Question on Integrated Graphice

I am looking to replace my 5 year old Gateway G6 400c as it has just about passed its use by date as far as my needs now. It has been a good machine but Gateway no longer sell in Australia so one of my options along the same lines is Dell.
I have been looking at the various models and options and would like to get some advice specially in regard to the Integrated Graphics in the various machines and as to whether it would meet my needs . I point out that I am a retired person ,do not play computer games but have recently taken up an interest in Digital Photography and find my current computer [ Win 98]painfully slow when working in the photo editing programs . This I would say would be my most demanding use of the computer as my other main hobby "Genealogy" uses little resources as far as I can see. I am not very tech minded particularly in respect of the Hardware side of things and am not sure whether still image photo editing receives any advantage from having a separate video card or whether it mainly a memory thing .
Whilst I would like to save money by going for the integrated graphics I would not wish to do so if they are not satisfactory and the separate video card is to be beneficial , particularly bearing in mind this purchase would be intended to go another 4/5 years , then who knows.

I would appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision.

I am looking mainly at the 4600 models also the new 4700 but feel it might be a bit early to go with the new technology in the latter.

Graeme D

I just bought a 4600 (2.8G, 512mb) from the outlet for home and a GX270
(3.2G, 1G) at work. I work with Adobe's CS at work and home and more often
than not, I'll have 2 or 3 MS office apps open at the same time I have
photoshop and illustrator open and both systems perform well. I'll add more
memory to my home system before I purchase a video card, if I ever do.


GraemeD wrote:
> I am looking to replace my 5 year old Gateway G6 400c as it has just
> about passed its use by date as far as my needs now. It has been a
> good machine but Gateway no longer sell in Australia so one of my
> options along the same lines is Dell.
> I have been looking at the various models and options and would like
> to get some advice specially in regard to the Integrated Graphics in
> the various machines and as to whether it would meet my needs . I
> point out that I am a retired person ,do not play computer games but
> have recently taken up an interest in Digital Photography and find my
> current computer [ Win 98]painfully slow when working in the photo
> editing programs . This I would say would be my most demanding use of
> the computer as my other main hobby "Genealogy" uses little resources
> as far as I can see. I am not very tech minded particularly in
> respect of the Hardware side of things and am not sure whether still
> image photo editing receives any advantage from having a separate
> video card or whether it mainly a memory thing .
> Whilst I would like to save money by going for the integrated
> graphics I would not wish to do so if they are not satisfactory and
> the separate video card is to be beneficial , particularly bearing in
> mind this purchase would be intended to go another 4/5 years , then
> who knows.
>
> I would appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision.
>
> I am looking mainly at the 4600 models also the new 4700 but feel it
> might be a bit early to go with the new technology in the latter.
>
> Graeme D

I've sold quite a few P4 or Celeron computers with Intel Extreme Graphics
built-in on the motherboard. One of my clients does a lot of graphic design,
heavy internet use, photo editing, etc. They have no issue with the performance
of the pair of systems I sold them three months ago. Of course, the systems
also perform well because they each have 1GB of memory, probably more than you
would need. For most use except gaming, adding system memory is more
cost-effective than an AGP graphics card or a faster processor.

... Ben Myers

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 20:55:20 +1000, "GraemeD" <>
wrote:

>I am looking to replace my 5 year old Gateway G6 400c as it has just =
>about passed its use by date as far as my needs now. It has been a good =
>machine but Gateway no longer sell in Australia so one of my options =
>along the same lines is Dell.
>I have been looking at the various models and options and would like to =
>get some advice specially in regard to the Integrated Graphics in the =
>various machines and as to whether it would meet my needs . I point out =
>that I am a retired person ,do not play computer games but have recently =
>taken up an interest in Digital Photography and find my current computer =
>[ Win 98]painfully slow when working in the photo editing programs . =
>This I would say would be my most demanding use of the computer as my =
>other main hobby "Genealogy" uses little resources as far as I can see. =
>I am not very tech minded particularly in respect of the Hardware side =
>of things and am not sure whether still image photo editing receives =
>any advantage from having a separate video card or whether it mainly a =
>memory thing .
>Whilst I would like to save money by going for the integrated graphics I =
>would not wish to do so if they are not satisfactory and the separate =
>video card is to be beneficial , particularly bearing in mind this =
>purchase would be intended to go another 4/5 years , then who knows.
>
>I would appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision.
>
>I am looking mainly at the 4600 models also the new 4700 but feel it =
>might be a bit early to go with the new technology in the latter.
>
>Graeme D
>

"GraemeD" <> wrote in message news:0hMMc.515$...

