Intel Haswell Packs DirectX 11.1 Graphics

[btarunr]

Some time in 2013, Intel will launch its new processor architecture, codenamed "Haswell", which will go on to succeed "Ivy Bridge". More than an year away from its market entry, Haswell has already been exhaustively documented, but not many got into the details about its embedded graphics processor. That is, until now. A new internal slide sourced by DonanimHaber details the integrated GPU (iGPU), it appears like Intel has solid plans for home users.

To begin with, Haswell's iGPU will be DirectX 11.1 compliant, which means it will take advantage of API optimizations that improve performance, for typical desktop usage scenarios. Apart from support for a new DirectCompute architecture, it will also support OpenCL 1.2, which speeds up certain GPGPU-optimized applications. More importantly, the iGPU will be designed around a new stereoscopic 3D standard called Auto-Stereoscopic 3D (AS3D), which will take the likes of Blu-ray 3D acceleration, stereo 3D photos, etc., to the masses. Currently, it takes at least an entry-level GeForce or Radeon GPU to for acceptable performance with stereo 3D.



Another significant change is what Intel refers to as "digital display repartition". Until now, Intel processors with embedded graphics relied on the PCH to perform all display I/O functions, the iGPU communicates to the PCH over the Flexible Display Interface (FDI), a special data link dedicated to this function. With Haswell, digital display outputs (such as DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort), will be wired directly to the CPU socket, while analog display (such as D-Sub), will be handled by a RAMDAC located in the PCH, to which a digital signal is sent over FDI. This design ensures there's no performance bottleneck with higher resolution digital displays, while at the same time, ensuring analog display quality isn't affected by the RAMDAC being located in the GPU die, where it's bound for interference by some pretty high-current circuits.

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[The Von Matrices]

Considering Intel's track record on delivering graphics drivers, what's the chances this will actually come true? I'm betting most of the features are removed by the time the Haswell launches with only DX 11.0.

 

[Sasqui]

Hadn't heard of DDR3L till I saw this post. It's low voltage DDR3... wonder what kind of speeds and overclocking is to be expected out of that?

 

[R_1]

Most of Gigabyte and Asus Z68 motherboards for SB CPU don't even have proper integrated display connection if any. Main Feature there is SSD Caching (Intel Smart Response). So according to mobo vendors SB iGPU didn't deserve DVI, nor DP connector. Single HDMI is enough on most Z68 motherboards .

 

[dj-electric]

Every time that intel change the mainstream's socket the angels cry

 

[RejZoR]

Yeah right. GMA950 was also DX9 compatible (Shader Model 2) yet half of the games that required this spec didn't even work or they worked really really slowly. Considering Intel graphics were never any good i wouldn't hold my breath on DX11.1 support. In best case scenario it will be slow, buggy and glitchy. Sure it will support DX11.1 but it will most probably be rather useless.

 

[repman244]

Will it support 10-bit displays? They don't support it now and because of that, optimus can't be used on laptops with 10-bit displays.

 

[natr0n]

Intels graphics were never meant for gaming, only office work.

you can get away with emulators but just barely.

shitty drivers live forever.

 

[Sasqui]

Intels graphics were never meant for gaming, only office work.

you can get away with emulators but just barely.

shitty drivers live forever.

Yes, and to support Aero...

 

[St.Alia-Of-The-Knife]

To begin with, Haswell's iGPU will be DirectX 11.1 compliant,

great another iDevice:shadedshu

 

[xenocide]

great another iDevice:shadedshu

iGPU is just the shortened version of Internal GPU. I've seen it used by various figureheads in the industry during presentations and such over the past few years.

 

[MikeMurphy]

Any performance improvements are welcomed.

