Integrated Intel HD Graphics. How do I configure Intel HD Graphics for gaming? Intel hd graphics how it works

Even during the first acquaintance with processors based on the Clarkdale core, we paid attention to one of their key features - the integrated graphics core Intel HD Graphics... Then, in the Intel Core i5-661 review, we conducted preliminary performance testing of this graphics adapter, as well as tested its high-definition video decoding capabilities. In continuation, during testing of the first motherboard on the Intel H55 Express chipset in our test laboratory, solutions from the developer - Intel DH55TC, we even presented the results of attempts to play modern games.

But, since in all these materials the main attention was paid, nevertheless, to the capabilities of a particular processor and a particular motherboard, and the graphics core itself has several modifications and differs in frequency characteristics from processor to processor, we decided to in-depth study of the capabilities of Intel HD Graphics separate it into a separate material, collecting all the information available about it.

Let's start by reminding the theory. So, the new mainstream processors based on the Clarkdale core, more recognizable by the names of the models of the Intel Core i5, Intel Core i3 and Pentium G6950 series, are composite - under the 32 nm heat-distribution cover, the computing core is adjacent to a 45 nm crystal, which includes all additional controllers. such as memory controller and bus controller PCI Express, control and monitoring logic, and Intel HD Graphics.

Moreover, the processor contains only the computing part of the graphics core Intel HD Graphics - it is she who processes graphic information for 2D and 3D scenes, or decodes high definition video. The image prepared for output, frame by frame, is transmitted using the Intel Flexible Display Interface (Intel FDI) to the chipset, which is already responsible for outputting the stream via digital interfaces DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort, and for the latter two adding a multi-channel audio stream, or transcoding for analog VGA (D-Sub) output.

Compared to previous generation video adapters that were built into Intel G43 / 45 chipsets, Intel HD Graphics has several advantages:

• there are 2 more execution conveyors;
• improved processing of vertices and work with the Z-buffer;
• the maximum operating frequency and the volume of the video buffer allocated from the RAM have been increased;
• appeared OpenGL support 2.1;
• the possibility of simultaneous operation with two HDMI outputs, including modes with multichannel audio transmission and support for an extended color range, has been implemented.

An important emphasis is placed on the improved unit for hardware decoding of high-definition video and post-processing, which promises the ability to view up to two video streams simultaneously (picture-in-picture mode).

However, in different processors, this graphics core operates at different clock speeds, which should provide a noticeable difference in performance and facilitate their positioning. The fastest Intel HD Graphics is in the processor Intel Core i5-661, and possibly in some future models, operating at 900 MHz. It is interesting to note that this particular processor got into almost all test laboratories as an official sample and therefore many spoke about the effectiveness of the Intel HD Graphics based on its testing, although, as you can see, this integrated video adapter is so fast only in one processor.

The bulk of processors based on the Clarkdale core, all models of the Core i3 line and almost all Core i5, except for the Intel Core i5-661, have a video adapter that operates at 733 MHz, which theoretically makes it about 20% slower.

In the meantime, the only processor in the Intel Pentium G line - Intel Pentium G6950, the video core runs at 533 MHz, which confirms the positioning of this model as, most likely, the last and most budget representative of the Pentium series. But, given its maximum availability, it can be expected that many budget users will have a computer with it.

It is precisely this range of capabilities due to different operating clock frequencies that we want to explore, both by comparing the new solution with the previous generation, and with the most budget discrete accelerators.

In order to give the most correct answer to the question about the dependence of Intel HD Graphics performance on its clock frequency, we took three processors - Intel Core i5-661, Intel Core i3-530 and Intel Pentium G6950- and brought them all to a frequency of 2.8 GHz, disabling technologies Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost for models that support them in order to maximally equalize the capabilities of older models with Intel Pentium G6950.

However, it should be noted that Intel processor Pentium G6950 differs from Intel Core i5 and Core i3-530 models by some other, most likely artificial, limitations and infringements: its cache memory is 1 MB less, the QPI bus frequency is only 2400 MHz, and the built-in memory controller cannot work with DDR3-1333 memory, limiting the effective frequency to only 1066 MHz. We did not look for ways to neutralize these differences, since, on the one hand, they provide the maximum adequacy of the results for the entire platform without taking into account the clock frequency. specific models processors, and, on the other hand, allow a more adequate assessment of the increase in Intel HD Graphics performance compared to the previous generation of integrated video cards.