> [] Whilst I would like to save money by going for the integrated graphics I
> would not wish to do so if they are not satisfactory and the separate video
> card is to be beneficial , particularly bearing in mind this purchase would be
> intended to go another 4/5 years , then who knows.
>
> I would appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision.
>
> I am looking mainly at the 4600 models also the new 4700 but feel it might
> be a bit early to go with the new technology in the latter.

Integrated graphics solutions continue to offer relatively low performance
and features when compared to dedicated add-in board. Your needs
sound fairly modest, however they may change and if down the road you
want to upgrade to Windows Longhorn and use its new Aero interface,
you might need something with more umph.

If you want a flat panel display connected via DVI, I think you'll have to
go with a system that has an add-in graphics board. If you are thinking
CRT, a prudent approach would be to get a system without an add-in
board, use that until you feel you need higher graphics performance,
then buy/install a graphics board that has a good price/performance ratio.
Both of the systems you mentioned have Integrated Graphics (4700
has a newer/better solution) and they both have graphics board slots
(4600 has an 8X AGP slot, 4700 has x16 PCI-Express slot).

"Ted" <> wrote in message
news:4103a964$0$5645$...
>
> "GraemeD" <> wrote in message
news:0hMMc.515$...
>
> > [] Whilst I would like to save money by going for the integrated
graphics I
> > would not wish to do so if they are not satisfactory and the separate
video
> > card is to be beneficial , particularly bearing in mind this purchase
would be
> > intended to go another 4/5 years , then who knows.
> >
> > I would appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision.
> >
> > I am looking mainly at the 4600 models also the new 4700 but feel it
might
> > be a bit early to go with the new technology in the latter.
>
> Integrated graphics solutions continue to offer relatively low performance
> and features when compared to dedicated add-in board. Your needs
> sound fairly modest, however they may change and if down the road you
> want to upgrade to Windows Longhorn and use its new Aero interface,
> you might need something with more umph.
>
> If you want a flat panel display connected via DVI, I think you'll have to
> go with a system that has an add-in graphics board. If you are thinking
> CRT, a prudent approach would be to get a system without an add-in
> board, use that until you feel you need higher graphics performance,
> then buy/install a graphics board that has a good price/performance ratio.
> Both of the systems you mentioned have Integrated Graphics (4700
> has a newer/better solution) and they both have graphics board slots
> (4600 has an 8X AGP slot, 4700 has x16 PCI-Express slot).

Ted's points are right on. Having said that, I use my Dimension 2400 with
integrated video to do everything from digital photography editing (from my
Nikon D70 SLR) to driving my home theater and it's perfectly fine. For your
needs, I think you'd be quite happy.

Tom

Tom Scales wrote:
:: "Ted" <> wrote in message
:: news:4103a964$0$5645$...
:::
::: "GraemeD" <> wrote in message
:: news:0hMMc.515$...
:::
:::: [] Whilst I would like to save money by going for the integrated
:::: graphics I would not wish to do so if they are not satisfactory
:::: and the separate video card is to be beneficial , particularly
:::: bearing in mind this purchase would be intended to go another 4/5
:::: years , then who knows.
::::
:::: I would appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision.
::::
:::: I am looking mainly at the 4600 models also the new 4700 but feel
:::: it might be a bit early to go with the new technology in the
:::: latter.
:::
::: Integrated graphics solutions continue to offer relatively low
::: performance and features when compared to dedicated add-in board.
::: Your needs
::: sound fairly modest, however they may change and if down the road
::: you want to upgrade to Windows Longhorn and use its new Aero
::: interface,
::: you might need something with more umph.
:::
::: If you want a flat panel display connected via DVI, I think you'll
::: have to go with a system that has an add-in graphics board. If you
::: are thinking CRT, a prudent approach would be to get a system
::: without an add-in
::: board, use that until you feel you need higher graphics performance,
::: then buy/install a graphics board that has a good price/performance
::: ratio. Both of the systems you mentioned have Integrated Graphics
::: (4700
::: has a newer/better solution) and they both have graphics board slots
::: (4600 has an 8X AGP slot, 4700 has x16 PCI-Express slot).
::
:: Ted's points are right on. Having said that, I use my Dimension
:: 2400 with integrated video to do everything from digital photography
:: editing (from my Nikon D70 SLR) to driving my home theater and it's
:: perfectly fine. For your needs, I think you'd be quite happy.
::
::
Thanks to all for your very quick replies they are all very helpful and raise a number of points for me to consider .
Thinking about it ,I probably would be fine with integrated graphics and in any event I can only afford a fairly low end graphics card so it might not offer much of an advantage anyway . It is probably mainly the memory factor that has been dragging down my Photo Editing on my current machine .
By the way I have been thinking of going CRT Monitor, partly price and just my personal preferences for their image quality.
The thought of future proofing the machine is probably a bit of a dream ..but it would be nice to think I could get a machine capable of the next OS.
As I said I am not very good at the tech area and am not comfortable with the thought of adding on hardware myself and I know from my Gateway experiences taking a branded machine to the local computer shops here [Australia ] does not always meet with much cooperation or success so in a sense I am trying to keep in mind my future needs.. To me that is one of the downsides of buying machines like a Dell , to buy an addon from them and ask there service people to come and install is very expensive .
Anyway , you people have given me something to go on with and it is getting near decision time.

