Vista - must I get a dedicated video card?

I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I have
a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz processor
and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!

I think you mean a video card with dedicated memory. You don't have to have
a card with dedicated 128Meg of ram. Mine has 32MB, and uses system memory
for the rest of it's needs. I can display the prettier Vista theme, but not
the aero glass. Which is a non-issue for me, since I use Classic mode.

If you want all the eye candy, then you'll want a video card with 128 MB of
ram. If eye candy means nothing to you, then any card that supports basic
DX9 will work (which should be just about anything out there with a Core 2
Duo.


"Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I
>have
> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
> processor
> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!

I have a laptop with ATI X1100 video with shared RAM and 2 GB of system RAM.
I won't be playing too many games on it but Aero works fine and I can watch
DVDs. They key is you need at least 1 GB of main memory if the video chipset
uses shared memory.

--
Kerry Brown
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
http://www.vistahelp.ca


"Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I
>have
> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
> processor
> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!

Cea_Cee wrote:
> I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I have
> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz processor
> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!

Yes, if budget allows. Get a laptop with 265 megs of dedicated video ram
as Vista uses video ram differently than any of their prior OS's does.
Simply put, Vista actually uses video ram or the GPU to run videos.
Whereas xp and all before mainly use the CPU.
Big difference. If you want a high performance Laptop, get the most
dedicated video ram you can.
Frank

Uh, not true? I'm running Aero on a PC with 0MB dedicated video RAM, 32MB
System Video RAM and 192MB Shared System RAM.

Lang


"Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
news:OMGHU2zdHHA.1220@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>I think you mean a video card with dedicated memory. You don't have to
>have a card with dedicated 128Meg of ram. Mine has 32MB, and uses system
>memory for the rest of it's needs. I can display the prettier Vista theme,
>but not the aero glass. Which is a non-issue for me, since I use Classic
>mode.
>
> If you want all the eye candy, then you'll want a video card with 128 MB
> of ram. If eye candy means nothing to you, then any card that supports
> basic DX9 will work (which should be just about anything out there with a
> Core 2 Duo.
>
>
> "Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I
>>have
>> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
>> processor
>> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!
>

No Fair ! I can't run Aero and I have 32 dedicated and 239 something system
ram reported as available. I wonder if I done mucked something up again.
Maybe I should have said, "if you want all the eye candy and high
performance" As I would imagine a video card with no dedicated ram, gets a
pretty low Performance Index. Not that it may really matter, unless you have
menu fading turned off, but it moves like it's still turned on.

Great, Now I have to spend the next 5 months figuring out why I don't get
the option for aero on the laptop

"Lang Murphy" <lang_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7A740052-0058-436B-A093-D74376CEB5FE@microsoft.com...
> Uh, not true? I'm running Aero on a PC with 0MB dedicated video RAM, 32MB
> System Video RAM and 192MB Shared System RAM.
>
> Lang
>
>
> "Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
> news:OMGHU2zdHHA.1220@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>I think you mean a video card with dedicated memory. You don't have to
>>have a card with dedicated 128Meg of ram. Mine has 32MB, and uses system
>>memory for the rest of it's needs. I can display the prettier Vista theme,
>>but not the aero glass. Which is a non-issue for me, since I use Classic
>>mode.
>>
>> If you want all the eye candy, then you'll want a video card with 128 MB
>> of ram. If eye candy means nothing to you, then any card that supports
>> basic DX9 will work (which should be just about anything out there with a
>> Core 2 Duo.
>>
>>
>> "Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>>>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I
>>>have
>>> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
>>> processor
>>> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!
>>
>

No dedicated is not required
BUT CHECK THE CHIPSET AND DONT DO WHAT I DID.
Intel 915 Chipsets DO NOT SUPPORT AERO.
and this piece of info intel dont actually share. so be warned

i use the 915GLE with 900series GPU. it is powerfull enough, but intel
refuse to realese the nessasry drivers

Mark
"Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I
>have
> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
> processor
> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!

Ok, it didn't take me 5 weeks. Turns out my playing around with tweak VI
disabled the aero interface. Not sure what I un-checked to get it back, as
their isn't a button called disable Aero.

Now I don't feel as crazy, as I would have swore I saw aero as on option on
it before.

"Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
news:ehPr$F4dHHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>
> No Fair ! I can't run Aero and I have 32 dedicated and 239 something
> system ram reported as available. I wonder if I done mucked something up
> again. Maybe I should have said, "if you want all the eye candy and high
> performance" As I would imagine a video card with no dedicated ram, gets a
> pretty low Performance Index. Not that it may really matter, unless you
> have menu fading turned off, but it moves like it's still turned on.
>
> Great, Now I have to spend the next 5 months figuring out why I don't get
> the option for aero on the laptop
>
> "Lang Murphy" <lang_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:7A740052-0058-436B-A093-D74376CEB5FE@microsoft.com...
>> Uh, not true? I'm running Aero on a PC with 0MB dedicated video RAM, 32MB
>> System Video RAM and 192MB Shared System RAM.
>>
>> Lang
>>
>>
>> "Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
>> news:OMGHU2zdHHA.1220@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>I think you mean a video card with dedicated memory. You don't have to
>>>have a card with dedicated 128Meg of ram. Mine has 32MB, and uses system
>>>memory for the rest of it's needs. I can display the prettier Vista
>>>theme, but not the aero glass. Which is a non-issue for me, since I use
>>>Classic mode.
>>>
>>> If you want all the eye candy, then you'll want a video card with 128 MB
>>> of ram. If eye candy means nothing to you, then any card that supports
>>> basic DX9 will work (which should be just about anything out there with
>>> a Core 2 Duo.
>>>
>>>
>>> "Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>>>>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must I
>>>>have
>>>> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
>>>> processor
>>>> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!
>>>
>>
>

Ah... not having Tweak VI, I can't offer any insight into what might have
caused Aero to get disabled on your system.

