Intel Graphics Technology (GT) is the collective name for a series of integrated graphics processors (IGPs) produced by Intel that are manufactured on the same package or die as the central processing unit (CPU). It was first introduced in 2010 as Intel HD Graphics.
Intel Iris Graphics and Intel Iris Pro Graphics are the IGP series introduced in 2013 with some models of Haswell processors as the high-performance versions of HD Graphics. Iris Pro Graphics was the first in the series to incorporate embedded DRAM.
In the fourth quarter of 2013, Intel integrated graphics represented, in units, 65% of all PC graphics processor shipments. However, this percentage does not represent actual adoption as a number of these shipped units end up in systems outfitted with discrete graphics cards.
Video Intel Graphics Technology
History
Before the introduction of Intel HD Graphics, Intel integrated graphics were built into the motherboard's northbridge, as part of the Intel's Hub Architecture. They were known as Intel Extreme Graphics and Intel GMA. As part of the Platform Controller Hub (PCH) design, the northbridge was eliminated and graphics processing was moved to the same die as the central processing unit (CPU).
The previous Intel integrated graphics solution, Intel GMA, had a reputation of lacking performance and features, and therefore was not considered to be a good choice for more demanding graphics applications, such as 3D gaming. The performance increases brought by Intel's HD Graphics made the products competitive with integrated graphics adapters made by its rivals, Nvidia and ATI/AMD. Intel HD Graphics, featuring minimal power consumption that is important in laptops, was capable enough that PC manufacturers often stopped offering discrete graphics options in both low-end and high-end laptop lines, where reduced dimensions and low power consumption are important.
Maps Intel Graphics Technology
Generations
Intel HD and Iris Graphics are divided into generations, and within each generation are divided into 'tiers' of increasing performance, denominated by the 'GTx' label.
Westmere
In January 2010, Clarkdale and Arrandale processors with Ironlake graphics were released, and branded as Celeron, Pentium, or Core with HD Graphics. There was only one specification: 12 execution units, up to 43.2 GFLOPS at 900 MHz.
Sandy Bridge
In January 2011, the Sandy Bridge processors were released, introducing the "second generation" HD Graphics:
Sandy Bridge Celeron and Pentium have Intel HD, while Core i3 and above have either HD 2000 or HD 3000. HD Graphics 2000 and 3000 include hardware video encoding and HD postprocessing effects.
Ivy Bridge
On 24 April 2012, Ivy Bridge was released, introducing the "third generation" of Intel's HD graphics:
Ivy Bridge Celeron and Pentium have Intel HD, while Core i3 and above have either HD 2500 or HD 4000. HD Graphics 2500 and 4000 include hardware video encoding and HD postprocessing effects.
For some low-power mobile CPUs there is limited video decoding support, while none of the desktop CPUs have this limitation.
Haswell
On 12 September 2012, Haswell CPUs were announced, with four models of integrated GPUs:
The 128 MB of eDRAM in the Iris Pro GT3e is on the same package as the CPU, but in a separate die manufactured in a different process. Intel refers to this as a Level 4 cache, available to both CPU and GPU, naming it Crystalwell. Linux support for this eDRAM is expected in kernel version 3.12, by making the drm/i915 driver aware and capable of using it.
Integrated Iris Pro Graphics was adopted by Apple for their late-2013 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops (with Retina Display), which for the first time in the history of the series did not have discrete graphics cards, although only for the low-end model. It was also included on the late-2013 21.5-inch iMac.
Broadwell
In November 2013, it was announced that Broadwell-K desktop processors (aimed at enthusiasts) will also carry Iris Pro Graphics.
The following models of integrated GPU are announced for Broadwell processors:
Braswell
Skylake
The Skylake line of processors, launched in August 2015, retires VGA support, while supporting multi-monitor setups of up to three monitors connected via HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2 or Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) 1.3 interfaces.