To compare the capabilities of Intel HD Graphics and Intel GMA X4500, we used a system based on the ASUS P5G43T-M PRO motherboard with an Intel G43 Express chipset and an Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 processor, which runs at a nominal frequency of 2800 MHz and has 3 MB of cache. ... Such a bundle is very similar in parameters to a system based on Intel Pentium G6950. Moreover, it is very significant that both Intel HD Graphics and Intel GMA X4500 these systems operate at the same frequency of 533 MHz.

In addition, the memory controller integrated into the Intel G43 Express chipset does not support DDR3-1333 when operating in the nominal mode, unwittingly allowing one to evaluate the progress of various generations of integrated Intel video adapters in almost identical conditions.

And, of course, it was very interesting to compare the integrated graphics core with the most affordable external video cards, which should provide higher performance and better functionality, although they will not be as energy efficient.

Of the most inexpensive video cards, we have chosen LEADTEK GeForce 210 with 512MB DDR2 (210-512D2-SFLS-1-HDMI) and ASUS Radeon HD 4350 with 1 GB DDR2 (EAH4350SILENT / DI / 1GD2 / A), as the brightest and functionally similar representatives of the budget sector.

To make it easier to compare the capabilities of embedded solutions from Intel and budget discrete solutions from AMD and NVIDIA, we suggest comparing the capabilities of these solutions.

Comparison table:

		Intel HD Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 210	AMD ATI Radeon HD 4350
Graphics core
Number of stream processors
Supported APIs	DirectX 10.0, OpenGL 2.0	DirectX 10.0, OpenGL 2.1	DirectX 10.1, OpenGL 3.1	DirectX 10.1, OpenGL 2.1
Frequency GPU(shader domain), MHz
Video memory type	DDR2 / DDR3 (system used)	DDR3 (system used)	DDR2, DDR3, GDDR2, GDDR3	DDR2, DDR3, GDDR2, GDDR3
Effective memory frequency, MHz
Video memory bus width, bit		64/128 (depending on configuration)
Video memory size, MB
HD-Video Decoding	Not all modifications
Power consumption, W

* Calculated approximately based on the analysis of the performance of systems with an integrated video adapter in various modes.

Judging by the comparative characteristics, Intel HD Graphics is slightly inferior to budget discrete accelerators in terms of capabilities and the number of execution units, and also does not have its own video memory, although it can "borrow" an impressive amount from the system, but it has a relatively high operating clock frequency and, even with the most pessimistic estimates of energy consumption, it turns out to be 2-3 times more energy efficient. But, nevertheless, Intel promises performance sufficient for many games - let's try to check it out.

Intel HD Graphics Performance Testing

So, as noted a little above, for the most correct comparison of the new platform with an integrated video card with the solution of the previous generation Intel GMA X4500, we used motherboard ASUS P5G43T-M PRO and Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 processor, and the rest of the tests were performed on the following system:

At the same time, discrete video cards were tested on the same system with an Intel Core i5-661 processor, which worked at the same 2.8 GHz clock frequency with disabled Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies.

After examining the results, I immediately want to note some superiority of Intel HD Graphics over Intel GMA X4500, and, as can be seen from the processor test in Futuremark 3DMark'06, the influence of the architecture of the processors themselves on the result is minimal. However, we are forced to note and still some "rawness" of the drivers, although there has been a noticeable progress, especially when working with OpenGL. We hope that in the near future, when the drivers are brought to the proper level, the superiority in all applications will be close to 20% only due to architectural improvements, and today the adapters built into Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i3 receive a tangible advantage due to a noticeably higher operating clock frequency.

Comparing the frequency modifications of Intel HD Graphics with each other, one can only confirm the theoretical conclusion - the higher the operating clock frequency, the higher the efficiency. But in numerical terms, this will not always be very noticeable. If compared to the 533-MHz versions in Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i3 they look noticeably faster, then they do not differ so much from each other as to make a recommendation to unambiguously look for an option with the fastest graphics core, especially if we take into account the higher power consumption of such a processor.

