How much difference does a separate graphics card make?

[Som Prasad]

My current laptop is a LG Gram i7, 16 GB, Xe Graphics. I mainly use LR, PS, Topaz AI for my photo editing.

Advantages: Light, two NVME slots, so I have 4 TB (2x2TB - upgraded from original), which is a big deal with my large files (Nikon Z9, Z8 and Lieca Q3), I do wildlife and my other shooting is all candid, so I tend to shoot a lot and then choose the frames I want later.

Disadvantages: The screen is average, and it now labours with features like LR Denoise AI and Topaz AI.

I am looking at a: ASUS Vivobook 14X OLED, Intel Core i9-13900H 13th Gen, 14" (35.56 cm) 2.8K 90Hz OLED, Creator Laptop (16 GB RAM/1TB SSD/4GB RTX 3050/Win11//Backlit KB/Fingerprint/Black/1.45 kg)

How much real life difference is the Nvidia RTX graphics and slightly higher i9 going to make in real life in my use case? I think the OLED screen will be better.

Disadvantages: I will loose SSD capacity and have a heavier machine 450 grams heavier (portability is important for me) + I will have to carry an external SSD with me (that is not a big deal, (I already have a Samsung T7 2TB external SSD which will do the job), because I tend to grab time when travelling, and if heavier I am less likely to carry it with me.

Reasonable price, INR 110000/- (about 1325 US$), I am in India.

Can people who are more knowledgeable about hardware performance please give advice?

Other option is to wait a few months for the 14th Gen laptop processors to hit the market, but that is also likely to be fairly more expensive, especially for the "thin and light" machines. I will probably be able to pick one up from the USA in Jan 2024, options are usually more there and prices may be better.

Looking forward to any advise.

PS: Please no Mac suggestions, I am a Windows/Android person and live outside the Apple ecosystem.

Regards

 

[Chris Noble]

My current laptop is a LG Gram i7, 16 GB, Xe Graphics. I mainly use LR, PS, Topaz AI for my photo editing.

Get at least 32 GB of RAM.

Disadvantages: I will loose SSD capacity

Your laptop storage needs to be a SSD. Get a big-enough one that you don't need a 2nd drive (internal or external) when you are away from your desk.

A separate graphics card will be a lot faster than the CPU graphics for noise-reduction. But you could also choose to do that processing step when you are back at your desk, with an external GPU.

 

[Som Prasad]

Chris,

Thanks, I was looking for 32GB, but most lighter laptops come with non-upgradale RAM these days, especially the lighter ones. Maybe I will look at other options.

External GPU? You mean do NR on a desktop. I am not aware that you can plug in an external GPU into a laptop, can you?

Som

 

[gscotten]

I switched from an i7-3770 desktop with a Radeon HD 7750 and 24 GB RAM to an 17-12700 gaming laptop with a RTX 3060 L and 16 GB RAM. My old system was fine for everything except the new AI software such as Topaz and Lightroom AI Denoise. Those times went from 3-7 minutes down to 15 seconds or so for the entire round trip. I attribute almost the entire AI performance improvement to the GPU.

I had planned to upgrade the memory, but it has been a year and a half and I have felt no urgency to do so, in spite of the pundits on the internet.

 

[Chris Noble]

Chris,

Thanks, I was looking for 32GB, but most lighter laptops come with non-upgradale RAM these days, especially the lighter ones. Maybe I will look at other options.

I just got a Dell XPS 13, model 9320, 32 GB RAM, i7-1360P, 2 TB SSD. No separate graphics card in the laptop, as I plan to go the route below:

External GPU? You mean do NR on a desktop. I am not aware that you can plug in an external GPU into a laptop, can you?

See https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/67146642

 

[Som Prasad]

Thanks,

I think a GPU is probably what I need, ideally if I can get it with 32 GB RAM, but if forced to make choice between systems for form factor/budget, then maybe a 16 GB with a GPU is a better choice than 32 GB without GPU.

I take the idea of an external GPU, but I don't think it will be practical for me. I am notthat organised with my photo editing, and do not want to batch process large number of files with AI denoise as it generates even larger files filling the harddisk, so I think I will stick to choosing one frame and processing it at a time.

Regards

 

[Morris0]

Thanks,

I think a GPU is probably what I need, ideally if I can get it with 32 GB RAM, but if forced to make choice between systems for form factor/budget, then maybe a 16 GB with a GPU is a better choice than 32 GB without GPU.

I take the idea of an external GPU, but I don't think it will be practical for me. I am notthat organised with my photo editing, and do not want to batch process large number of files with AI denoise as it generates even larger files filling the harddisk, so I think I will stick to choosing one frame and processing it at a time.

Regards

I have a LG Gram 16 inch with 13th Gen i7, 32 GB RAM, Nvidia 3060. It takes about 15 seconds for Photoshop AI Noise Reduction and also Sharpen AI. The screen is lovely and the system is very light. I find it a great compromise to the very heavy laptops you are considering. An I9 in a laptop will thermal and not be that much faster than an I7 for anything that takes a bit of time.

