IMac Upgrades: Processor or Graphics Card... which is better investment?

Im a graphic designer using the latest Adobe Creative Cloud suite and its time to replace my aging 2009 imac. I'm going to go with a new 27" iMac, but want to know... should I upgrade the graphics card from the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M 2GB GDDR5 to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB GDDR5 or would I be better of to put my money into upgrading to the i7 the processor? I will for sure be going with 16BG ram either way.
Would certainly appreciate any advice.

Both of them are important for a graphic designer.
The processor and the GPU are quite good on the high-end 27-inch iMac. If I have to choose one, I would choose to upgrade the processor, because you should experience more performance by upgrading the processor to an Intel Core i7 one and it is the part that moves near everything in all applications. You should not have any problem with the built-in GPU.
If you buy it and you think it is better to get the upgraded GPU, you can return it during the first 14 days and get one with the upgraded GPU

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Upgrade processor or graphic card

Hello there. I was wondering whether I could upgrade my processor and graphic card.
Here's my laptop model.
Product Name HP Pavilion 14-n208tx Notebook PC Product Number F7Q12PA Microprocessor 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7-4500U with Intel HD Graphics 4400 Microprocessor Cache 4 MB cache Memory 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM (1 x 4 GB) Video Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated) Display 14" diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit (1366 x 768) Hard Drive 1 TB 5400 rpm SATA Multimedia Drive SuperMulti DVD burner Network Card Integrated 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet LAN Wireless Connectivity 802.11b/g/n (1x1) and Bluetooth 4.0 combo Sound DTS Sound+ with 2 speakers Keyboard Full-size island-style Pointing Device Touchpad with multi-touch gesture support PC Card Slots 1 multi-format SD media card reader External Ports
2 USB 3.0
1 HDMI
1 RJ-45
1 headphone/microphone combo
Dimensions 34.7 x 23.9 x 2.25 cm Weight Starting at 2.03 kg Power 65 W AC power adapter
4-cell (41 WHr) Li-ion What's In The Box HP TrueVision HD Webcam (front-facing) with integrated dual array digital microphone
Can I upgrade my gpu from GT 740M to GT840M?

Hi
Manual: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04439608.pdf
Go through Page 22, motherboard is specific to a processor, the graphics system, the type of dedicated card, pre installed operating system. You cannot replace processor or graphics alone - they are integrated or soldered on to board.
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Which is more important for Adobe CS6 and FCX on imac? Processor or Graphics Card?

Hi, I want to get the new 27" imac when it comes out this December. It will be my first mac although I have both an iPhone and iPad. I'm and artist and aspiring filmmaker and want to run Adobe CS6 and Final Cut Pro on it. I'm looking at the highest 27" but have limited funds for additional upgrades. Apart from RAM, what would i be better off upgrading on the imac? Going from the i5 to the i7? or going for the GTX 680mx Graphics card with 2gb of memory? or going for the 1TB Fusion drive? If you could only pick one or possibly 2, which would be the best to choose for video and graphics on the programs I mentioned? (I'm not into gaming, so performance on that front is of no concern to me)

I don't have CS6...
1) I would max out the video card. FCP X and Motion 5 uses the GPU over the CPU for processing power. Once you buy your new iMac you can't upgrade this...
2) FCP X and Motion 5 will use all the ram you can throw at it. I have 16 GB of ram and both programs at times uses all 16 GB of ram. I really should bump up my ram to 32 GB. I would say 16 GB is the minimum for video.
3) The processor would be last on my list. Computers are really fast even with an i5 processor. Once you buy your new iMac you can't upgrade this...
This is the iMac I bought last year:
27" iMc mid-2011
3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
16GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x4GB
2TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive
AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5
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Processor and graphics card upgrade for hp dc5100 MT(EF633US)

Can someone kindly tell me a variety of Intel processors and graphic cards which i can install in my pc coz right now i'm using Intel pentium 4 CPU 2.80 GHz and Intel 82915G/GV/910GL express chipset. but i would like to upgrade to a faster processor and a graphics card which can play games which require large graphic memory (eg FIFA 2013,GTA 5.etc)

Hi:
Personally, I wouldn't invest the money to upgrade that PC.
You would be better off getting an off lease newer dc5800 MT or dc7800/dc7900 model that has a PCIe x16 video slot.
The killer for your model is you can only install a PCI graphics card.
Very inefficient and pretty expensive for what you get in return.
After you install the required microcode update, the best processor I know for sure you can install would be the P4 650.
Below is the link to the quickspecs. The supported processors are listed on page 7.
I do not know of anyone who that has installed the 651 or 661 processors and got them to work--even though the specs state they are supported.
You can try the 651 or 661 and if you do, please let me know if they worked for you.
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12145_ca/12145_ca.pdf

My next iMac-- which graphics card; which display size?

