Intel hd 4000 card specifications. Mind games. Let's understand Intel HD graphics. And we play
Review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 convertible ultrabook
The emergence of the Windows 8 operating system has become a kind of “engine of progress” for a huge number of computer equipment manufacturers. The new OS, which has two types of control (touch and classic), gave an additional impetus to the creation of devices of a new form factor that combine a tablet and a laptop. We have already introduced you to one of the representatives of this class, namely the laptop. In this material, we will look in as much detail as possible at the next new product in the “transformers” line, which you have probably already heard about.
Review of the Impression X70.02 ultrabook
August of this year was marked by the fact that the company “ Navigator"presented to the public its first ultrabook, which will be produced under its own brand Impression Computer, and this, one might say, is a rather significant event for the domestic IT market. After all, it is known that the production of new items, like all other devices of this trademark, is carried out on the territory of our country.
Model ImpressionX70 is positioned by the manufacturer as a solution for the corporate segment of users, which is emphasized by an extended warranty of up to 24 or 36 months and support for Intel Anti-Theft technology with software package McAfee Anti-Theft for remotely blocking a stolen device and protecting information stored on the drive. At the same time, almost the main feature of the ultrabook, in addition to the compact dimensions inherent in this class of solutions, is the use of a high-capacity battery - 7800 mAh.
GIGABYTE BRIX GB-XM12-3227 mini computer review
Thanks to active development computer sphere and the constant transition to more technologically advanced and much more energy-efficient processes for creating components, among which processors play the largest and most important role, equipment manufacturers are given the opportunity to turn into reality rather unusual devices, characterized by the most compact dimensions while maintaining the maximum number of capabilities. This was precisely the decisive factor in the emergence of such a class of desktop solutions as mini-computers, which are now actively promoted not only by manufacturing companies, for example, ZOTAC with its ZBOX nano XS model, but also by Intel itself in the form of a conceptual device NUC (Next Unit of Computer), equipped with “full-fledged” processors of the Intel Core line.
Not long ago, the Taiwanese GIGABYTE joined these companies, which brought to the market a series of very compact mini-computers under the laconic name GIGABYTE BRIX, and is now actively expanding the model range of this line. At the moment, the “bricks” are available both in the basic version and in a very unique version with a built-in mini-projector with a brightness of 75 lumens, capable of displaying an image measuring from 7 to 85 inches diagonally at a resolution of 864 by 480 pixels. The gaming GIGABYTE BRIX II, which is said to be capable of playing games at the level of Crysis 3, should also go on sale soon. It is important to note that the manufacturer gives preference not only to solutions from Intel, but also to accelerated processors from AMD.
In this material we will dwell in more detail on one of the models of the starting line, namely GIGABYTE BRIX (GB-XM12-3227). Its main feature, undoubtedly, is the incredible compact body, in which the manufacturer managed to fit an energy-efficient dual core processor Intel Core i3-3227U with integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000. At the same time, the choice and installation of RAM and storage is at the discretion of the consumer, which expands the possibilities for customizing the configuration. However, not everything is so happy in the mini-computer and already at the first acquaintance a number of complaints are revealed.
Ultrabook review and testing Lenovo ThinkPad T431s
A bright representative of Lenovo T-series ultrabooks, in the lineup which includes only premium devices. And this means that this model, according to the company, is the embodiment of functionality, the highest quality workmanship and stylish design.
At first glance, it is clear that the Lenovo ThinkPad T431s was developed not just as another “laptop” squeezed into an ultrabook form factor, but as a device with its own, unique look, as evidenced by its appearance and software and hardware capabilities. Reinforced carbon case, spill-resistant keyboard, advanced security features - this is not a complete list distinctive features this ultrabook. Lenovo ThinkPad T431s is produced in various configurations, differing primarily in processor models, as well as the volume and type of drives. We received a sample for testing based on the Intel Core i5-3337U.
Intel Core i3/Core i5 (Haswell) processors for embedded systems coming in Q4 2013
Review and testing of the Dell XPS 12 ultrabook
Thanks to the release of the latest operating system from Microsoft, namely Windows 8, which is quite focused on touch control, almost each of the manufacturers presented their vision of new devices that would simultaneously offer the same convenient way use both in classic mode and in tablet mode. Some of them began to develop completely new form factors for devices. For example, Lenovo introduced the Lenovo Yoga ultrabook with an innovative display unit hinge design that opens 360°, thereby transforming the laptop into a tablet. Other companies decided to go the proven route and use the concept of a laptop with a detachable display, which was originally developed by ASUS and initially used for its Android tablets.
Dell, keeping up with its competitors, decided to use its early developments, especially since one of these developments had already been used to produce the first of its kind flip-flopping laptop, the Dell Inspiron Duo, with a 10" display rotating around its axis. An original and very reliable design aroused quite a lot of interest in the device, but it did not become particularly popular due to its small diagonal and not very convenient for touch Windows mode 7.
The second changeover was the ultrabook, which should attract much more public attention, because the new product is not only made in the same unique premium style as the Dell XPS 13, but is also equipped with an excellent Full HD 12.5" diagonal display, perfect for a touch interface Windows 8. However, no matter how bitter it may sound, it was not without a fly in the ointment. We will find out which one.
