Intel GMA
Encyclopedia
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
chipsets.
These integrated graphics products allow a computer to be built without a separate graphics card, which can reduce cost, power consumption and noise. They rely on the computer's main memory for storage, which imposes a performance penalty, as both the CPU and GPU have to access memory over the same bus
Computer bus
In computer architecture, a bus is a subsystem that transfers data between components inside a computer, or between computers.Early computer buses were literally parallel electrical wires with multiple connections, but the term is now used for any physical arrangement that provides the same...
. They are commonly found on netbook, low-priced notebook and desktop computers, as well as business computers, which do not need high levels of graphics capability. In early 2007, 90% of all PCs sold had integrated graphics.
History
The GMA line of GPUs replaces the earlier Intel Extreme Graphics, and the Intel740Intel740
The Intel740, or i740, is a graphics processing unit using an AGP interface released by Intel in 1998. Intel was hoping to use the i740 to popularize the AGP port, while most graphics vendors were still using PCI. Released with enormous fanfare, the i740 proved to have disappointing real-world...
line, the latter of which was a discrete unit in the form of AGP
Accelerated Graphics Port
The Accelerated Graphics Port is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics. Since 2004 AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI Express...
and PCI cards with technology that evolved from companies Real3D
Real3D
Real3D, Inc. was a maker of arcade graphics boards, a spin-off from Lockheed Martin. The company made several 3D hardware designs that were used by Sega, the most widely used being the graphics hardware in the Sega Model 2 and Model 3 arcade systems. A partnership with Intel and SGI led to the...
and Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
. Later, Intel integrated the i740 core into the Intel 810
Intel 810
The Intel i810 chipset was released by Intel in early 1999 with the code-name "Whitney" as a platform for the P6-based Socket 370 CPU series, including the Pentium III and Celeron processors. Some motherboard designs include Slot 1 for older Intel CPUs or a combination of both Socket 370 and Slot 1...
chipset.
The original architecture of GMA systems supported only a few functions in hardware, and relied on the host CPU to handle at least some of the graphics pipeline, further decreasing performance. However, with the introduction of Intel's 4th generation of GMA architecture (GMA X3000) in 2006, many of the functions are now built into the hardware, providing an increase in performance. The 4th generation of GMA combines fixed function capabilities with a threaded array of programmable executions units, providing advantages to both graphics and video performance. Many of the advantages of the new GMA architecture come from the ability to flexibly switch as needed between executing graphics-related tasks or video-related tasks. While GMA performance has been widely criticized in the past as being too slow for computer games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
, the latest GMA generation should ease many of those concerns for the casual gamer.
Despite similarities, Intel's main series of GMA IGPs is not based on the PowerVR
PowerVR
PowerVR is a division of Imagination Technologies that develops hardware and software for 2D and 3D rendering, and for video encoding, decoding, associated image processing and Direct X, OpenGL ES, OpenVG, and OpenCL acceleration....
technology Intel licensed from Imagination Technologies. Intel used the low-power PowerVR MBX designs in chipsets supporting their XScale
XScale
The XScale, a microprocessor core, is Intel's and Marvell's implementation of the ARMv5 architecture, and consists of several distinct families: IXP, IXC, IOP, PXA and CE . Intel sold the PXA family to Marvell Technology Group in June 2006....
platform, and since the sale of XScale in 2006 has licensed the PowerVR SGX and used it in the GMA 500 IGP for use with their Atom
Intel Atom
Intel Atom is the brand name for a line of ultra-low-voltage x86 and x86-64 CPUs from Intel, designed in 45 nm CMOS and used mainly in netbooks, nettops, embedded application ranging from health care to advanced robotics and Mobile Internet devices...
platform.
With the introduction of the Platform Controller Hub
Platform Controller Hub
The Platform Controller Hub is a family of Intel microchips. I/O Functions have been reassigned between the PCH, a new central hub, and the CPU. Some northbridge functions, the memory controller and PCI-e lanes, were integrated into the CPU while the PCH took over the remaining functions in...
, the Graphics Media Accelerator series ceased, and the CPU-based Intel HD Graphics
Intel HD Graphics
Intel HD Graphics is a series of Intel integrated graphics processors built into computer processors.-History:Previous to HD Graphics, Intel integrated graphics were built into the motherboard's northbridge. This included Intel Extreme Graphics and the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator...
series was created.
GMA 900
The GMA 900 was the first graphics core produced under Intel's Graphics Media Accelerator product name, and was incorporated in the Intel 910G, 915G, and 915Gx chipsets.The 3D architecture of the GMA 900 was a significant upgrade from the previous Extreme 3D graphics processors. It is a 4 pixel per clock cycle design supporting DirectX 9 pixel shader model
Shader
In the field of computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that is used primarily to calculate rendering effects on graphics hardware with a high degree of flexibility...
2.0. It operates at a clock rate ranging from 160 to 333 MHz, depending on the particular chipset. At 333 MHz, it has a peak pixel fill-rate of 1332 megapixels per second. However, the architecture still lacks support for hardware transform and lighting and the similar vertex shader technologies.
