Intel outlines upcoming Core i7 'Haswell' integrated graphics, touts up to triple performance

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
A document released on Wednesday sheds some light on Intel's forthcoming Core i7 processors, which will boast new integrated graphics silicon that promises to double or even triple performance compared to existing models.

Haswell
Source: Intel


Alongside a new iteration of the "Intel HD Graphics" series, dubbed HD 5000, Intel is introducing the "Iris" and "Iris Pro" tiers to its graphics lineup with Haswell, effectively creating a three-tier system for its upcoming Core i7 offerings. Apple is expected to use products from the newest family of processors when the company refreshes its Mac lineup later this year.

As is the case with every new generation of CPUs, there will be an across the board performance boost with the fourth-generation Core i7 chips. However, while previous generational changes brought only slight gains to Intel's respective Ultrabook, laptop and desktop class lineups, Iris and Iris Pro will enjoy huge gains, in some cases showing three fold improvements.

As noted by Engadget, the options start out with HD 5000 for 15W TDP (Thermal Design Power) U-series chips, and move to the new Iris graphics with 28W U-series silicon. Iris Pro, which uses embedded DRAM instead of shared system memory, promises to double the speed of current 47-55W H-series laptop processors. Most intriguing is a tripling in 3D rendering speeds for 65-84W R-series desktop CPUs.

Haswell
Source: Intel


According to Intel's documentation, Iris Pro will also be available on certain M-series laptop and K-series desktop chips.

The 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air currently uses two U-series chips ? a 17W dual-core Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor in its standard configuration and an optional Core i7 version. Apple uses M-series Core i5 and i7 chips for its MacBook Pro and MacBook Pro with Retina Display products.

Haswell
Source: Intel


Intel also detailed the three tiers' feature sets, which support DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 4 and OpenCL 1.2. Display modes include "enhanced" 4K and 2K output and a 3-screen collage, which looks to eschew the need for a discrete graphics card for multi-panel setups.

Full specs, including those pertaining to non-graphics processing performance, are slated to be revealed , one day prior to the Computex Taipei trade show.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 147
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    Pretty cool.

    I wonder what Apple has on tap for the next gen ARM chips? I have a few guesses.
  • Reply 2 of 147
    gadgetcanadagadgetcanada Posts: 423member


    Retina Macbook Air. They will sell millions.

  • Reply 3 of 147
    unicronunicron Posts: 154member
    The Air is the only Mac product that uses Intel integrated graphics, correct?
  • Reply 4 of 147
    ifij775ifij775 Posts: 470member
    unicron wrote: »
    The Air is the only Mac product that uses Intel integrated graphics, correct?

    I think Mac mini, too
  • Reply 5 of 147
    jonyojonyo Posts: 117member
    For current models, the 13" Macbook Pro w/ and w/o retina uses only the intel HD4000 too. The 15" w/ and w/o retina have both the intel HD4000 and Nvidia GT 650M, and auto switch between the 2 on the fly. All current mac mini models use only intel HD4000 as well. All the new-ish imac models use discrete Nvidia graphics chips.
  • Reply 6 of 147
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    And no matter what Intel touts they get completely obliterated by SoC with real discrete GPU cores.


    The next gen SoC will continue to have ImgTec GPGPUs on them. Intel cannot touch their capacities, performance and power use.

    The Air and unfortunately, Mac mini, have these hack-neyed shared memory graphics units.
  • Reply 7 of 147
    scprofessorscprofessor Posts: 218member
    So how is Hasbro a big deal if you are already running a supped up graphics card?
  • Reply 8 of 147
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GadgetCanada View Post


    Retina Macbook Air. They will sell millions.



    Yes. As Apple fans we should not just look at graphics performance, but the max res. It could be a hint of future Apple Retina products. Even the name Iris might not only be a reference to the eye, but a hint that Apple had input.

  • Reply 9 of 147
    macharry demacharry de Posts: 126member
    Not interested in more performance for the MB Air. Need a better battery
  • Reply 10 of 147
    cash907cash907 Posts: 893member


    Good. Now slot these into the rMBP 13" er's and roll em out by July. I'm tired of sitting on my hands, and I imagine the staff at the local Best Buy and Apple Stores are sick of me playing with their display models and not buying anything.

