Mobile Graphics: Ati Radeon 2400 HD vs Nvidia Gefore 8400/8600M

[The Hand]

Hi guys

Just really wondering how these graphics chips compare... Relative speeds and temperatures whilst running etc. Just looking at buying a laptop in the sales and need a little help when it comes to Mobile graphics etc.

Thanks for any feedback

[staffsMike]

This should help for a start
Notebookcheck: Mobile Graphics Cards - Benchmark List

i don't have any hands on experience with the ATi but I have the 8400GS DD3 and my mate has the 8600GT DDR2.

With the 8400GS (and a 2.2GHz C2D, 2GB of RAM) I can play the following:

CS:S
1280 x 800 (native for me)
4 x AA
2 x AF
which never seems to go below 40fps but usually more like 60. Basically it can be played in most of its glory

Rainbow Six Las Vegas
800x 600 with low and medium settings
Don't know the FPS but it's smooth

Ghost recon 1/2 around the same settings as Vegas

Call of Duty 4
1280 x 800
no AA
low settings
Smooth until there is lots of smoke.
or
800 x 600
2x AA
low to medium settings
This setting is very smooth regardless of the situation

all in all very capable for a low end card imo.

The 8600GT can handle all of these games at 1280 x 800 and higher settings. They always seem to run very smooth on my mates vostro.

[this_is_gav]

The drivers for the mobile nV cards are absolutely dire. They're still a pre-100 revision, and on Vista and XP there are loads of features missing. You can install hacked desktop graphics drivers, but you lose out on all the power-saving and notebook specific features then.

The nV chip will likely be a bit better (//edit: looks like the 8600M GS is just quicker than an X2500, but both it and the X2400 soundly beat the 8400M - the 8600M GT is about 1/3 faster than the X2400), but I'd go for the ATi as the mobile drivers are just part of the desktop driver suite now, so updated every month.

[staffsMike]

you get great drivers here for nvidia
LaptopVideo2Go & NVIDIA Related News

[this_is_gav]

That's the hacked desktop drivers I was talking about

Tried them on both an Acer and a Vostro to the effect detailed above. There was a massive discussion and tests done in a 20-odd page Vostro thread on the OcUK forums and no one got them working without missing the notebook-specific features.

[staffsMike]

mine is running them just fine :S

[this_is_gav]

You got the automatic brightness adjustment on battery and things working on desktop drivers? How did you manage that?

Could you post it here too please if you can, as there are loads of guys who can't get it working fully (loads meaning roughly 100&#37.

[staffsMike]

Yeah all the brightness features work for me, I havn't done anything though.

Occasionally when it comes out of sleeping it will stick at full brightness and can't be changed but that's twice in about 4 months...and is cured with a reboot.

This is under vista 32bit. I have seen the problems you mention on my mates vostro while running XP.

[The Hand]

Thanks for the link staffsmike ... I was under the impression that the Radeon 2400 HD was on par with the 8600GT! Looks like its only a contender with the 8400M.

[staffsMike]

Yeah the HD2600 range competes with 8600's

[The Hand]

To be honest, im only looking at playing CS:S, BF2, maybe C&C 3 and watching DVDs, so the Ati Radeon 2400 HD might suffice anyway. I do like the idea of consistent driver support from Ati... well if AMD stays afloat.

[The Hand]

Hi guys

Any educated guesses on when the new Ati Radeon 3850 and Nvidia Geforce 9600 gpus will be launched on the laptop intergrated graphics side of things?

I'll make a guess of April/May ...hmm ages then i suppose!

[staffsMike]

There's a story here.
CES 2008: AMD introduces ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series for notebooks

Suggest's first half of the year.. so you're probably right.