Is the current version of Intel integrated graphics good for SL?

[Jennifer Boyle]

I will be taking an extended trip during which I will have a lot of time during which I  just be waiting soon.  Because of that, I want to get a laptop that is suitable for SL. I prefer one that is easy to carry, so I'm considering 13-14 inch models ( I could live with a 15-inch one, but don't want to.). I have been looking at high-end laptops that are presented as "gaming laptops," and in other ways their specs are impressive (4th generation Core i7, 8-16 MB DDR3-1600, full HD).  Many of them use Intel integrated graphics instead of discrete graphics.

I'm wondering if Intel integrated graphics have improved to the point that they would be good (not just adequate) for SL.

I would appreciate any input, but would especially appreciate input from people with actual experience.

Thanks to all who answer.

[Storm Clarence]

I use several i7 Haswell 16gb ram laptops.  They all implement Intel HD4600 integrated graphics.  I get some, imo, great fps in-world ... I can get ~50 in ultra.  If fps are how you benchmark your in-world experience then it's all good. 

PS The best of my benchmarks is from a machine running openSuse.

Windows may produce better results.

 

[Jennifer Boyle]

Thanks!

[Sassy Romano]

The problem here is that different peoples experiences will vary greatly.  I had a search for a few online tests, this one is quite extensive http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Core_i7_4770K_Haswell_GPU/22.html  (that's the last page summary, you'll need to go back to read it all and their tests.)

Where it gets difficult to interpret is that all of these are DirectX games, SL is OpenGL and whereas when they state a frame per second figure for a game, the game is highly optimised (and for the DirectX platform) and the performance largely consistent.

When mentioning FPS in SL, it's largely a waste of time.  My GTX 680 can run to 3 figures or I can visit a busy region with many complex objects and many large textures and bring it to its knees with single figure frame rates.

I've had really poor experience with prior Intel graphics and although they have made changes, when you look through the performance of those highly optimised games, you see at best a 25% or so increase in frame rates.  In some cases going from say 7 to 11 FPS.  Well that's still pretty poor when you compare that to the low end graphics card results of say the GT 640 also in the results.

Unfortunately then for SL, there's just no one good test or measure because the content is largely un-optimised and hugely variable and dependent on the combination of graphics settings and other related factors.

Personally, i'd still run screaming from anything Intel graphics based, were I in the market for a laptop which would be purchased with SL in mind.  Best answer from me is to see if you can find a friend with one or find some other way to test because it's the one thing you cannot change or circumvent in any other reasonable way.

 

[Czari Zenovka]

Prior to adding my graphics card I ran my new desktop PC with the Intel integrated HD 4000 graphics for months and was very surprised and pleased with the performance...to the point of wondering how a graphics card could be any better...lol.  I'm not really familiar with laptop performance in SL, but for the integrated graphics issue alone I think you would be fine.

[Tactical UwU]

It mostly depends are where you're located. The poor optimization of content development in SL does not exhibit enough stress in low populated or constructed areas. More complex sim designs or areas with large amounts of residents will quickly bring some of the best graphical units to their knees