1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,720 If you're a gamer you probably know that using the integrated graphics built into your computer's 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:10,880 processor instead of a full-fledged discrete graphics card is about like eating meatloaf 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:16,320 instead of steak. And we did an episode about why integrated graphics lag behind their discrete 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:21,520 counterparts, which you can check out here. In a nutshell though, trying to cram high-performance 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:27,520 graphics into a teeny tiny CPU is tough because there just isn't enough space for all the extra 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:33,280 transistors that you'd need, not to mention that thermals would become a big concern. But 7 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:40,160 it is also true that integrated graphics have gotten a lot better over the years, 8 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:45,760 and there's actually a huge demand for quality integrated solutions. To explore this further, 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,240 we spoke with Nick Majuskovich and John Webb of Intel, and we'd like to thank them for their 10 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:55,040 time and contribution, as well as thank LG for sponsoring this topic. Part of the reason that 11 00:00:55,040 --> 00:01:00,240 integrated graphics have improved to the point where you can play games in HD, that is assuming 12 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:06,320 you have reasonable expectations regarding frame rates and visual quality, is that transistor sizes 13 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:11,920 have continued to shrink. We've gone from having CPUs based on the 32-nanometer process back in 14 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:17,840 2010 to under half of that in the last 10 years. More transistors means that not only do you get 15 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:22,960 more processing muscle, but you don't need as much electrical power to get the same level of 16 00:01:22,960 --> 00:01:28,720 performance, which reduces heat output. But manufacturers could have used those extra transistors 17 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:35,040 to help with CPU performance, so why improve graphics that many customers won't even use? 18 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:41,360 The whole thing is, I clearly underestimated it, but the market for quality iGPU solutions has been 19 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:47,360 there for a while and is absolutely huge. Despite the fact that many PC gamers are more interested 20 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,920 in higher-tier discrete graphics cards, there are plenty of others who just want their favorite 21 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,640 titles to be playable without breaking the bank or draining their laptop's battery. 22 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:02,880 And the progress has been such that with solutions like AMD's RX Vega graphics-equipped APUs and 23 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:09,680 Intel's upcoming Xe-based products, the market for budget graphics cards is all but dead because 24 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,800 they can't compete with what's already on the system for free. And aside from gaming, 25 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:20,720 onboard GPUs handle a variety of everyday tasks like improving video playback and productivity. 26 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:26,400 So many people actually use their integrated graphics even if they have a discrete card 27 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:31,600 without even knowing it, which has driven companies like Intel and AMD to design their chips to 28 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:37,040 deliver a certain baseline of performance with their graphic solutions for a broad audience. 29 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,280 With this in mind then, chip manufacturers have set out to make integrated graphics not only 30 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:46,160 powerful enough to handle gaming, but also efficient enough for other tasks on laptops 31 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:52,000 and tablets. They've done this by adding fixed function units, so parts of the processor that 32 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:58,240 are extremely good at one thing and do basically nothing else, and through more general architectural 33 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:03,840 improvements. The architecture of a chip is how the transistors all connect to each other, 34 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:09,600 and we're always learning new ways to make it better. They also use tricks like dynamic tuning, 35 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:15,840 which uses software to allocate power between the CPU and GPU part depending on what the system is 36 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:22,000 doing using data from thermal sensors. This was seen on Kaby Lake G, a series of laptop processors 37 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:27,520 from a few years ago that combined separate dies for the CPU and GPU on a single package. 38 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:32,560 Now there are still limitations to how large you can make an integrated GPU, as we discussed 39 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:38,800 previously, but manufacturers have at times dedicated extra space to graphics like an Intel's 40 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:43,680 Iris Plus for Ice Lake, which uses more die space for graphics execution units, 41 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:49,120 as well as for media encoding and decoding, which is increasingly important as we demand higher 42 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:55,200 and higher definition audio and video without killing our batteries. And the use of chiplets, 43 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,920 which you can learn more about up here, could make it cheaper for manufacturers to take this 44 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:05,440 approach to slapping a little bit less graphic silicon on this basic product and a little bit 45 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:10,880 more on a more multimedia focused product. So the answer then, as it turns out, is that the 46 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:16,800 higher performance is something of a side effect of a huge push in the industry to optimize the 47 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:23,120 cost and power efficiency of especially mobile devices through a combination of hardware and 48 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:29,120 software improvements. DX12 Ultimate, for example, could actually enable integrated graphics to run 49 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:34,400 ray tracing in the future. Not necessarily well, I mean we're not saying to ditch your $500 50 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:39,280 graphics card, it's just that the future does look pretty bright for gamers operating on tighter 51 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:43,680 budgets, especially if you like to take your games with you on the road. Now if you'll excuse me, 52 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:48,240 I need to go integrate some lunch into my stomach after I tell you about today's sponsor. We've 53 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:53,520 actually got a great example of a computer having Intel's Iris Plus graphics inside and it's the 54 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:59,200 latest release of the LG Gram, the sponsor of today's video. This lightweight, do-anything, 55 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:06,480 go-anywhere laptop features a 10th gen Core i7 1065G7 processor and Iris Pro graphics for solid 56 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,200 performance on the road, whether you're gaming, using Photoshop or even doing some light video 57 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:17,120 editing. The 17 inch model is 1.35 kilograms, that's just three pounds for our American friends, 58 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:24,320 with a 2560 by 1600 IPS screen and there's a smaller 15.6 inch model too. You get a fingerprint 59 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:29,200 reader for your security and a Thunderbolt 3 port and with the release of this LG Gram laptop in 60 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:34,880 the ultra portable market, it fulfills both the portability and performance needs of demanding 61 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:39,200 users at once. So check it out today at the link in the video description. Thanks for watching guys, 62 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,960 like, dislike, check out our other videos and leave a comment if you have a suggestion for a 63 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:48,080 future fast as possible. We really do read your comments, especially you Travis.