Help Understanding GX Cards

[tmw]

I am looking at getting a new laptop, and obviously you know why I am here!

More specifically, can someone please explain to me the details of the Graphics capabilities of this machine.

http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/Acer_Asp...50/version.asp

Under the 'Tech Spec' tab, the graphics section is as follows,

Integrated video adapter (UMA/GMA) - Yes
Graphic adapter - Intel GMA 4500M
Maximum graphic adapter memory - 1695 MB

Does the max adapter memory mean that it would be capable of playing Civ 5? As far as I know, the Intel GMA 4500 isn't fantastic, since it is an integrated GX card (or is it??? ) but then I read that and it seems ok. I can't weigh it up. I've looked on various review sites and at the comparison on wikipedia, but it is hard to compare when I don't have a base, or an understanding of what Max adapter memory actually means...

Also, on a lot of wikipedia entries for integrated GX cards, it says "up to 512mb, with 64mb dedicated GX." Would that be enough since it says up to 512, or does it have to be stand alone GX to run properly?

I'm sorry if i confused you all, but I'm confused myself lol.

Thanks a lot.

[Fenhorn]

I'm not so good with these integrated cards, but we have a lot of just Intels cards at work. If I have understood this correctly, these cards "borrow" memory (from the RAM) to simulate graphics memory on a normal card. The card has a min and max value. So it will always hold the min value, regardless of what you do and can use up to it's maximum if needed. What the min/max is depends on the card.

If the computer can run CiV or not is hard to say (just because of the integrated graphic card), but I would say yes on this. I don't remember if CiV needs to have special requirements (some cards have extra, extra things and specialities), but I don't think it needed that.

But I not an expert on this. I just happen to have such a computer with a card like this at work, not so good as this, only 8mb/128mb (not good enough for games, but enough for looking at the news, and I shouldn't play games at work anyway).

[bstillwell]

GeForce 9800 GT
Radeon HD 4830 512MB

These are the minimum spec cards. Integrated graphics are not supported and fall well below min specs. If you want a laptop for Civ V, that isn't the one.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-G...M.20379.0.html

A nice 3.5fps in Crysis. As a note, the only game that scored decent frame rates was Quake III from 1999.

[slowtarget]

Integrated graphics are not supported and fall well below min specs.

Not quite. i3/i5 integrated graphics also meet the minimum requirements. However, I believe those get written down as "Intel HD Graphics" and come only in laptops with i3/i5 CPUs. The GMA graphics cards are unimpressive at best and for a game that's giving discrete gaming cards a workout, they going to be unplayable by almost anyone's standards.

[psikoticsilver]

The memory "borrowed" from your system RAM is CONSIDERABLY slower than what you would want from dedicated video memory.

[tmw]

You've helped a lot all of you, thanks.

Could I just get your opinion on these 2 cards, how they compare to the minimum/recommended specs, and how they would run with Civ 5? Which one is better?

I'm guessing it is the 540v, but both are dedicated GX cards with 512mb, so how would these manage?

ATI Radeon HD 4570
ATI Radeon HD 540v

I don't expect to run it on high settings, and I appreciate that these 2 may not be capable of the latest effects, but I don't mind just so long as it moves along at a reasonable pace.

Thanks again.

[psikoticsilver]

http://www.guruht.com/2010/05/ati-re...s-to-560v.html


V series is simply a rebrand of the 4500 series.

[tmw]

I would just like to say that in the end I bought an Acer with Pentium dual core 2.2ghz processor, with 4gb Ram and ATI Radeoon HD4570 dedicated 512mb GX card, and so far, after nearly 1000 turns on a huge earth map with so far 8 civs met and about 8 city states, the game runs rather well on medium settings. It ran on high settings to begin with, but lagged only slightly as the map grew and time passed, so I now play on medium settings. I'm in DX9 mode yes, but come on people, it still looks good!

Thanks again everyone.

[psikoticsilver]

glad to have helped ^^