Like previous Intel integrated graphics parts, the has hardware support for MPEG-2
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
motion compensation
Motion compensation
Motion compensation is an algorithmic technique employed in the encoding of video data for video compression, for example in the generation of MPEG-2 files. Motion compensation describes a picture in terms of the transformation of a reference picture to the current picture. The reference picture...
, color-space
Color space
A color model is an abstract mathematical model describing the way colors can be represented as tuples of numbers, typically as three or four values or color components...
conversion and DirectDraw
DirectDraw
DirectDraw is part of Microsoft's DirectX API. DirectDraw is used to render graphics in applications where top performance is important. DirectDraw also allows applications to run fullscreen or embedded in a window such as most other MS Windows applications. DirectDraw uses hardware acceleration if...
overlay.
The processor uses different separate clock generators for display and render cores. The display unit includes a 400 MHz RAMDAC
RAMDAC
Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter is a combination of three fast DACs with a small SRAM used in computer graphics display adapters to store the color palette and to generate the analog signals to drive a color monitor...
, 2 25–200 Mpixel/s serial DVO ports, and 2 display controllers. In mobile chipsets, up to 2 18-bit 25–112 MHz LVDS transmitters are included.
GMA 950
The GMA 950 is Intel's second-generation graphics core, which was also referred by Intel as 'Gen 3.5 Integrated Graphics Engine' in datasheets. It is used in the Intel 940GML, 945G, 945GU and 945GT system chipsets. The amount of video-decoding hardware has increased; VLD, iDCTDiscrete cosine transform
A discrete cosine transform expresses a sequence of finitely many data points in terms of a sum of cosine functions oscillating at different frequencies. DCTs are important to numerous applications in science and engineering, from lossy compression of audio and images A discrete cosine transform...
, and dual video overlay windows are supposed to be handled in hardware. However in a feature comparison document it is noted, that VLD and iDCT are not supported until GMA 3100 (on G33 chipsets only). The maximum core clock is up to 400 MHz (on Intel 945G, 945GC, 945GZ, 945GSE), boosting pixel fill-rate to a theoretical 1600 megapixels/s.
The GMA 950 shares the same architectural weakness as the GMA 900: no hardware geometry processing. Neither basic hardware transform and lighting, nor more advanced vertex shaders are handled in the GMA hardware, these are only accessible via Software Rendering. The 950 does support Hardware Pixel Shader 2.0 and Software Pixel Shader 3.0 (Not Emulated) but is not capable of running modern games.
GMA 3000
The 946GZ, Q965, and Q963 chipsets use the GMA 3000 chip. The GMA 3000 3D core is very different from the X3000, despite their similar names. It is based more directly on the previous generation GMA 900 and GMA 950 graphics, and belonging to the same "i915" family with them. It has pixel and vertex shaders which only support Shader Model 2.0b features, and the vertex shaders are still only software-emulated. In addition, hardware video acceleration such as hardware-based iDCT computation, ProcAmp (video stream independent color correctionColor correction
Color correction by using color gels, or filters, is a process used in stage lighting, photography, television, cinematography and other disciplines, the intention of which is to alter the overall color of the light; typically the light color is measured on a scale known as color temperature, as...
), and VC-1 decoding are not implemented in hardware. Of the GMA 3000-equipped chipsets, only the Q965 retains dual independent display support. The core speed is rated at 400 MHz with 1.6 Gpixel/s fill rate in datasheets, but was listed as 667 MHz core in the white paper.
The memory controller can now address a maximum of 256 MB of system memory, and the integrated serial DVO ports have increased top speed to 270Mpixel/s.
GMA X3000
The GMA X3000 for desktop was "substantially redesigned" when compared to previous GMA iterations and it is used in the Intel G965 north bridge controller. The GMA X3000 was launched in July 2006. X3000's underlying 3D rendering hardware is organized as a unified shader processor consisting of 8 scalarScalar processor
Scalar processors represent the simplest class of computer processors. A scalar processor processes one datum at a time . , a scalar processor is classified as a SISD processor .In a vector processor, by contrast, a single instruction operates simultaneously on multiple data items...
execution units. Each pipeline can process video, vertex, or texture operations. A central scheduler dynamically dispatches threads to pipeline resources, to maximize rendering throughput (and decrease the impact of individual pipeline stalls.) However, due to the scalar nature of the execution units, they can only process data on a single pixel component at a time. The GMA X3000 supports DirectX 9.0 with vertex and pixel Shader Model 3.0 features.
The processor consists of different clock domains, meaning that the entire chip does not operate the same clock speed. This causes some difficulty when measuring peak throughput of its various functions. Further adding to the confusion, it is listed as 667 MHz in Intel G965 white paper, but listed as 400 MHz in Intel G965 datasheet. There are various rules that define the IGP's processing capabilities.
Memory controller can now address maximum 384 MB memory according to white paper, but only 256 MB in datasheet.
