Intel Core with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics Launched: HP, Dell, and Intel NUC
by Ian Cutress on January 7, 2018 9:02 PM ESTSo Why Two Sets of Graphics?
To answer this question, there can be a few possible answers.
The cynical approach is to say that Intel is rehashing a H-series design for the CPU portion, so rather than spending money to make masks that cuts it off, Intel is being cheap for what would be a low volume product.
A technical reason, which readers may or may not agree with, is to do with functionality and power. Despite these chips being 65W and 100W, we are going to see them being used in 15-inch and 17-inch high-end devices, where design is a lifestyle choice but also battery life is a factor to consider. For doing relatively simple tasks, such as video decoding or using eDP, firing up a big bulky graphics core with HBM2 is going to drain the batteries a lot faster. By remaining on the Intel HD graphics, users can still have access to those low power situations while the Radeon graphics and HBM2 are switched off. There is also the case for Intel’s QuickSync, which can be used in preference of AMD encoders in a power-restricted scenario.
The Radeon graphics in this case offers power-gating at the compute-unit level, allowing the system to adjust power as needed or is available. It provides an additional six displays up to 4K with the Intel HD graphics that has three, giving a total of nine outputs. The Radeon Graphics supports DisplayPort 1.4 with HDR and HDMI 2.0b with HDR10 support, along with FreeSync/FreeSync2. As a result, when the graphics output changes from Intel HD Graphics to Radeon graphics, users will have access to FreeSync, as well as enough displays to shake a stick at (if the device has all the outputs).
Users that want these new Intel with Radeon Graphics chips in desktop-class systems, might not find much use for the Intel HD graphics. But, for anything mobile or power related, and, especially for anything multimedia related, it makes sense to take advantage of the Intel iGPU.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
66 Comments
View All Comments
tipoo - Monday, January 8, 2018 - link
Out-earning AMD by far in that corner...I have a feeling this isn't a super high margin product, AMD just needs sales, look at what they sold 'firepros' to Apple for.Hixbot - Monday, January 8, 2018 - link
Seems to me, had AMD denied their GPU to Intel, Intel would have no decent SOC product to launch. Meanwhile AMD could release their Zen/Vega APU and be the only guy in town. Apple would have took notice.IGTrading - Monday, January 8, 2018 - link
Hi Ian, apparently most websites seem to have failed to notice that the standard height of this product class is the same as the height of AMD's own Vega Mobile, which is set at 1.7mm.Intel clearly states its z-height is 1.7mm so where's the advantage ?!
Therefore, it appears that Intel's EMIB talk is just talk (in this current implementation) and saves no "height" , as correctly pointed out by SemiAccurate.com :
"note that the Z-height, a critical factor in modern notebooks, is the exact same 1.7mm as a Vega-M discrete GPU. Why is this important? It looks like EMIB saves ~0mm in Z-height versus a much simpler to manufacture interposer. Interesting, no?"
Source : https://semiaccurate.com/2018/01/07/intel-kaby-g-n...
and
https://hexus.net/media/uploaded/2018/1/81819abc-2...
Is this a wrong assumption to make, or is Intel lying when they say EMIB is "better" than AMD's interposer ?
boeush - Monday, January 8, 2018 - link
Ian,On the "Intel with Radeon vs i7-7700HQ + GTX 1060 Max-Q Data from Intel, not AnandTech" table, you have the second-from-left column mislabeled ("i7-8550U + GTX 1050")
alumii - Tuesday, January 9, 2018 - link
3 words: New Mac Miniartk2219 - Wednesday, January 10, 2018 - link
That would finally be a mac mini that was worth a damn again, although honestly their place has been taken up by the multitude of small NUC like pc's that are now available. But it would beef up the low end on the mac line, not that Apple cares about the low end, or most of its customers, but i digress.