Personal computing discussed

Moderators: renee, morphine, SecretSquirrel

 
daninbusiness
Gerbil In Training
Topic Author
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:38 pm

integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:08 pm

Just wondering - which is the better performer of these two non-ideal options?

I have a new motherboard, processor (i5-3470), and RAM following Christmas this year.

I intend to get an SSD and new video card at some point when finances permit it.

I have a spare, old Nvidia 6600 GT, which was fine for me in 2005 but can't support many AAA titles from 2008 or later.

The i5 in my PC has "Integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500".

Will I get (slightly) better game support if I stick with the more modern/newer integrated graphics? Or is it still better to stay with the old discrete card?

I do intend on doing a clean install when I get an SSD, and don't really have the time to do comparisons myself.

But I figure that there are plenty of smart people on the Tech Report forums that can give a recommendation.

Bonus question - if I do end up just sticking with integrated graphics, any suggestions on anything productive to do with the old video card? It still works fine and I don't really want to throw it out for recycling.
 
NovusBogus
Graphmaster Gerbil
Posts: 1408
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:37 am

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:15 pm

I don't have any numbers to back it up but my thought is the discrete will win out as long as you stick to older games, as integrated has some okay features for marketing purposes but it's not equipped to do lots of number crunching like a discrete card. Running a game doesn't mean anything if you're getting 15 frames per second at 1024x768...

My recommendation would really be to scrounge up 75 bucks for an entry level gaming card like the GT640 or Radeon 6670 and get vastly superior performance and good power consumption.
 
daninbusiness
Gerbil In Training
Topic Author
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:38 pm

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:09 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. Totally intending on getting a Radeon 7850 when I can.

I do have a Radeon 4850 hooked up to what is now my HTPC. It does well there for gaming on my TV (currently playing Sleeping Dogs and Spec Ops: the Line and Skyrim) when I can find time to do so.

So it sounds like for the meantime, putting my umm, "classic" gaming card in my i5 rig for the few times I game on it might be the way to go.
 
JustAnEngineer
Gerbil God
Posts: 19673
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2002 7:00 pm
Location: The Heart of Dixie

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:22 pm

NovusBogus wrote:
My recommendation would really be to scrounge up 75 bucks for an entry level gaming card like the GT640 or Radeon 6670 and get vastly superior performance and good power consumption.
I would not recommend spending so much to get so little. $115 -10MIR would get you a Radeon HD7770 that provides acceptable performance with modern games.
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2
 
auxy
Graphmaster Gerbil
Posts: 1300
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:25 pm
Location: the armpit of Texas

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:22 pm

daninbusiness wrote:
I do have a Radeon 4850 hooked up to what is now my HTPC. It does well there for gaming on my TV (currently playing Sleeping Dogs and Spec Ops: the Line and Skyrim) when I can find time to do so.
Wait, why not put the 6600 in your HTPC and the 4850 in your i5? Unless your HTPC is MORE powerful? 「(°ヘ°)
 
daninbusiness
Gerbil In Training
Topic Author
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:38 pm

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:00 am

HTPC is a intel Q6600 with 4 gigs RAM. It is totally fine for running controller-friendly games on my TV (which is only 720p).

I'm actually using that box more for gaming, and my desktop more for work - it's nice laying on the couch and playing on the TV for controller-heavy games.

Haven't had time to watch much movies or TV.

But I also like games like Starcraft, Civilization, and TF2; and those are much better with a keyboard & mouse.

Anyway, I will get another decent-ish video card someday. Can't do it as soon as I'd like due to family & career commitments. And I maybe get to play games 2 or 3 hours a week? It's definitely a luxury for me - a really welcome escape when time permits. :)
 
I.S.T.
Gerbil XP
Posts: 486
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 5:18 am

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:08 am

The 2500 will support more modern games than the 6600 GT will. it's also likely faster, but by how much I wouldn't be able to say. If you're financially unable to get another card(And trust me, i've been there), the 2500 is the way to go.
 