Morris

 

[Som Prasad]

These do not seem to be available any longer, I searched, but did not find it. Do you have a link?

I love my current LG Gram, because it is so light, so one with a GPU would be ideal for me

 

[BobKnDP]

Thanks,

I think a GPU is probably what I need, ideally if I can get it with 32 GB RAM, but if forced to make choice between systems for form factor/budget, then maybe a 16 GB with a GPU is a better choice than 32 GB without GPU.

I take the idea of an external GPU, but I don't think it will be practical for me. I am notthat organised with my photo editing, and do not want to batch process large number of files with AI denoise as it generates even larger files filling the harddisk, so I think I will stick to choosing one frame and processing it at a time.

Regards

(snip)

An I9 in a laptop will thermal and not be that much faster than an I7 for anything that takes a bit of time.

Morris

Maybe.

But Intel's power specs for an I7-13700H and an I9-13900H are identical. Surprisingly. Unlike the desktop versions, they have the same number of cores. The I9 is clocked a little higher.

Intel® Core™ i7-13700H Processor

Intel Core i913900H Processor 24M Cache up to 5.40 GHz Product Specifications

The I9 may not be worth any significantly higher price.

 

[Austinian]

The I9 may not be worth any significantly higher price.

That's what I think. For a given budget, I'd be inclined to sacrifice the i9 in favor of an i7, and spend the money saved on a faster GPU. As time goes on, it seems like more image editing apps benefit from better GPU performance.

 

[Morris0]

Thanks,

I think a GPU is probably what I need, ideally if I can get it with 32 GB RAM, but if forced to make choice between systems for form factor/budget, then maybe a 16 GB with a GPU is a better choice than 32 GB without GPU.

I take the idea of an external GPU, but I don't think it will be practical for me. I am notthat organised with my photo editing, and do not want to batch process large number of files with AI denoise as it generates even larger files filling the harddisk, so I think I will stick to choosing one frame and processing it at a time.

Regards

(snip)

An I9 in a laptop will thermal and not be that much faster than an I7 for anything that takes a bit of time.

Morris

Maybe.

But Intel's power specs for an I7-13700H and an I9-13900H are identical. Surprisingly. Unlike the desktop versions, they have the same number of cores. The I9 is clocked a little higher.

Intel® Core™ i7-13700H Processor

Intel Core i913900H Processor 24M Cache up to 5.40 GHz Product Specifications

The I9 may not be worth any significantly higher price.

Read the reviews of every laptop with an i9. It's no deferent on a desktop where the i9 is hard to cool and the i7 not an issue.

Morris

 

[Morris0]

These do not seem to be available any longer, I searched, but did not find it. Do you have a link?

I love my current LG Gram, because it is so light, so one with a GPU would be ideal for me

Loading…

www.bhphotovideo.com

I recalled the incorrect GPU. That's the LG Gram I have

Morris

 

[BobKnDP]

Thanks,

I think a GPU is probably what I need, ideally if I can get it with 32 GB RAM, but if forced to make choice between systems for form factor/budget, then maybe a 16 GB with a GPU is a better choice than 32 GB without GPU.

I take the idea of an external GPU, but I don't think it will be practical for me. I am notthat organised with my photo editing, and do not want to batch process large number of files with AI denoise as it generates even larger files filling the harddisk, so I think I will stick to choosing one frame and processing it at a time.

Regards

(snip)

An I9 in a laptop will thermal and not be that much faster than an I7 for anything that takes a bit of time.

Morris

Maybe.

But Intel's power specs for an I7-13700H and an I9-13900H are identical. Surprisingly. Unlike the desktop versions, they have the same number of cores. The I9 is clocked a little higher.

Intel® Core™ i7-13700H Processor

Intel Core i913900H Processor 24M Cache up to 5.40 GHz Product Specifications

The I9 may not be worth any significantly higher price.

Read the reviews of every laptop with an i9. It's no deferent on a desktop where the i9 is hard to cool and the i7 not an issue.

Morris

I admit that the official TDPs for the I7-13700K and the I9-13900K desktop CPUs are identical, but the real power draw for the 13900K is higher. The 13900K can also draw more than its nominal 253W, depending on BIOS settings. (I don't recall what I got with my 13900K, when I last checked. My Asus motherboard's defaults favor performance over cooling. My AIO cooler seems barely adequate to keep it from throttling at 100°C, though.)

The 13900K has 8+16 performance + efficiency cores (32 threads), while the 13700K has 8+8 (24 threads).

I can't find a comparison of the 13700H and 13900H that is as clear. Both have the same numbers of cores, but the 13900H is clocked a little higher.

It's too bad that Intel's specs are not all that helpful in comparing CPUs.

If I was in the market for a high-end laptop (I'm not), I'd look for reviews that indicated whether it has adequate CPU cooling, regardless of what CPU is present. I suppose that a maker could provide inadequate cooling for an I7-13700H, in aid of thinness or lightness. The maker might assume that no one will continuously flog a laptop CPU.

 

[Som Prasad]

Thank You, looks like a very good option.