     

  • Reply 11 of 147
    jusephejusephe Posts: 108member
    Integrated graphics isn't very usefull, but apple must use because of space and energy compustion and even through the 3X gain is nice, it's still not for professional gaming.

    I think a solution for Apple is to use an over clocked 16 core G6630 Rouge GPU as standalone discrete graphic. It can achieve performance of mid end graphic cards in about 1 W compustion and its size is just a few dozens of mm^2. They can put it in 13 Mac book retina, 11 inch Mac book Air, maybe even into iPad.
  • Reply 12 of 147
    sennensennen Posts: 1,472member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jusephe View Post



    Integrated graphics isn't very usefull, but apple must use because of space and energy compustion and even through the 3X gain is nice, it's still not for professional gaming.



    I think a solution for Apple is to use an over clocked 16 core G6630 Rouge GPU as standalone discrete graphic. It can achieve performance of mid end graphic cards in about 1 W compustion and its size is just a few dozens of mm^2. They can put it in 13 Mac book retina, 11 inch Mac book Air, maybe even into iPad.


     


    Cool story, bro.

  • Reply 13 of 147
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SCProfessor View Post



    So how is Hasbro a big deal if you are already running a supped up graphics card?


     


    It's not. Haswell is reportedly a 10% improvement over Ivy-Bridge on the CPU. BFD.

  • Reply 14 of 147
    pedromartinspedromartins Posts: 1,333member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sennen View Post


     


    Cool story, bro.



    "professional gaming"... oh boy

  • Reply 15 of 147
    macharry demacharry de Posts: 126member
    Air Performance is well. I am not interested in more performance. Better battery would be nice and more useful.

    Pc Game is over. Performance Game as well.
    Future is Tablet and there is ARM the King.
  • Reply 16 of 147
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    A higher resolution would be nice but what I would love to see more is a battery slice that attaches to the bottom of the MacBook Air 11. I love my Air but the battery life could defiantly be better.
  • Reply 17 of 147
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    unicron wrote: »
    The Air is the only Mac product that uses Intel integrated graphics, correct?

    Not true. ALL Mac laptops use integrated graphics - at least some of the time. (Maybe the iMac, too, but I'm not sure). On the MacBook Pro, the 13" also uses ONLY integrated graphics. The 15" MBP uses integrated graphics when you don't need the dedicated GPU - there's no point on wasting battery life on dedicated graphics when you're only recalculating a spreadsheet.
    And no matter what Intel touts they get completely obliterated by SoC with real discrete GPU cores.


    The next gen SoC will continue to have ImgTec GPGPUs on them. Intel cannot touch their capacities, performance and power use.

    The Air and unfortunately, Mac mini, have these hack-neyed shared memory graphics units.

    That would all be true - if you are completely incapable of understanding that not everyone wants to play high resolution action games at 100 fps.

    For many users, the integrated graphics are more than sufficient. Heck, I never turn on the GPU on my system and don't notice any delays. Not everyone needs the highest computer graphics performance. And when you consider that there's a cost (purchase price, space taken up, and battery usage) for discrete graphics, it's not unreasonable to offer some models without it.
  • Reply 18 of 147
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Unicron View Post



    The Air is the only Mac product that uses Intel integrated graphics, correct?


     


    Sadly not, Apple decided to place it into the 13" MacBook Pro as the only option. Sure, it's fine for most people but considering the price tag and the fact that it's a Pro machine I find it sadly lacking.

  • Reply 19 of 147
    texdeafytexdeafy Posts: 78member
    I don't want any of fucking integrated video card from Intel! They're fucking sucks. I'd rather use Nvidia or AMD's ATI. Any of Mac devices with integrated Intel video card is so FUCKED!
  • Reply 20 of 147
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    saarek wrote: »
    Sadly not, Apple decided to place it into the 13" MacBook Pro as the only option. Sure, it's fine for most people but considering the price tag and the fact that it's a Pro machine I find it sadly lacking.

    Agreed, IMHO it isn't really a MBP at all, that classification should be only for those with a minimum level of graphics performance for a given model release however that is achieved. The models without the extra graphics card should be MacBooks. That isn't to say the built in graphics of today are not mo powerful than the dedicated graphics of a few years back but at any given product release the MBP title should only be given to those with the highest levels.
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