Meadows
Grand Gerbil Poohbah
Posts: 3416
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:10 pm
Location: Location: Location

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:24 am

auxy wrote:
Wait, why not put the 6600 in your HTPC and the 4850 in your i5? Unless your HTPC is MORE powerful? 「(°ヘ°)

Because the only place where he should put the GeForce 6600 is in the garbage. To answer the original question, even integrated graphics will be better today.
 
auxy
Graphmaster Gerbil
Posts: 1300
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:25 pm
Location: the armpit of Texas

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:44 am

Meadows wrote:
Because the only place where he should put the GeForce 6600 is in the garbage.
Really? Even though, if he was going to implement my plan, his Core 2 Quad system probably doesn't have integrated graphics? ( ̄ω ̄;) Oh, right.

You look pretty silly now, huh? ( ̄ェ ̄;)

Meadows wrote:
To answer the original question, even integrated graphics will be better today.
Yah, that's true. His 4850 would be considerably faster still, though, and would have working DX10. Tom's Hardware isn't an infallible source, but their chart is pretty reliable for a ballpark estimate.

Still, he explained why he has it setup the way he does, so it's a moot point. You can leave the childish attitude at the door tho thanks. (´∇ノ`*)ノ
 
Meadows
Grand Gerbil Poohbah
Posts: 3416
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:10 pm
Location: Location: Location

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:49 am

auxy wrote:
You look pretty silly now, huh? ( ̄ェ ̄;)

No, but you do.
 
ClickClick5
Gerbil Elite
Posts: 581
Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:28 pm
Location: Alaska
Contact:

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:59 am

According to passmark, the 6600 GT has a score of 110, while the i5's score is 304.
i7-5930k (4.1GHz), 32GB DDR4-2400, 2080Ti, GA-X99-UD3, Samsung 860 Pro 256GB (os/programs), Toshiba 5TB (games), WD VelociRaptor 500GB (games/scratch disk), Win 10 Pro x64
Check out my site for trance sets and other goodies! clickclick5.com!
 
vargis14
Gerbil Jedi
Posts: 1900
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 6:03 pm
Location: philly suburbs

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:12 am

Does your MB support Virtu MVP ?

It will combine them sort of your IGP and discrete card....but a 6600gt is really old.
http://www.lucidlogix.com/product-virtu-mvp.shtml
2600k@4848mhz @1.4v CM Nepton40XL 16gb Ram 2x EVGA GTX770 4gb Classified cards in SLI@1280mhz Stock boost on a GAP67-UD4-B3, SBlaster Z powered by TX-850 PSU pushing a 34" LG 21/9 3440-1440 IPS panel. Pieced together 2.1 sound system
 
GeForce6200
Gerbil Elite
Posts: 981
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:08 pm

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 12:03 am

I would choose the Intel GPU over 6600GT. It will have less power consumption and should have comparable performance while providing updated features. Here is a raw comparison of the two GPUs: http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php ... &card2=187
I understand (in College myself) that finances need to be redirected to your priorities. I have a spare 4850 that I am trying to sell, however after little interest in the card I would be willing to give you the card. If this interests you at all PM me for details. Cheers
AMD FX8350|Gigabyte GA78LMT Modded (Rev 5.0)|EVGA 980Ti FTW|16GB Corsair DDR3|840 EVO|Raijentek STYX|Enermax TriathlorEco 650|M-Audio BX8a Deluxe
 
derFunkenstein
Gerbil God
Posts: 25427
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 9:13 pm
Location: Comin' to you directly from the Mothership

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:10 am

The built-in Intel graphics would be my choice for absolutely every game on that machine for now. I mean, you can try it yourself, but I believe you will find that the games you mention run acceptably with lower settings on the Intel iGPU whereas the 6600 most likely doesn't even meet the minimum requirements for some of these games let alone run them acceptably. We're talking about an 8-year-old mid-to-low end card. Meadows is right - the only place it belongs is the trash.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Twittering away the day at @TVsBen
 
Ryhadar
Gerbil XP
Posts: 463
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:51 pm

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:40 am

Go with the integrated GPU. If you want some objective evidence the 6600GT scores 448 points in 3DMark06 (with a pentium D @ 3.2GHz): http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desk ... 6,619.html I've seen times when it can get a few hundred more points with faster processors.

