Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
chip on recent motherboards is covered up with a passive or active heatsink, and many
motherboards use a heatsink on the South Bridge or ICH chip. To determine the chipset
used in these systems, I recommend software such as the Intel Chipset Identification Utility
Intel Integrated Graphics Architecture
Intel began producing motherboard chipsets with integrated video starting with the 810
chipset in April 1999. Intel took this a step further in January 2010 when it introduced the
first processors with integrated video, the Clarkdale Core i-Series processors. By build-
ing the graphics directly into the motherboard chipset or processor, no other graphics chip
or video memory was required, meaning that video could be essentially included in a PC
for “free.” Many of the processors and chipsets including integrated graphics also support
slots for graphics cards, meaning that the integrated graphics could easily be upgraded by
adding one or more discrete graphics cards.
See
Table 12.2
in
Chapter 12
, “
Video Hardware
,” for the types and features for the integ-
rated graphics available in Intel motherboard chipsets and processors over the years.
AMD Integrated Graphics Architecture
Before its takeover by AMD, ATI offered a number of chipsets with integrated graphics,
and AMD has continued to do so. AMD's Fusion series of accelerated processing units
(APUs), which combine the CPU with video, was first released in early 2011 for use
in notebook and netbook products, and by mid-2011 for desktop computers. Although
AMD's Fusion family has come to market later than Intel's CPU-integrated products,
AMDFusionisbuiltonitsformerATIdivision'slongexperiencewithalllevelsofgraph-
ic processing.
Note
Traditionally, integrated video has never been fast enough for serious gamers or other users
requiring high-speed displays. Instead, integrated video can offer reasonable graphics per-
formance for virtually no cost. However, the new generation of CPUs incorporating graphics
may change the equation.
I often recommend using processors or motherboards that feature integrated graphics as well
as a slot for adding a video card later; that way you can start off by saving money using
the integrated graphics and later upgrade to a higher performance video solution by merely
adding a card.
See
“
Integrated Video/Motherboard Chipsets
,
”
p.
605
and
“
CPUs with Integrated
Video
,
”
p.
609
(
Chapter 12
).