Hi all,
I'd like some advice in choosing my next iMac, specifically regarding the graphics card and the display size.
Graphics Card:
I'm not a gamer nor am I doing any 3D animation. Is there any other reason to upgrade the graphics card? I DO want the best possible video playback (QT movies), but I don't know if the graphics card has any bearing on video playback quality.
Display size:
Aside from the obvious differences in resolution, do any of the three displays sizes (17,20,24) have any history of being better or more reliable?
Thanks in advance for any tips

Your needs will better dictate which model is best.
Video playback of QuickTine movies will not be affected by upgrading to the 24" with the nVidia chip.
No 3D gaming or animation means no need for a higher end graphics card. In my case, the x1600 ATi in the original Core Duo 20" is more than sufficient for everything I've thrown at it so far including full resolution "Call of Duty".
For your use, you may not need the extra VRAM but I personally would bump it up to 256MB though. Adding an external monitor will split the total VRAM between the two monitors and with Apple continually moving a lot of Mac OS X's graphical features to the GPU, the extra memory may be a blessing.
Display Size:
I believe that reliability between the three models is pretty much the same.
The advantage to the 24" is, of course, the extra screen real estate and resolution. However The price difference between the 20" and 24" could allow you to go with the 20" model and add an external LCD for a dual screen setup (if space permits).
Weigh your needs - now and the immediate future - and then look at both models in person if possible.

Can I upgrade my processor and graphics card in my HP Pavilion g6-2244sa Notebook PC?

Hi I bought this laptop 2 years ago for gaming purposes and school work. I was told by the shop assistant that it can run most fo your big games such as Call Of Duty and FIFA. Well frankly i was lied to and this laptop struggles to even play the simplest game Minecraft a game about pixelated blocks that you destroy and place and this can't even run it I am very annoyed about this and seeing if i can upgrade the machine never crossed my mind until now. So i am asking to see if it would be possible to upgrade the Hardware of this machine mainly the processor and graphics card, here are the specs of my laptop:
Processor- AMD E2-1800 APU w/ Radeon HD graphics (2CPUs) (1.80)GHz
Graphics Card - AMD Radeon HD 7340G
RAM - 8Gb
Memory - 1Tb
Now I am wondering if this machine's processor and graphic's card can be upgraded and if so what would be the price of it and where would be the best place and if the cost is too much would i be better off buying a new machine?
If you need more specs reply with the ones you need and i'll get them for you thank you for the help!

joshua_2020 wrote:
Hi I bought this laptop 2 years ago for gaming purposes and school work. I was told by the shop assistant that it can run most fo your big games such as Call Of Duty and FIFA. Well frankly i was lied to and this laptop struggles to even play the simplest game Minecraft a game about pixelated blocks that you destroy and place and this can't even run it I am very annoyed about this and seeing if i can upgrade the machine never crossed my mind until now. So i am asking to see if it would be possible to upgrade the Hardware of this machine mainly the processor and graphics card, here are the specs of my laptop:
Processor- AMD E2-1800 APU w/ Radeon HD graphics (2CPUs) (1.80)GHz
Graphics Card - AMD Radeon HD 7340G
RAM - 8Gb
Memory - 1Tb
Now I am wondering if this machine's processor and graphic's card can be upgraded and if so what would be the price of it and where would be the best place and if the cost is too much would i be better off buying a new machine?
If you need more specs reply with the ones you need and i'll get them for you thank you for the help!
Put this way if that system isn't costing you 2,000US or more then it will not play Call Of Duty and FIFA regardless of what the store sales person says. To play those games your laptop has to fall into the catgory called "Gaming Laptop" Specs and those come with cost and weight to show for it. Your laptop is only good at low games resolution and will not handle graphics intensive games. Those requires Gaming Laptop specs those cost money to be had. So if you still want to Game COD style you need to put down the cash for serious Game Laptop to perform under pressure. Forget about upgrading your current system what you want is a Serious Gaming Laptop if your going to play COD.
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I want to upgrade my Qosmios graphics card from GeForce GTX 670M to GeForce GTX 780M?

