Every modern Intel and AMD CPU includes an integrated GPU — a graphics processor built into the same chip as the CPU. The question is: when is this enough, and when do you need to invest in a dedicated graphics card?
What Integrated Graphics Can Handle
- Windows desktop and all productivity applications
- Web browsing, video conferencing, YouTube, Netflix (with hardware decode)
- Office work: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, accounting software
- Light photo editing in Lightroom (basic adjustments, no heavy masking)
- Simple 2D games: older titles, browser games, casual games
- Programming and development (IDEs, terminals, web dev)
When You Need a Dedicated GPU
- Any modern 3D game at acceptable settings
- GPU-accelerated video editing (Resolve, Premiere with CUDA)
- 3D rendering: Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya with GPU renderer
- Machine learning and AI inference/training
- CAD visualisation with complex 3D models
- Multi-monitor setups with high-resolution displays (4K/multiple 1440p)
Intel Iris Xe and AMD Radeon 780M
The latest generation iGPUs (Intel Arc in Meteor Lake, AMD RDNA3 iGPU in Ryzen 7000) are surprisingly capable. AMD's 780M iGPU in the Ryzen 9 7940HS can play many games at 1080p low settings. For light gaming on a budget, they're a legitimate option.
The Nigeria Consideration
For office deployments — banks, businesses, educational institutions — integrated graphics handles all business workloads without the cost, heat, and power draw of a dedicated GPU. Sephora Systems offers both dedicated-GPU and integrated-GPU configurations for enterprise clients.