Laptop questions

[Kurt_]

Some laptop questions:

1) Can you add a graphics card to a laptop with integrated graphics? Or is there no port?

2) What would you say a good speed for a computer is that is capable of using MSN, watching a video, and Microsoft Word. Simple tasks. But not a very long loading time. A lifebook is being considered.

[bicostp]

Some laptop questions:

1) Can you add a graphics card to a laptop with integrated graphics? Or is there no port?

2) What would you say a good speed for a computer is that is capable of using MSN, watching a video, and Microsoft Word. Simple tasks. But not a very long loading time. A lifebook is being considered.

1. You're funny.

2. I have a Toshiba laptop with a 500mhz P3, 6 gig HD, and 384 MB of RAM running Windows XP Pro and Office XP with no problems.

An Asus Eee would suit your needs if you don't mind paying a premium for size. (Honestly, it's cute and all but you're paying a lot for the hardware.) I say look into 12" Thin & Light notebooks or 10" subnotebooks (at the smallest). You can buy a factory refurb 13" Macbook from Apple for $900, and it has a 2.0 ghz C2D, DVD-ROM/CD-RW, and a gig of memory. An extra $150 will get you a bigger hard drive and a DVD+-RW drive.

Just don't get a laptop bigger than 15". I have a 15" HP and it's like an aircraft carrier.

[Kurt_]

This is not for me. It's for a friend who knows little about computing (although getting a lifebook seems really tempting!). She's always moving and

She enjoys FPS games (although she's very new to most gaming. A DS last Christmas was about the start of gaming for her), but Integrated graphics doesn't seem like it would run games like Halo or other good FPS games that aren't crazy for the requirements.

1) I figured so. Lifebooks don't seem to have graphics cards, but I think I got her hooked on them, what with their non-aircraft-carrier size and swivel screen.

2) I suggested an Eee, but the smaller screen and the lack of storage (LOTS of music) is a downside. She also feels she would dislike the smaller keyboard, and she buys CDs of music, so...yeah. Eee PC has been bumped down on the list. I'm looking at a Lifebook 12.1" laptop, but the ones on eBay that are in the right price range ($600>, but she'll go up to $1000 and work her ass off if she needs to for this thing) don't seem to be that great, and are used. She's a little obsessive-compulsive when it comes to screens that aren't 100% dirt and scratch free.

[Valium]

You can configure a nice one on Dell.ca. I made one for a little over $700 and its what I'm buying once I have the cash.

[Kurt_]

Those are costly and big.

[Valium]

14.1'' screen, and $700, your budget was $1000, whats the problem?

Or was it 15'', either way, its still small enough.

[Kurt_]

$1000 is really pushing it. $400 would be great, $600 is on the preferred upper limit.

[Valium]

Well, the $700 price tag was after my configurations. They start from $500 I believe.

But I won't argue with you, whatever she wants is what she'll get.

[ZN13]

She enjoys FPS games (although she's very new to most gaming. A DS last Christmas was about the start of gaming for her), but Integrated graphics doesn't seem like it would run games like Halo or other good FPS games that aren't crazy for the requirements.

Well my HP nc6320 has integrated graphics and it can run orange box/halo. And It's 15" and I'd say it's more a battleship rather than an Air craft carrier(but an EEE PC is like a cruiser).

EDIT: BTW, it was $500 off craigs list.

[Kurt_]

eBay Search

That's basically what I'm looking at right now, to gauge prices, and possibly to buy them from there in the future.

Intel Extreme Graphics (up to 64 MB video RAM) seems to be the standard as far as graphics go.

Is a Pentium M at 1.4 or 1.6 Ghz a decent speed? Comparison to a 2.6Ghz P4 or a 2 Ghz AMD Athlon would be great.

These are the two that are being looked at:
1.4Ghz
1.6ghz

This is the higher-end one that's quite costly:
Core Duo

[ghosstt]

Intergrated graphics chips can run Halo with no slowdown on medium settings at 1024 x768

[lifeisbetterwithketchup]

Intergrated graphics chips can run Halo with no slowdown on medium settings at 1024 x768

Your integrated graphics chip might be able to, but I doubt that an older, laptop, one would be able to.

[Kurt_]

Like I said, I'm looking at a lifebook with that specific graphics chipset (or whatever you'd call it).

Processor speed comparisons (see my previous post) are the most needed for me right now. Getting the 1.4 Ghz lifebook would save her $150 compared to the 1.6 ghz one.

[vb_master]

You can upgrade the graphics card in a laptop by getting a laptop with an nVidia or ATI card. Then when you feel it is the time to upgrade it, you buy the desktop equivalent of the card, one that has more memory. Then what you do is you remove the video RAM from the laptop card, and take the desktop graphics card VRAM off as well, then solder that desktop VRAM back into the laptop. It usually works, less you mess up. I've done it, and yes, it does work!

[timmeh87]

some observations:

if that lifebook you are talking about has a C2D processor, and 1.6ghz costs $150 more, its probably not worth it. Core 2 chips are pretty darned great in the first place, a 1.4ghz one will still tear through most applications. You arent going to be running intense 3d games anyways...

intel graphics suck monkey balls. at least according to the word on the street, as well as wikipedia. And according to wikipedia (for what its worth), most of the earlier intel graphics chips made the cpu do almost everything and basically were incapable of doing anything useful. apparently the x3100 series is better but dont expect to whip out COD4 or anything. of course you wont notice a difference for normal girl-use of the computer. unless maybe you fullscreen some video on an secondary display or something.

vbmaster: Im pretty sure most new computers use BGA chips for the graphics and/or system memory. I bet you did this to an older laptop (otherwise, yous crazy! )