Hi!
I have a TOSHIBA Qosmio X875-Q7390.
Its graphics card which is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M 3GB GDDR5 dedicated has broken down.
Since I need to replace it, I'd like to upgrade it.
To GeForce GTX 780M. Or even maybe to GeForce GTX 970M.
What do you say? Can I?
Thanks.

Hymans123, welcome to the forum.
Is this the video card that you want to buy? If so, it should fit. The length is 8.58". You can make a template the size of the card to assure that it will fit with room for good airflow.
There is one caveat, however. Many of the GTX 750 series video cards require a UEFI BIOS to operate. You can get this information from the manufacturer.
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Upgradable GPU ? Graphics cards for next models?

Hi there!
I'm thinking about buying a Sattelite M40 which fits precisely with my budget. The only problem is the X300 128MB graphics card which is actually the slowest in ATI's X series. Is there any possibility or option of a graphic card upgrade either through the company or with the help of an authorized service provider? I know that there's the X600 in some models which would be a good change from the X300. Will the X300 and X600 be available/upgradable so that they can be changed ? (I know this sounds a bit crazy but some other notebook producers are already doing something similar. But I don't want to buy other notebook...)
My second question is about the matter of GPUs in Toshiba's next models that are coming out in the following months. Does anybody know if Toshiba will keep the X300 on their models or if they will use a stronger card like the X600, X700 or even X800 ? I would prefer to wait a month or so than buy something that I will regret buying after a few months.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Antonakis
[Edited by: admin on 30-Jun-05 07:22]

Ah such a pity. I'm no expert on mobile computers but I heard somewhere that some boards actually use something like a microAGP (or something like this). I was hoping that maybe there'd be a similar microPCI-express technology that made possible a GPU upgrade.
I was wondering if it'd be possible to connect a stronger graphic card externally through a expansion slot or maybe docking station but maybe I'm going too far.
I think I will buy it anyway since I think it's the best sollution for my money and I've heard only praises for Toshiba's laptops and especially for the Satellite family.
Ah and thanks for the quick reply!! :)
Message was edited by: Antonakis

X3100&NVS140M graphic card,which one can take more quickly in ultiboard Show 3D?

anyone can tell me,X3100&NVS140M graphic card,which one render speed more quickly,in ultiboard show 3D?
Actual,I used nvs140m graphic card more slowly than x3100 graphic card obviously.It's right or not?

I don't think anyone will be able to definitely tell you that one particular graphics card will be better than the other. There are just too many factors. The only way to tell would be to test over and over, and even then, you may not get consistent results.
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I urgently need to know how I can connect 8 thunderbolt display, I was thinking with the new mac pro will come out, but I wonder if it is possible to connect an iMac to 4GB of graphics card, but suffers from the imac. thanks

I urgently need to know how I can connect 8 thunderbolt display, I was thinking with the new mac pro will come out, but I wonder if it is possible to connect an iMac to 4GB of graphics card, but suffers from the imac. thanks

I tightened all HD screws and it didn't help. With the machine running and side of the case off, I physically stopped both the video card fan and the front case fan with my finger for a couple seconds and the noise continued. I also took all hard drives out one by one and rebooted each time. Again, the noise continued until I took out the Mac HD in Bay 1, rebooted, and I had a very quiet, silent machine. The issue is the hard drive in bay 1 that shipped with the computer, it's without a doubt causing the hum/woosh sound. I still need to know if I can safely swap the Mac HD from bay 1 to bay 4 without any issues to the operating system. I would like to try that to see if it dampens the noise but I also want to make sure this swap won't screw up my machine at all.

On an IMac will a 4GB graphics card give a noticeable speed improvement over a 2GB card?

On an IMac will a 4GB graphics card give a noticeable speed improvement over a 2GB card?

In terms of Lightroom I'm pretty sure the answer would be "no".

My graphics card which is supported doesn't get recognised

My graphics card which is supported doesn't get recognised.
I tried updating the driver of the graphics card which is a NVIDIA 2000D and it didn't help.
Maybe someone has a idea what it can be??

