Laptop video card question: why upgrade?
 

A new computer in the form of a Dell laptop is on the horizon, and I'm debating whether to stay with the Integrated 'Graphics Media Accelerator', or plug in another $130 for a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce card.

What's the advantage here? I am not a gamer, but I need a high-performance laptop for various multimedia production; will this more expensive video card allow for smaller resolution? The screen's only 12.1". If this new card can accomplish something awesome like 1920 X 1200, then I'm sold, but if not, what reasons do I have for getting a better card?
Thank you for any input.

Usually the accelerator can handle the higher resolutions but the screens cannot. Accelerators of that type can often handle resolutions as high as 2048x1536. Unless you are doing video production of 3D Studio Max or Maya type then I probably would go with the integrated controller.

So you're saying that even if I did grab the upgrade, the monitor itself (12.1") would not be able to handle the high resoluation anyway?

Are you using an internal or external monitor? The laptop's built-in monitor has a set number of pixels. That can't be changed, ever, period.

Well if I am working on things I'd have a second monitor hooked up to it. But it looks like I don't have a need to upgrade.

Since resolution limitations are tied to the amount of VRAM for your framebuffer, you'd need some real shitty amounts of RAM to not be able to pull 1920x1200.

An 8MB video card can pull 1600x1200 and since most video cards (even crap integrated cards) currently being made have at least 64MB of VRAM, I'd see no problem running at 1920x1200 or even 2560x1600 no problem.