An HD 3000, which is pretty similar, scores about 10 times that amount (and on a higher resolution) in 3DMark06: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Int ... 710.0.html

If you're serious about gaming, get a new card yes, but don't even waste your time installing the 6600GT.
 
bthylafh
Maximum Gerbil
Posts: 4320
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:55 pm
Location: Southwest Missouri, USA

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:42 am

Integrated. I'm amazed to learn that Nvidia still supports that old card with their latest driver, but I'd be willing to bet that you'll still get better performance out of Intel in this case, and certainly less heat production & therefore noise.

Probably the only edge Nvidia would have here is display quality - if there's some game you want to play and you get weird display artifacts with the Intel driver, then /maybe/ it'd be worthwhile to try your 6600 and see if it looks better, /if/ you don't mind the lesser performance.
Hakkaa päälle!
i7-8700K|Asus Z-370 Pro|32GB DDR4|Asus Radeon RX-580|Samsung 960 EVO 1TB|1988 Model M||Logitech MX 518 & F310|Samsung C24FG70|Dell 2209WA|ATH-M50x
 
JustAnEngineer
Gerbil God
Posts: 19673
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2002 7:00 pm
Location: The Heart of Dixie

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:51 am

bthylafh wrote:
If there's some game you want to play and you get weird display artifacts with the Intel driver, then...
Then it would be time to spring for a Radeon HD7770 (or other current GPU).
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2
 
bthylafh
Maximum Gerbil
Posts: 4320
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:55 pm
Location: Southwest Missouri, USA

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:52 am

Probably, but there's that money thing again.
Hakkaa päälle!
i7-8700K|Asus Z-370 Pro|32GB DDR4|Asus Radeon RX-580|Samsung 960 EVO 1TB|1988 Model M||Logitech MX 518 & F310|Samsung C24FG70|Dell 2209WA|ATH-M50x
 
auxy
Graphmaster Gerbil
Posts: 1300
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:25 pm
Location: the armpit of Texas

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 4:53 pm

JustAnEngineer wrote:
Then it would be time to spring for a Radeon HD7770 (or other current GPU).
Not a bad idea at all!(⌒▽⌒)

That said, I personally would go for one of these! It's a rebadged Geforce GT440 with GDDR5 memory. Available for just $50 after MIR right now. It performs very well in lower resolutions; the shader performance far outstrips the raw fillrate, so it falls down at higher resolutions. Still, for 720p gaming, it is surprisingly quick! I got one for my little (12) cousin's PC because her iHD2500 wasn't fast enough to play Skyrim or Dark Souls on her 720p HDTV. This card plays both at their respective framecaps (Skyrim @ 60fps vsync, Dark Souls @ 30fps), on maxed settings! I even enabled SMAA on her Dark Souls! (≧∇≦)/
 
JustAnEngineer
Gerbil God
Posts: 19673
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2002 7:00 pm
Location: The Heart of Dixie

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:34 pm

I recommend against any gaming graphics card less capable than the Radeon HD7770 (or GeForce GTX650Ti). If you look at the price difference between Radeon HD7770 and the lesser cards, it's not much more expensive, but the difference in the playing experience is very noticeable.

1920x1080 has been the target resolution for games, Blu-ray, televisions, computer monitors, etc. for more than 5 years. That is the resolution where we should be trying to achieve acceptable gaming performance.
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2
 
auxy
Graphmaster Gerbil
Posts: 1300
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:25 pm
Location: the armpit of Texas

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:38 pm

JustAnEngineer wrote:
I recommend against any gaming graphics card less capable than the Radeon HD7770 (or GeForce GTX650Ti). If you look at the price difference between Radeon HD7770 and the lesser cards, it's not much more expensive, but the difference in the playing experience is very noticeable.

