphics card. A powerful NVIDIA or ATI dedicated card should be your weapon of choice. Look for one with at least 256MB of onboard memory too.  

If you are on a budget an Intel integrated video card may be ok for many of you, but honestly we still recommend you pay special attention to your options for there often isn't much of a price premium these days to step up to a dedicated ATI or NVIDIA.

Remember to also check out our other website resources for we have tons more great laptop information for you.  Also, please don't hesitate to email us if you have questions by the way.

Happy purchasing! 

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