I think people fail to appreciate just how much effort Intel is now putting into their GPUs. They have come a long way in a short period of time. These things don't happen overnight.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

Another significant change is what Intel refers to as "digital display repartition". Until now, Intel processors with embedded graphics relied on the PCH to perform all display I/O functions, the iGPU communicates to the PCH over the Flexible Display Interface (FDI), a special data link dedicated to this function. With Haswell, digital display outputs (such as DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort), will be wired directly to the CPU socket, while analog display (such as D-Sub), will be handled by a RAMDAC located in the PCH, to which a digital signal is sent over FDI. This design ensures there's no performance bottleneck with higher resolution digital displays, while at the same time, ensuring analog display quality isn't affected by the RAMDAC being located in the GPU die, where it's bound for interference by some pretty high-current circuits.

interesting aside itheir BTA, so intel have sort of split up the gpu part whilst creating their IGpu ,never knew that, interesting though as surely thats a heat source saved off die too, no comment on shaders etc though:shadedshu

Every time that intel change the mainstream's socket the angels cry

Every time that intel change the mainstream's socket the angels cry

they are going to be weeping regular then, which is bad for me,all their tears fall in manchester

 

[jamsbong]

It is not difficult to make a graphics card comply to standards like dx11.1, the challenge is to make one that performs like Nvidia/ATI level and still consumes similar level of power. In other words, Tflops/watt.

Interesting to note that Haswell has integrated voltage controller! This means no more volt tweaking on Motherboard. Does that mean it is less manual overclock friendly? Or does it mean that the CPU can figure out the overclocking bit all by itself? in other words, an idiot-proof overclocking feature?

 

[mastrdrver]

iGPU is just the shortened version of Internal GPU. I've seen it used by various figureheads in the industry during presentations and such over the past few years.

Your right that Intel has been making strides on the hardware side of the GPU.

It's just the driver side that fails to deliver. The latest Atom was suppose to be DX10, but that's not what the spec sheets say now. DX9 forever!

Rumors abound that DX11.1 will not make it when release comes. x64 seems to be giving the Intel driver team trouble.

 

[xenocide]

Your right that Intel has been making strides on the hardware side of the GPU.

It's just the driver side that fails to deliver. The latest Atom was suppose to be DX10, but that's not what the spec sheets say now. DX9 forever!

Considering they didn't buy out one of the 2 big GPU manufacturers, they have been doing a great job in the past couple years. Drivers are definitely still a trouble area for Intel, but then again, they are also a trouble area for AMD GPU's...

 

[mastrdrver]

At least AMD can write drivers to work with the hardware they have.

Intel can't even write drivers to work with the hardware they have and thus have to downgrade the hardware to match what they can do with the drivers.

Not a good thing when you can't use the hardware your advancing because of the lack of your driver team not being able to write something that works on just a basic level.

 

[ViperXTR]

but, but it runs F1 2011!!

 

[MikeMurphy]

Intel can't even write drivers to work with the hardware they have and thus have to downgrade the hardware to match what they can do with the drivers.

Pls keep your fiction to yourself.

 

[mastrdrver]

No fiction.

The latest Atom was suppose to be DX10.1, but now is only DX9. What happened?

edit:
Source: Anandtech

It's not even sure whether DirectX 10.1 is supported, even though we initially reported that it will be.

Intel just released the second driver update to Sandy Bridge since it launched. So how long until Intel gets DX10.1 on Atom functional?

 

[MikeMurphy]

OK well if you're speaking of DX compliance specifications then yes. If you're speaking of downgrading hardware to match driver capabilities then no.

It sounds like we're on the same page. I just interpreted your comment differently.

 

[sergionography]

well this is interesting, however intel wont just develop graphics for better user configs, they need to think how it will benefit their overall computing solutions, amd right now is going gpgpu and will pretty much merge both cpu and gpu into one entity(and im not speaking of 2 chips on one die and integration)
doing that makes alot of sense and explains why amd put such little effort in improving floating point in bulldozer and are defining cores by their integer units. so just like intel sandy bridge does things like quick sync to accelerate rendering and what not, such has to be put into perspective when designing haswell. dx11.1 and stuff like that is only scratch on the surface compared to the real deal, as the main focus for intel is computation first, graphics comes as a bonus

 

[user21]

i seriously doubt this one. by the time it will come out the world would have been moved elsewhere