 

[BobKnDP]

These do not seem to be available any longer, I searched, but did not find it. Do you have a link?

I love my current LG Gram, because it is so light, so one with a GPU would be ideal for me

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1756929-REG/lg_16z90r_a_adb9u1_16_gram_pro_laptop.html

I recalled the incorrect GPU. That's the LG Gram I have

Morris

More detailed specs: LG gram 16” Lightweight Laptop - 16Z90R-A.ADB9U1 | LG USA

I had no idea how many 13th Gen I7 CPUs exist.

I know very little about laptops (I'm a DIY desktop guy), but that one looks like a good choice if a light (2.86lb, 1.3kg) laptop with a 2560 X 1600 IPS display and good battery life is wanted.

 

[Morris0]

These do not seem to be available any longer, I searched, but did not find it. Do you have a link?

I love my current LG Gram, because it is so light, so one with a GPU would be ideal for me

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1756929-REG/lg_16z90r_a_adb9u1_16_gram_pro_laptop.html

I recalled the incorrect GPU. That's the LG Gram I have

Morris

More detailed specs: LG gram 16” Lightweight Laptop - 16Z90R-A.ADB9U1 | LG USA

I had no idea how many 13th Gen I7 CPUs exist.

I know very little about laptops (I'm a DIY desktop guy), but that one looks like a good choice if a light (2.86lb, 1.3kg) laptop with a 2560 X 1600 IPS display and good battery life is wanted.

Intel makes a crazy number of CPU versions for the desktop as well. K, no K, KF, U and sometimes P versions.

Morris

 

[CAcreeks]

These do not seem to be available any longer, I searched, but did not find it. Do you have a link?

I love my current LG Gram, because it is so light, so one with a GPU would be ideal for me

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1756929-REG/lg_16z90r_a_adb9u1_16_gram_pro_laptop.html

I recalled the incorrect GPU. That's the LG Gram I have

Morris

More detailed specs: LG gram 16” Lightweight Laptop - 16Z90R-A.ADB9U1 | LG USA

I had no idea how many 13th Gen I7 CPUs exist.

I know very little about laptops (I'm a DIY desktop guy), but that one looks like a good choice if a light (2.86lb, 1.3kg) laptop with a 2560 X 1600 IPS display and good battery life is wanted.

Unlike Som, we were very disappointed with our LG Gram (17 in our case) without discrete GPU. Especially after Consumer Reports recommended it as a top pick. Intel Irix Xe graphics is buggy, perhaps due to the relatively large number of peripherals my daughter requires.

The new LG Gram models with Nvidia graphics seem like a better alternative, although the fan is louder than before, based on this review:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-Gr...laptop-with-a-modest-dGPU.698340.0.html#toc-8

Regarding "how many" Intel CPUs, I suspect many of them are the same design, but the ones that test best are designated i9, and the ones that test poorly are designated i5. (My theory.) Perhaps Nvidia takes a similar approach with RTX 40x0.

 

[BobKnDP]

(snip)

Regarding "how many" Intel CPUs, I suspect many of them are the same design, but the ones that test best are designated i9, and the ones that test poorly are designated i5. (My theory.) Perhaps Nvidia takes a similar approach with RTX 40x0.

Interesting speculation, but they seem to use different die sizes. GeForce 40 series - Wikipedia

 

[Som Prasad]

Most light laptops use Intel Xe graphics (if Intel), very few have a separate GPU, so the LG gram with GPU becomes a serious contender. Anything else with a separate GPU is at least 30-50% heavier.

Regards

Som

 

[Morris0]

These do not seem to be available any longer, I searched, but did not find it. Do you have a link?

I love my current LG Gram, because it is so light, so one with a GPU would be ideal for me

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1756929-REG/lg_16z90r_a_adb9u1_16_gram_pro_laptop.html

I recalled the incorrect GPU. That's the LG Gram I have

Morris

More detailed specs: LG gram 16” Lightweight Laptop - 16Z90R-A.ADB9U1 | LG USA

I had no idea how many 13th Gen I7 CPUs exist.

I know very little about laptops (I'm a DIY desktop guy), but that one looks like a good choice if a light (2.86lb, 1.3kg) laptop with a 2560 X 1600 IPS display and good battery life is wanted.

Unlike Som, we were very disappointed with our LG Gram (17 in our case) without discrete GPU. Especially after Consumer Reports recommended it as a top pick. Intel Irix Xe graphics is buggy, perhaps due to the relatively large number of peripherals my daughter requires.

The new LG Gram models with Nvidia graphics seem like a better alternative, although the fan is louder than before, based on this review:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-Gr...laptop-with-a-modest-dGPU.698340.0.html#toc-8

Regarding "how many" Intel CPUs, I suspect many of them are the same design, but the ones that test best are designated i9, and the ones that test poorly are designated i5. (My theory.) Perhaps Nvidia takes a similar approach with RTX 40x0.

You have linked a review of the 17 inch and last year's model. On the 16 inch I have the fan dose come on when it's working yet one hears air movement compared to fan wine on my Dell Latitude that I'm retiring. It's a more present sound and seems quieter to me.

Morris