Should you choose a dedicated graphics card or a processor with integrated graphics on it? In this guide, we’ll go over the differences between both options so that you’ll have a better idea of which option will work best for you.
If you’ve noticed in this post’s title, I capitalized YOU. That wasn’t a typo and that wasn’t in an attempt to make it look like I was shouting the word ‘you’. Rather, it was to place emphasis on the fact that the biggest determining factor in whether or not you should get a dedicated graphics card or integrated graphics will all come down to you and your own needs and your budget.
Sure, dedicated GPUs are typically more powerful than integrated graphics, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a dedicated GPU will be a better option for you.
So, in this guide, we’ll discuss what dedicated graphics are, what integrated graphics are, the differences between them, and who both GPU options make sense for.
So, whether you’re looking to build or buy a new PC or laptop, this guide will help you determine whether or not you should be looking at ‘discrete’ graphics cards (another name for ‘dedicated’ graphics cards) or graphics that are integrated onto the processor (CPU).
Table of Contents
1. What Are Integrated Graphics?
2. What is A Dedicated Graphics Card?
3. Integrated GPU vs Dedicated GPU
What Are Integrated Graphics?
A CPU (or central processing unit) in a computer is responsible for executing the processes (through calculations) that are necessary to make your computer work.
A GPU (or graphics processing unit) works similarly to a CPU, except it mainly handles the processing of graphics-related data and instructions.
Integrated graphics refers to the scenario in which you find both a CPU and a GPU included on the same chip. So, for instance, if you choose a processor that has integrated graphics on it, that processor will be able to handle both normal CPU processes and GPU processes.
What is A Dedicated Graphics Card?
A dedicated graphics card comes completely separate from your CPU. The graphics card houses the GPU which then can be used to process graphics-related data and instructions separate from your CPU.
Discrete graphics cards also come with their own memory in the form of VRAM (video RAM, or video random access memory), which gives the dedicated GPU quick access to relevant image data. As a comparison, integrated graphics do not have a dedicated set of memory to pull image data from, but, rather, use the system’s memory to pull image data from.
Integrated GPU vs Dedicated GPU: What’s the Difference?
The biggest drawback of integrated graphics is that, by placing both a CPU and GPU on the same chip, one (or both) of the processors will be limited. Or, in other words, you cannot place both a CPU and GPU on the same chip without limiting one (or both) of their potential processing power.
And, while most modern processors come with integrated graphics on them, it is usually the integrated GPU that is minimalized so as to not affect the CPU’s potential performance.
However, a dedicated graphics card has its own PCB, memory (VRAM), and cooling solution, and, as a result, is not as limited in its potential power. And, moving the responsibility of computing graphics-related data from the integrated graphics on your processor to a dedicated GPU will help free up resources for your CPU to use.
So, a dedicated graphics card—depending on how powerful of a GPU it has on it—will not only provide more GPU power, but it will also reduce the workload on your main processor as well. And, both of those things will help your computer perform better.
Of course, just because a dedicated graphics card will help a computer perform better doesn’t necessarily mean that every computer user should opt for a system with a dedicated GPU in it. In fact, integrated graphics are becoming more powerful and, for basic computing, they can offer more than enough power to accommodate the average user.
So, in the next two sections, we’ll discuss who dedicated graphics cards make sense for and who integrated graphics makes sense for.
Who Should Get A Dedicated Graphics Card?
The two main determining factors on whether or not you should get a dedicated graphics card are:
- What your total budget is for the system you are looking to buy
- The kinds of tasks and programs you are looking to run on your system
So, with those two factors in mind, let’s take a look at who a dedicated graphics card would make sense for…
1. Serious Gamers Who Want A Desktop (Either to Buy One or Build One) And Who Have A Decent-Sized Budget
If you’re a serious gamer and you want to play your favorite games on the highest settings possible with as high of a framerate as possible, then you’ll likely want to either purchase a pre-built gaming desktop that has a dedicated graphics card inside of it, or build a new computer and include a dedicated graphics card in your part list.
The good news is that, for 1080P gaming, you can build a gaming computer for as low as $400-$500 that can accommodate a dedicated graphics card and that will outperform a system that relies on integrated graphics.
Check out This $500 Gaming PC Build
Or, you can buy a pre-built gaming desktop for about ~$500-$600 (or higher) that will offer similar performance.
The bottom line, though, is that if gaming performance is your main concern and you have at least $400-$500 to spend on a system, you should probably be going with a dedicated graphics card.
2. Serious Gamers Who Want A Gaming Laptop and Who Have A Moderate Budget
As laptops are more expensive on a spec-for-spec basis than their desktop counterparts, most cheap gaming laptops come with integrated graphics in them. And, if you don’t have a lot of money to spend and you aren’t playing more demanding games, integrated graphics on a laptop can be serviceable.
However, if you need a laptop and you want it to be able to handle your favorite games on higher settings with higher framerates, you’re going to want to choose a gaming laptop that has a dedicated graphics card in it.
Fortunately, you can find a solid gaming laptop under $1,000 that will come with a dedicated graphics card in it and that will be able to play most of today’s top games at at least medium settings with a solid framerate.