Lang



"Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
news:%239V5WB5dHHA.984@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> Ok, it didn't take me 5 weeks. Turns out my playing around with tweak VI
> disabled the aero interface. Not sure what I un-checked to get it back, as
> their isn't a button called disable Aero.
>
> Now I don't feel as crazy, as I would have swore I saw aero as on option
> on it before.
>
> "Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
> news:ehPr$F4dHHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>
>> No Fair ! I can't run Aero and I have 32 dedicated and 239 something
>> system ram reported as available. I wonder if I done mucked something up
>> again. Maybe I should have said, "if you want all the eye candy and high
>> performance" As I would imagine a video card with no dedicated ram, gets
>> a pretty low Performance Index. Not that it may really matter, unless you
>> have menu fading turned off, but it moves like it's still turned on.
>>
>> Great, Now I have to spend the next 5 months figuring out why I don't get
>> the option for aero on the laptop
>>
>> "Lang Murphy" <lang_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:7A740052-0058-436B-A093-D74376CEB5FE@microsoft.com...
>>> Uh, not true? I'm running Aero on a PC with 0MB dedicated video RAM,
>>> 32MB System Video RAM and 192MB Shared System RAM.
>>>
>>> Lang
>>>
>>>
>>> "Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
>>> news:OMGHU2zdHHA.1220@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>>I think you mean a video card with dedicated memory. You don't have to
>>>>have a card with dedicated 128Meg of ram. Mine has 32MB, and uses system
>>>>memory for the rest of it's needs. I can display the prettier Vista
>>>>theme, but not the aero glass. Which is a non-issue for me, since I use
>>>>Classic mode.
>>>>
>>>> If you want all the eye candy, then you'll want a video card with 128
>>>> MB of ram. If eye candy means nothing to you, then any card that
>>>> supports basic DX9 will work (which should be just about anything out
>>>> there with a Core 2 Duo.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>>>>>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must
>>>>>I have
>>>>> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
>>>>> processor
>>>>> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

I'm sure it's a setting or combination of settings under the Visual Tweaks
section. I also turned off the ability to do the Performance Index update.

The laptop is mostly for playing around with things like VI and such, so at
a certain point, I'll just format re-install, when I'm ready to actually to
use it in a more production way

"Lang Murphy" <lang_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:5AE90EA6-8A0A-4F55-BCA0-C48F6111E712@microsoft.com...
> Ah... not having Tweak VI, I can't offer any insight into what might have
> caused Aero to get disabled on your system.
>
> Lang
>
>
>
> "Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
> news:%239V5WB5dHHA.984@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>
>> Ok, it didn't take me 5 weeks. Turns out my playing around with tweak VI
>> disabled the aero interface. Not sure what I un-checked to get it back,
>> as their isn't a button called disable Aero.
>>
>> Now I don't feel as crazy, as I would have swore I saw aero as on option
>> on it before.
>>
>> "Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
>> news:ehPr$F4dHHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>> No Fair ! I can't run Aero and I have 32 dedicated and 239 something
>>> system ram reported as available. I wonder if I done mucked something up
>>> again. Maybe I should have said, "if you want all the eye candy and high
>>> performance" As I would imagine a video card with no dedicated ram, gets
>>> a pretty low Performance Index. Not that it may really matter, unless
>>> you have menu fading turned off, but it moves like it's still turned on.
>>>
>>> Great, Now I have to spend the next 5 months figuring out why I don't
>>> get the option for aero on the laptop
>>>
>>> "Lang Murphy" <lang_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:7A740052-0058-436B-A093-D74376CEB5FE@microsoft.com...
>>>> Uh, not true? I'm running Aero on a PC with 0MB dedicated video RAM,
>>>> 32MB System Video RAM and 192MB Shared System RAM.
>>>>
>>>> Lang
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Dale M. White" <dale.white@NOinsightbb.NOcom> wrote in message
>>>> news:OMGHU2zdHHA.1220@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>>>I think you mean a video card with dedicated memory. You don't have to
>>>>>have a card with dedicated 128Meg of ram. Mine has 32MB, and uses
>>>>>system memory for the rest of it's needs. I can display the prettier
>>>>>Vista theme, but not the aero glass. Which is a non-issue for me, since
>>>>>I use Classic mode.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you want all the eye candy, then you'll want a video card with 128
>>>>> MB of ram. If eye candy means nothing to you, then any card that
>>>>> supports basic DX9 will work (which should be just about anything out
>>>>> there with a Core 2 Duo.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "Cea_Cee" <Cea_Cee@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:5FD8300B-EE57-4EF7-926C-C086F3AFDF1A@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>I am looking to buy a laptop and eventually upgrade to Ultimate. Must
>>>>>>I have
>>>>>> a dedicated video card? I am looking at a system w/core2 duo 2Gz
>>>>>> processor
>>>>>> and 2 GB of memory. Thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>