1920x1080 has been the target resolution for games, Blu-ray, televisions, computer monitors, etc. for several years. That is the resolution where we should be trying to achieve acceptable gaming performance.
I don't really disagree with you, but the cheapest 7770s are running ~$110, versus $50 for that GT630 -- and, you know, some people just don't play that many games! ┐( ̄ヮ ̄)┌ Besides, that card will still run stuff at 1080p, just not on high settings.

For $50, I think it's worthwhile.

It's offtopic anyway, but the OP's question has been long-answered.
 
JustAnEngineer
Gerbil God
Posts: 19673
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2002 7:00 pm
Location: The Heart of Dixie

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:44 pm

GeForce GT630 is simply too slow at 1920x1080 gaming to make it worthwhile to spend any money on it. You should either stick with integrated graphics on the processor or spring for at least the Radeon HD7770.
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2
 
auxy
Graphmaster Gerbil
Posts: 1300
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:25 pm
Location: the armpit of Texas

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:48 pm

daninbusiness wrote:
HTPC is a intel Q6600 with 4 gigs RAM. It is totally fine for running controller-friendly games on my TV (which is only 720p). I'm actually using that box more for gaming, and my desktop more for work - it's nice laying on the couch and playing on the TV for controller-heavy games.
Are you sure, JAE?

GT630 will run cooler and quieter than that 4850, too. (•‿•)
 
daninbusiness
Gerbil In Training
Topic Author
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:38 pm

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:35 pm

Well, in my anecdotal, unscientific testing...

1. Picked up "Mark of the Ninja" this weekend when it was on sale on Steam...modern game, but hardly insanely demanding like Crysis 3 or anything.
2. Tried playing it with the 6600 GT installed. It did run, but was painfully slow (even after reducing resolution and effects).
3. Tried playing with integrated graphics afterward...it ran and was smooth (still seemed a little slow, but I think that could also be the game's pacing).

So, there it is for now.

Anyway - still lusting for a 7850 with 2gb of RAM (which should be good for a couple of years and a monitor upgrade)...
 
tipoo
Gerbil First Class
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 5:43 pm

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Tue Apr 02, 2013 9:10 am

Definitely integrated, the Geforce 6600 is incredibly old and not even great when it came out. The HD3000 is double the performance of the HD2500, and the 3000 is many times faster than the 6600, which puts the 2500 above the 6600. And that's not even considering the antiquated feature set of the 6600, that was DirectX 9. Even if the 2500 won't run DX10 games with full features, some things will benefit from new shaders.

Also, I just remembered Nalu because of this
http://www.nvidia.ca/page/geforce_6600.html
 
daninbusiness
Gerbil In Training
Topic Author
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:38 pm

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Sun Apr 14, 2013 11:56 pm

Hey...finally, finally updating this thread.

Happy to report that I've just ordered a 2GB 7850, and am getting 3 free bundled games. Looking forward to it! (when time permits to actually use the thing)

Was considering a 7770, then a 7790...then finally decided that I'll get more mileage out of the card if I put a little more into it and get a card with larger memory bandwidth as well as more vRAM.

So, here's hoping it lasts a while. :)

Recently added an SSD to the system as well, and it's just flying. All up, this is looking to be a pretty decent bang for the buck build.

Thanks for the advice and comments, everyone!
 
auxy
Graphmaster Gerbil
Posts: 1300
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:25 pm
Location: the armpit of Texas

Re: integrated i5 graphics vs Nvidia 6600 GT?

Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:24 am

daninbusiness wrote:
Was considering a 7770, then a 7790...then finally decided that I'll get more mileage out of the card if I put a little more into it and get a card with larger memory bandwidth as well as more vRAM.
You made the right choice! (; `ェ´ ;)b三b

Now to start that yoga you've been meaning to do! _(┐「ε:)_

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest
GZIP: On