NCMtnMan Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC

Saying that a separate graphics controller isn't necessary is like saying that power steering isn't necessary. It's a matter of what you want to do and how much performance improvement you want. As others have stated, your laptop will use the graphics controller built into the CPU on the main system board. This is a very basic controller and will function for basic graphics work. It uses part of the main system memory as it's operational memory and uses the main CPU for processing. A separate graphics controller has its own CPU referred to as a GPU and its own high speed memory. Since its only function is graphics, it is faster and it removes the computing needs from the main system CPU. One thing to consider is that unlike a desktop system, you cannot go back and add a graphics controller to a laptop. It must be ordered that way since it is embedded into the main system board. If it were me, I would want the separate graphics because as time moves forward, the requirements for various software you use may require better graphics to operate. I recently upgraded my desktop graphics again and it cost me about $175 for an excellent adapter. If I was using a laptop, I would have had to replace the entire system just to have better graphics.

ggab Loc: ?

Why a laptop?
Why not a desktop?

ggab Loc: ?

From Capture One regarding the use of the GPU:

https://www.phaseone.com/en/Search/Article?articleid=1720&languageid=1

This will provide parameters for Capture One and your computers Video GPU as well as how the application uses it.
Good luck

BebuLamar

What do you mean? There is no separate graphic card that you can remove, replace or install in a laptop.

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

Lately, it is becoming less necessary. However, I would caution that many people fail to look at system RAM versus video RAM. With a dedicated/separate video card, the system RAM is not shared as the video card has its own, often considerably faster RAM. An integrated video card shares the RAM of the system. Thus, if you are going with a system with an integrated graphics card, you must consider the amount of system RAM currently in the system and whether it can be expanded. A minimum of 16GB is workable but it is also borderline. A Windows 10 system at idle can consume anywhere between 6-8GB. An integrated video card can consume between 2-4GB depending on the card. Whatever is left will be used by the applications you run.

Another consideration, too, is the hard drive and this also ties into the memory. As the system begins to run out of memory, it will begin to swap applications and their data in and out of memory using a paging file on the disk. An SSD will definitely improve performance in this respect.

In summary, if you opt for an integrated video card be certain that the system has no less than 16GB and, if at all possible, an SSD.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

Yes, laptops can either have the graphics incorporated in the CPU, or as a SEPARATE graphics adapter This is called "discrete" graphics. Some models give you a choice when customizing a laptop purchase. The graphics adapter ("card") is not changeable in a laptop though, unlike a desktop, because the motherboards are different.

BebuLamar

Now I have a fellow worker that told me he uses a very high end graphic card in his desktop to crunch numbers but not for graphic. He said the GPU is much more powerful than the CPU and can be use to process data the same way the CPU does.
I don't know if it's true though.

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

Well, that depends...

If the laptop came with just an integrated video card, then yes, there is no way to add, remove, or change the video card assuming you are looking at just the laptop. For example, my Lenovo X1 Yoga has only an integrated video card. This works well when I am out and about. At home, it is connected to Thunderbolt 3 docking station that has an Nvidia GTX 1050 video card. One can add a video card through the various docking stations that are available and many of the docking stations have the ability to be upgraded by the consumer if one chooses to upgrade the video card.

If the laptop comes with a dedicated graphics card, this can be easily upgraded if one is willing and desires it. I had a Dell Mobile Precision laptop that had a dedicated Nvidia graphics card which supported a max external monitor resolution of 1080P. Wanting to add a 4K monitor, I replaced the video card with one that supported 4K and had twice the video RAM as the original.

Thus, there are options and possibilities.

BebuLamar

How do you replace it though?

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

That is very possible. The technology is moving more and more to utilizing the GPU for intensive processing. A lot of big data applications are leaning this direction because the GPU is capable of processing data in parallel whereas the CPU, regardless of the number of cores, is still a serial processor.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

You can't. Separate internal graphics adapters on laptops ("discrete graphics") are not interchangeable. There is no standard format for internal laptop components like there is for desktop computers. You can't buy laptop graphics cards. No interchangeability, as the motherboard would be different. Likely no removability either, as the graphics chip would be soldered to the motherboard.

With a laptop you should consider its graphics fixed the way it was built by the manufacturer.

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

Given that the laptop has a dedicated video card; if one is so inclined, or has a technician who can do the same, one could remove the card from the system board. In such systems, the video card is a separate board with pins that will interface with the system board. Here is a link to the type of card I used to upgrade the one in my M6700.

https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Workstation-Graphics-K5100M-Replacement/dp/B07B9Z4W9F/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=Dell+K5100M&qid=1560439641&s=gateway&sr=8-2-fkmr0

I must admit that because the M6700 was built before 4K was available, I had to modify the drivers to make the card work with the laptop.

As for integrated graphics cards, there is no way to replace or upgrade without replacing the system board.

TuG Loc: Ventura California

Thanks for the suggestion to look at Puget Systems. Learned a lot about Photoshop performance.
How much RAM does Photoshop need? Worth reading for sure.

ggab Loc: ?

What I meant

ggab Loc: ?

All of this depends upon:
1- What he is doing
2- What application he is doing it in

Anytime you do anything on a computer, you are crunching numbers.
I am crunching numbers typing this response.

The application being used determines if the GPU can be of benefit.
Typing on a web browser does not require a GPU and the Web Browser wouldn't know what to do with it in this regard.
If this was all you were doing all day, any graphic card would do simply to power the display.