What is a video card? Why would a laptop need one?

[Katymac]

Because they are much cheaper without one

If you want to play or view DVDs on your laptop you need a card to enable it.

So not having one would mean no BBC1 player

Ok buying one would be a bad move

Some laptops include a VGA output (nowadays some have HDMI to go into a TV instead).

VGA port has 3 rows of 5 holes, for a video lead to go into a monitor or LCD screen. Although called a VGA port, it may well handle higher resolution (SVGA) displays too.

Some laptops include this to allow for a bigger 'desktop' area (you can pull a browser window from the laptop screen onto the second (plugged in) screen.

Others allow the display to be (a) on the laptop screen only, (b) on external connection, and not shown on the laptop screen, or (c) shown on both. It's therefore possible to login using the laptop's display without showing other people, and then switch to share whatever is on screen with other viewers.

The VGA port would allow any combination of other devices to be plugged in from a single LCD diaplay so you could have say 6 or 8 people seeing the screens, to using a projector so a large audience could view, or via a VGA splitter, to feed anything from 2 extra screens to a dozen or more.

For the average desktop PC, you often have a standard display port on the motherboard, but for some applications people can spend 100 to 200 pounds for a different video card, allowing better quality or larger images to be displayed.

I've never heard of trying to use an extra video card with a laptop, but I guess if you have seen mention, it is the difference between having, or not having, an extra port to display images on a separate monitor.

If I've not answered the "why would a laptop need one" (eg VGA port for showing a presentation to a larger audience, mentioned above) then perhaps you can point to what laptops you are comparing, please?

17 inch Vostro at Dell (in the outlet bit) here?

BelleDameSansMerci "you need a card to enable it"

Huh? I am typing this on a laptop. I can view DVDs, but don't know what 'card' you are talking about...

Sure, the laptop has a video driver internally, but then again all laptops and notebooks do, else their displays would never show anything.

What are you trying to buy? Laptops these days have graphics cards built in, as do many desktop machines. For top end systems, the graphics card (Video Card) is separate and has a very fast processor on it to just process graphics.

Example of a Graphics Card - over £300

A laptop costing £300-£400 - such as Acer Aspire 5735Z has an Intel Mobile 4 Series Express Chipset with Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver, which enables it to handle OpenGL and DVD playback. It work's fine for BBC iPlayer and DVD's.

Are you getting confused by the comparison table on the Dell site, perhaps?
Why are you looking at Dell Outlet anyway... quick and easy to just pop down to your nearest supermarket - and get something that is brand new.

Almost certainly

Because I want one with a 17 inch screen.......& I'm a cheapskate

Katymac - what I saw when I went to the Dell outlet store were two items (DDV80D3 and E6T27CTY) but both appear to be desktop machines, one priced at 602.66 and the other was 400.51.

Both had 512 MB ATI Radeon 4850 graphics card, but the more costly one has a Blu-Ray DVD player / DVD/CD reader+writer which is the reason for the difference in price, I suspect (a DVD re-writer which the other one has is perhaps 30-50 quid, the Blu-Ray 5+ times that at a guess).

When I clicked 'filter results' (the page showed latitude in the top-left box) it showed a load of results, different screen sizes and so making the price range much larger (10" at 200 pounds, 13" at 550 to 600, 14" at 700+ pounds)

If you have specific laptops in mind, please post their "system identifiers" (like the ones I mentioned above: DDV80D3 and E6T27CTY)

Mine is 15.6" widescreen... it's big enough really. Why do you want 17"? If for showing DVD's, then you could always use the VGA output to hook it up with a LCD TV.

17" laptop, Acer - on Tesco.com £399.
Compac 17" laptop at £429
Toshiba 17" laptop at £449

Is the Dell Outlet on a LOT cheaper?

LOL Katymac - I was lucky when I saw a Windows 7 Compaq for 247.00 at Asda Living but they sold out quickly (and it only had a 15.6" screen, but still pretty big).

Certainly worth checking online for laptops with 17" screens, I'd say bigger the better, and a decent size keyboard with separate number pad helps too, in my view.

Good luck with the hunt!

(System Identifier: EJDGEE6R) doesn't have a video card

(System Identifier: EJDDL1VR) this one does

There is about £60 difference in the price

Nick you know I'm too thick to manage something like that - it's for excel spreadsheets the smaller screen means the text is too small

The cat wee'd on DD's computer so I not only need a new laptop for me I need one for her....grr

Yes I like the separate numbers - it makes data entry (accounts) easier

All laptops come with a video card - it's what allows the computer to display anything on the screen.