Compared to the simplest discrete accelerators based on ATI Radeon HD 4350 and NVIDIA GeForce 210, all Intel HD Graphics options are inferior in performance. And if in synthetic tests, apparently due to optimization, the gap is not so big, then in gaming applications even an entry-level video card will be about 2 times faster. Of course, it is possible and necessary to note that the purchase of an additional card increases the cost of the system, as well as its power consumption a little, so if you are not supposed to play on a new PC, then the built-in solution will be more profitable in all respects. In addition, on the external video cards included in the testing, it is not very easy to play modern games, especially if the owner has a widescreen monitor with Full HD resolution and wants to see all the effects. And buying a really gaming video card is a completely different matter, as well as choosing a processor for such a system.

Examples of games

Serious sam 2

PlayinSerious Sam 2 onIntel Pentium G6950

PlayinSerious Sam 2 onIntel Core i5-661

Let's start with a fairly simple, as it seems to us, game Serious Sam 2, in which, during testing, a fairly high frame rate was recorded even with maximum settings... However, in practice, we had to slightly reduce the image quality to medium settings and play at 800x600, because in mass scenes, despite maintaining a decent frame rate, there were "microfreezes" that did not allow to aim well.

Call of juarez

PlayinCall of Juarez onIntel Pentium G6950

PlayinCall of Juarez onIntel Core i5-661

In the game Call of Juarez, not everything turned out so smoothly either - even with minimum settings graphs from time to time there were noticeable "drawdowns" to an uncomfortable level, although in general the performance of even Intel Pentium G6950 will be enough to pass this new game, though not seeing all the charms of one of the most beautiful games for DirectX 9.0c.

Race Driver: GRID

PlayinRace Driver: GRID onIntel Pentium G6950

PlayinRace Driver: GRID onIntel Core i5-661

But the newer and more resource-intensive game Race Driver: GRID for the integrated Intel HD Graphics cards turned out to be noticeably harder, especially for the slowest modification in the slower Intel Pentium G6950 processor. In order to somehow ride using Intel HD Graphics at a frequency of 533 MHz, I had to bring the graphics settings to the minimum state, and reduce the resolution to 640x480, observing ugly squares on a 24-inch monitor. Using the Intel Core i5-661, the performance has improved markedly, although there is no way to talk about complete gaming comfort.

Far cry 2

PlayinFar Cry 2 onIntel Pentium G6950

PlayinFar Cry 2 onIntel Core i5-661

Far Cry 2, an even newer and very resource-intensive game, turned out to be quite "playable" even on Intel Pentium G6950 with the minimum video quality settings and 800x600 resolution. At times it even seemed that Fraps in the upper left corner was writing slightly underestimated numbers, reflecting the current frame rate. And when replacing the processor with an Intel Core i5-661, as we saw earlier, it was even possible to increase the resolution to 1024x768 and set the average graphics settings.

In general, having tried to really assess the comfort of playing relatively new and far from new games, we can say that, despite advertisements and assurances, and even sometimes quite high numbers with an average frame rate during tests, Intel HD Graphics does not will satisfy the needs of game lovers, although in the absence of an alternative, it will allow you to look at many games and even go through some of them.

High Definition Video Playback

Already during the first testing of Intel HD Graphics, we also tested the possibilities for accelerating high-definition video decoding. But then the experiment took place on an Intel Core i5-661 processor, which has the fastest integrated video card, so it was much more interesting to repeat the experiment on the slowest solution in the line, because if the Intel Pentium G6950 copes with HD-Video decoding, then all other processors will the Clarkdale core will definitely be able to do this.

Film "Jumper"
File format: Matroska
Size: 9.45 GB
Video format: AVC
Codec: H.264 / AVC
Resolution: 1920x816
Audio track # 1: 6-channel audio in AC-3 format, Ukrainian.
Audio track number 2: 5.1-channel sound in DTS format, Russian.
Audio track # 3: 5.1-channel DTS audio, English.
Audio Track # 4: 2-channel Vorbis audio, English.
Subtitles # 1: in UTF-8 format in Ukrainian.
Subtitles # 2: in UTF-8 format in Russian.
Subtitles # 3: UTF-8 in English.

