Intel Blurs GPU, Preparing for a Vista Vs. Video Card Duel - Limitations of Current Integrated GPUs
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Soon even the average user will need a beefier video card to work in the operating system. The suggested video memory requirement for Vista is 256 MB, but having more would show a noticeable difference. This will require more powerful and more expensive hardware just to run a basic operating system. To meet the hardware demands, the price of budget systems and portable computers may have to climb. Intel’s new patent may keep that from being a necessity.
Current integrated graphics don’t have all much memory bandwidth on hand. The memory bandwith for Intel’s Graphics Media Accelerator 900 is not that bad when compared to Intel’s earlier video offerings and Nvidia's nForce, but as you should expect, it falls way short of the bandwidth of a serious after market card. This is not remotely shocking, but the chart below is just for a cursory comparison of the memory bandwidth between budget and high-end hardware.
Memory Bandwidth
Intel MGA 900 | ECS nForce4 | BFG Geforce 7800 GTX OC |
8.5 GB/sec | 6.4 GB/sec | 41.6 GB/sec |
The integrated chips obviously don’t have the power to move a lot of data. When doing intensive 3D processing, an overstressed GPU will drop frames in the video. This loss of frames per second (FPS) makes the video start to look choppy.
Considering the limitations of what our eyes can perceive, it’s been disputed what the optimal FPS is to make video look smooth without wasting processing power. Following the push of graphics manufacturers, many gamers aim for 60 FPS. Many people also point to the TV and DVD standard of 30 FPS or movie theaters’ 24 FPS. Since movies look smooth, some argue that 24 is an optimal number and anything more is wasted. It’s obviously a lot easier for a GPU to reach 24 FPS, but a couple of things are at work in movies to make 24 look like much more.
One thing that theaters do is show a very bright flashing light in a dark room. The light creates an afterimage for the viewer, which can make the video feel a touch smoother.
The real trick that Hollywood, TV, and DVDs use is (you guessed it) motion blurring. This is what Intel wants to bring it to PCs. At its most basic, motion blurring is an illusion. It uses intentionally blurred images to create sharp motion. Pause a DVD and you will usually see a screenshot that is a bit fuzzier than the playing animation.
Next: Motion Blur, from Hollywood to Silicon Vally >>
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