Graeme D

"GraemeD" <> wrote in message news:A%OMc.553$...

> As I said I am not very good at the tech area and am not comfortable with
> the thought of adding on hardware myself and I know from my Gateway
> experiences taking a branded machine to the local computer shops here
> [Australia ] does not always meet with much cooperation or success so in
> a sense I am trying to keep in mind my future needs.. To me that is one of
> the downsides of buying machines like a Dell , to buy an addon from them
> and ask there service people to come and install is very expensive .

You are posting to the appropriate Usenet newsgroup using OE, with
a properly formed invalid email address, on a machine that is running
the latest official release of IE/OE. So you are someone who can
figure things out and/or you know someone who can. Do yourself a
favor... research stuff online, shop for deals online, and perform
basic upgrades yourself [with the help of a friend if need be]. You
can do it.

In article <0hMMc.515$>,
lid (GraemeD) says...

> Whilst I would like to save money by going for the integrated graphics I =
> would not wish to do so if they are not satisfactory and the separate =
> video card is to be beneficial , particularly bearing in mind this =
> purchase would be intended to go another 4/5 years , then who knows.
>
> I would appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision.

If you plan to go to a digital monitor, like the better flat panels,
then you will need a video card with a DVI port. Dell's integrated
graphics are analog only. However, for digital imaging I would not let
Dell install the graphics card. To get an ATI All-in-Wonder, you have
to buy the Windows Media Edition, which is an extra $200. Dell doesn't
off the the ATI Pro series cards at all.

Buy the integrated graphics, and when you need to do video screen
captures or master DVDs from old analog tapes, or go to a digital
monitor, buy an ATI card and plug it in yourself. The AGP slot is
there, ready to use. All you have to do is disable the integrated video
in the BIOS setup, shut down, plug in the new card, and start up again.

--
http://home.teleport.com/~larryc

I would not pay for a 4700 computer with intergrated memory. You would be
better off getting a 2400 and adding RAM.
I would suggest you place your specs for your new system out here, and the
members of the group will give you suggestions.
Carolyn
"Ted" <> wrote in message
news:4103cd15$0$5631$...
>
> "GraemeD" <> wrote in message
news:A%OMc.553$...
>
> > As I said I am not very good at the tech area and am not comfortable
with
> > the thought of adding on hardware myself and I know from my Gateway
> > experiences taking a branded machine to the local computer shops here
> > [Australia ] does not always meet with much cooperation or success so in
> > a sense I am trying to keep in mind my future needs.. To me that is one
of
> > the downsides of buying machines like a Dell , to buy an addon from
them
> > and ask there service people to come and install is very expensive .
>
> You are posting to the appropriate Usenet newsgroup using OE, with
> a properly formed invalid email address, on a machine that is running
> the latest official release of IE/OE. So you are someone who can
> figure things out and/or you know someone who can. Do yourself a
> favor... research stuff online, shop for deals online, and perform
> basic upgrades yourself [with the help of a friend if need be]. You
> can do it.

Ted wrote:
:: "GraemeD" <> wrote in message
:: news:A%OMc.553$...
::
::: As I said I am not very good at the tech area and am not
::: comfortable with the thought of adding on hardware myself and I
::: know from my Gateway experiences taking a branded machine to the
::: local computer shops here [Australia ] does not always meet with
::: much cooperation or success so in a sense I am trying to keep in
::: mind my future needs.. To me that is one of the downsides of buying
::: machines like a Dell , to buy an addon from them and ask there
::: service people to come and install is very expensive .
::
:: You are posting to the appropriate Usenet newsgroup using OE, with
:: a properly formed invalid email address, on a machine that is running
:: the latest official release of IE/OE. So you are someone who can
:: figure things out and/or you know someone who can. Do yourself a
:: favor... research stuff online, shop for deals online, and perform
:: basic upgrades yourself [with the help of a friend if need be]. You
:: can do it.


Thanks for the confidence in me , I often think I would like to do these things but I generally make an easy job hard, its pretty hard to teach an old dog new tricks .
As you have pointed out above I can look after the software aspects within reasonable limits because I can do the research [ online] and nut things out but using my hands to screw and unscrew things has never been my forte .Always finish with parts left over {grin}
Another thing always in the back of my mind is that owning a computer is a major investment for me and if do something drastic am not in a position to go out and buy another so have to be careful .

Thanks for your thoughts.
Graeme