Monday, September 2nd 2019

Intel Releases Graphics Drivers with Integer Upscaling - Only Available on Ice Lake

by
btarunr
 Discuss (23 Comments)
Intel over the weekend posted Graphics Software 25.20.100.7155, which delivers the much touted integer upscaling feature, branded as "Retro Scaling" by the company. The feature is a global toggle in the Graphics Command Center, which when enabled, upscales low-resolution retro games in a nearest-neighbor pixel multiplication model that looks better, when compared to classic bilinear upscaling, which alters the color data of multiplied pixels, causing the upscaled image to look blurry. This is a godsend for those playing old games on emulators, or even some of the newer indie games that retain a retro aesthetic.

Here's the catch - the feature is only available for Intel's Gen11 iGPU, found in the company's 10 nm "Ice Lake" processors. Intel currently ships "Ice Lake" only in its low-voltage and very low z-height packages, targeting notebooks and convertibles. The older Gen9.5 GPUs don't get access to the feature. The only other company with such a feature is NVIDIA, and even it restricts integer upscaling to only its latest "Turing" GPUs. Both NVIDIA and Intel leverage programmable scaling filters, instead of taking the programmable shader route. Intel is marking the feature as "beta" for now. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Graphics Software 25.20.100.7155 DCH

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23 Comments on Intel Releases Graphics Drivers with Integer Upscaling - Only Available on Ice Lake

#1
Space Lynx
Astronaut
Kind of interesting, it does seem to help.
Posted on Reply
#2
Crackong
How about the "New" Comet lake CPUs ?
Posted on Reply
#3
ncrs
Comet and Rocket Lakes are unlikely to have newer GPUs than Gen9.5. Intel doesn't usually backport full designs from smaller nodes (as in the full GPU from Ice Lake into 14nm++++).

Gen10 is 10nm and was supposed to ship with Cannon Lake, but they couldn't get it to work. I'm not sure that the one released Cannon Lake model even has functioning GPU. The display portion shipped in Goldmont Plus Atoms, but not the execution units. Maybe they will fit that onto 14nm++++ as well to at least get HDMI 2.0.
Posted on Reply
#4
yeeeeman
Grab the drivers for what? Who has on its hand an Ice Lake device other than Intel employees and those already had access to this driver? Very funny :))
Posted on Reply
#5
Turmania
I prefer Intel just because of this integrated igp.important to have it in case of emergency than never have it all.
Posted on Reply
#6
lexluthermiester
TurmaniaI prefer Intel just because of this integrated igp.important to have it in case of emergency than never have it all.
It's very easy to get a spare, inexpensive, video card.. Just throwing it out there..
Posted on Reply
#7
Wavetrex
Great Intel.
Make the feature only for the CPUs/GPUs that nobody has.
Posted on Reply
#8
R00kie
thanks for the driver, but what am i supposed to use this on? /s
Posted on Reply
#9
spectatorx
gdallskthanks for the driver, but what am i supposed to use this on? /s
I tried to install it on laptop with intel 620 gpu but was thrown an error about unsupported operating system. Installed OS is windows 10 1903.
Posted on Reply
#10
Vayra86
WavetrexGreat Intel.
Make the feature only for the CPUs/GPUs that nobody has.
Fits nicely with their Xe GPUs and Raja's brainfarts. Non eXistant.

Its getting pretty boring reading about Intel these days, its mostly a story of what they didn't achieve or how a new feature is not available. And then the hopeless attempt to spin it into something good.
Posted on Reply
#11
Dammeron
So it takes the newest, most advanced CPU to make old games look old? Pretty impressive.
Posted on Reply
#12
phill
RTX for Intel?? :confused::confused:
Posted on Reply
#13
holyprof
Yawn, a feature that interests 1% of the people using PCs, of which 0.0001% have the hardware to use it.
Thank you Intel and Nvidia, both my Ryzen 3700X + GTX1080 and i5-4690k + GTX960 PCs aren't capable of playing retro games :banghead:
Posted on Reply
#14
lexluthermiester
holyprofYawn, a feature that interests 1% of the people using PCs, of which 0.0001% have the hardware to use it.
Thank you Intel and Nvidia, both my Ryzen 3700X + GTX1080 and i5-4690k + GTX960 PCs aren't capable of playing retro games :banghead:
That's kind of how I feel. It can be done very efficiently in software. Doing it in hardware is trivial and way over-glorified.
Posted on Reply
#15
ZoneDymo
TurmaniaI prefer Intel just because of this integrated igp.important to have it in case of emergency than never have it all.
Amd has APU's ya know...
Posted on Reply
#16
lexluthermiester
ZoneDymoAmd has APU's ya know...
And in most instances the Vega IGP is much better than Intel's IGP.
Posted on Reply
#17
Mistral
At least you don't need to buy a new motherboard to use it...
Posted on Reply
#18
Vayra86
MistralAt least you don't need to buy a new motherboard to use it...
No? Ice Lake is its own socket right? :P
Posted on Reply
#19
lexluthermiester
Vayra86No? Ice Lake is its own socket right? :p
Thought that was Comet Lake?
Posted on Reply
#20
Vayra86
lexluthermiesterThought that was Comet Lake?
Too many lakes. I'm lost and I think I don't care enough to find out :D
Posted on Reply
#21
Tartaros
lexluthermiesterThat's kind how I feel. It can be done very efficiently in software. Doing it in hardware is trivial and way over-glorified.
Not all old games and emulators have this properly implemented, which can be a headache unless you tinker with it, so a neutral implementation is welcome. Still, this has been used in dedicated hardware for years and now there are several hardware scalers out there for retrogaming with the original consoles yet intel and nvidia treat it like it's the hottest shit when it should have been part of gpus for years.
Posted on Reply
#22
lexluthermiester
TartarosNot all old games and emulators have this properly implemented, which can be a headache unless you tinker with it, so a neutral implementation is welcome.
That's a very good point actually.

My problem is that this function could easily be done on older Intel GPU hardware. This release only on the latest hardware is completely artificial. From what I've read and understand chipsets as old as the 845G can do it easily. Intel just doesn't want to update several generations of drivers for a function that a very small, but vocal, minority desire.
Posted on Reply
#23
Tartaros
lexluthermiesterThat's a very good point actually.

My problem is that this function could easily be done on older Intel GPU hardware. This release only on the latest hardware is completely artificial. From what I've read and understand chipsets as old as the 845G can do it easily. Intel just doesn't want to update several generations of drivers for a function that a very small, but vocal, minority desire.
The thing is, nowadays there are a lot more games with 2d graphics than 20 years ago, so market law. When you are a nerd emulating Mega Drive and Super Nintendo there isn't a way to make money from you. But then the 10's hit and those millenials who crave for old 2d gaming are given awesome 2d titles, then there is an interest to sell integrer upscaling and making it something the gods of Olympus gave to us.

Yeah. Sucks.
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