What the adverts mean, although I agree that they're not particularly clear on this, is whether you want a high-performance 3D video card (that's installed inside the laptop when it's being built) or a standard one that comes as part of the basic laptop.

You'll need a high-performance video card if you want to play 3D games on it. For watching DVDs, iPlayer or YouTube, or for standard web-browsing and Microsoft Office-type applications, you'll be fine with the standard video card.

EJDDL1VR has a different OS... FreeDOS. Can't see where EJDGEE6R says it hasn't got a video card. Plus point, it does have Windows 7.

They may not mention the card, but I bet there's one inside. Looks to me to be a smaller difference in cost (20 quid) but EJDDL1VR 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HD, says "Freedos" (never heard of it) while EJDGEE6R 3 GB RAM, 250 GB HD, 330.62 has Windows 7 Professional and is probably the better option for software downloads etc for you as well as being cheaper!

Higher cost is probably to cover the extra RAM (20+ {?} quid) and bigger drive (10 to 20 {?} quid)

Yes what Moros said

No sorry it was the one next to the freedos one (System Identifier: Z2B8EE6R)

On the list most of them have an entry for Video card but some (cheaper ones) don't

I probably can't afford one anyway

Z2B8EE6R - OK, can see difference in cost (and there's the dreaded VAT to add, too).

I think you'd find the extra was for the CPU (and perhaps for that video card, though I'm no specialist on what's considered "good" "better" "best" for either category, to be fair).

Sorry to hear of the damage to laptop - the machine I am using has a dud keyboard because a glass of wine was spilt into it, so unless the machine doesn't work at all (or smells too much, or went bang when it was turned on) there might be a chance of it working/ being usable.

I have a separate keyboard and mouse plugged in, and for anyone with youngsters (who might be a bit rough on laptop keyboards) would suggest considering same - means the laptop could be stored in a position where cat cannot sit on it...

If you've ever had one of those book holders for invalids reading in bed (so it gives a 45 degree angle then it would be possible to have laptop so cat cannot sit on it - s/he would slide off!

Hope you find something suitable, price-wise.

Thanks Webdude - I think it might be the smell that will be the problem; that and the fact that when we lifted it it was sat in a puddle of wee

I guess we could try washing it? perhaps not........

The bulk of their machines on the outlet search don't mention sound cards, network cards, and so on.

In a few (desktop) models, there's a chance that a machine might not have them installed (certainly 10 years ago, it was uncommon for all desktop machines to have a network port, but these days, most have 10/100 or 10/100/1000 Mbps ethernet ports)...

For sound cards, they might only mention what's in the machine if it is "special" (eg 5.1 or 7.1 sound for gamers)

I don't think you should worry about them not mentioning the graphics cards, as they are only going to point out "special" devices that are generally more expensive (and justify why one machine is 25 or 50 quid more than another similar spec machine).

I would not wash it - how long ago did this happen ?

Corrosion is sometime a problem from urine, but the smell should go away. I guess part of the problem will be that you know what happened to it, so there's the "yuk" factor to consider too.

If you know it has had say 4 or 5 days to dry out, then it may be worth trying to power it up, but in the first instance (before you leave it to dry) I'd suggest getting some kitchen towel and newspaper and remove the battery from laptop, if possible keeping the laptop keyboard facing the ceiling (so you don't turn it right upside down and any liquid inside the machine flows back through the keyboard opening... making the keyboard wet again).

If the battery area is wet, battery may be ruined and a hole in 50-100 quid to replace. If it was wet do be sure to leave the laptop a few days.

If you are concerned about the laptop going bang, then use an extension cable and take it out the back, make sure weather is dry, of course.

Have someone indoors to turn power off in case of a problem and then try to power it up. If there's smoke or you hear anything unusual, get power turned off. If it works, great, just shut it down and consider where it can be left in a dry area indoors to dissipate any smell...

"it makes data entry (accounts) easier"

10+ years ago, when my brother was doing (pub) stocktaking, he had a separate numberpad plugged into his little laptop.

Probably under a tenner for a USB one, on Ebay, if you find a laptop which has 3 functions per key and no number pad..

It happened on Thursday - I have it in an old washing up bowl

Cat pee is particularly nasty smell-wise

I might try to 'save' it - if only to get DD's data off it (she is very vulnerable atm)

Thanks - I never thought I'd be talking about cleaning up cat wee on a Saturday night