3. Professionals Who Do Graphics-Related Work
If you’re a professional that does graphics-related work (graphics design, animation, video editing, etc.), or, if you’re just some who does those things for fun, you’ll likely want to ensure that you get a dedicated graphics card, as well, because those types of tasks and programs can be difficult to carry out on integrated graphics.
Who Should Use Integrated Graphics?
Nowadays, integrated graphics can be powerful enough for certain users. The scenarios and use-cases where integrated graphics makes sense are as follows:
1. Non-Gamers Who Are Looking for A New System for Basic Computing
If all you want is a computer or laptop that can handle things like browsing the internet, sending emails, or watching videos, going with a system that opts for integrated graphics is not a bad idea. In fact, if that is all you want out of your system, you would end up spending more money than is necessary by choosing a system that has a dedicated graphics card in it.
2. Budget-Oriented Gamers Who Want A Desktop and Who Have A Tight Budget
If you are a gamer, but you have a really tight budget to work with to get a new desktop system, you may not be able to afford a dedicated graphics card, in which case, you’ll be forced to use the integrated graphics that come on your processor.
Fortunately, if you’re willing to build your own computer, you can put together a system for around ~$300-$400 that comes with a processor that has integrated graphics that are powerful enough for entry-level gaming. That means you’ll be able to play games like Leauge of Legends, Dota 2, Rocket League, etc. with no problems. And, for more demanding games, you will at least be able to play some of them on lower settings.
Check Out This $300 Gaming Computer Build
If you don’t want to build your own computer, you can still find an affordable pre-built desktop that will feature a similar level of integrated graphics.
3. Gamers Who Want A Laptop, But Who Don’t Have At Least A Moderate Budget
For gamers who require a laptop, but who don’t have a large budget, integrated graphics will be your only option. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t expect great gaming performance out of a cheap laptop that utilizes integrated graphics.
However, if all you really want to do is play non-demanding games like League of Legends, Dota 2, or Rocket League, you can probably get by with an extreme budget laptop with integrated graphics on it until you can afford a higher-end option.
Are Integrated Graphics or A Dedicated Graphics Card the Better Option for You?
The bottom line is that, while a dedicated graphics card will typically provide more GPU power than integrated graphics will, the reality is that some users will be better off with integrated graphics if A) they don’t have the budget to accommodate a dedicated graphics card, or B) they will only be using their system for tasks that don’t require the extra GPU power that a dedicated graphics card will provide.
Ultimately, if you’re on the fence between whether you need a dedicated graphics card, or you can get by with integrated graphics card, the points outlined in this post should help you determine which option is best for your needs and budget.
The LG5k monitor (touted for Mac laptops) works on thunderbolt 3 windows laptops and Iris works WAY better at giving you outstanding 5k viewing.
What about developers who want to run a hypervisor with lots of VMs. They will need lots of memory and storage but would an integrated graphics chipset make much difference to the memory access demands from the hypervisor and hosted VMs or would their low graphics demands impact on processor cache efficiency?
Better to spend more on the processor with integrated graphics rather than add a cheap low spec graphics card?
Hi Brent,
Thanks for the Info.
I am looking for a Laptop for basic computing apps, media consumption and at best, 1080p video editing.
I am also apprehensive about the increased power consumption & weight that a dedicated GPU will bring in its wake.
Will an IRIS XE suffice?
To what extent a 1650 may help, without much overheads?
Which one prevents the laptop from heating up?
Is Intel iris XE is a dedicated graphics card
No it’s integrated
No
Very good article. Thanks
I am not a gamer. I like to watch hd video on my pc! I assume a video integrated cpu would be good enough?
Not sure I fully agree. I’ve just got the Ryzen 5750G. So far I’m happy with it’s performance in 1080p gaming.
The processor is so efficient, I’ve yet to see an issue with thermals.
In the end the only numbers that matter are frame rates & if you are a streamer can this APU do the job?
The only way to know is to compare a system where the APU uses a mid range graphics card, and where it relies on its own intergrated graphics.
could you please help me fid out if my lenovo yoga c940 is compatible with a graphics card
I’m building a new system and wondered if integrated or a separate graphic card be better for long term system reliability?
If I add a graphics card to my low memory Desktop, is there a way to shut down the integrated graphics operation in the CPU. I was hoping to reduce the workload of the CPU, as nwell as free up any system memory . If this will help in the slightest, I want to try it, I have many graphics cards readily available. Thank you so much for any advice.
It’s easy enough to disable the iGPU in your BIOS, although I’m still not entirely sure why you’d want to do this – if you’re already getting bottlenecked by your CPU it’s not going to be because of the iGPU.
A well presented logical explanation on graphics which helped my decision making, thank you.
Is is it better to use a dedicated low end graphics card (e.g similar performance to the integrated graphics) and disable the integrated graphics to free up processor resources or will in not make any difference to performance, I am guessing freeing up the memory used by graphics will help a bit but is it worth the cost?
