I am looking at buying a laptop for video editing and need advise. Should I go for a dedicated graphics card or will integrated be OK. Advise seems to be split between integrated fine and you need dedicated.

Thanks

Forgot to say I am using Sony Vegas Studio Platinum

I would say integrated will be fine.
Get the fastest cpu you can afford, and the biigest drives.

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I have one prejudice - I am anti HDV for consumer camcorders.

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JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.

Thanks Mark W

I am currently looking at two options

Fujitsu Siemens ESPRIMO Mobile V5545

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 1.83GHz
RAM: 2GB DDR2-667MHz
Hard Drive: 120GB
Display: 15.4" Widescreen TFT
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD2400 128Mb

or

Acer TravelMate 5720-301G16Mi

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz
RAM: 1GB DDR2-553MHz - would expand to 2Gb
Hard Drive: 150GB
Display: 15.4" Widescreen TFT
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
Graphics: Intel GMA X3100

With the Fujitsu at £509 and the Acer at £408 + memory upgrade

Going on your advise I think I will go for the ACER

Maybe I'm wrong but don't you need at least 1GB RAM to run Windows Vista Home Premium?

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

Yes I think you do that was why I would have upgraded the memory.

In the end I got an email from Dell with there latest offers and managed to pick up an Inspirion with 2Gb of memory, T7250 processor and X3100 for £475 so went for that as after the memory upgrade on the ACER there was only a about £6 in it. I am now awaiting delivery.

Thanks for the advise from everyone

Do you already have a camcorder, if you do what type is it? If it is a Mini DV model then the laptop will need to have a Firewire socket on it so you can connect both together. If it is Mini DVD (USB or just put the disc into the DVD drive) or hard disk then a USB will do.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

yes I do have a minidv camcorder and the DELL does come with Firewire. Though if not the other laptop in the house does so can capture to the external drive I use for video with that.

Just following this thread. I am also looking at a laptop for video editing (movie maker and nero) and have the same problem; integrated or dedicated.

How have you found the integrated Intel X3100?

I haven't actually had much time to play but overall it seems to be OK playback on the preview monitor OK even when resizing. Reading around I found out that Vegas doesn't use the graphics card for processing so it helps.

The only comment additional I would make is that the other laptop I use is running Windows XP and has a 17inch screen, the new DELL is Windows Vista and 15.4 inch widescreen. The 17inch is so much better for editing on Vegas, not sure if it is part to do with the big fonts of Vista which I do not seem to be able to get as small as XP.