Fujitsu LIFEBOOK E743 - a reliable and productive business class laptop
It is noted that this generation of Intel GPUs will support a number of new APIs (DirectX 11.1, OpenCL 1.2, OpenGL 3.2), will provide improved work with content, will allow the use of multi-screen configurations and will guarantee support for the DisplayPort 1.2 interface.
As for the performance level of the Intel HD Graphics 4600 GPU, Intel claims that in the class of server solutions this graphics processor can replace discrete video cards costing up to $150. The basis for such conclusions was comparative testing processor Intel Xeon E3-1275 v3 (Intel HD Graphics 4600) with its predecessor Intel Xeon E3-1275 v2 (Intel HD Graphics 4000) and two entry-level discrete graphics cards in the SPECaps PTC Creo 2.0 benchmark. Increasing the number of computing units in the Intel HD Graphics 4600 model and optimizing its driver allowed the new product to demonstrate better results than unnamed budget discrete video cards in three out of five test sets. And the gap between the previous generation graphics core and the new product based on testing results averaged 26%.
Ultrabook Samsung Series 9 Premium Ultrabook is cheaper
Good news for everyone who was planning to purchase an ultrabook SamsungSeries 9 Premium Ultrabook, but was stopped by its original recommended price of $1900, which announced late last month. Today, some online stores are accepting pre-orders for the new product at prices starting from $1,350 per model with solid state drive 128 GB capacity
Despite the considerable cost SamsungSeries 9 Premium Ultrabook looks like a very attractive purchase. The ultrabook is equipped with a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, protective Gorilla Glass and SuperBright backlighting, an Intel Core i7-3517U processor, 4 GB of RAM, a card reader, SoundAlive HD Audio stereo speakers, a wireless module Wi-Fi connection and a wide range of connection interfaces. Stated time battery life- about 8 hours.
The ultrabook body is made of aluminum, and its total weight is 1150 g.
Specifications:
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Manufacturer |
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Series 9 Premium Ultrabook (NP900X3E-A02US) |
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operating system |
Windows 8 Pro (64 bit) |
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SuperBright backlight (300 nits) |
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CPU |
Intel Core i7-3517U |
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Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
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RAM |
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Memory expansion |
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SoundAlive HD Audio |
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Webcam |
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Wireless connection |
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n |
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Network Controller |
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Connection interfaces |
Card reader 3.5mm audio jack for headphones and microphone |
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Autonomy |
Up to 8 hours |
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Additionally |
Backlit keyboard Aluminium case |
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Products webpage |
Ultrabook ASUS ZENBOOK U500VZ-CN097H with 15.6-inch touch display
For everyone who wants to purchase a high-performance and elegant ultrabook, ASUS has developed and introduced the ASUS ZENBOOK U500VZ-CN097H model. This 15.6-inch new product is equipped with a quad-core standard mobile processor Intel Core i7-3632QM, six gigabytes of DDR3-1600 RAM and a hybrid disk subsystem. The latter consists of a 128 GB SATA SSD drive and a 500 GB HDD drive.
ASUS specialists were also concerned about high quality playback of multimedia content, completing mobile computer ASUS ZENBOOK U500VZ-CN097H with a Full HD IPS touch display, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M mobile video card and a 2.1-channel Bang & Olufsen IcePower audio subsystem with support for Sonic Master technology. And for video communication, the new product features an HD (720p) webcam with an integrated microphone.
The new product went on sale with an 8-cell battery and the Windows 8 operating system installed. Its estimated price is €1,699. The summary technical specifications of the ASUS ZENBOOK U500VZ-CN097H ultrabook are presented in the following table:
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Touch 15.6” Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080) with LED backlighting |
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operating system |
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CPU |
Intel Core i7-3632QM (4 x 2.2 GHz) |
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RAM |
6 GB SO-DIMM DDR3-1600 (8 GB maximum) |
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Storage device |
128 GB SSD + 500 HDD (5400 rpm) |
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Video subsystem |
Mobile graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (2 GB GDDR5) + integrated graphics core Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
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Audio subsystem |
2.1 channel Bang & Olufsen IcePower speakers with Sonic Master support, microphone |
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Network interfaces |
Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 |
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External interfaces |
1 x Combo audio output |
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Webcam |
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Card reader |
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8-cell lithium polymer (70 Wh, 4750 mAh) |
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Battery life |
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DimensionsIntel Core i5-3230M, the nominal clock speed of which is 2.6 GHz. The basic configuration also includes 4/8 GB of RAM and a 128 GB mSATA SSD drive. Optionally, the amount of RAM can be increased to 16 GB, and instead of a 128 GB mSATA drive, use a 256 GB version or a hybrid configuration with SSD and HDD solutions.
The multimedia capabilities of the GIGABYTE U2442T ultrabook are implemented based on: 14-inch HD touch display with support for Multi-Touch technology; NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M mobile video card, which is equipped with its own 2 GB of DDR3 memory and supports NVIDIA Optimus technology; two built-in speakers with a total power of 4 W with support for THX TruStudio Pro technology; 1.3 megapixel webcam with built-in microphone. Note that the GIGABYTE U2442T model is also characterized by support for all necessary network modules and external interfaces, including Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 3.0, HDMI and D-Sub. The new product will go on sale with the Windows 8 family operating system installed. More detailed technical specifications of the GIGABYTE U2442T ultrabook are presented in the following table: New NVIDIA GeForce 700M line of mobile GPUs with GPU Boost 2.0 supportNVIDIA has introduced an expanded line of NVIDIA GeForce 700M mobile graphics processors. Five new solutions have been added to the NVIDIA GeForce 710M and GeForce GT 730M models already on the market: NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M, GeForce GT 735M, GeForce GT 740M, GeForce GT 745M and GeForce GT 750M. Moreover, the first two GPUs are aimed at use in Mainstream laptops, and the other three – in Performance-class mobile computers.
