Friday Platform Trends: Intel's GMA 900 Bats .500

Much-Improved Integrated Graphics Still No Threat To Discrete Solutions

Integrated (motherboard- rather than AGP- or PCI-Express-slot) graphics are never going to be the top choice for workstation-class computing or serious gaming; no matter which brand we're talking about, there will always be concessions to going with onboard video. In fact, this is truer today than in the past, as dedicated graphics technology advances at breakneck speeds, with today's mainstream cards outpacing yesterday's speed demons.

But as long as cost and ease of use are factors in the PC business, integrated graphics will continue to be a market force. Intel's latest chipset-resident core, dubbed Graphics Media Accelerator 900, may not challenge the GeForce 6800s and Radeon X800s of the world, but it does have a lot of feature and performance enhancements relative to the competition.

That said, I'd like to add that my editor, not me, wrote the "Even Gamers Won't Be Ashamed of Grantsdale" headline for May's GMA 900 preview.

The GMA 900: Under the Hood

The Graphics Media Accelerator 900 is part of Intel's new Grantsdale-G series chipsets -- the 915G and 915GV, which do and don't also support dedicated graphics, respectively -- and replaces the Extreme Graphics 2 core of the i865G series. Its technical specifications are quite impressive for a discrete graphics solution, including a 333MHz graphics core with four pixel pipelines capable of pumping out 1.3 gigapixels/second. This actually matches up quite well against the specifications of entry-level cards like Nvidia's GeForce FX 5200 Ultra and ATI's Radeon 9600 SE.

Graphics-bandwidth-wise, the GMA 900 is a quantum leap over the Extreme Graphics 2 core, which featured a single pixel pipeline running at 266MHz for a measly 266 megapixels/sec fillrate. Nvidia's and AT's integrated chipsets are a bit better, but neither the nForce2 (400Mpixels/sec) nor Radeon 9100 IGP (600Mpixels/sec) can match up in terms of raw performance figures.

The Intel 915G can use not only dual-channel DDR400 for shared system and graphics memory, as its competitors do, but can also make use of dual-channel DDR-2/533 to boost video bandwidth. Intel also implements what it calls Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0, which can dynamically borrow system memory for graphics duty, depending on application requirements, then partition it back once the program unloads, instead of taking a fixed 32MB, 64MB, or whatever.

Sitting on top of the integrated graphics world is quite a strange position for Intel to be in, as the CPU giant's previous integrated video chipsets have languished well back of the ATI/Nvidia competition. And the performance side is only part of the equation, as Intel has upgraded the GMA 900's feature set far beyond that of the 865G core.

DirectX 9.0 for the Masses

One key selling point is the new chipset's DirectX 9.0 compatibility. Intel has actually incorporated the Microsoft spec's Pixel Shader 2.0 into the core, which is a huge advancement for integrated graphics (the Extreme Graphics 2 core was only a DirectX 7.0 part). The nForce2 does not include any pixel or vertex shaders, while the Radeon 9100 IGP supports Pixel Shader 1.4. In terms of DirectX 9 features, the GMA 900 is in a class by itself.

Of course, it's not all wine and roses; in fact, there are a few thorns when you look closely. The most important is a lack of a transform and lighting (T&L) geometry setup engine, which not only means offloading this function to the CPU, but ensures that certain 3D applications and games will not run. This is a real weak point of the GMA 900, as both the nForce2 and Radeon 9100 IGP include T&L setup in hardware.

The DirectX 9.0 compatibility is also a bit of an exaggeration, as while the graphics core does feature Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, the Vertex Shader 2.0 function is handled in software by the CPU. This is actually not as big a deal as the lack of T&L hardware, as even some entry-level DirectX 9.0 graphics cards do not have full hardware features.

The 2D Side of the Equation

Today's preoccupation with 3D performance and architecture sometimes obscures the main use of integrated graphics: basic 2D home and office duties. In this area, the GMA 900 has improved greatly over the Extreme Graphics 2 core, starting off with a 400MHz integrated DAC. This not only improves overall image quality, but allows higher resolutions (up to 2,048 by 1,536) at higher refresh rates (85Hz) than before. For basic use, the 400MHz DAC is probably the most important feature of the GMA 900, and a nice improvement over the 350MHz DAC of its predecessor.

Intel also offers a wide array of connectivity or display choices, including CRTs, LCDs, and even standard and high-definition Tvs. There are also dual-display capabilities, via an add-in card, that allow cloning and extended-desktop display options.

Coulda Been a Contender

Specifications and features often look good on paper, but as with any computer hardware, the proof's in the real-world performance. In this area, the GMA 900 indeed lives up to its billing in the 2D arena, as its image quality, resolutions, and refresh rates are a huge improvement over the Extreme Graphics 2 solution. Intel has not only upgraded to a 400MHz DAC, but cleaned up the video signal and really created a usable 2D display.

The 3D argument is not as compelling. Although some games and applications can be run at acceptable performance levels, we found a few that refused to load. Some, like Novalogic's Comanche 4 and Square's Final Fantasy XI benchmark, were due to the lack of a hardware T&L setup engine, while others were likely the result of immature drivers. With both Nvidia and ATI offering integrated video with T&L hardware capabilities, this is a glaring omission on Intel's part.

The DirectX 9.0 feature set is nice to look at, but high-end DX9 games are really out of the GMA 900's league, much as they are for entry-level DX9 video cards. On the positive side, the Grantsdale-G does meet the requirements for Microsoft's forthcoming "Longhorn" user interface, but without additional 3D features in hardware, the GMA 900 isn't the entry-level gaming panacea that many envisioned.