If you are already familiar with a graphics card, you must know that it is as important as a CPU in your system. But what is a discrete graphics card? And what is the difference between discrete graphics cards vs integrated graphics cards? This guide answers these queries in detail, so read till the end to know every detail regarding discrete or integrated graphics cards.
What Is a Discrete Graphics Card?
A discrete graphics card is a GPU that is separate from its CPU. It has its dedicated memory, which consumes more power, is more expensive, and produces a lot of heat. The memory is not shared with the CPU, so it has pros and cons.
Detailed Guide: What Is a Discrete Graphics Card?
If you are planning to build a gaming PC for yourself in 2022, you must understand the basic components of a computer and which would be helpful to boost the performance of your favourite games. You must have come across terms like GPU, CPU, motherboard, etc. Now there is a confusing term: discrete or integrated graphics card or GPU, which took your attention. Let me explain to you in this guide with discrete graphics card examples.
Everything has pros and cons, so when it comes to discrete video cards. It has higher performance than the integrated cards and has more memory. Still, the discrete graphics card price is on the higher side because of their separate memory and because it comes in as a separate component.
A discrete graphics card takes care of all the visuals on your display and has its memory and cooling mechanism. There are a lot of slots in your motherboard in which you can add SSD, network cards, and graphics cards, and it is where you add your discrete GPU.
As mentioned, the discrete graphics card has its memory: VRAM (video random access memory). The VRAM is different from a traditional RAM which temporarily stores information about your data. VRAM stores the graphical data, which helps to improve your display performance when you are playing your favourite game. With a discrete graphics card, you can play high-end games as it has its memory, which will not burden your system’s processor.
Discrete graphics card required for High-end games in 2022:
The performance of a discrete graphics card is way better than the integrated one as it can hold many visual outputs compared to the integrated GPU. You can perform tasks like streaming, video editing, and play your favourite high-end games in 2022 if you have a good discrete graphics card on your gaming computer.
Discrete graphics card laptop for high-end freelance work and gaming purposes. They are portable, easy to carry, and have more storage. So it is worth an investment if you want to use your laptop for the next 2-3 years.
Integrated Graphics Cards:
The integrated graphics cards are those which are embedded in the computer. The memory of an integrated graphics card is attached to the system’s RAM or processor. Its disadvantage is that you cannot perform high-end activities on your integrated graphics card. High-performance games that require more RAM than usual cannot be played because your graphics card will use the system’s RAM and make it slower for the other processes.
Read more: Is GTX 1650 Graphics Card Worth It?
Your gaming PC will experience sudden lags and freezes when you play high-end games on integrated GPUs. Though if your system upgrades to a faster new model RAM, you could achieve faster gaming frame rates even in the integrated video card.
Which one of them is better than the other?
If you are a fan of heavy games and gameplay streaming, a video editor, or do something which requires more graphical storage and memory, then a discrete graphics card is for you. You can play as many heavy games on it as you like because it has its memory and its own cooling mechanism, which will tolerate the heaviness of your game and give you a smooth performance in your favourite game.
And suppose you are not a fan of heavy gaming or do not want to use your desktop or laptop for heavy video/image editing. In that case, an integrated graphics card is for you because it will consume less energy than a discrete video card. It will ensure that your laptop’s battery life is also better as no burden is on its system directly and less power is consumed.
An integrated graphics card also doesn’t require an extra cooling mechanism because it is not made for heavy tasking. But you can also play some lighter games on it if you like for entertainment; you only need to decrease the graphics a little from the settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my graphics card is discrete?
You can easily figure out whether your graphics card is discrete or not through the adapters. You have a discrete video card if you have additional adapters in your gaming PC. An integrated chip, namely Intel HD graphics in your Intel-based system, indicates the dedicated graphics card, whereas a second adapter indicates a discrete GPU.
Is discrete GPU better?
It is all about preferences and what people like the most. There are always advantages and disadvantages of a particular component that you need to consider and make an informed decision. A discrete GPU is a separate entity from the CPU, so it has its memory and boosts the overall performance, which is a plus point. However, it heats up a little more and is expensive. On the other hand, an integrated GPU is less expensive and has less memory than a discrete graphics card, so you have to make a call between the two knowing their pros and cons.
Is NVidia a discrete graphics card?
There are two manufacturers in the market all around the world who provide discrete graphics cards, and they are NVidia and AMD. They provide various types of video cards, with advancements every year. So yes, NVidia is a manufacturer whose discrete graphics card you can prefer to buy as its number one manufacturer as rated by the gamers.
Is a discrete graphics card the same as a dedicated graphics card?
The functions of both discrete and dedicated graphics cards serve different functions, so it depends on what you would one you prefer for your gaming PC. Please refer to the detailed section of this guide to learn more about the discrete graphics card.
Final words:
Hopefully, all the queries in this guide: What is a discrete graphics card? Are resolved now. If you have more questions regarding graphics card/video card or discrete graphics card, you can always ask them. We frequently keep updating them in the FAQs to help readers.
Thanks for reading!