Details of the technical specifications of the new NVIDIA GeForce 700M series mobile GPUs have not been officially disclosed. It is only known that they are created on the basis of the NVIDIA Kepler microarchitecture and are characterized by support for: internal bus PCI Express 3.0 (except for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M model, which is tied to the PCI Express 2.0 standard); DDR3 video memory (all models) or optional GDDR5 (NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M, GeForce GT 745M and GeForce GT 750M only) NVIDIA GPU Boost 2.0 technology to automatically increase the maximum clock frequency as the load level increases;
NVIDIA Optimus technology, which allows the system to automatically select a source for processing video data ( mobile video card or a graphics core integrated into the processor), taking into account the current load level and battery charge;
instructions OpenGL 4.3, OpenCL 1.2, DirectX 11; Blu-Ray 3D, 3D Vision, FXAA technologies.
Relative performance levels of the new NVIDIA GeForce series GPUs700M compared to graphics Intel core HD Graphics 4000 in the Crysis 2 benchmark |
In the previous article we told you about the new processors from the line Ivy Bridge, today we will touch on one of the components of these processors - the Intel HD 4000 graphics built into them, codenamed Carlow.
The graphics, like its previous version, Intel HD 3000, has four processor cores, but the new version also has support for DirectX 11. However, it’s too early to rejoice. DirectX 11 can only be found in the latest games, which are so demanding on system resources that our built-in video card will probably be left behind system requirements. And this is even despite the fact that compared to the graphics in Sandy Bridge, our 4000 has tripled its performance (at least, that’s what Intel claims). And in general, there are so many changes in the graphics core that this is a clear big step forward compared to the previous options.
It is now possible to connect as many as three monitors to the graphics at the same time (although this may require DisplayPort). If your work requires you to open many windows, and they all need to be in front of your eyes, then this function will certainly be useful to you. In addition, a powerful processor will make it possible to run demanding graphics programs if you are a designer. In general, a rather bright prospect emerges here in terms of using a laptop or ultrabook on Ivy Bridge. When you need mobility, you take it and go where you need to go. When you need to work at a stationary place, you connect to a mobile computer large monitor(or even several) and work.
The base clock speed of this graphics can be increased as support for the technology is built into the processor chip. Turbo Boost. Depending on the processor model, the base frequency and overclocking frequency may vary. For example, its performance on low-power processors will be 30% below average. In general, it can operate at clock frequencies from 350 to 1350 MHz.
The clock frequency here is lower than in previous versions, which makes it possible to reduce power consumption. Since the microarchitecture of the graphics core was changed for the better, Intel felt that this would not reduce its performance, which was already quite sufficient.
Intel HD 4000 graphics includes 16 execution units, or unified shaders, while Intel HD 3000 could boast only 12. In addition, there is support for OpenGL 3.1 and OpenCL 1.1 (the latter using shader processors). The totality of the characteristics of the new graphics is such that it is almost equal to a very productive development from AMD - Llano. In terms of performance, the HD 4000 is on par with the discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 330M and exceeds the performance of the integrated Radeon HD 6620G (though only when paired with a quad-core processor).
The encoding quality has also improved, and the video encoding speed has doubled. By the way, the hardware video encoder can play back at least 16 video streams, all in high definition. It can also play content beyond high resolution- 4096×2304.
However, although we wrote that it is unlikely that you will be able to play the latest games on this graphics, some will still run on it - unless, of course, they are too demanding of graphic resources. The gaming performance of the Intel HD 4000 is 50% higher than that of the 3000. Among the games you can play on it are Left 4 Dead 2, DiRT 3, Street Fighter 4 and others. If you have run games on the Intel HD 4000, write in the comments what works on it and what doesn’t. We will make an update later.
Here is a short table for now (click on the picture to enlarge):
Also playable:
FIFA 11 (2010)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010)
F.E.A.R. 2 (2009)
Counter-Strike Source (2004)
Finally, a selection from the general table of synthetic test results made for different Intel GPU Please note the change in position in the card performance rating: 
notebookcheck's conclusion: “Overall, we're impressed with Intel's new graphics core. Performance has improved by 30% compared to HD 3000. This difference can be even greater - up to 40% if the GPU is paired with a powerful quad-core Ivy Bridge CPU, such as the i7-3610QM.
So what should you do if your favorite game doesn't work properly on Intel HD? The advice given by www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/cs-010486.htm at first glance looks like Captain Obvious: change the game settings, check for new patches for the game, install the latest Intel driver. But in reality these tips work. Intel engineers work closely with game developers, including creating patches for compatibility with Intel GPUs. Also, as noted by notebookcheck, "slowly but surely" are improving Intel drivers both in terms of correctness and performance, which leads to solving problems with games. 
At this point, the post for ordinary players ends (thanks for your attention, welcome in the comments), and the
1. Correctly determine the parameters of the graphics system and its capabilities- support for shaders, DX extensions and available video memory (note that the Intel GPU does not have separate video memory; it shares system memory with the CPU).Look at the example source code and application binary for correct and full definition system parameters with Intel GPU - GPU Detect is possible.