The following models of integrated GPU are available or announced for the Skylake processors:
Apollo Lake
Kaby Lake
New Features: Speed increases, support for 4K UHD "premium" (DRM encoded) streaming services, media engine with full hardware acceleration of 8- and 10-bit HEVC and VP9 decode
Kaby Lake Refresh / Coffee Lake
New Features: HDCP 2.2 support
Gemini Lake
New Features: HDMI 2.0 support, VP9 10-bit Profile2 hardware decoder
Cannonlake
New Features: 10 nm Gen 10 GPU microarchitecture mass production problems in 2018, delayed to 2019
Whiskey Lake
Optimized 14nm in 2nd half 2018 (mass Production problems in 10nm)
Amber Lake
Optimized 14nm in 2nd half 2018 (mass Production problems in 10nm)
Icelake
New Features: 10 nm Gen 11 GPU microarchitecture
Tigerlake
New Features: 10 nm Gen 12 GPU microarchitecture
Alder Lake
New Features: 10 nm Gen 13 GPU microarchitecture
Features
Intel Insider
Beginning with Sandy Bridge, the graphics processors include a form of digital copy protection and digital rights management (DRM) called Intel Insider, which allows decryption of protected media within the processor. Previously there was a similar technology called Protected Audio Video Path (PAVP).
Intel Quick Sync Video
Intel Quick Sync Video is Intel's hardware video encoding and decoding technology, which is integrated into some of the Intel CPUs. The name "Quick Sync" refers to the use case of quickly transcoding ("syncing") a video from, for example, a DVD or Blu-ray Disc to a format appropriate to, for example, a smartphone. Quick Sync was introduced with the Gen 6 in Sandy Bridge microprocessors on 9 January 2011.
Graphics Virtualization Technology
Graphics Virtualization Technology was announced 1 January 2014 and is supported by Iris Pro GPUs.
Multiple monitors
Ivy Bridge
HD 2500 and HD 4000 GPUs in Ivy Bridge CPUs are advertised as supporting three active monitors, but many users have found that this does not work for them due to the chipsets only supporting two active monitors in many common configurations. The reason for this is that the chipsets only include two phase-locked loops (PLLs); a PLL generates a pixel clock at a certain frequency which is used to sync the timings of data being transferred between the GPU and displays.
Therefore, three simultaneously active monitors can only be achieved by a hardware configuration that requires only two unique pixel clocks, such as:
- Using two or three DisplayPort connections, as they require only a single pixel clock for all connections. Passive adapters from DisplayPort to some other connector rely on the chipset being able to emit a non-DisplayPort signal through the DisplayPort connector, and thus do not count as a DisplayPort connection. Active adapters that contain additional logic to convert the DisplayPort signal to some other format count as a DisplayPort connection.
- By using two non-DisplayPort connections of the same connection type (for example, two HDMI connections) and the same clock frequency (like when connected to two identical monitors at the same resolution), so that a single unique pixel clock can be shared between both connections.
- Using the Embedded DisplayPort on a mobile CPU along with any two other outputs.
Haswell
ASRock Z87- and H87-based motherboards support three displays simultaneously. Asus H87-based motherboards are also advertised to support three independent monitors at once.
Capabilities
OpenCL 2.1 and 2.2 possible with software Update on OpenCL 2.0 Hardware (Broadwell+) with Future software updates.
While Mesa does support Direct3D 9.3, this is only implemented for Gallium3D-style drivers and not for the Mesa Intel driver.
Capabilities (GPU video acceleration)
Intel developed a dedicated SIP core which implements multiple video decompression and compression algorithms branded Intel Quick Sync Video. Some are implemented completely, some only partially.
Hardware-accelerated algorithms
Intel Pentium and Celeron family
Intel Atom family
Documentation
Intel releases programming manuals for most of Intel HD Graphics devices via its Open Source Technology Center. This allows various open source enthusiasts and hackers to contribute to driver development, and port drivers to various operating systems, without the need for reverse engineering.
See also
- Video card
- Accelerated processing unit (APU)
- Free and open-source graphics device driver
- List of Intel graphics processing units
- List of Nvidia graphics processing units
- List of AMD graphics processing units
Notes
References
External links
- Intel Graphics Performance Analyzers 2018 R2
- Intel's Embedded DRAM
- Intel Open Source Technology Center: Linux graphics documentation (includes the GPU manuals)
Source of article : Wikipedia
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