GMA X3100
The GMA X3100 is the mobile version of the GMA X3000 used in the Intel GL960/GM965 chipsets and also in the GS965 chipset. The X3100 supports hardware transform and lighting, up to 128 programmable shader units, and up to 384 MB memory. Its display cores can run up to 333 MHz on GM965 and 320 MHz on GL960. Its render cores can run up to 500 MHz on GM965 and 400 MHz on GL960. The X3100 display unit includes a 300 MHz RAMDAC, two 25–112 MHz LVDS transmitters, 2 DVO encoders, and a TV encoder. In addition, the hardware supports DirectX 10.0, Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 1.5.GMA X3500
GMA X3500 is an upgrade of the GMA X3000 and used in the desktop G35. The shaders support shader model 4.0 features. Architecturally, the GMA X3500 is very similar to the GMA X3000, with both GMAs running at 667 MHz. The major difference between them is that the GMA X3500 supports Shader Model 4.0 and DirectX 10, whereas the earlier X3000 supports Shader Model 3.0 and DirectX 9. The X3500 also adds hardware-assistance for playback of VC-1 video.GMA X4500
The GMA X4500 and the GMA X4500HD for desktop were launched in June 2008. The GMA X4500 is used in the G43 chipset and the GMA X4500HD is used in the G45 chipset. The GMA X4500 is also used in the G41 chipset, which was released in September 2008.The GMA 4500MHD for laptops was launched on July 16, 2008. Featurewise, the 4500MHD is identical to its desktop cousin, the X4500HD. It had been previously rumored that a cost-reduced version, the GMA 4500, was to be launched in late 2008 or early 2009 and was to be used in the upcoming Q43 and Q45 chipsets. But in practice the Q43 and Q45 Chipsets also use the GMA X4500.
The difference between the GMA X4500 and the GMA X4500HD is that the GMA X4500HD is capable of "full 1080p
1080p
1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard....
high-definition video playback, including Blu-ray disc movies",
Like the X3500, X4500 supports DirectX 10 and Shader Model 4.0 features. Intel designed the GMA X4500 to be 200% faster than the GMA 3100 (G33 chipset) in 3DMark06 performance and 70% faster than the GMA X3500 (G35 chipset).
GMA 500
The Intel SCH (System Controller Hub; codenamed PoulsboPoulsbo (chipset)
System Controller Hub is a family of Intel microchips employed in chipsets for low-power Atom-based platforms. Its architecture is consistent with the Intel Hub Architecture but combines the traditional northbridge and southbridge functions into a single microchip.- Poulsbo :Poulsbo is the...
) for the Atom processor Z5xx series features a GMA 500 graphic system. Rather than being developed in-house, this core is a PowerVR
PowerVR
PowerVR is a division of Imagination Technologies that develops hardware and software for 2D and 3D rendering, and for video encoding, decoding, associated image processing and Direct X, OpenGL ES, OpenVG, and OpenCL acceleration....
SGX 535 core licensed from Imagination Technologies.
Intel describes this as "a flexible, programmable architecture that supports shader-based technology, 2D, 3D and advanced 3D graphics, high-definition video decode, and image processing. Features include screen tiling, internal true color processing, zero overhead anti-aliasing, programmable shader 3D accelerator, and 32-bit floating-point operations." The available Linux drivers do not support much of this.
Early graphics
| Graphics | Market | Chipset | Code name | Device id. | Core render clock Clock rate The clock rate typically refers to the frequency that a CPU is running at.For example, a crystal oscillator frequency reference typically is synonymous with a fixed sinusoidal waveform, a clock rate is that frequency reference translated by electronic circuitry into a corresponding square wave... (MHz Hertz The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications.... ) |
Pixel pipelines | Shader Shader In the field of computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that is used primarily to calculate rendering effects on graphics hardware with a high degree of flexibility... model (vertex/pixel) |
API Application programming interface An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other... support |
Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth is the rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by a processor. Memory bandwidth is usually expressed in units of bytes/second, though this can vary for systems with natural data sizes that are not a multiple of the commonly used 8-bit bytes.Memory... (GB/s) |
DVMT (MB Megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000... ) |
Hardware acceleration | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DirectX DirectX Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,... |
OpenGL OpenGL OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL... |
OpenCL OpenCL OpenCL is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of CPUs, GPUs, and other processors. OpenCL includes a language for writing kernels , plus APIs that are used to define and then control the platforms... |
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission... |
VC-1 VC-1 VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006... |
AVC H.264/MPEG-4 AVC H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video... |
||||||||||
| Intel740 Intel740 The Intel740, or i740, is a graphics processing unit using an AGP interface released by Intel in 1998. Intel was hoping to use the i740 to popularize the AGP port, while most graphics vendors were still using PCI. Released with enormous fanfare, the i740 proved to have disappointing real-world... |
Desktop | stand-alone | Auburn | 7800 | 220 | 2 | N/A | 5.0 | 1.1 | — | 1.3 | 2-8 | |||
| i752 | Desktop | i810 i815 |
Whitney Solano |
7120 7122 1130 |
230 | 2 | N/A | 7 (software) | 1.2 | — | AGP/PCI interface bandwidth | 32-64 | MC | ||
