Intel HD and Iris Graphics

Core i5 processor with integrated HD Graphics 2000

Intel HD Graphics is a series of Intel's integrated graphics processors (IGPs) introduced in 2010 that are manufactured on the same package or die as the central processing unit (CPU).

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.^[4]

In the fourth quarter of 2013, Intel integrated graphics represented, in units, 65% of all PC graphics processor shipments.^[5] However, this percentage does not represent actual adoption as a number of these shipped units end up in systems outfitted with discrete graphics cards.

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. This included Intel Extreme Graphics and the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator. As part of the Platform Controller Hub (PCH) design, the northbridge was eliminated and graphics processing was moved to the same die with 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.^[6] 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 their low-end and mid-range laptop lines.

With the introduction of "Iris Graphics" and "Iris Pro Graphics" lines, the "HD Graphics" name has been relegated to denoting Intel's lower-end integrated graphics products.

Generations

Westmere

In January 2010, Clarkdale and Arrandale processors with Ironlake graphics were released, and branded as Celeron, Pentium, or Core with HD Graphics:^[7]

• HD Graphics – 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:

• HD Graphics – 6 execution units^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• HD Graphics 2000 – 6 execution units and additional features,^{[lower-alpha 2]} up to 64.8 GFLOPS at 1350 MHz
• HD Graphics 3000 – 12 execution units and additional features,^{[lower-alpha 2]} up to 129.6 GFLOPS at 1350 MHz

Ivy Bridge

On 24 April 2012, Ivy Bridge was released, introducing the "third generation" of Intel's HD graphics:^[8]

• HD Graphics – 6 execution units^{[lower-alpha 3]}
• HD Graphics 2500 – 6 execution units and additional features,^{[lower-alpha 2]} up to 110.4 GFLOPS at 1150 MHz
• HD Graphics 4000 – 16 execution units and additional features,^{[lower-alpha 2]} up to 332.8 GFLOPS at 1300 MHz

For some low-power mobile CPUs there is limited video decoding support, while none of the desktop CPUs have this limitation.

Haswell

Intel Haswell i7-4771 CPU, which contains integrated HD Graphics 4600 (GT2)

On 12 September 2012, Haswell CPUs were announced, with four models of integrated GPUs:

• HD Graphics – GT1, 10 execution units, up to 184 GFLOPS at 1150 MHz
• HD Graphics 4200, 4400, 4600, P4600, P4700 – GT2, 20 execution units, up to 432 GFLOPS at 1350 MHz
• HD Graphics 5000 – GT3, 40 execution units, twice the performance of HD4xxx for compute-limited workloads, 15 W TDP SKUs, up to 704 GFLOPS
• Iris Graphics 5100 – the same as HD Graphics 5000, 28 W TDP SKUs, but higher maximum frequency of 1.3 instead of 1.1 GHz,^[4] up to 832 GFLOPS
• Iris Pro Graphics 5200 – GT3e, the same as GT3 but with addition of a 128 MB embedded DRAM (eDRAM) cache to improve performance of bandwidth-limited workloads^[4]

The 128 MB of eDRAM 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 that is 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.^[9][10][11]

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, although only for the low-end model.^[12] It was also included on the late-2013 21.5-inch iMac.^[13]

Broadwell

In November 2013, it was announced that Broadwell-K desktop processors (aimed at enthusiasts) will also carry Iris Pro Graphics.^[14]

The following models of integrated GPU are announced for Broadwell processors:^[15]

• HD Graphics, GT1 – 12 execution units, up to 163.2 GFLOPS at 850 MHz
• HD Graphics 5300, GT2 – 24 execution units, up to 345.6 GFLOPS at 900 MHz
• HD Graphics 5500, GT2 – 24 execution units, up to 364.8 GFLOPS at 950 MHz
• HD Graphics 5600, GT2 – 24 execution units, up to 403.2 GFLOPS at 1050 MHz
• HD Graphics 6000, GT3 – 48 execution units, up to 768 GFLOPS at 1 GHz
• Iris Graphics 6100, GT3 – 48 execution units, up to 844.8 GFLOPS at 1.1 GHz
• Iris Pro Graphics 6200, GT3e – 48 execution units with up to 128 MB of eDRAM, up to 883.2 GFLOPS at 1150 MHz

The following integrated GPUs are found in Intel Xeon E3 v4 processors:

• HD Graphics P5700, GT2 – 24 execution units, up to 384 GFLOPS at 1 GHz
• Iris Pro Graphics P6300, GT3e – 48 execution units with 128 MB of eDRAM, up to 883.2 GFLOPS at 1150 MHz

Skylake

The Skylake line of processors retires the 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.^[16][17]

The following models of integrated GPU are available or announced for the Skylake processors:^[18][19]

• HD Graphics 510, GT1 – 12 execution units, up to 182.4 GFLOPS at 950 MHz
• HD Graphics 515, GT2 – 24 execution units, up to 384 GFLOPS at 1 GHz
• HD Graphics 520, GT2 – 24 execution units, up to 403.2 GFLOPS at 1.05 GHz
• HD Graphics 530, GT2 – 24 execution units, up to 441.6 GFLOPS at 1.15 GHz^[16]
• Iris Graphics 540, GT3e – 48 execution units with 64 MB of eDRAM, up to 806.4 GFLOPS at 1.05 GHz
• Iris Graphics 550, GT3e – 48 execution units with 64 MB of eDRAM (the same as 540 but with a higher maximum clock and TDP), up to 844.8 GFLOPS at 1.1 GHz
• Iris Pro Graphics 580, GT4e – 72 execution units with 64 or 128 MB of eDRAM, 1152 GFLOPS at 1 GHz

The following integrated GPUs are found in Intel Xeon E3 v5 processors:

• HD Graphics P530, GT2 – 24 execution units
• Iris Pro Graphics P580, GT4e – 72 execution units with 64 or 128 MB of eDRAM, 1152 GFLOPS at 1 GHz

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.^[20][21] 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 Sandy Bridge CPU microarchitecture on 9 January 2011.

Graphics Virtualization Technology

Graphics Virtualization Technology was announced 1 January 2014 and is supported by Iris Pro GPUs.^[22]

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.^[23]

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.^[24] 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.^[25]
• Using the Embedded DisplayPort on a mobile CPU along with any two other outputs.^[24]

Haswell

ASRock Z87- and H87-based motherboards support three displays simultaneously.^[26] Asus H87-based motherboards are also advertised to support three independent monitors at once.^[27]

Capabilities

Capabilities (GPU video acceleration)

Documentation

Intel releases programming manuals for most of Intel HD Graphics devices via its Open Source Technology Center.^[54] 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

• Accelerated processing unit (APU)
• List of Intel graphics processing units
• Free and open-source graphics device driver
• Video card

Notes

References

External links

• Intel Graphics Performance Analyzers 2015 R3
• Intel HD Graphics 4000 and Intel HD Graphics 2500 Review
• Intel HD Graphics 3000 and Intel HD Graphics 2000 Review
• Intel’s Embedded DRAM
• Intel Open Source Technology Center: Linux graphics documentation (includes the GPU manuals)
• Intel HD Graphics 5500 benchmark (includes the GPU manuals)