Additionally, the Microsoft DirectX SDK (June 2010) includes a Video Memory example to determine the size of available video memory. We also recommend searching on the Internet for “Get Video Memory Via WMI”.
2. Consider Turbo Boost Features. Thanks to Turbo Boost, the frequency of the Intel GPU can be doubled, giving a significant increase in performance. But only if the thermal state of the system allows it. And this happens, for obvious reasons, only when it is not very busy, that is, the CPU is not very hot.
The advice that follows from this is to use the CPU state request - GetData() - as little as possible. Please note that calling GetData() in a loop waiting for the result is 100% CPU load. In case of emergency, make requests to the CPU at the beginning of rendering the frame and load the CPU with some useful work before getting GetData results. In this case, the CPU wait will be minimal.
3. Use Intel GPU-implemented Early Z rejection. This technology makes it possible to discard in advance from further processing, i.e. without performing expensive pixel shaders, fragments that do not pass the depth test are blocked by other objects.
For effective use Early Z There are two methods:
- sorting and drawing objects from closest to farthest in depth (front to back)
- pre-pass without rendering with filling the depth buffer and masking areas that are obviously invisible in the final image.
It is clear that the first method is not suitable for scenes with (semi-)transparent objects, and the second has significant overhead.
The source code for examples of using Early Z can be viewed at
Intel's spirit in promoting the HD 4000 was decisive. The integrated graphics processor was located on the same chip with four Ivy Bridge cores of each Core i5-3570K and Core i7 3770 (K). For this reason, the move to 22nm Ivy Bridge from 32nm Sandy Bridge was more than just a tick in the manufacturer's famous "tick-tock" strategy, and indicated that US marketers are indeed very happy with what they go to market.
However, a presentation alone is not enough to convince one of the significant improvements in performance of the Intel HD 4000 graphics card, since the manufacturer's integrated graphics offerings often fall short of what is desired. Verification of the integrated GPU has become even more urgent after the appearance of the competing AMD FM1 hybrid processor on the market, the performance of which significantly exceeded the capabilities of the HD 3000 installed on most chips with Sandy Bridge architecture.
Intel (R) HD Graphics 4000: graphics card specifications
So, what did the manufacturing company do that caused such a fuss about the HD 4000? First of all, DirectX 11 support has been added. This means the HD 4000 can take advantage of all the great API features like tessellation and high-definition diffuse shading. No less important was the increase in the number of shader cores (or as Intel calls them, execution units) by 30% - from 12 to 16.
To guarantee full load additional computing capabilities, the manufacturer increased the number of texture pipelines from one to two. Compared to the HD 3000 cores, the pipelines are largely unchanged, but the increase in their number means that each of them is shared by 8 rather than 12 cores, therefore increasing the theoretical throughput.
It's interesting to note that by adding one pipeline, Intel was forced to dedicate part of the L3 cache specifically to the GPU, since it makes no sense to double the number of texture processing units and leave the bandwidth unchanged. 256 KB are available, although the GPU will of course also require some of the system DDR3 RAM.
Intel HD Graphics 4000 Specifications: Memory
Since the GPU does not have a dedicated RAM, the processor must work in conjunction with the main memory and its clock frequency. Typically, RAM operates at 1333 MHz, but a slightly higher speed of 1600 MHz is also common.
The integrated GPU now has a larger cache shared with the L3 CPU, which determines how much is allocated to the graphics card. Dual-core and quad-core Ivy Bridge chips have 3-4 MB and 6-8 MB L3 cache respectively, which makes the theoretical impact of memory size on Intel specifications HD Graphics 4000.
Energy efficiency
In addition to architectural changes, the characteristics of the Intel HD 4000 are due to the transition to a new 22-nm process, which, according to the company, allows it to provide the same level of performance with half the power consumption. In idle mode, the GPU consumes 54.3 W of energy, and under load - 113 W (as part of the i7-3770K processor).
However, it was not without side effects. According to user reviews, chips based on Ivy Bridge have high thermal density. This means they can run hotter than their technically weaker predecessors.
Test configuration
Users tested the Intel HD 4000 Graphics in the i5-2570K and compared the results to the GPU it replaces, the HD 3000 integrated into the i5-2500k, as well as the AMD A8-3870K chipset, which offers tough competition at the low end of the market thanks to integrated Radeon HD 6550D graphics processor and discrete graphics Comparison is not so easy, since the HD 650 boasts 512 MB of internal memory and modern architecture Northern Islands GPU family.
Selecting appropriate procedures for testing synthetic graphics performance is not an easy task. Windows 7 Experience Index and CineBench R10/11 scores aren't as accurate as we'd like, and 3DMark tests tend to be more optimized and favor Intel.
According to user reviews, good option is the DirectX11 Unigen Heaven 2.1 test.
Synthetic Performance
Unigen Heaven is one of the HD 4000's toughest endurance tests, so it's no surprise that the integrated Intel GPU struggles even at low settings. 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution and regular tessellation options allow you to get average frequency frames 13 fps. However, the HD 4000 is nearly 2x faster than some low-end dedicated GPUs such as the Radeon HD 7450 and GeForce 610M, both of which achieve frame rates as low as 7 fps in the same tests and settings. The GeForce 630M video card is in the lead with 14 fps.