| IEG | Desktop Mobile |
i830G i845G |
Brookdale | 3577 2562 |
200 | 2 | N/A | 7 (hardware) 9.0 (software) |
1.3 | — | 1.0(SDR PC133) 1.6(DDR200) 2.2(DDR266) |
64-128 | MC | ||
| IEG2 | Desktop Mobile |
i852G i854G i855G i865G |
Springdale Morgan Hill Tulloch Montara |
3582 358E 2572 |
200–266 | 2 | N/A | 7 (hardware) 9.0 (software) |
1.3 | — | 2.1(DDR266) 2.7(DDR333) 3.2(DDR400) (dual-channel DDR doubles bandwidth) |
32-128 | MC | ||
Graphics Media Accelerator
| Graphics | Market | Chipset | Code name | Device id. | Core render clock Clock rate The clock rate typically refers to the frequency that a CPU is running at.For example, a crystal oscillator frequency reference typically is synonymous with a fixed sinusoidal waveform, a clock rate is that frequency reference translated by electronic circuitry into a corresponding square wave... (MHz Hertz The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications.... ) |
Pixel pipelines | Shader Shader In the field of computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that is used primarily to calculate rendering effects on graphics hardware with a high degree of flexibility... model (vertex/pixel) |
API Application programming interface An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other... support |
Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth is the rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by a processor. Memory bandwidth is usually expressed in units of bytes/second, though this can vary for systems with natural data sizes that are not a multiple of the commonly used 8-bit bytes.Memory... (GB/s) |
DVMT (MB Megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000... ) |
Hardware acceleration | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DirectX DirectX Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,... |
OpenGL OpenGL OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL... |
OpenCL OpenCL OpenCL is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of CPUs, GPUs, and other processors. OpenCL includes a language for writing kernels , plus APIs that are used to define and then control the platforms... |
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission... |
VC-1 VC-1 VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006... |
AVC H.264/MPEG-4 AVC H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video... |
||||||||||
| GMA 900 | Desktop | 910GL | Grantsdale | 2582 2782 |
4 | 2.0 (SW) / 2.0 | 9.0 | 1.4 | — | 3.2 | 128 | MC Motion compensation Motion compensation is an algorithmic technique employed in the encoding of video data for video compression, for example in the generation of MPEG-2 files. Motion compensation describes a picture in terms of the transformation of a reference picture to the current picture. The reference picture... |
No | No | |
| 915GL | |||||||||||||||
| 915GV | 8.5 | ||||||||||||||
| 915G | |||||||||||||||
| Mobile | Mobile 915 Family |
Alviso | 2592 2792 |
||||||||||||
| GMA 950 | Desktop | 945GZ | Lakeport | 2772 2776 |
4 | 3.0 (SW) / 2.0 | 9.0c | 8.5 | 224 | MC | No | No | |||
| 945GC | 400 | 10.7 | |||||||||||||
| 945G | |||||||||||||||
| Mobile | Mobile 945 Family |
Calistoga | 27A2 27A6 27AE |
224 | |||||||||||
| GMA 3000 | Desktop | 946GZ | Broadwater | 2972 2973 |
4 | 1.4 | 10.7 | 256 | MC | No | No | ||||
| Q963 | 2992 2993 |
12.8 | |||||||||||||
| Q965 | |||||||||||||||
| GMA 3100 | Desktop | Q33 | Bearlake | 29D2 29D3 |
1.5 | 12.8 | 256 | MC | No | No | |||||
| Q35 | 29B2 29B3 |
||||||||||||||
| G31 | 29C2 29C3 |
||||||||||||||
| G33 | 12.8 (DDR2) 17 (DDR3) |
Full | |||||||||||||
| GMA 3150 | Nettop | Atom D410 Atom D510 |
Pineview | A001 A002 |
400 | 2 | 1.5 on Windows 2.0 on Linux |
6.4 | 384 | Full | No | No | |||
| Netbook | Atom N4x0 Atom N550 |
A011 A012 |
200 | 5.3 | |||||||||||
| Graphics | Market | Chipset | Code name | Device id. | Core render clock Clock rate The clock rate typically refers to the frequency that a CPU is running at.For example, a crystal oscillator frequency reference typically is synonymous with a fixed sinusoidal waveform, a clock rate is that frequency reference translated by electronic circuitry into a corresponding square wave... (MHz Hertz The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications.... ) |
Execution units | Shader Shader In the field of computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that is used primarily to calculate rendering effects on graphics hardware with a high degree of flexibility... model (unified shader Unified shader model Unified Shader Model term is used to describe two similar but separate concepts: Unified Shading Architecture and Unified Shader Model.- Unified Shader Model :... ) |
API Application programming interface An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other... support |
Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth is the rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by a processor. Memory bandwidth is usually expressed in units of bytes/second, though this can vary for systems with natural data sizes that are not a multiple of the commonly used 8-bit bytes.Memory... (GB/s) |
DVMT (MB Megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000... ) |
Hardware acceleration | ||||
| DirectX DirectX Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,... |
OpenGL OpenGL OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL... |
OpenCL OpenCL OpenCL is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of CPUs, GPUs, and other processors. OpenCL includes a language for writing kernels , plus APIs that are used to define and then control the platforms... |
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission... |
VC-1 VC-1 VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006... |
AVC H.264/MPEG-4 AVC H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video... |
||||||||||