As you can see, even the video core built into the Intel Pentium G6950 processor almost completely assumes the responsibility for processing high-definition video streams. The processor load when playing the movie "Teleport" was at the level of 10-15%, and the image was uniform and clear.

The Chronicles of Riddick Film
File format: Matroska
Size: 16.6 GB
Bit rate: 16 Mb / s
Video format: VC-1
Codec: WVC1
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Audio track # 1: 6-channel audio in AC-3 format, English.
Audio track number 2: 6-channel audio in AC-3 format, Russian.

The heavier VC-1 format at a bitrate of 16 Mb / s was found to be more difficult for the Intel Pentium G6950 processor - at times its load reached 50%. But even with such a processor load, the movie could be watched comfortably.

Summing up, I would like to confidently assure that since even the Intel Pentium G6950, the slowest processor on the Clarkdale core with the slowest integrated Intel HD Graphics, is capable of decoding various high-definition video formats, then the rest of the models based on this core can become the basis of a modern media center. ...

Outcomes

Well, let's summarize the possibilities of the harbinger of future "systems-on-a-chip". It cannot be said that the Intel HD Graphics integrated into processors based on the Clarkdale core, even working in the fastest possible mode, provided a radically new level of performance, turning a system with an integrated video card into a full-fledged gaming computer. But, nevertheless, this graphics core is a step forward, providing the minimum necessary performance for all tasks of modern systems, even the simplest games, especially considering the general overhead costs for its acquisition and operation - when buying a processor, it is conditionally free, and compared to discrete cards are much more economical. The only weak point of Intel HD Graphics is modern games. It's one thing to play with an old hit, and another thing to spend money on buying a modern fashionable game with a bunch of special effects that this "video card" will not allow to see. Therefore, if you plan to play comfortably, then you cannot do without a discrete accelerator, because even the simplest accelerator will provide twice the performance. But if games are secondary or even tertiary tasks for your system, then using Intel HD Graphics even in the slowest version inside the Intel Pentium G6950 processor can be considered the best option.

We express our gratitude to the companiesIntel , Kingston , Scythe andSea sonic for the equipment provided for testing.

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You've probably come across this integrated graphics card in laptops. However, this name hides several chips at once, which were built into a variety of processors, and the first in its generation was in the motherboard.

Before Intel HD Graphics, we dealt mostly with Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA), and you can read material about. These graphics were not at all suitable for games, which, of course, did not suit many users. And since users want built-in graphics that they can play on, then manufacturers are trying to give it to them. So Intel HD Graphics was released.

It first appeared in 2010 along with mobile processors. Then they were already manufactured using the 32-nm process technology, but the graphics, which were not yet built into the processor itself, but soldered into the motherboard, were manufactured using the 45-nm process technology. Its graphics performance (in particular, processing three-dimensional image) was 70% higher than Intel GMA.

In 2011, the platform appeared. Here, a graphics chip was also integrated into the processor, manufactured according to the 32nm process technology. In the mobile version, it was Intel HD 2000 for Core and Intel HD Graphics for Pentium and Celeron. This was the second generation Intel HD.

The third generation appeared at the same time as in 2012. In Celeron and Pentium, the option without an index went - just Intel HD Graphics, in Core - Intel HD Graphics 2500 and. It supported DirectX 11, which is important for games. This graphics core has also been used for embedded graphics in processors.

The line showed us a fairly large number of Intel HD options. The simplest one, without an index, as usual, went to Pentium and Celeron, and those with an index went to other processors. We will tell you about them in a separate article.

In the meantime, more about Intel HD Graphics built into Haswell processors. It included 10 execution units and 40 shader processors. In terms of its performance, it is approximately equal to the AMD Radeon HD 6450 - as you can see, it is quite a good option. In addition, it outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GT 620.

Likewise, there is support for DirectX 11.1, Shader 5.0, OpenCL 1.2, and OpenGL 4.0. There is a decoder for video in high definition 4K. The clock speed differs depending on the processor model. The exact clock speed (as in normal mode, and in turbo) can be viewed at the very end, column 7.