I am not a gamer but i do use cad software on both a high end laptop (i7 with dedicated graphics) vs an i5 desktop without, the difference between the machines is astonishing (1 hour vs 1 day graphics rendering) but for use on a complex spice model (math only at cpu level), not a huge difference in speed, both take ages (10/15 mins for a 0.1 second sample).
What if you’re using the laptop for rendering and 3d modeling?
Hi there, a quick question which commercial PC would you recommend between a Dell Inspirion g15 5510 i7 10th Gen 16GB RAM RTX 3060 6Gb dedicated 1TB SSD 8 cores and an HP Zfirefly i7 10th gen 32GB RAM Quadra 1080 4 GB 1TB SSD 4 cores for a user that uses high-end engineering software? Thank you
Depends on the software. Some programs, like ANSYS, seem to lock some functions of their program out for workstation only cards like quadros etc. In the example you’ve given though the 3060 is a more powerful card, so for functions that aren’t restricted to workstation only cards it would perform better.
Hi, I’m looking at the acer that has a integrated graphics card (Integrated (Intel Iris Plus Graphics)) on a 16Gb I7 laptop. I intend to run photo editing software that has min specifiaction of 16Gb (lightroom uses 8gb for cache??), such as Lightroom , Luminar, capture one Photoshop, etc… I am not sure if the integrated card is suitable vs a dedicated card….The acer deal does not mention the Dedicated card, so far on the 16 Gb model. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks in anticipation.
This was super helpful, thank you!
This article forgets about one of the most important things – it is not only about getting more power for more money, it’s a little more tricky. If you your budget is not limitless, but is pretty good nonetheless, choosing between integrated and dedicated graphics is a choice between power (dedicated is better) and battery life (integrated is better). If you’re for example someone who need a laptop that can survive a whole day on the go, performing tasks like watching HD netflix, filling up documents etc. – don’t buy a laptop with dedicated graphics unless it can automaticaly turn those off, because a separate graphics card drains battery, and adds weight, to your machine.
Just read your article,and it was very easy for me(computer challenged)to understand.My question is this:My old computer(laptop)has a AMD A8 in it.I have had some issues with it(and I don’t need that much power)but I have McAfee as my protection on my laptop,and sometimes it will max out my usage when it first logs on and this will take several seconds to minutes to resolve itself before it levels off,would that effect an integrated graphics performance or tax the my ram usage with that type of system?
My work may involve preparing video tutorials. This means efiting would be involved. Which is recommended — Integrated or Dedicated Graphics ? Suggest the processor and ram too.
I was wondering which of the latest model,16 inch, MacBook Pro has the dedicated graphics card?
im looking to buy parts for my first pc and this has really helped me out a lot! thanks a dozen!
Dear Sir:
I do all my gaming on Xbox. So my question is will a powerful interagrated computer be good to run programs like Painter, ArtRage, and Clip Studio?
I do not do any Pro work, just doddle some in art.
Thanks for your time.
Well explained, clear for everyone to understand.
This has to be the most direct, unconvoluted read I’ve done on Dedicated vs. Integrated graphics. Informative, specific, direct. Thaaaank you!
Hi Brent.
I am using my desktop for recording music. Hp, Amd 3.2ghz cpu, 32g ram. I am recording with Cakewalk. I have onboard graphics. Do I qualify for dedicated graphics card? What would you recommend on a small budget?
Thanks
I am a business owner. I find it more efficient for my staff to have multiple monitors on their computers. I am finding that most new computers are not coming with the necessary plugs for the multiple monitors. I have found usb monitor cord adapters that will enable me to use the integrated video card with multiple monitors. Are they efficient? I have been using i5 intel processors or higher. Are they good enough to support multiple monitors and and intergrated video card?
So, can you suggesta few laptops with dedicated graphics on a budget?
Explanation is good and very useful……. For me
Brilliant explanation.
nice work man
This is very nice! I was really puzzled what is the difference of the two. However, I have an integrated graphics and a discrete graphics card, and I’d like to know if I that will enable my cpu to work better?
Hey,
Would you mind suggesting me a good graphics card which can be used for 3D Cad applications. I have nightmare with Intel integrated graphics and wanna buy a desktop with dedicated graphics card.
Thanks
Dedicated Graphics for 3D editing will require at least an Nividia 2000 series board. If you want better than choose a 3000 series. Be sure to install the studio drivers as they are required for proper use. If you want drivers to be supported 100% of the time, buy Quadro series, but those are very expensive.
Can you tell me a good place to buy a gaming pc at a decent price or have one built? Looking for a dedicated 2080 ti graphics card, either i7 or i9, 1T SSD , a good cooling system, set up for streaming .. something that will do 200 fps or more in Fortnite .. also, I was looking at some PCs, what is descrete graphics card? Is it the same as dedicated? Thanks so much for any advice you have.
Thank for this guide, this helps alot. I have a question. If I have atleast integrated graphics on my laptop do I need to buy external graphics card for better and extra power for the tasks? I asked that because I am planning to buy a External Graphics Card. I’m looking for your helpful answer
For embedded system processing what should I choose ?
Graphics card or integrated graphics