I'm putting together a PC that will mainly be used for web browsing and homework, with two 1080p monitors running at 60 Hz. The integrated graphics are actually faster than the older GT 610, but I'm wondering whether installing the dedicated card would reduce shared system-memory usage. The build comes to about A$2,026, and I'm curious whether the GT 610 offers any practical benefit or if I should just use the integrated graphics.
3 Answers
If you specifically need extra display outputs, look at a used workstation card such as a Quadro M2000 instead. It has 4 GB of VRAM, four display outputs, doesn’t require a power connector, and offers much more headroom than a GT 610. Just compare local Australian prices before buying.
Stick with the integrated graphics. It shouldn’t be taking anywhere near enough system memory to matter for browsing and schoolwork, and the GT 610 would likely be a downgrade in graphics performance.
With 16 GB of RAM, shared memory usage from the integrated GPU shouldn’t be a concern. The money would be better saved for a genuinely faster graphics card later if you decide to game.
Exactly. There’s really no reason to worry about VRAM usage with integrated graphics for this kind of workload.