Left 4 Dead 2
According to user reviews, the i5-3570K processor consistently demonstrates a minimum of 26 fps in the game Left 4 Dead 2 at 720p resolution. This result surpasses the AMD Radeon HD 6550D integrated into the A8-3870K, which shows performance of 31 fps, which is well above the 25 fps that is considered the threshold. The same story repeats when increasing the resolution to 1920 x 1080 pixels - AMD's offering again comes out on top. But it's not all bad: the HD 4000 integrated into the i5-3570K is far ahead of the old HD 3000 included in the i5-2500k. This confirms the manufacturer's claims that the graphics part of the Ivy Bridge architecture is "more than teak."
Dirt 3
Users note that the impressive characteristics of the Intel HD Graphics 4000 video card are confirmed by the game Dirt 3, in which the GPU is again ahead of the HD 3000 by 40%. This huge advantage is enough to take over the discrete graphics card in the test. This was another nail in the coffin for base-level discrete graphics cards.
Again, the HD 4000 is narrowly inferior to the HD 6550D at 720p, but it's important to note the higher thermal design power of the AMD processor. This isn't a major problem on a desktop PC (although in testing Intel chip the fan rotates at a noticeably lower speed, so a system built on it should be much quieter than one based on the A8-3870K), but it is a serious application for mobile computing, where power and cooling capabilities are significantly limited.
Diablo III
Surprisingly, not everything was so rosy for the GPU at launch Diablo III, since the characteristics of the Intel HD 4000, according to reviews from owners, were insufficient to cope with the game. This was not observed with the onboard graphics of the A8-3870K or the discrete HD 6450. The HD 4000 and HD6450 cards swapped places here - the latter outperformed the former, although neither was able to demonstrate normal work even at 720p resolution.
Perhaps this result is explained by the fact that Diablo III at that time was quite new game and Intel had yet to optimize its driver. However, this cannot be an excuse for the rather poor performance, especially since AMD driver had no serious drop in performance.
Known Issues
Intel GPUs have been notorious for poor driver support in the past. Users have complained about artifacts and other glitches in wide range games that were not usually seen in graphics Nvidia processors and AMD.
Users who have tested the Intel HD 4000's performance have found that the manufacturer has begun to slowly but surely improve its drivers. For example, the game Alan Wake had compatibility issues with HD 3000, but can work properly on HD 4000. However, incompatibility with a number of games remained unresolved.
IN Black Ops Users are having issues with intermittent freezes regardless of graphic settings. The problem occurs even at the lowest settings. At the same time, the frame rate drops to 22 fps. FIFA 12 has unusually long loading times (using a dual-core Core i5-3xxx). Metro 2033 with certain settings freezes during startup (only true for dual-core Core i5-3xxx).
Threat to budget video cards
Overall, users are impressed with the integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU. GPU performance has improved by an average of 30% over the HD 3000. This difference increases to 40% when pairing integrated graphics with a powerful quad-core Ivy Bridge processor such as the i7-3610QM. Even the best AMD Llano chips can't compete with the HD 4000. Intel has about a 15% advantage over the Fusion Llano offerings.
What's even more impressive is that the processor outperforms the Radeon HD 7450, suggesting that entry-level discrete graphics cards from AMD or Nvidia are no longer viable alternatives.
Casual gamers who can put up with low resolution, with full-screen anti-aliasing turned off and graphical effects muted, may find the HD 4000 processor an excellent option.
The manufacturing company has done an excellent job, at least in terms of integrated graphics. The characteristics of Intel (R) HD Graphics 4000 did not pose a threat to mid-range and discrete graphics cards. high class, But basic models Nvidia and AMD have a serious competitor. Since integrated graphics processors were used in the vast majority of laptops, this product threatened to take away most of the market share from competitors. These plans could be hindered by the promotion of AMD Trinity with the new Fusion core.
Prospect for Mobile Applications
Users were impressed not so much by the characteristics of the Intel HD 4000 as by the new prospects for using the processor.
At the same time, those wishing to create a media computer or a small cheap PC for whom graphics performance was important preferred the cheaper FM1 chip, which outperformed the HD 4000 i5-3570K in all tests. Even a reduction in the class of the video card did not allow the price to be equal, since the GPU was supplied only with i5-3570K and i7-3770K, and all other chipsets in the line were equipped with cut-down HD 2500 cores.
This may be a bit of an unfair comparison - Intel launched the HD 4000 in desktop chips, but the GPU's real place is in mobile processors. This is where the device could excel thanks to its good performance and low power consumption. The same can't be said for the A8-3870K, as its high heat levels mean it can only be used on desktop systems.
Another concession
The HD 4000 video processor might have received a higher rating if the manufacturer had paid more attention to its product. In the meantime, AMD could enjoy its status as the highest-performing integrated graphics card for some time to come.
Just a few years ago, talking about the performance of integrated graphics cores made virtually no sense. It was possible to rely on such solutions only in cases where working with three-dimensional graphics was not among the possible uses of the computer, because the built-in graphics cores, compared to discrete video accelerators, had minimalistic functionality in 3D modes. However, today this situation has changed radically. Since 2007, the instigator of the bulk of changes to computer market, Intel considers increasing the capabilities and performance of its own integrated graphics one of the most important tasks. And its successes are impressive: the built-in graphics cores have not only increased their performance by more than an order of magnitude, but have also become an integral integral part modern processors. Moreover, the company clearly does not intend to stop there and has ambitious plans to increase the speed of embedded graphics by another order of magnitude by 2015.
