Graphics "card" explanation help needed!
 

With MoP coming out in September, and my current computer being a POS, I've been looking into getting something better. However, I'm on a fixed income and can't save a lot from month to month.

That being said, I've been looking at "kits" on Newegg.com. Currently, I think I'm going to buy THIS KIT. The problem is that I simply don't understand the mumbo-jumbo about the graphics....... "card" (yes, I understand that there is no actual physical "card" involved).

If someone could please post an explanation of what is happening there, what it all means, and if I can actually run WoW on something other than the absolute minimum graphics (and maybe be able to actually do some dungeons other than solo), I would appreciate it.

I plan on using my Vizio 32 inch TV as the monitor, so (hopefully) I don't need one of those right away. I'll be able to get it early in August, but will probably have to wait until early September to get the OS.

My typical stance is "NEVER use on-board graphics for gaming."

Here's a quote from an August 2011 review, though: "Barely capable of playing modern games, AMD’s integrated Radeon HD6530D still smashes Intel’s completely-inadequate efforts."

The AMD Vision processors come with decent entry-level graphics. These cards are "on-board" graphics, or integrated graphics. The difference between an integrated graphics card and a dedicated graphics card (an actual card that you need a slot for) is that the integrated cards share vram with the processor/motherboard and a dedicated card has its own cache of vram. Another plus is that many dedicated cards nowadays come with their own cooling system.

The GPU that comes with the A6 processor is the Radeon HD 6530D. Here is some info on the card's performance: http://www.game-debate.com/hardware/...n%20HD%206530D You can find more reviews and videos about it through a Google search.

Crossfire is AMD's way of linking two of their graphics cards together to improve performance. Meaning, if you stuck a dedicated GPU in there, you could link it with your 6530D.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_CrossFireX

My laptop is an A8 processor which comes with a Radeon HD 6620G. Also in there is a Radeon HD 6750M. According to the chart at this link, they combine to the equivalent of a 6755G2.
http://www.amd.com/us/products/techn...-graphics.aspx

First, thank you both for your responses.

However, I am currently even more confused than I was.

I was looking at several cards in the Radeon line that matched the list on the AMD link you posted, Seerah. Unfortunately I couldn't find any that actually had CrossFireX support. I also have no clue what the "AMD Radeon™ HD 6530D (I understand this is the APU graphics designation) + HD 6570 (I understand this is a video card model) = HD 6610D2" even means. I tried searching Newegg for a card with that model number, but had no luck.

I checked the "FAQ" tab on your AMD link, Seerah, and found out that I can add any of the cards listed that will work with the APU that comes with that package. That means that I can use the either the HD6450, 6570, or 6670. I just don't know which makes for better graphics. As I said earlier, I have no idea what the last number (IE: HD 6610D2) means.

I really have absolutely no clue what I'm doing here, and I appreciate all of your time and patience.

Like in my example, the first column is the integrated GPU - in your kit, that's the 6530D. The second column is whatever dedicated graphics card you pair up with it - for me, my laptop came prebuilt with one but you'd have to buy one yourself. When you add the two GPUs together, the dual graphics designation and quality would be called what's in the 3rd column.

Thanks Seerah.

I kinda figured that one out. I just don't have any idea which is better for what I want to do. That final column just doesn't make any sense to me.

One other thing that isn't making any sense to me is that AMD says all of those cards work with CrossFireX, yet when I check the specs on Newegg, they ALL claim to not have CrossFireX support. See, that right there is just confusing to me.

I'm just going to have to get the kit and then go from there. I'm feeling, right now, as if getting this thing going will never end. Besides not knowing what I'm doing and not being able to get everything I need at once, I really wanted to have it up and running for MoP. That's just not going to happen. Besides the kit I figure I need another graphics card (not too expensive, but still), a 16GB memory kit to max that out, the OS (which is going to end up being Window's Home Premium 64bit w/ SP1: AMD says gotta have W7, so....), a key board (gotta be backlit) and a mouse, and a TON of patience on my end. Sux to get old. well, and to be me, but that's a whole other subject. Oh, and I forgot completely about the MoP expansion. SHEESH.