What games can you play on this video card? At the minimum settings - almost any, but not the most modern. Dota 2 is in full swing. If this particular video card is installed in your laptop, please share what games you play. This material concerns specifically Intel HD Graphics without an index. Recall that in Haswell it can be found in Pentium and Celeron processors.

To do this, we take the following steps:

• On the free space press the desktop with the right mouse button;
• From the menu that appears, select "Graphic characteristics ...";
• We put a mark in front of the "Advanced mode" field and click "OK";
• Open the "Three-dimensional graphics" tab;
• And on the right side of the window, in the settings 3D graphics move the slider all the way to the "Performance" side;
• Slightly below we put a tick in front of the entry “ Optimal mode application work ";
• Finally, click "Apply" and "Ok".

3. Disable or remove resource-intensive programs.

Some programs start their work at boot time, the user sometimes does not even suspect about it. It is necessary to disable the startup of such programs, this will significantly increase the performance of the system. Also, a lot of resources are required for antiviruses, utilities for downloading files from the Internet, programs used for communication (Skype, various clients). All these programs, if possible, are also disabled during the game to improve performance.

Well, it should be noted that there are many programs that have been developed by specialists specifically for overclocking video cards. The main thing is to choose the best option that will really increase performance, and not lead to unstable system operation and reduce its performance.

And one more important factor, when installing the game, make sure that your laptop complies with system requirements this game. Since, to force him to work faster than he can, neither regular user, nor an advanced specialist in this matter.

Hi friends If you have noticed a program such as a driver Intel graphics and now you think - do you need it or not, then I forbid you to think so right away! And all because without this program your computer will not work normally!

So what is this Intel graphics driver and why is it so important? For your monitor to work properly, it must display a good and high-quality image. It is this task that is put on graphics adapter... Previously, it was separately placed on the motherboard, but now it is already built into the Intel processor itself. You connect the cable to the motherboard, but in fact the most important thing, that is, the graphics adapter or the core, is in the processor.

So, in order for this graphics adapter to normally display a picture, smooth, so that you can change colors, screen resolution, for this all you need to have drivers installed. Do not worry, you do not need to install anything, Windows itself has already taken care of this - it itself downloads the necessary drivers and installs them itself, and then asks for a reboot

If you uninstall the Intel graphics driver, the computer will work, but a little strange. The image may twitch, or it will somehow press on the eyes. Well, this was definitely the case in the days of large CRT monitors, it was just unpleasant to look at the monitor. This is a little easier on LCD monitors.

So, here are the key points I think you should know about the Intel Integrated Graphics Driver:

• your built-in graphics core in Windows is most likely called Intel HD Graphics; in older versions, when the video chip was separately soldered on the motherboard, it was called Intel Extreme Graphics or Intel Graphics Media Accelerator; by the way, the modern integrated graphics core has stepped forward decently in performance and you can play many games on it, only of course at the minimum settings;
• As a rule, you don't need to think about installing Intel drivers on video, Windows itself should do this, while in its latest version, that is, in Windows 10, the driver installation mechanism has been significantly improved and works without glitches;
• Intel HD Graphics allows you to configure many parameters, although, to be honest, I looked at them, but I didn't change anything, because I don't know why, everything works like clockwork; nevertheless, I want to convey to you that there in the settings you can improve brightness, clarity (namely, clarity, not contrast), and many unusual settings, so I am writing that you may be interested in all this; you can get into the Intel HD Graphics settings both through the desktop menu and through a special icon in the Control Panel; there is also a tray icon;
• if you have a separate video card or you have recently installed it, then you can uninstall Intel HD Graphics, since this software will no longer be of any use, and it will remain in the processes if you do not remove it;

The appearance of the Intel HD Graphics control window can be different, for example, like this:

Although I personally have this kind of program:

And once a program for managing drivers was something like this.

The family of integrated Intel HD Graphics chips is an excellent replacement for discrete, that is, going as a separate module for video cards. The use of the integrated video chip will be especially relevant for various laptops and netbooks. The advantages of such solutions are increased productivity batteries and less heating of the internal space of the mobile PC.

Family of video chips

Intel HD Graphics Family includes several generations.