| GMA X3000 | Desktop | G965 | Broadwater | 29A2 29A3 |
667 | 8 | 3.0 | 9.0c | 2.0 | — | 12.8 | 384 | Full | MC + (LF − WMV9 Windows Media Video 'Windows Media Video is a video compression format for several proprietary codecs developed by Microsoft. The original video format, known as WMV, was originally designed for Internet streaming applications, as a competitor to RealVideo. The other formats, such as WMV Screen and WMV Image, cater... only) |
No |
| GMA X3500 | G35 | Broadwater | 2982 2983 |
667 | 4.0 | 10 | MC + LF | ||||||||
| GMA X3100 | Mobile | GL960 | Crestline | 2A02 2A03 |
400 | 2.1 | 8.5 | MC + (LF − WMV9 Windows Media Video 'Windows Media Video is a video compression format for several proprietary codecs developed by Microsoft. The original video format, known as WMV, was originally designed for Internet streaming applications, as a competitor to RealVideo. The other formats, such as WMV Screen and WMV Image, cater... only) |
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| GLE960 | |||||||||||||||
| GM965 | 2A12 2A13 |
500 | 10.7 | ||||||||||||
| GME965 | |||||||||||||||
| GMA 4500 | Desktop | B43 | Eaglelake | 2E42 2E43 2E92 2E93 |
10 | 12.8 (DDR2) 17 (DDR3) |
1700 | Full | MC + LF | MC + LF | |||||
| Q43 | 2E12 2E13 |
||||||||||||||
| Q45 | |||||||||||||||
| GMA X4500 | G41 | 2E32 2E33 |
800 | Full | MC + LF | MC + LF | |||||||||
| G43 | 2E22 2E23 |
||||||||||||||
| GMA X4500HD | G45 | Full | Full | ||||||||||||
| GMA 4500MHD | Mobile | GL40 | Cantiga | 2A42 2A43 |
400 | 12.8 | |||||||||
| GS40 | |||||||||||||||
| GM45 | 533 | 12.8 (DDR2) 17 (DDR3) |
|||||||||||||
| GS45 | |||||||||||||||
PowerVR based
| Graphics | Market | Chipset | Code name | Device id. | Core render clock Clock rate The clock rate typically refers to the frequency that a CPU is running at.For example, a crystal oscillator frequency reference typically is synonymous with a fixed sinusoidal waveform, a clock rate is that frequency reference translated by electronic circuitry into a corresponding square wave... (MHz Hertz The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications.... ) |
Pixel pipelines | Shader Shader In the field of computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that is used primarily to calculate rendering effects on graphics hardware with a high degree of flexibility... model (vertex/pixel) |
API Application programming interface An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other... support |
Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth Memory bandwidth is the rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by a processor. Memory bandwidth is usually expressed in units of bytes/second, though this can vary for systems with natural data sizes that are not a multiple of the commonly used 8-bit bytes.Memory... (GB/s) |
DVMT (MB Megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000... ) |
Hardware acceleration | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DirectX DirectX Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,... |
OpenGL OpenGL OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL... |
OpenCL OpenCL OpenCL is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of CPUs, GPUs, and other processors. OpenCL includes a language for writing kernels , plus APIs that are used to define and then control the platforms... |
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission... |
VC-1 VC-1 VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006... |
AVC H.264/MPEG-4 AVC H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video... |
||||||||||
| GMA 500 | MID | UL11L | Poulsbo Poulsbo (chipset) System Controller Hub is a family of Intel microchips employed in chipsets for low-power Atom-based platforms. Its architecture is consistent with the Intel Hub Architecture but combines the traditional northbridge and southbridge functions into a single microchip.- Poulsbo :Poulsbo is the... |
8108 8109 |
100 | 4 | 3.0 | 9.0c | 2.0 | 4.2 | 256 | Full | Full | Full | |
| US15L | 200 | ||||||||||||||
| US15W | |||||||||||||||
| GMA 600 | MID | Atom Z6xx | Lincroft | 4102 | 400 | 4 | 3.0 | 9.0c | 2.1 | Full | Full | Full | |||
These tables are derived from these sources:
Notes:
- VLD: Variable-length codeVariable-length codeIn coding theory a variable-length code is a code which maps source symbols to a variable number of bits.Variable-length codes can allow sources to be compressed and decompressed with zero error and still be read back symbol by symbol...
(sometimes referred to as slice-level acceleration) - iDCT: Inverse discrete cosine transformDiscrete cosine transformA discrete cosine transform expresses a sequence of finitely many data points in terms of a sum of cosine functions oscillating at different frequencies. DCTs are important to numerous applications in science and engineering, from lossy compression of audio and images A discrete cosine transform...
- iMDCT: Inverse modified discrete cosine transformModified discrete cosine transformThe modified discrete cosine transform is a Fourier-related transform based on the type-IV discrete cosine transform , with the additional property of being lapped: it is designed to be performed on consecutive blocks of a larger dataset,...
- MC: Motion compensationMotion compensationMotion compensation is an algorithmic technique employed in the encoding of video data for video compression, for example in the generation of MPEG-2 files. Motion compensation describes a picture in terms of the transformation of a reference picture to the current picture. The reference picture...
- LF: In-loop deblocking filterDeblocking filter (video)A deblocking filter is a video filter applied to blocks in decoded video to improve visual quality and prediction performance by smoothing the sharp edges which can form between macroblocks when block coding techniques are used...
