What is the point of integrated graphics???

[Tig2575]

A lot of the hubbub about Ivy Bridge has to do with how much better its integrated graphics core is than Sandy Bridge, and people often talk about how Haswell will handle graphics integration, especially in comparison to AMD's current line of "A"PU's.

I understand that integrated graphics might be nice if you're using a netbook or something, but what in the world is the point of it if you're using a desktop, the vast majority of which have a discrete graphics card? Ivy Bridge may be a godsend to notebooks, but Intel also produces CPU's for desktop computers, too! Why would any of us care about a miniscule GPU buried away in our processor, when we're never going to use it because we have our own dedicated graphics processor?

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

I own Computer shops and sell a a lot of machines to homes and businesses , both Pcs and Laptops...

The MAJORITY of buyers are NOT gamers and if they can SEE the screen, thats all they ask...

Thats the point....

All the best Brett

 

[WR2]

For people like me.

 

[WR2]

Why would any of us care about a miniscule GPU buried away in our processor

How does it feel to be part of small minority group?

 

[Tig2575]

What about the 3770k, which is obviously intended for enthusiast users? Why in hell would intel bother with including "more powerful" (i.e. not quite as good as a GT 440) integrated graphics, on a chip that will virtually only be used by people who will have discrete GPUs?

 

[WR2]

Intel does that just to make you enthusiast guys crazy.

 

[Tig2575]

Intel does that just to make you enthusiast guys crazy.

I would appreciate a genuine explanation of the underlying principle, rather than unwarranted, borderline immature hostility.

 

[dodger46]

AND its a great backup/diagnostic aid when your screen goes blank and you're not sure if it's your fancy GPU...

 

[WR2]

And it sounds like Intel's strategy is working well.

 

[WR2]

I would appreciate a genuine explanation of the underlying principle, rather than unwarranted, borderline immature hostility.

It was right there in the first reply to your topic.

 

[Tig2575]

It was right there in the first reply to your topic.

I was hoping someone could explain integrated graphics emphasis in enthusiast models (like the 3770K) that will only be used by people with discrete GPU's. The first reply to this topic doesn't explain that

 

[WR2]

I was hoping someone could explain integrated graphics emphasis in enthusiast models (like the 3770K) that will only be used by people with discrete GPU's. The first reply to this topic doesn't explain that

It actually does.
It's not like they could take the IGP out just for 5% of the market and rework the rest of the CPU to ... do something they feel doesn't need to be done at this point in time.
The basic underlying principle is a business decision.

 

[dodger46]

'While there have been relatively minor changes to the CPU component of the chip, Intel also claims to have made significant improvements to Ivy Bridge’s integrated graphics processor (IGP). The Intel HD graphics 4000 found in both the Core i7-3770K and the Core i5-3570K sees the execution unit (EU) count rise from 12 in Intel HD 3000 to 16, as well as support for, at last, DirectX 11. Of course, no self-respecting PC enthusiast would want to run their system solely off of integrated graphics, but it’s a step in the right direct for mass-market users, and still brings the advantages of technologies such as Intel’s Quick Sync video, which benefit from the increased EU count'.

 

[Tig2575]

Gotcha, thanks, all. Going forward, is there any potential for using the IGP to help process additional computations alongside of the CPU, that would never have been relegated to discrete graphics cards because of the relative slowness of PCIe?

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

Gotcha, thanks, all. Going forward, is there any potential for using the IGP to help process additional computations alongside of the CPU, that would never have been relegated to discrete graphics cards because of the relative slowness of PCIe?

Quick Sync... Even though CUDA is great, Quick Sync is much faster and gives better quality video transcoding. HD 4000 just makes it even faster.

Edit: Not to mention the fact that using the HD 4000 graphics with Virtu MVP (with a Z77 mobo and a discreet GPU, of course) might actually help gaming performance.

 

[cmi86]

My logic would lead me to believe that intel is equiping these chips with their ne HD 4000 graphics in an attempt to reclaim the onboard GPU performance crown from AMD, just a gues though I could be completely wrong. The back-up to discrete failure is kind of nice though.

 

[jsc]

I have 6 desktops. My three "personal" systems each have discrete graphics. One is pretty old - that's where my G80 640 MB 8800 GTS finally ended up.

My three "office" systems use entirely adequate G41 motherboards with built in graphics.

You all need to remember that, hard as it is to believe , we gamers are a niche market.

There are also a lot of people with "K" chips that use them for other than gaming tasks. And for them, the built in graphics are more than adequate.

 

[Tig2575]

Thanks, all

 

[loneninja]

What about the 3770k, which is obviously intended for enthusiast users? Why in hell would intel bother with including "more powerful" (i.e. not quite as good as a GT 440) integrated graphics, on a chip that will virtually only be used by people who will have discrete GPUs?

Because there are many reasons to purchase a powerful processor like the 3770K and if your not going to game, than the integrated graphics are usually more than powerful enough. All Intel did was move the graphics from the motherboard chipset to the processor, it's not like they added something that wasn't there before. :lol:

 

[dodger46]

Assuming that watercooled machines are rare in the 'mass market' (Brett?) there must be a limit to concentrating processing power into single units relying on heatsink/fan for cooling....

 

[quilciri]

I can't speak for the ivy bridge chips, and not gonna bother looking them up, but The 2500k does not support integrated graphics. I'd imagine the enthusiast targeted chips will come sans intergrated graphics support as well.

p.s., the four-core hyper-threaded chips like the 2600k are not targeted at enthusiasts, imo. As AMD has so gracefully shown us *cough*, games aren't gonna use 8 cores any time soon.

The vast majority of PC's use integrated graphics, not discrete cards.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

The 2500k does not support integrated graphics

Um, yes it does. The 2500K absolutely DOES have integrated graphics. HD 3000, specifically. The 2550K is the one that doesn't have an iGPU...

AND enthusiasts may not use the iGPU for gaming or anything, but it can certainly be used for Quick Sync with Virtu (I do).

 

[jaguarskx]

The Intel HD 4000 is there so that you can play BF3 without a discrete graphic card @ 640x480 resolution in all it's glory... with ummm... medium quality?

 

[quilciri]

The 2500k does not support integrated graphics

Um, yes it does. The 2500K absolutely DOES have integrated graphics. HD 3000, specifically. The 2550K is the one that doesn't have an iGPU...
.

Fair enough. Wrong model, same point.

I suppose they either hadn't figured out which model to target at enthusiasts at launch, or, being a virgin fabrication, just didn't screw with too much in the beginning.

 

[Brett928S2]

Assuming that watercooled machines are rare in the 'mass market' (Brett?) there must be a limit to concentrating processing power into single units relying on heatsink/fan for cooling....

Hi

Almost non existant...

All the best Brett