The sudden interest among processor developers in improving graphics cores became a reflection of the desire of users to have at their disposal fairly compact, but at the same time quite productive computing systems. It would seem that just recently the term “mobile computer” was associated with a system that can simply be moved from place to place with one hand, and few people were concerned about the issue of its size and weight. Today, even looking at fairly small two-kilogram laptops, many consumers wrinkle their noses with dissatisfaction. The trend has turned towards tablet computers and ultra-compact solutions, which Intel calls ultrabooks. And it was precisely this desire for lightness and miniaturization that became the main driving force in integrating graphics into central processors and increasing its performance. One chip that fully replaces both the CPU and the GPU and has low heat dissipation is exactly the basis that is needed to create mobile solutions that entice modern users. That is why we are seeing rapid development hybrid processors, the existence of which even adherents of desktop systems have to put up with. The latter, it must be said, also receive certain dividends from such progress.
Ivy Bridge processors are the second version of Intel's microarchitecture, characterized by a hybrid design that combines computing cores with graphics in one semiconductor chip. Compared with previous version microarchitecture, Sandy Bridge, dramatic changes have occurred, and they primarily affect the graphics core. Intel even had to give special explanations regarding the violation of the “tick-tock” principle: Ivy Bridge was supposed to be the result of a transfer of the previous design to a new, 22-nm process technology, but, in fact, from the point of view graphic capabilities a very significant step forward has taken place. That is why we reviewed the new video core included in Ivy Bridge in the form of a separate material - the number of various innovations is extremely large, and the improvement in 3D performance is quite serious.
An excellent idea of how significant the changes have been can be obtained by simply comparing Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge semiconductor crystals.
Sandy Bridge - area 216 sq.mm; Ivy Bridge - area 160 sq.mm
Both of them are made using different technological processes and have different areas. But note that while the Sandy Bridge design allocated approximately 19 percent of the die area to the graphics core, the Ivy Bridge design increased that share to 28 percent. This means that the complexity of the graphics included in the processor has more than doubled: from 189 to 392 million transistors. It is quite obvious that such a noticeable increase in the transistor budget could not be wasted.
It must be emphasized that Intel's policy regarding combining computing and graphics cores and increasing the power of the latter is somewhat at odds with the APU concept proposed by AMD. Intel's competitor is considering the on-chip graphics core as a complement to the computing core, hoping that flexible programmable shader processors can help increase the overall performance of the solution. Intel same opportunity widespread use graphics for calculations are not taken into account: with traditional processor speed, Ivu Bridge is fine as is. At the same time, the primary role of the graphics core is completely traditional, and the struggle of developers to increase its power is due to the desire to minimize the number of cases when a discrete video card acts as a necessary system component, especially in mobile computers.
However, whether AMD’s approach or Intel’s, the result turns out to be the same. The market share of discrete graphics is steadily declining, giving way to new generations of integrated graphics, which have now acquired support for DirectX 11 and have received performance higher than that of a number of budget video cards. In this material, we will look at the Intel HD Graphics 4000 and Intel HD Graphics 2500 graphics accelerators implemented in Ivy Bridge and try to evaluate which discrete video cards have lost their meaning with the advent of the new generation of Intel graphics.
⇡ Graphics architecture Intel HD Graphics 4000/2500: what's new
The increase in performance of integrated graphics cores is far from the same simple task. And the fact that Intel was able to raise it by more than an order of magnitude in just a few years is actually the result of a serious engineering work. The main problem here is that integrated graphics accelerators cannot take advantage of dedicated high-speed video memory, but share with the computing cores regular system memory with a bandwidth that is quite low by the standards of modern 3D applications. Therefore, optimizing memory is the very first step that must be taken when designing high-speed embedded graphics.
And this one important step Intel implemented the previous version of the microarchitecture - Sandy Bridge. Introduction of a ring intraprocessor bus that links everything together CPU components(computational cores, third-level cache, graphics, system agent with a memory controller), opened a short and progressive route for memory access for the built-in video core - through a high-speed third-level cache. In other words, the integrated graphics core, along with the computing processor cores, became an equal user of the L3 cache and memory controller, which significantly reduced downtime caused by waiting for graphics data to be processed. The ring bus turned out to be such a successful find from the previous design that it migrated to the new Ivy Bridge microarchitecture without any changes.
As for the internal structure of the Ivy Bridge graphics core, in general it can be considered a further development of the ideas inherent in the HD Graphics accelerators of previous generations. The architecture of the current Intel graphics core has its roots in the Clarkdale and Arrandale processors introduced in 2010, but each new reincarnation of it is not a simple copy of the previous design, but its improvement.
Ivy Bridge Generation HD Graphics Core Architecture
Thus, when moving from the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture to the Ivy Bridge, an increase in graphics performance is achieved primarily due to an increase in the number of execution units, especially since the internal structure of HD Graphics initially implied the technical possibility of their simplest addition. While the older version of graphics from Sandy Bridge, HD Graphics 3000, had 12 devices, the most productive modification of the video core built into Ivy Bridge, HD Graphics 4000, received 16 actuators. However, the matter was not limited to this; the devices themselves were also improved. They added a second texture sampler, and the throughput increased to three instructions per clock.
