a discrete motherboard?

kaisterkai

kaisterkai

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What is a discrete motherboard?

I read on google, some people say it's just when they place the motherboard in brown wrapping,

Others say that it's a motherboard without intergrated graphics.. (IE Need a GPU otherwise no display)

And i'm not sure if either one of them is right..

Please help..

THanks
 
Motherboards are classed as integrated or discrete. Integrated has onboard VGA, discrete doesn't.
 
It's not actually a "discrete motherboard" (all motherboards are discrete (separate), what would they be integrated into??), it means it's a board designed for use with a discrete graphics card, so it doesn't have a GPU built in.

Integrated means just that. The board has a GPU built in, or is capable of using the one built into the CPU.

LMAO @ the brown wrapping, that's a good one!
 
:D

sorry I had to laugh at the answers you found via google. /imagines how many other people did the same search & read those answers & didn't ask further...

At least you asked & got provided with the correct answers above :) :)
 
Using the word discrete with motherboards is incorrect nomenclature IMHO.

Every person could come up with their own definition of what it means. No integrated graphics, no integrated CPU, no integrate sound, no integrated USB, the list goes on.

Rather use the motherboard product number/name and go look at the specs on the manufacturer website. If the list of specs aren't up to scratch, that is a sure sign to stay away.
 
Which manufacturers would that be?

The 3 biggest out there (motherboard wise) are Apple, Dell and HP. Never seen them use it.

After that is probably Asus, Gigabyte and Intel (maybe MSI), in no particular order. Never seen them use it either..

Only leaves the manufacturers that pick over the scraps.
 
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Discrete motherboard?

lol

Whoever heard of an onboard motherboard intergrated onto a motherboard?
 
TJ99 said:
It's not actually a "discrete motherboard" (all motherboards are discrete (separate), what would they be integrated into??), it means it's a board designed for use with a discrete graphics card, so it doesn't have a GPU built in.

Integrated means just that. The board has a GPU built in, or is capable of using the one built into the CPU.

LMAO @ the brown wrapping, that's a good one!
Click to expand...

So would it be right to say, if I have a GPU, then there is no need for me to get a intergrated motherboard?
 
Venomous said:
:D

sorry I had to laugh at the answers you found via google. /imagines how many other people did the same search & read those answers & didn't ask further...

At least you asked & got provided with the correct answers above :) :)
Click to expand...

Yeah..

there were other explanations as well..

But I just ignored them.. cause they were stupid..

Anyway.. Yeah, have to ask.. Was just reading around and then just got confused.. :(
 
Gnome said:
Using the word discrete with motherboards is incorrect nomenclature IMHO.

Every person could come up with their own definition of what it means. No integrated graphics, no integrated CPU, no integrate sound, no integrated USB, the list goes on.

Rather use the motherboard product number/name and go look at the specs on the manufacturer website. If the list of specs aren't up to scratch, that is a sure sign to stay away.
Click to expand...

Ok..

I understand what everyone else said, but you mm..

so you're saying that the motherboard might not have some other things that a normal motherboard should have? (Besides the On board VGA system.. )?
 
Gnome said:
Which manufacturers would that be?

The 3 biggest out there (motherboard wise) are Apple, Dell and HP. Never seen them use it.

After that is probably Asus, Gigabyte and Intel (maybe MSI), in no particular order. Never seen them use it either..

Only leaves the manufacturers that pick over the scraps.
Click to expand...

It's an Asus.. Can't remember the model though..
 
Thanks guys..

I got it now..

And I think I'm also going to follow Gnomes advices and just check the specs of the motherboard on their website.. jsut to double to check..


Oh yes..

With this "discrete" motherboard, Will I be correct if I say.. It's saves power compare to the normal intergrated MB?
 
kaisterkai said:
With this "discrete" motherboard, Will I be correct if I say.. It's saves power compare to the normal intergrated MB?
Click to expand...
Almost certainly no. That is once again why I don't like the word "discrete".

The CPUs from SandyBridge onward implement most of the video card functionality on the CPU itself (therefore ALL sandybridge CPUs have GPU components on them, regardless if you use it or not). On those CPUs you will not beat power efficiency compared to a discreet GPU (here the word discreet actually makes sense). However if you install a discreet GPU, it could be less efficient. Depends how it is implement. Most motherboards turn off the onboard video circuitry so extra power usage will either not be measurable or very low. When using both onboard and discrete at the same time (yes it is possible) will increase power usage however.

Even older chipsets will probably be more efficient when using onboard video rather than using discreet GPU.

For which CPU are we talking about however?

eg. If you can build me a setup with discreet GPU that will beat a 2100T or 2500T in both CPU and GPU performance at their given power usage (35w and 45w respectively), I will give you a R1000 :p
 
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kaisterkai said:
so you're saying that the motherboard might not have some other things that a normal motherboard should have? (Besides the On board VGA system.. )?
Click to expand...
Yes, currently as it stands onboard VGA isn't standard but both Intel and AMD are from hereon including GPUs on the CPUs.

A few years back discrete could have meant a motherboard didn't have a LAN port or sound card (back in the Pentium/486DX days). The word discrete on a mobo doesn't make sense.

In the next 3 years you will see motherboards without onboard VGA disappear (the current generation is likely the last without integrated video). Just like you cannot buy a motherboard without onboard LAN/Audio these days you won't be able to buy a motherboard without onboard VGA. And at that point a discrete motherboard could possible mean that the motherboard doesn't have an integrated CPU (eg. Atom).
 
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