- WMV9: Windows Media Video 9Windows Media Video'Windows Media Video is a video compression format for several proprietary codecs developed by Microsoft. The original video format, known as WMV, was originally designed for Internet streaming applications, as a competitor to RealVideo. The other formats, such as WMV Screen and WMV Image, cater...
codec - Full hardware acceleration:
- MPEG-2: VLD, iDCT, and MC
- VC-1: VLD, iMDCT, MC, and LF
- AVC: VLD, iMDCT, MC, and LF
The raw performance of integrated GPU, in single-precision FLOPS
FLOPS
In computing, FLOPS is a measure of a computer's performance, especially in fields of scientific calculations that make heavy use of floating-point calculations, similar to the older, simpler, instructions per second...
, can be calculated as follows: EU * 4 [dual-issue x 2 SP] * 2 [multiply + accumulate] * clock speed. For example, the HD Graphics 3000 is rated at 125 GFLOPS, which is consistent with the formula (12 * 4 * 2 * 1,300 MHz).
Mac OS X
Mac OS X 10.4 supports the GMA 950, since it was used in previous revisions of the MacBookMacBook
The MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
, MacMini, and 17-inch iMac
IMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
s. It has been used in all Intel-based Mac minis (until the Mac Mini released on March 3, 2009). Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard contains drivers for the GMA X3100, which were used in a recent revision of the MacBook range.
Late-release versions of Mac OS X 10.4 also support the GMA 900 due to its use in the Apple Developer Transition Kit, which was used in the PowerPC-to-Intel transition. However, special modifications to the kext file must be made to enable Core Image and Quartz Extreme.
Although the new MacBook line no longer uses the X3100, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) ships with drivers supporting it that require no modifications to the kext file. Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), which includes a new 64-bit kernel in addition to the 32-bit one, does not include 64-bit X3100 drivers. This means that although the MacBooks with the X3100 have 64-bit capable processors and EFI, Mac OS X must load the 32-bit kernel to support the 32-bit X3100 drivers. November 9's 10.6.2 update ships with 64-bit X3100 drivers.
For a while MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks instead shipped with a far more powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, and the 15" and 17" MacBook Pro notebooks shipped with an additional GeForce 9600GT supporting hybrid power to switch between GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M chipset implemented in Apple MacBooks did not support composite or S-video output.
FreeBSD
FreeBSD 8.0 supports the following Intel graphic chipsets: i810, i810-DC100, i810e, i815, i830M, 845G, 852GM, 855GM, 865G, 915G, 915GM, 945G, 945GM, 965G, 965Q, 946GZ, 965GM,945GME, G33, Q33, Q35, G35, GM45, G45, Q45, G43 and G41 chipsets. In practice, chipsets through 4500MHD are supported with DRM and 3D using FreeBSD 9. Work to integrate GEM and KMS is currently adding support for i-series integrated graphics and improving support for earlier chipsets.Linux
In August 2006, Intel added support to the open-source X.OrgX.Org
X.Org refers to several things related to the X Window System:* X.Org, the organisation in charge of X standards from 1999 * The X.Org Foundation, a community-based foundation which took over X stewardship in 2004...
/XFree86
XFree86
XFree86 is an implementation of the X Window System. It was originally written for Unix-like operating systems on IBM PC compatibles and is now available for many other operating systems and platforms. It is free and open source software under the XFree86 License version 1.1. It is developed by the...
drivers for the latest 965 series that include the GMA (X)3000 core. These drivers were developed for Intel by Tungsten Graphics.
In May 2007, version 2.0 of the driver (xorg-video-intel) was released, which added support for the 965GM chipset. In addition, the 2.0 driver added native video mode programming support for all chipsets from i830 forward. This version added support for automatic video mode detection and selection, monitor hot plug, dynamic extended and merged desktops and per-monitor screen rotation. These features are built in to the X.Org 7.3 X server release and will eventually be supported across most of the open source X.Org video drivers. Version 2.1, released in July 2007, added support for the G33, Q33 and Q35 chipsets. G35 is also supported by the Linux driver.
As is common for X.Org drivers on Linux, the license is a combination of GPL
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
(for the Linux kernel parts) and MIT
MIT License
The MIT License is a free software license originating at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . It is a permissive license, meaning that it permits reuse within proprietary software provided all copies of the licensed software include a copy of the MIT License terms...
(for all other parts).
The drivers were mainly developed by Intel and Tungsten Graphics (under contract) since the chipsets' documentation were not publicly available for a long time. In January 2008, Intel released the complete developer documentation for their, at the time, latest chipsets (965 and G35 chipset), allowing for further external developers' involvement.
In April 2009, Intel released documentation for their newer G45 graphics (including X4500) chipsets.