1. Intel HD - Installed on the iCore 3/5/7 family and first generation. Codenamed Nehalem / Lynnfield. The capabilities of such a video card are very limited. Therefore, if the laptop will be used to work with graphics and for multimedia entertainment (watching movies in HD quality, playing games), then this chip will not be the best solution.
2. Intel HD 2000/3000. The second generation of integrated video chips from Intel is installed in the second generation iCore 3/5/7 processors. Codenamed Sandy Bridge. Today it is practically not used in new laptop models, but it is still a significant market player.
3. Intel HD 2500/4000. The third generation of integrated video logic, on this moment it is the most massive market representative mobile devices... These cards are part of the third generation iCore processors. This video logic is codenamed Ivy Bridge. In terms of performance, it is close to Radeon HD 65xx cards.
4. The latest generation of Intel HD Graphics, codenamed Haswell. Part of the new 4th generation iCore processors. The main model of this generation is the 4600. It has two stripped-down versions - 4200 and 4400. The most powerful are the 5100 and 5200. In terms of performance, the latest Intel HD 5200 card outperforms most discrete mid-range graphics cards.

Intel HD 3rd and 4th generation allows you to fully enjoy the quality of movies up to 4K resolution. Also, such video cards can easily cope with the loads of video games of the last 2-3 years. Since the first generation of processors and integrated video logic is already a little outdated, we will omit it from the Intel (R) HD Graphics card review. Go ahead.

Second generation of video chips

Today, Intel HD Graphics 3000 video logic is still used quite often. It is the ideal solution for low-end mobile PCs. This decision allows you to quite comfortably watch high-quality films and even sometimes enjoy the delights of video games released in 2011-2012. However, if we consider that budget laptops and netbooks are not bought for the purpose of multimedia entertainment, then everything falls into place. The maximum resolution supported by the video card is 2560 x 1600 pixels. In addition, this generation of video logic supports HDMI output. In order to optimize the operation of this interface, it is advisable to have the latest Intel HD Graphics driver installed.

As mentioned above, the second generation graphics core family is represented by two models. These are Intel HD Graphics 2000 and 3000. Despite the fact that both of them are produced according to the same technological process, the productivity of the cards can differ by two times. This is due to the fact that the junior model has a lower core clock frequency, in addition, it is equipped with only six executive devices (versus 12 for the older version of the card).

Thanks to this differentiation, a fairly clear market segmentation is achieved. Thus, a user can purchase a laptop with a dual- or quad-core processor and a full-fledged HD 3000 graphics core or a stripped-down HD 2000 graphics. Naturally, this is reflected in the cost of production.

Third generation

Intel HD Graphics 4000 video logic was presented in 2012. It is based on a 22nm process technology. The peak performance of the chip is 200 gigaflops. At the same time, the previous generation of Intel video cards was executed using a 32nm process, and the performance was exactly 2 times less.

Integrated graphics allow you to use all the features of DirectX 11 and OpenGL 3.3. According to the assurances of the developers and repeated tests, the Intel HD 4000 card allows you to enjoy all the delights of movies with high resolution... In addition, this video logic makes it possible to feel comfortable enough in most modern games. Of course, here it should be understood that some of them will require lower resolution and lower quality settings.

But what if the game does not work correctly or some artifacts appear in the image? To fix this problem, on the manufacturer's website, you need to find a driver for the Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip, download and install it. This advice sounds trivial, but it actually helps. The fact is that the company's engineers are trying to regularly update the drivers of their products and improve compatibility with the latest applications.

If we compare the performance of the video card with the previous generation, then it has increased by 30%. Additionally, you can get a boost in power by using a faster i7 processor and more RAM.

The fourth generation of video logic

To date, Intel HD Graphics is installed in almost half of the laptops. This is due to both excellent marketing moves corporation and the right approach to integration. With each new generation, video logic becomes more and more perfect, which allows it to compete on an equal footing with discrete cards of the average price level.

The release of the latest generation chip had a noticeable impact on the sales of video cards from other manufacturers. After all, it makes no sense to pay extra money for something that can work "right out of the box." Just a few years ago, few people were interested in the performance of embedded video graphics. After all, everyone understood that chips such as Intel HD are needed only for office applications, viewing low-resolution photos and movies. However, after the release of the third generation iCore processors and Intel HD Graphics 4000 video chips, the situation began to change dramatically.

