When a user wants to run demanding gaming applications from a laptop or work with graphics programs, an integrated video card is not enough. Here you need a full-fledged graphics acceleration - fast, efficient and not very voracious in terms of electricity consumption. In order to select the best graphics card for a laptop in 2020, this rating has been compiled.
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What integrated and discrete graphics do
The importance of each video card in a laptop is the processing of graphic information and signal formation in order to display the image on the display. But their functions differ significantly:
- Integrated. In terms of performance, it is significantly weaker than discrete. The goal is to save energy. Slightly drains battery power. Developers will be able to reduce the weight of the product without lowering the autonomy indicators.
- Discrete. Most advantageous in gaming applications. The best graphics cards for notebooks can easily meet the needs of the most demanding applications.
Replacing a discrete graphics card with another model that can be mounted in a particular product, it is easy to significantly increase the performance in gaming applications. With an integrated chip, things are much more difficult. Some of the products are supposed to be replaced with a more efficient one, others do not provide such an option.
Choosing the right laptop
At the moment, each manufacturer is trying to present products in different price ranges, which are designed for a specific audience. The buyer needs to choose the best among the models. When you want to save money and later install a more productive video card, you should choose the right model:
- Processor type. For a video card to show its full potential, it should not be mounted in a system with a low-performance processor. It is recommended to purchase a laptop with a chip of at least Intel Core i5.
- Processor voltage. Most video cards require standard power supplies. Those installed in a system with insufficient voltage will not be able to demonstrate their full potential. The type of power supply can be identified by the processor class marking.
- Integrated video. When a product has the option of installing a discrete card, it is recommended to select a product with a more advanced graphics adapter.
Today there is a competition in the video card market. Often video cards from NVIDIA manufacturers are used for a laptop. Most sites on the web have a table listing test data for a large number of products from this developer. But AMD's Radeon graphics cards shouldn't be tossed aside.
The best graphics cards for laptops
This list includes various models for laptops. There are variations here for those who want to play undemanding games with a minimum investment. There are also mid-range video cards. In addition, there are top-end video adapters that handle the most challenging tasks.
AMD Radeon R7 M340
The model under consideration is a discrete accelerator that is installed in the PCIe3 generation interface, which does not require external auxiliary power. The system has 320 shader processors, operates at stable frequencies of 1121 MHz and does not involve auto-overclocking. In a number of modern high-performance gaming applications, the device is not able to meet their requirements.
Pros:
- it is possible to play virtually any application with a minimum of settings;
- fully discrete solution;
- does not need external food;
- moderate heat generation.
Minuses:
- obsolete;
- relatively low power;
- difficult to buy;
- makes it possible to play at maximum settings only in a small list of applications.
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
This model is an extremely attractive option for products with a processor with an Intel Kaby-Lake-G core. The device will replace the integrated graphics card. In addition, this device has its own Vega GPU and uses 4GB of memory. Also, the video card will support the DirectX 12 instruction set, auto-overclocking is supported. This product will show excellent results in gaming applications. The model is powerful enough for all gaming applications in Full HD mode.
Pros:
- Great addition to products with an Intel processor;
- high performance;
- can allocate a lot of memory;
- automatic overclocking.
Minuses:
- installed only in small laptops;
- heat release at the level of 65 watts;
- not replaceable;
- will cut off the amount of RAM of the laptop during operation.
AMD Radeon RX 560X
The considered video card of the mid-value segment is an excellent choice for unassuming gamers. The graphics adapter is powerful. The maximum configurations are equipped with 4 GB of RAM. The model supports DirectX 12 hardware instructions, there is a large number of outputs for connecting external monitors.
Pros:
- high performance;
- adequate cost;
- an excellent analogue of expensive video cards;
- popular solution.
Minuses:
- generation of heat;
- sometimes installed only in large models;
- HDMI port functions through an adapter;
- shared memory mode is not supported.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop)
The best graphics card for a laptop. It is an accelerator for users who play various game applications at maximum settings. In fact, they are two cards of the GTX 1080 class, which are combined in SLI mode. As a consequence, each will read its own frame directly, displaying them one by one. The overall performance will be doubled, with a minor defect associated with processing the amount of data.