The increase in the speed of data processing by the graphics core required developers to think again about their timely delivery. Therefore, the Ivy Bridge graphics core now has its own cache memory. Its volume has not been disclosed, however, apparently, we are talking about a small but high-speed internal buffer.
Although the innovations in the microarchitecture of the graphics core do not seem too significant at first glance, in total they result in an increase in 3D performance that is clearly visible to the naked eye, assessed by the by Intel like double. By the way, the next generation of HD Graphics accelerators, which will be built into processors of the Haswell family, should offer approximately the same increase. In them, the number of executive units will increase to 20, and the fourth level cache will be included in the fight to reduce latencies when the graphics core works with memory.
As for Ivy Bridge graphics, increasing its performance was not the only goal of the engineers. In parallel, the formal specifications of the new graphics core have been brought into line with modern requirements. This means that HD Graphics 4000 has finally arrived. full support Shader Model 5.0 and hardware tessellation. That is, now Intel graphics are fully compatible “in hardware” with DirectX 11 and OpenGL 3.1 software interfaces. And of course, the work of HD Graphics 4000 in the upcoming operating room will not be a problem Windows system 8 - the necessary drivers are already available on the Intel website.
Intel also added to the new graphics core and the ability to run it using computational work, for this purpose, the new generation of HD Graphics now supports DirectCompute 5.0 and OpenCL. In Sandy Bridge processors, these software interfaces were also supported, but at the driver level, which redirected the corresponding load to the computing cores. With the release of Ivy Bridge, full-fledged GPU computing became available on systems with Intel graphics.
In light of modern realities, Intel engineers paid attention to supporting multi-monitor configurations that are becoming increasingly popular. The HD Graphics 4000 graphics core was Intel's first integrated solution capable of running three independent displays. But keep in mind that to implement this function, it was necessary to increase the width of the FDI bus, through which the image is transferred from the processor to the system logic set. So support for three monitors is only possible with new motherboards using seventh series chipsets.
In addition, there are some restrictions in resolutions and methods of connecting monitors. In a desktop platform based on processors of the Ivy Bridge family, theoretically, you can get three outputs: the first is universal (HDMI, DVI, VGA or DisplayPort) with a maximum resolution of 1920x1200, the second is DisplayPort, HDMI or DVI with a resolution of up to 1920x1200, and the third is DisplayPort with support for high resolutions up to 2560x1600. That is, the popular option of connecting WQXGA monitors via Dual-Link DVI with Intel HD Graphics 4000 is still impossible to implement. But the version of the HDMI protocol has been brought to 1.4a, and the DisplayPort protocol to 1.1a, which in the first case means support for 3D, and in the second - the ability of the interface to transmit an audio stream.
Innovations also affected other components of the graphics core of Ivy Bridge processors, including their multimedia capabilities. High-quality hardware decoding of AVC/H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2 formats was successfully implemented in the last generation of HD Graphics, but in Ivy Bridge graphics the AVC decoding algorithms have been adjusted. Due to the new design of the module responsible for context-adaptive encoding, the performance of the hardware decoder has increased, which has resulted in the theoretical possibility of simultaneous playback of several streams with high resolution, up to 4096x4096.
Considerable progress has also been made to Quick Sync technology, designed for fast hardware video encoding into the AVC/H.264 format. Commissioned at Sandy Bridge, it was recognized as a colossal breakthrough a year and a half ago. Thanks to her Intel processors have moved into first place in the speed of transcoding high-resolution video, for which a separate hardware unit is now allocated, which is part of the graphics core. Within HD Graphics 4000 Quick technology Sync has become even better and has an improved media sampler. As a result, the updated Quick Sync engine provides approximately a twofold advantage in transcoding speed to the H.264 format compared to its previous Sandy Bridge version. At the same time, as part of the technology, the quality of the video produced by the codec has also improved, and ultra-high resolution video content, up to 4096x4096, has also been supported.
However, Quick Sync still has its weaknesses. At the moment, this technology is used only in commercial video transcoding applications. There are no popular freely available utilities that work with this technology on the horizon. Another disadvantage of the technology is its close combination with the graphics core. If the system uses an external graphics card, disconnecting in general case integrated graphics, Quick Sync cannot be used. True, a solution to this problem can be offered by a third-party company, LucidLogix, which has developed the Virtu graphic virtualization technology.
Nevertheless, Quick Sync remains a unique technology for the market. A highly specialized hardware codec implemented within its framework turns out to be significantly better in all respects than encoding using the power of shader processors of modern video cards. Following Intel, only NVIDIA was able to implement a similar utilitarian hardware solution for encoding. And that company’s specialized tool, NVEnc, appeared only very recently - in Kepler generation accelerators.
⇡ Intel HD Graphics 4000 vs Intel HD Graphics 2500: what's the difference?
As before, Intel is integrating two graphics core options into Ivy Bridge. This time these are HD Graphics 4000 and HD Graphics 2500. The older and high-performance modification, which was primarily discussed in the previous section, has absorbed all the improvements inherent in the microarchitecture. The junior version of graphics is not aimed at establishing new performance standards for integrated solutions, but at simply providing modern processors with the minimum required level of graphics functionality.