Has become real competitor for discrete chip manufacturers. And these are not empty words, it is enough just to look at the drop in the dynamics of sales of cards from AMD and nVIDIA. In addition, AMD was forced to abandon the release of the budget graphics Radeon HD 70xx due to its lack of competitiveness.

Description

Intel HD Graphics 4600 is an evolutionary development of the integrated video chip. Due to the fact that in 2010 Intel abandoned the then classic scheme of separating vertex and pixel pipelines and switched to a unified shader architecture, it managed to achieve regular modernization of its own video logic. Every year the company improves the chip manufacturing process, which positively affects the number of execution units and, as a result, productivity.

The Intel HD 4600 already has 20 execution units, which allows it to compete on an equal footing with AMD and nVIDIA chips. For comparison, the previous HD 4000 model had 16 blocks, and the HD 3000 only 12. Thus, even if we take HD 4000 and HD 4600 chips with the same core frequency, the processing power of the latter will be 25% higher. In addition to the number of execution units, the frequency of the video core was also increased. Now it is 1250 MHz versus 1150 MHz for the previous generation. A distinctive feature of Haswell processors and video logic is the reduced power consumption in idle mode.

New Intel graphics support OpenGL 4.0 and DirectX 11.1 (shaders version 5). Other features of the chip include full-screen anti-aliasing, HDR and a number of other technologies that can improve the resulting image. It should be mentioned that, like the core of the previous generation, the HD 4600 can work simultaneously with three monitors.

Theoretical performance calculations

Knowing about the features of the integrated graphics of different generations, you can proceed to compare their performance. For greater objectivity, a budget discrete GeForce GT 630 card will take part in the test. Core performance at peak load is:

• HD 4600 - 400 gigaflops;
• GT 630 - 311 gigaflops;
• HD 4000 - 294 gigaflops;
• HD 3000 - 194 gigaflops.

As you can see, even at this stage the discrete card is inferior to the latest generation of integrated graphics. However, such a performance parameter as the scene fill rate cannot be ignored. By this indicator, discrete graphics are many times better than integrated solutions:

• GT 630 - 13 Mtex / s;
• HD 4600 - 5 Mtex / s;
• HD 4000 - 4.6 Mtex / s;
• HD 3000 - 1.35 Mtex / s.

In terms of rasterization speed, GeForce also shows the best results:

• GT 630 - 3.2 Mpix / s;
• HD 4600 - 2.5 Mpix / s;
• HD 4000 - 2.3 Mpix / s;
• HD 3000 - 1.35 Mpix / s.

For now, we will not touch on memory bandwidth, as Intel HD Graphics cores have this performance depending on the load on the processor.

Integrated graphics tests

Well, let's move from theoretical foundations to practical tests. Let's start by comparing the performance of three generations of Intel chips. HD 3000 graphics are tested based on HD 4000 - i7-3770K, HD 4600 - i7-4770K. At maximum load the frequencies of the graphics cores were 1350, 1150 and 1250 MHz, respectively.

The check is carried out at the minimum graphics settings for video games and a resolution of 1920 x 1080. At the same time, filters such as anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering are disabled. The 3DMark benchmark app was run on standard settings... Since HD 3000 does not support DirectX 11 technology, other video chips are checked without enabling it.

• HD 3000 - 3221 points;
• HD 4000 - 5795 points;
• HD 4600 - 8253 points.

The Unigine Heaven benchmark also demonstrates the significant performance of the latest generation chips:

• HD 3000 - 213 points;
• HD 4000 - 327 points;
• HD 4600 - 446 points.

Gaming performance

That is where we finish with synthetic tests and move on to comparing the performance of cards in gaming applications. In Crysis 2, the HD 4600 is almost one and a half times faster than its predecessor (11.5 points against 7.7). HD 3000 received only 5 points.

F1 2011 is not so sensitive to GPU performance. Due to this, the HD 4600 is only 28 percent ahead of the HD 4000. It is noteworthy that the game runs perfectly even on HD 3000 graphics, which is good news for owners of old laptops.