Pros:
- maximum performance to date;
- 4K in virtually every gaming application;
- 8GB of GDDR5 RAM as standard;
- all proprietary NVIDIA extensions are supported.
Minuses:
- only for systems with a special cooling system;
- heat release 360 W, a special power system will be required;
- functions properly only with original drivers;
- desynchronization of frames is possible.
IntelIrisPlusGraphics 655
Integrated chip product. To date, the device in question is installed in AppleMacBook, MicrosoftSurface and other expensive laptops. But a similar graphics chip is announced in any Intel processors with a KabyLake core, so it will soon be possible to purchase such a platform for an adequate amount.
Since this hardware solution is offered completely free of charge, it is a great option for buyers looking to save money. It will be enough to purchase a laptop with a 9.5th generation Intel processor to get a productive integrated video adapter.
Pros:
- integrated processor core;
- power as in budget discrete cards;
- does not need maintenance;
- functions with 2 types of RAM;
- has an extended internal cache for processing information.
Minuses:
- it is not possible to replace and modify;
- processors of this generation are expensive;
- can pull productive gaming applications only on minimal settings;
- cannot be purchased as a standalone solution.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Laptop)
The device in question is a representative of the premium video accelerators for the laptop. In the basic configuration, the consumer is offered 8 GB of GDDR5 RAM. The accelerator is designed specifically for gaming systems with a proper laptop cooling system. The level of heat generation is quite high, therefore, you cannot do without a special cooling system. The video card has extremely high performance.
Pros:
- increased productivity;
- a large amount of RAM in the basic configuration;
- a large number of graphics processing protocols are supported;
- original NVIDIA technologies and extensions.
Minuses:
- high price;
- only for special systems;
- needs special cooling with a heat release of 150 W;
- frame rate is significantly reduced at 4K resolution.
NVIDIA GeForce 930M
It is one of the most popular products. The functionality of an already outdated video card is sufficient for the device to be installed in modern products from HP, Asus and other developers. For systems with low power consumption, there is an NVIDIA model with a TDP of 12 watts.
Pros:
- there is an option with reduced heat generation;
- 2 versions with different RAM performance;
- many gaming applications where you can play with a minimum of settings;
- popular in modern laptops.
Minuses:
- productive applications do not provide an opportunity to play at maximum settings;
- in many games at medium settings, the frame rate is low;
- difficult to purchase separately for replacement purposes;
- obsolete.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Laptop)
A popular laptop model. It has a reduced frequency, but it has a large number of cores. The maximum set includes an accelerator with 4 GB of GDDR5 RAM.
The mobile performance of the video card, in average cases, is not far behind and offers power about 30% higher than the common GeForce GTX 960M solutions.
Pros:
- high performance even in demanding applications;
- an excellent set of configuration options;
- chip 14 nm.
Minuses:
- you need a special laptop cooling system;
- overpriced;
- installed in large laptops;
- overheating during continuous operation with maximum loads.
NVIDIA Quadro M600M
The budget price segment video card has quite good results. In any gaming application, the device provides a good frame rate at minimum settings. At medium, and in some applications, high settings, the image is quite acceptable.
The main advantage of the video card will be the use of efficient DDR5 RAM. The accelerator has a 128-bit bus, 2 GB of RAM in the maximum configuration. In modern operating systems, support for DirectX 12 will be an important advantage.
Pros:
- good performance for demanding gaming applications;
- the latest versions of graphics handlers are supported;
- productive memory;
- great platform.
Minuses:
- installed only in large laptops;
- heat generation 30 W;
- obsolete;
- difficult to acquire.
The question often arises as to which video card is better for a laptop. To buy good laptop graphics cards for gaming, this rating has been compiled. The list includes the best models. They are characterized by efficiency and quality.