The difference between HD Graphics 4000 and HD Graphics 2500 is dramatic. The fast version of the video core has sixteen actuators, while in the younger version their number is reduced to six. As a result, while HD Graphics 4000 delivers roughly 2x the theoretical 3D performance over the previous-generation HD Graphics 3000, HD Graphics 2500's performance advantage over HD Graphics 2000 is projected to be 10 to 20 percent. The same applies to the speed of Quick Sync - a twofold increase in speed compared to its predecessors is promised only in relation to older versions of the video core.
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Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
Intel HD Graphics 2500 |
At the same time, the “full-fledged” HD Graphics 4000 core can be found not in all representatives of the Ivy Bridge generation, but mainly only in mobile devices, where graphics integrated into the CPU are most in demand. In desktop models, HD Graphics 4000 is present either in Core i7 series processors or in overclocking Core i5 series processors (with the K suffix in the model number) with the only exception to this rule - the Core i5-3475S processor. In all other cases, desktop users have to either deal with HD Graphics 2500 or resort to the services of external graphics accelerators.
Fortunately, the widening gap between older and younger modifications of Intel graphics occurred solely in performance. The functionality of HD Graphics 2500 was not affected at all. Just like HD Graphics 4000, the younger version has support for DirectX 11 and three-monitor configurations.
It should be noted that, as before, in different processors Core third generation, the graphics core can operate at different frequencies. For example, Intel is more concerned about integrated graphics performance when it comes to mobile solutions, and this is reflected in frequencies. In general, Ivy Bridge mobile processors have an HD Graphics 4000 core that operates at a slightly higher frequency than in the case of their desktop modifications. In addition, the difference in the frequency of the integrated graphics may also be due to limitations in the heat dissipation of different CPU models.
In addition, the frequency of graphics operation is variable. Ivy Bridge processors implement special technology Intel HD Graphics Dynamic Frequency, which interactively controls the frequency of the video core depending on the load on the processor cores and their current power consumption and heat dissipation.
Therefore, among the characteristics of specific HD Graphics implementations, two frequencies are indicated: minimum and maximum. The first is typical for the idle state, the second is the target frequency to which the graphics core seeks to accelerate, if current power consumption and heat dissipation allows, under load.
| CPU | Cores/threads | L3 cache, MB | Clock frequency, GHz | TDP, W | Model HD Graphics | Execute devices | Max. graphics frequency, GHz | Min. graphics frequency, MHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop processors | ||||||||
| Core i7-3770K | 4/8 | 8 | Up to 3.9 | 77 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i7-3770 | 4/8 | 8 | Up to 3.9 | 77 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i7-3770S | 4/8 | 8 | Up to 3.9 | 65 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i7-3770T | 4/8 | 8 | Up to 3.7 | 45 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i5-3570K | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.8 | 77 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i5-3570 | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.8 | 77 | 2500 | 6 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i5-3570S | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.8 | 65 | 2500 | 6 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i5-3570T | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.3 | 45 | 2500 | 6 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i5-3550 | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.7 | 77 | 2500 | 6 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i5-3550S | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.7 | 65 | 2500 | 6 | 1,15 | 650 |
| Core i5-3475S | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.6 | 65 | 4000 | 16 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Core i5-3470 | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.6 | 77 | 2500 | 6 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Core i5-3470S | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.6 | 65 | 2500 | 6 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Core i5-3470T | 2/4 | 4 | Up to 3.6 | 35 | 2500 | 6 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Core i5-3450 | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.5 | 77 | 2500 | 6 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Core i5-3450S | 4/4 | 6 | Up to 3.5 | 65 | 2500 | 6 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Mobile processors | ||||||||
| Core i7-3920XM | 4/8 | 8 | Up to 3.8 | 55 | 4000 | 16 | 1,3 | 650 |
| Core i7-3820QM | 4/8 | 8 | Up to 3.7 | 45 | 4000 | 16 | 1,25 | 650 |
| Core i7-3720QM | 4/8 | 6 | Up to 3.6 | 45 | 4000 | 16 | 1,25 | 650 |
| Core i7-3667U | 2/4 | 4 | Up to 3.2 | 17 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 350 |
| Core i7-3615QM | 4/8 | 6 | Up to 3.3 | 45 | 4000 | 16 | 1,2 | 650 |
| Core i7-3612QM | 4/8 | 6 | Up to 3.1 | 35 | 4000 | 16 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Core i7-3610QM | 4/8 | 6 | Up to 3.3 | 45 | 4000 | 16 | 1,1 | 650 |
| Core i7-3520M | 2/4 | 4 | Up to 3.6 | 35 | 4000 | 16 | 1,25 | 650 |
| Core i7-3517U | 2/4 | 4 | Up to 3.0 | 17 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 350 |
| Core i5-3427U | 2/4 | 3 | Up to 2.8 | 17 | 4000 | 16 | 1,15 | 350 |
| Core i5-3360M | 2/4 | 3 | Up to 3.5 | 35 | 4000 | 16 | 1,2 | 650 |
| Core i5-3320M | 2/4 | 3 | Up to 3.3 | 35 | 4000 | 16 | 1,2 | 650 |
| Core i5-3317U | 2/4 | 3 | Up to 2.6 | 17 | 4000 | 16 | 1,05 | 350 |
| Core i5-3210M | 2/4 | 3 | Up to 3.1 | 35 | 4000 | 16 | 1,1 | 650 |