In May 2009, Intel employee Eric Anholt stated Intel was "still working on getting docs for [8xx] chipsets out."
intel_hal.so
The driver source contains references to a currently-unavailable binary named "intel_hal.so". It is entirely optional, and the advantages are not clear; ostensibly they are increased performance and/or additional features. References in the open source code indicate that it contains or contained (at least) Macrovision support and some minor, optional 3D optimization routines. Calls to the Macrovision code inside the binary were later removed from the 2D driver.GMA 500 on Linux
GMA 500 support on Linux is not optimal. The driver is developed by Tungsten Graphics, not by Intel, and the graphic core is not an Intel one, but is licensed from PowerVR. This has led to an uncertain mix of open and closed source 3d accelerated drivers, instability and lack of support.Ubuntu supports GMA500 (Poulsbo) through the ubuntu-mobile and gma500 repositories on Launchpad
Launchpad (website)
Launchpad is a web application and website that allow users to develop and maintain software, particularly free software. Launchpad is developed and maintained by Canonical Ltd....
. Support is present for 8.04, 8.10, 9.04, 9.10 and in an experimental way for 10.04 and 10.10, but the installation procedure is not as simple as other drivers and can lead to many bugs.
Joli OS, a Linux based OS optimized for netbooks, has a driver for the GMA500 built in.
PixieLive, a GNU/Linux live distribution optimized for GMA500 netbooks, it can boot from USB Pendrive, SD Card or HardDisk.
Intel releases official Linux drivers through the IEGD (Intel Embedded Graphic Driver) supporting some Linux distributions dedicated to the embedded market.
GMA500 is capable of running well in Ubuntu 9.10 with Compiz visual effects activated.
In November 2009, the Linux Foundation
Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is a non-profit technology consortium chartered to foster the growth of Linux.Founded in 2007 by the merger of the Open Source Development Labs and the Free Standards Group , the Linux Foundation sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and is supported by leading...
released the details of a new, rewritten Linux driver that would support this chipset and Intel's other upcoming chipsets. The Direct Rendering Manager
Direct Rendering Manager
The Direct Rendering Manager is a component of the Direct Rendering Infrastructure, a system to provide efficient video acceleration on Unix-like operating systems, e.g...
and X.org
X.Org Server
X.Org Server refers to the X server release packages stewarded by the X.Org Foundation,which is hosted by freedesktop.org, and grants...
parts would be free software, but the 3D component (using Gallium3D
Gallium3D
Gallium3D is a free software library for 3D graphics device drivers being developed by VMware, after they acquired Tungsten Graphics – the original authors....
) will still be proprietary.
Solaris
Solaris may possibly have support for these chipsets. Scant information can be found on the Opensolaris DRI page.GMA 900 on Windows
The GMA 900 is theoretically capable of running Windows Vista's AeroWindows Aero
Windows Aero is the graphical user interface and the default theme in most editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, operating systems released by Microsoft. It is also available in Windows Server 2008, but is not enabled by default. Its name is a backronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and...
interface and is certified as DirectX 9 compliant. However, no WHQL certified WDDM driver has been made available. Presumably this is due to the lack of a "hardware scheduler" in the GPU.
Many owners of GMA900 hardware believed they would be able to run Aero on their systems as early release candidates of Vista permitted XDDM drivers to run Aero. Intel, however, contends that Microsoft's final specs for Aero/WDDM certification did not permit releasing a WDDM driver for GMA900 (due to issues with the hardware scheduler, as mentioned above), so when the final version of Vista was released, no WDDM driver was released. The last minute pulling of OpenGL capabilities from the GMA drivers for Windows Vista left a large number of GMA based workstations unable to perform basic 3D hardware acceleration with OpenGL and unable to run many Vista Premium applications such as Windows DVD Maker
Windows DVD Maker
Windows DVD Maker is an application included in premium editions of Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Home Premium and above editions that is designed to enable the creation of DVD movies that can be played using DVD playback software or on a standalone consumer DVD player...
. To get OpenGL acceleration, users must use third party drivers, like the freeware TitaniumGL.
GMA 950 on Windows
This IGP is capable of displaying the AeroWindows Aero
Windows Aero is the graphical user interface and the default theme in most editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, operating systems released by Microsoft. It is also available in Windows Server 2008, but is not enabled by default. Its name is a backronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and...
interface for Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
. Drivers have shipped with Windows Vista since beta versions were made available in mid-2006. It can also run Windows 7's Aero interface since Intel released drivers for Windows 7 in mid-June 2009.
The GMA 950 is integrated into many netbook
Netbook
Netbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers.At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost — netbooks omitted certain features , featured smaller screens and keyboards, and offered reduced computing...
s, such as the Acer Aspire One, and is able to display a resolution up to 2048×1536 at 75 Hz and up to 224 MB of video memory.
Most of the reviews about this IGP were negative, since many games (such as Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory or Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
) need both Pixel Shader 2.0 or higher, which the GMA supports, and Vertex Shader 2.0, which is not supported in hardware on the GMA and is software-driven. Other games such as Crysis
Crysis
Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
will run but may not work at frame rates fast enough to make the game playable. But older games such as Portal or some titles in the Battlefield series are playable with a decent framerate due to a decent graphic computing of 1.6 GP/T Per second.
