Gaming usually is more GPU bound than CPU bound, meaning, the GPU will make a bigger difference in gaming performance than the CPU.

Most lower end (or even the super-mobile) notebooks don't have a dedicated GPU. Instead, they have intel integrated "extreme" graphics, which is DX7 level hardware. No pixel shading. This usually results in substandard gaming.

However, more and more midrange and Desktop-replacement notebooks are beginning to feature gaming GPU's that have been modified (usually with clock gating) to lessen power consumption when the GPU isn't being used for gaming.

Game-worthy mobile GPU's:

Geforce 2 go (aging, but okay) DX7
Geforce 4 go DX8 (the 4x0 series is DX7)
Geforce fx 56xx go DX9
Geforce fx 5200 go DX9 (marginal performance)
Geforce fx 6800 go DX9 »nvidia.com/page/go_6800.html
Mobility Radeon 7500 DX7 (also aging, but okay)
Mobility Radeon 9000 DX8.1
Mobility Radeon 9600 DX9
Mobility Radeon 9700 DX9
Mobility Radeon 9800 DX9
Mobility Radeon X800: ťati.com/products/mobilityradeonx800/in..

While this list isn't complete, it does give a general idea.

ATI Mobile cards: »ati.com/products/mobile.html
Nvidia Mobile cards: »nvidia.com/page/mobile.html

typo corrected 11/20/04
updated 01/01/05 thanks DSLarggggg
updated 02/12/05 thanks Nerdtalker

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by Nerdtalker edited by TA63
last modified: 2005-02-11 23:46:05