Do I need a graphics card ?

Dolby

Dolby

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My Core 2 Quad seemed to die last night ... probably a fault PSU or something, but the PC is old and probably needs to be replaced. It was expensive back when I bought it - but I understand even the cheapest will outperform it today?

The question though - do I need a graphics card at all?

I don't game at all - nothing. It's browsing, mail and a few photo applications including Photoshop Elements. Would those use a graphics card?
 
Dolby said:
My Core 2 Quad seemed to die last night ... probably a fault PSU or something, but the PC is old and probably needs to be replaced. It was expensive back when I bought it - but I understand even the cheapest will outperform it today?

The question though - do I need a graphics card at all?

I don't game at all - nothing. It's browsing, mail and a few photo applications including Photoshop Elements. Would those use a graphics card?
Click to expand...

Most CPUs these days come with onboard graphics. So you'll probably be fine without one for now. If you ever need one you can pop it in when the need arises.
 
I find there is a speed difference on my PC if I have a graphics card in. General rendering of a desktop environment strains with onboard graphics. Running any kind of graphical application is a real struggle; such as Photoshop or XBMC. But you can live without if you have to.
 
Sounds like the AMD APU's could be a good option for you. Combine CPU and GPU on one chip. Doesn't crunch number well at all, but sounds like you don't need it to. Also very cheap.
 
cerebus said:
I find there is a speed difference on my PC if I have a graphics card in. General rendering of a desktop environment strains with onboard graphics. Running any kind of graphical application is a real struggle; such as Photoshop or XBMC. But you can live without if you have to.
Click to expand...

Well, with enough RAM you can fix this I think...

I contemplated this when upgrading my PC last year, and went with 12GB of RAM to run Photoshop 64bit and have not had any issues in terms of performance of any kind (the SO is a photographer by trade). I don't game on my PC at all, so haven't felt the need for a graphics card yet...
 
Maverick Jester said:
Well, with enough RAM you can fix this I think...

I contemplated this when upgrading my PC last year, and went with 12GB of RAM to run Photoshop 64bit and have not had any issues in terms of performance of any kind (the SO is a photographer by trade). I don't game on my PC at all, so haven't felt the need for a graphics card yet...
Click to expand...

No amount of ram can fix 20fps in Windows Media Centre.
 
AlmightyBender said:
Sounds like the AMD APU's could be a good option for you. Combine CPU and GPU on one chip. Doesn't crunch number well at all, but sounds like you don't need it to. Also very cheap.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. The AMD APU's are powerful enough if you don't game. Use the money you saved on extra storage.
 
You don't need one but a cheapie low end one would be better.
 
ponder said:
You don't need one but a cheapie low end one would be better.
Click to expand...

The integrated graphics solutions (that is part of the CPU) of Intel and especially AMD is much more powerful than the graphics chips that used to be onboard on the motherboard. Powerful enough to handle non-gaming tasks, in fact.

Check out http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g620-amd-a8-3870k-radeon-hd-6670,3140.html for a benchmark where the AMD APU is compared to an Intel chip + 6670 discrete graphics card.
TL;DR version: The Intel + card system beats the AMD APU at gaming, but not by as much as you would think.
 
Dolby said:
My Core 2 Quad seemed to die last night ... probably a fault PSU or something, but the PC is old and probably needs to be replaced. It was expensive back when I bought it - but I understand even the cheapest will outperform it today?

The question though - do I need a graphics card at all?

I don't game at all - nothing. It's browsing, mail and a few photo applications including Photoshop Elements. Would those use a graphics card?
Click to expand...

Edit: Nevermind, looks like my drugs are working and I'm not reading the forum correctly.

Onboard GPU will work fine for your needs. You should probably check first if any of your hardware still works, that could save you a bit of money.
 
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What Wesley said about CUDA is true, but tbh I think its not necessary. Yes it'll help, but it'll be just fine without it too. If you are earning your bread & butter with photoshop then CUDA might be worthwhile.

I'd just get an intel CPU with HD3000 or HD4000 built in and call it a day. AMD should also do the trick, but thats not my turf.

Judging by your post you'll probably get better bang per buck by buy mid range/older tech...but upgrading more frequently, rather than buying top of the line.

btw...chances are good that at least some of your existing gear can be salvaged. You could try and find the dead component & maybe delay the upgrade a bit. If you want an upgrade though then go for it.
 
Have to agree with the HD3000/HD4000 suggestion. My MacBook Pro has the HD3000 and it runs Photoshop with no problem.i also tried World of Warcraft on it just to see what it's like to play a game on a Mac and it ran perfectly fine.
 
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