GMA X3000/X3100 on Windows
T&L and Vertex Shaders 3.0 are supported by Intel's newest 15.6 drivers for Windows Vista as of September 2, 2007. XP support for VS3 and T&L was introduced on August 10, 2007. Intel announced in March 2007 that beta drivers would be available in June 2007.On June 1, 2007 "pre-beta" (or Early Beta) drivers were released for Windows XP (but not for Vista). Beta drivers for Vista and XP were released on June 19. Since hardware T&L and vertex shading has been enabled in drivers individual applications can be forced to fall back to software rendering, which raises performance and compatibility in certain cases. Selection is based on testing by Intel and preselected in the driver .inf file.
Intel has released production version drivers for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
that enable the Aero
Windows Aero
Windows Aero is the graphical user interface and the default theme in most editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, operating systems released by Microsoft. It is also available in Windows Server 2008, but is not enabled by default. Its name is a backronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and...
graphics.
Intel introduced Direct X 10 for the X3100 and X3500 GPUs in the Vista 15.9 drivers, though any release of DX10 drivers for the X3000 is uncertain. WDDM
Windows Display Driver Model
Windows Display Driver Model is the graphic driver architecture for video card drivers running Microsoft Windows versions beginning with Windows Vista....
1.1 is supported by X3100 but DXVA-HD is not.
OpenGL 2.0 support is available since Vista 15.11 drivers and XP 14.36 drivers.
GMA 500 on Windows
As of September 2010, the latest available driver revisions from the Intel website for Windows XP, Vista and 7 are:- Version 3.3.0 for Windows XP.
- Version 4.0.2 for Windows Vista.
- Version 5.0.0.2030 for Windows 7.
Modern gaming
The performance and functionality of GMA processors are limited, attaining the performance of only low-cost discrete GPUs at besthttp://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Core_i5_2500K_GPU/10.html. Some features of games and other 3D applications may be unsupported by GMAs, particularly older ones. The GMA X3x00's unified shader design allows for more complete hardware functionality, but the line still has issues with some games and has significantly limited performance.Intel has put up a page with 'Known Issues & Solutions' for each version. For Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Software Development concerns, there is the Integrated Graphics Software Development Forum.
GMA X3000 review
A review conducted in April 2007 by The Tech ReportThe Tech Report
The Tech Report is a web site dedicated to covering personal computing technology and culture, and is regularly linked to by sites such as Slashdot and Digg.com...
determined that the GMA X3000 had performance comparable to the Nvidia GeForce 6150. During that review the GMA X3000 was unable to run the PC games Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2 is a computer game by the Swedish developer Digital Illusions CE . During development, Trauma Studios contributed to the development of the game after it was acquired by DICE...
and Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
. However, the ExtremeTech
ExtremeTech
ExtremeTech is a technology weblog about hardware, computer software, science, and other state of the art technologies which launched in June 2001...
review found that games which aren't as graphically demanding, such as Sims 2 and Civilization 4, "look good" when the GMA X3000 is used to run them.
Reviews performed by The Tech Report, by ExtremeTech
ExtremeTech
ExtremeTech is a technology weblog about hardware, computer software, science, and other state of the art technologies which launched in June 2001...
and by Anandtech
AnandTech
AnandTech is an online computer hardware magazine. It was founded in 1997 by then 15-year-old Anand Lal Shimpi, who is the current editor-in-chief and CEO. The web site is recommended as a good resource of hardware reviews for off-the-shelf components addressed to computer building enthusiasts...
all concluded that the AMD's Radeon X1250 integrated graphics solutions based on the AMD 690G chipset was a better choice than the GMA X3000 based on the G965 chipset, especially when considering 3D gaming performance and price.
GMA X3500 review
In a review performed by Register Hardware in December 2007, author Leo Waldock argued that because the GMA X3500 is not capable of running any PC game that requires DirectX 10, the addition of DirectX 10 support to the GMA X3500 was "irrelevant". During that same review, the GMA X3500 was used to run the PC games CrysisCrysis
Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
and FEAR Extraction Point, where it was able to render only 4 and 14 frames per second respectively for each game. In the end the review concluded that overall the X3500 made "minimal advances" over the GMA X3000.
GMA X4500 review
In a review published in May 2008, the GMA X4500 showed a superior game performance to the lowest-end 1-year-older GeForce 8400M graphics card in some CPU-bound tests, while losing to the still low-end GeForce 8400M GS with a slower GPU.See also
- Graphics hardware and FOSS
- Intel HD GraphicsIntel HD GraphicsIntel HD Graphics is a series of Intel integrated graphics processors built into computer processors.-History:Previous to HD Graphics, Intel integrated graphics were built into the motherboard's northbridge. This included Intel Extreme Graphics and the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator...
- Larrabee
- Comparison of AMD graphics processing units
- Comparison of Nvidia graphics processing unitsComparison of NVIDIA Graphics Processing UnitsThis page contains general information about Nvidia's GPUs and videocards based on official Nvidia specifications.-Direct X version note:Direct X version indicates which graphics acceleration operations the card supports.* DirectX 6.0 - Multitexturing...
External links
- Intel Graphics: Homepage
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3000 and 3000 White Paper
- Windows Vista* support FAQ, Intel.
- Linux Graphics Drivers from Intel
- Intel HD Graphics 3000 and Intel HD Graphics 2000 Review, X-bit labs.
- The Register: Intel vs AMD - integrated graphics shoot-out
- Blu-Ray Performance - Intel X4500HD Versus Radeon HD 4830