Same here. Using W7Pro 64-bit
Recognized in Photoshop CS6
Not recognized in Photoshop CC

Processor and Graphics Card Upgrade For HP ProBook 4445s

Hey guys,
I wanted to ask that I have a HP4445s with the A6 4400m processor and don't find it enough to play games.
The processor is a little bit slow and the graphics are kind of horrible for a gamer.
I feel like upgrading to a new processor.
The one that I found nice is the
AMD FD8350FRHKBOX FX-8350 FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition Processor
I just wanted to ask whether I could upgrade to this.
I also wanted to find out that it says that there are no integrated graphics, so does that mean I will have to purchase a new graphic card?
Thanks,
Please reply!
This question was solved.
View Solution.

That is a desktop processor and will not fit in any laptop. Right now some of the HP Support pages are down but I believe you can install an A10 AMD CPU which would improve the graphics just a little. There is no graphics "card" as you might be thinking of. It is a flat motherboard inside the laptop case with all the chips including video soldered on that board. The video comes from within the processor working with helping chips on the motherboard. An A10 processor provides slightly better graphics but nothing that will increase the gaming potential very much. That is a business laptop for doing Powerpoints and Spreadsheets and maybe watching a youtube video or playing a DVD. It is not a gamer. HP now makes the Omen laptop at about $1500 which would handle most high end games.

HP pavilion g4 series laptop - Can I Upgrade The Processor & the Graphics Card?

I was wondering because i saw a lot of laptop users replacing or upgrading their laptop's processor and video/graphics card, is it possible for me to upgrade mine? actually i would like to upgrade mine especially since my processor is i5 with 2.5ghz capacity and i really wanted to upgrade it to higher capacity if there is any compatible. thank you in advance for any answers.

The following list of CPUs are compatible with your notebook. It does include some Intel i7 CPUs with quite a bit more power than your currently install CPU.
Intel® Core i7-2640M 2.80-GHz (SC turbo up to 3.50-
GHz) processor (4.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i7-2620M 2.70-GHz (SC turbo up to 3.40-
GHz) processor (4.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i5-2410M 2.30-GHz (SC turbo up to 2.90-
GHz) processor (3.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i5-2430M 2.40-GHz (SC turbo up to 3.00-
GHz) processor (3.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
i5-2450M 2.50-GHz (SC turbo up to 3.10-GHz)
processor (3.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i5-2520M 2.50-GHz (SC turbo up to 3.20-
GHz) processor (3.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i5-2540M 2.60-GHz (SC turbo up to 3.30-
GHz) processor (3.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i5-480M 2.66-GHz (SC turbo up to 2.93-GHz)
processor (3.0-MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i3-2370M 2.40-GHz processor (3.0-
MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i3-2350M 2.30-GHz processor (3.0-
MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i3-2330M 2.20-GHz processor (3.0-
MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i3-2310M 2.10-GHz processor (3.0-
MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i3-390M 2.66-GHz processor (3.0-
MB L3 cache, dual core, 35 W)
Intel Core i3-380M 2.53-GHz processor (

IMac 5K - Processor or Graphics?

I'm planning to purchase an iMac 5K. My primary use is using PhotoShop to process and edit high resolution photographs. My budget will permit one upgrade, either the 4 GHz i7 Processor or the bbetter graphics card. Which one would you choose?

If it's not too late, I'd recommend neither, at least for now.
I put PSE 13 on a brand new 5K iMac and it is not usable. After a few operations the editor hangs for several seconds before doing anything. There are many, many postings in both Apple and Adobe forums about 5K iMacs slowing down when using various programs, including Mission Control, PSE, Creative Suite, and Lightroom. Apparently Apple is aware of at least some of this and there is evidence that they are working on it (but no generally accepted resolution that I have found as of OS X 10.10.2). It may be a combination of issues with Yosemite and with the large number of pixels to generate on the 5K iMac.
Adobe (with their usual awful customer support) hasn't acknowledged anything and may or may not be working on it. If I knew that PSE would be unusable (and that Adobe offers no support whatsoever for it) I would not have spent the extra money on a 5K iMac, at least until they fixed these issues.
My advice is to wait for a confirmed fix from Apple to the 5K iMac/Yosemite issues or be willing to find another photo program on it. (By the way, the PSE editor by itself - no PSE organizer running - works fine for me. Of course, that's not acceptable.)

IMac Upgrades: Processor or Graphics Card... which is better investment?

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