Haswell Integrated Graphics Promise 2-3X Performance Boost 133
crookedvulture writes "Intel has revealed fresh details about the integrated graphics in upcoming Haswell processors. The fastest variants of the built-in GPU will be known as Iris and Iris Pro graphics, with the latter boasting embedded DRAM. Unlike Ivy Bridge, which reserves its fastest GPU implementations for mobile parts, the Haswell family will include R-series desktop chips with the full-fat GPU. These processors are likely bound for all-in-one systems, and they'll purportedly offer close to three times the graphics performance of their predecessors. Intel says notebook users can look forward to a smaller 2X boost, while 15-17W ultrabook CPUs benefit from an increase closer to 1.5X. Haswell's integrated graphics has other perks aside from better performance, including faster Quick Sync video transcoding, MJPEG acceleration, and support for 4K resolutions. The new IGP will support DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 4.0, and OpenCL 1.2, as well." Note: Same story, different words, at Extreme Tech and Hot Hardware.
Best thing about this (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Best thing about this (Score:4, Informative)
Not an intel chip, it came from PowerVR.
Anyone who bought one of those was simply a fool. Everyone gets to be a fool now and then so don't feel to bad if it bit you.
Re:Worst thing about this (Score:2, Informative)
Performance improves in ways you might not even expect.
I guess it improves it in such an unexpected way I didn't even notice. In the two desktop computers I have in my household, I originally built them using integrated video cards and then upgraded to discrete cards couple months later when I had some more time to pick out something and some spare cash. Neither my wife nor I noticed any difference in normal desktop performance for office related software or web browsing. The only difference seen was in video games. My work issued laptop has integrated GPU, and I'm not sure what performance could be improved on it other than maybe a faster hard drive (there is only so fast I can type, click through documents, and my code runs on a cluster instead of locally...).
Or to put it in automotive terms: even a family car needs the ability to get onto the highway without being a threat to public safety.
Yes, while this is true, it really isn't relevant. You look foolish if you try to claim hybrids are not usable because they can't drive at highway speeds as they are already capable of that. Likewise, integrated GPUs are quite fast enough for a the vast majority of basic computer use and only a hindrance to specific uses that many people may or may not need (i.e. not every one does high end gaming, video editing, etc.).
Re:You haven't tried, have you? (Score:2, Informative)
I put together a tiny mini itx system with an Ivybridge i3-3225. The case is super tiny and does not have space for a dual slot video card. Even low-to-mid grade video cards are dual slot nowadays, and I didn't have any on hand that would fit.
I shruged, and decided to give it a go with the integrated HD4000. The motherboard had really good provision for using the integrated graphics anyway. Dual HDMI+DVI and even WiDi support via a built in intel wireless N card. (Widi only works via the integrated GPU, so that will be fun to play with if I ever get any widi displays)
This is the first time I've ever been impressed with integrated graphics. Hell, this is the first time I've ever considered it usable. Even for non-game stuff, I've always dissatisfied with intergrated GPUs when things get intense. Dual monitors, windows, streaming HD video, and anything that uses GPU acelleration could take the system to it's knees. With the HD4000 everything is butter smooth, even when I've got a 3dish indy game going (Line minecraft)
The system is tiny, whisper quiet (So quiet that that HD noise was agrivating and I switched to an SSD for noise alone), runs very cool, and boots in a blink from it's SSD. I could get used to this.
Re:Worst thing about this (Score:4, Informative)
actually, video editing doesn't really benefit from a discrete GPU since the damn encoding support is still crap. Most of the various software I've looked at still get more bang from a better CPU then GPU encoding and if you're in the industry like ILM/Pixar, then you aint using GPU encoding anyhow - its mainly dedicated ASICS and such. For someone doing it as a hobby, they're buying a video card specifically supported by their software so it makes no god damn difference to 99.99 percent of the folks out there that onboard graphics suck.
In my case, small business owner; I've been planning a new build for 4th quarter (part of my 4yr replacement cycle) based on a Xeon E3 1275 with onboard graphics because the system purpose doesn't need much in the way of a GPU. It's a development system (builds and Database work) so why waste money. Hell all of my employees systems are onboard graphics just to save a few bucks that's better spent on more ram or a slightly better cpu. As with anyone, trade-offs are required when building/specing our systems and as a business, we tend to go with the cheapest configurations we can get. Keep in mind that the cheapest configuration does not mean the cheapest parts. We learned a long time ago that spending a bit more for quality hardware resulted in less downtime.