High-quality graphics applications such as Metro 2033 and Tomb Raider allow you to play quite normally at medium or low settings in DirectX 10 mode on an HD 4600 card. frames per second noticeably sags, and the picture becomes similar to a slide show.

As a result of all the tests carried out, we can say that the next round of development of integrated graphics based on Haswell processors is a real step forward. Particularly encouraging is the fact that even in the games released in 2013-2014, it is possible to achieve acceptable results. That is, even budget laptop will allow you to fully enjoy the quality of multimedia entertainment.

Comparison of integrated and discrete cards

Now let's move on from the test of integrated chips to the comparison of Intel HD 4600 and As you can see from the figures above, the solution from Intel has a good peak performance indicator. Although at the same time this chip is inferior in bandwidth memory and rasterization speed.

First, let's check our cards on synthetic tests 3DMark and Unigine Heaven. The comparison is carried out at maximum graphics settings in Full HD resolution and using DirectX 11. As a result, the following test results were obtained:

• HD 4600 - 980 bp .;
• GT 630 - 919 p.

• HD 4600 - 361 pts;
• GT 630 - 360 p.

• HD 4600 - 344 pts;
• GT 630 - 320 p.

As you can see, the HD 4600 chip fights on equal terms with the discrete card, which has advantages in the number of ROP units, texture processing speed and pixels. But, unfortunately, in gaming applications, things are, albeit slightly, but still worse. In games such as Battlefield-3, Crysis-2, F1-2011, the HD 4600 lags somewhere around 5-20%. In Metro-2033, the integrated graphics lagged behind the GeForce GT 630 by more than half. But in games like DiRT Showdown and Tomb Raider, the Intel card scored 12% and 22% better, respectively.

results

The new integrated core from Intel is a significant step forward in the development of such technologies. Modern video chips easily outperform their previous generations in all performance indicators - the average lead over the HD 4000 is 40%. What about discrete graphics? Here we can say with confidence that if the laptop will not be used only for games, then it would be much more correct to refuse to buy a mid-priced video card, since the built-in core allows you to completely replace it. Plus, don't forget about power consumption. The top-end one with integrated graphics consumes only 84 watts, while the discrete GT 630 card based on a simple dual-core processor will initially consume 130 watts of energy. As a result, this will result in a lower battery reserve as well as overheating of internal components.

That is why when buying new laptop forget about cheap discrete graphics cards even if they are of the latest generation. In reality, they will not be able to provide the productivity gains that would justify such a purchase. Moreover, Intel HD Graphics 4600 can easily satisfy all the needs of a modern user.

In this article, the top-end was used for testing, but today you can already purchase the i5 and i3 models that are more affordable for the average user. As in the case of the previous generation, the new video card has a cut-down model - Intel HD Graphics 4400. Despite the smaller number of execution units, it still outperforms the 3rd generation cards. Well, fans of ultrabooks and expensive laptops are much more fortunate, because the Haswell series processors can be equipped with a more powerful HD 5100/5200 graphics core, which already has 40 execution units, which is twice as many as in the HD 4600.

More about performance

As mentioned above, integrated video cards use RAM on an equal footing with the processor. Therefore, if you install a sufficiently powerful crystal of the latest generation in a laptop, but limit yourself to only a few gigabytes of slow memory, then the performance results of such a configuration can be very disappointing. Memory is a bottleneck for video logic, and therefore it is recommended to use its latest models with high frequencies and low latencies to achieve good results.

Overheating is another nuance that significantly affects the performance of not only video graphics, but the computer as a whole. Above a certain degree, the video chip and processor show low results in various tests and real applications. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly clean the coolers and the interior of mobile PCs from dust. The result will not be long in coming.

It is also important to understand that the quality of the graphics will depend on the selected processor. The fact is that with an increase in the load on the core, the video chip receives a lower priority for transmitting packets, thus, this affects the image quality. Therefore, the test results when comparing budget and top-end processors and the same video logic will not be in favor of the former. Thus, the choice of the "heart" of the laptop directly affects the capabilities of the video chip.

And one last tip for today. For the driver, you must install the most recent one. Even if you purchased a laptop already fully configured for work, do not be too lazy to go to the manufacturer's official website and download the most recent version.