When you choose to buy a computer, we must have heard a lot about the concept of “onboard graphics card“. Have we understood this concept correctly? This article will have a very interesting answer for you. Then, let’s take a look at the specifications of some popular “onboard video cards” on computers!
1. Correct understanding of the concept of “onboard video card”
1.1. Difference the concept of GPU and video card
To properly understand the concept “onboard graphics card”, we need to understand well about GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and what is video card? GPU is a chip that processes image data and outputs the ports to display on monitor. Therefore, a computer without GPU cannot output images to the screen.
GPUs are often confused with “video card” (also called graphics card). Video card is an electronic device including GPU, VRAM, cooling system, semiconductor circuits, may have connection ports.
1.2. What is the onboard video card?
With older generations of Desktop mainboards, a GPU chip will be integrated on the mainboard. We call it “onboard video card“. However, “onboard video card” often have slow processing speed. That’s why, powerful dedicated graphics cards were born. Dedicated graphics cards are usually attached to the mainboard via PCI or PCIe ports. Dedicated graphics cards also called discrete card.
Intel Corporation used to have a solution to integrate the GPU into the NorthBridge chipset. Later, Intel integrated the GPU into the CPU. Intel calls them iGPU (Integrated Graphics Processing Unit) – integrated graphics processing unit. We often call iGPU “onboard video card”. Obviously, the concept is wrong, but due to usage habits, we still often call iGPU “onboard video card“.
Laptop requires compact components, so they often use iGPU. But graphics processing power of iGPU cannot be as good as the discrete card. But the discrete card on Laptop is usually integrated with GPU, VRAM, cooling system, semiconductor circuits.
In conclusion, “onboard video card” is a GPU integrated on the mainboard. “Onboard video card” has been discontinued for a long time. Later, the GPU integrated in the North chipset or CPU is called iGPU (Integrated Graphics Processing Unit). But iGPU is not powerful, so dedicated graphic cards were born.
2. Some of Intel’s “onboard video cards”
Intel’s “onboard video cards” are called iGPUs (Integrated Graphics Processing Units). iGPU includes main product lines are:
Intel HD Graphics
The iGPU series was first introduced in 2010. Then, Intel Iris Graphics and Intel Iris Pro Graphics are the iGPU series that were released in 2013. Intel HD Graphics and Intel Iris Graphics do not have native memory. They will take part of RAM to store image data when processing. And Intel Iris Pro Graphics has embedded eDRAM memory.
In addition, an upgrade of Intel HD Graphics is the Intel UHD Graphics series introduced on Intel’s 8th generation CPUs with codename Coffee Lake in 2017. Intel UHD Graphics is capable of supporting displays with 4K resolution.
Intel Iris Plus Graphics
They are integrated with 7th generation Intel CPUs is Kaby Lake. This is the iGPU series with higher performance than the Intel HD, Iris, Iris Pro series.
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
They are integrated with 11th generation Intel CPUs. This is Intel’s most powerful “onboard video card” to date (January 1, 2022). Intel Iris Xe Graphics is capable of supporting monitors with 8K or 4K HDR resolution.
2.1. Which iGPUs do Intel CPU generations integrate?
| Intel CPU generations | Integrated iGPUs |
| 2nd generation Intel® CPU | HD Intel® 3000, HD Intel® 2000 |
| 3nd generation Intel® CPU | HD Intel® 4000, HD Intel® 2500 |
| 4th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® Iris® Pro 5200, Intel® Iris® 5100, HD Intel® 5000, HD Intel® 4600, HD Intel® 4400, HD Intel® 4200 |
| 5th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® Iris® Pro 6200, Intel® Iris® 6100, HD Intel® 6000, HD Intel® 5500, HD Intel® 5300 |
| 6th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® Iris® Pro 580, Intel® Iris® 550, Intel® Iris® 540, HD Intel® 530, HD Intel® 520, HD Intel® 515, HD Intel® 510 |
| 7th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® Iris® Plus 655, Intel® Iris® Plus 650, Intel® Iris® Plus 640, HD Intel® P630, HD Intel® 630, HD Intel® 620, HD Intel® 615, HD Intel® 610, HD Intel® 505, HD Intel® 500 |
| 8th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® Iris® Plus 645, Intel® UHD 630, UHD Intel® 620, Intel® UHD 617, Intel® UHD 615, Intel® UHD 610, Intel® UHD 605 |
| 9th generation Intel® CPU | UHD Intel® 630, Intel® Iris® 655 |
| 10th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® Iris® Plus, Intel® Core™ UHD dedicated to 10th generation Intel® CPU |
| 11th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® UHD 750, Intel® UHD 730, Intel® Core™ UHD dedicated to 11th generation Intel® CPU, Intel® Iris® Xᵉ |
| 12th generation Intel® CPU | Intel® UHD Graphics 770 |
2.2. Specification of some Intel “onboard cards”
Intel® HD 3000/4000
| Processor Graphics | Intel® HD 3000 | HD Intel® 4000 |
| Graphics Base Frequency | 650 MHz | 650 MHz |
| Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency | 1.15 GHz | 1.05 GHz |
| Graphics Output | eDP/DP/HDMI/SDVO/CRT | N/A |
| Number of Displays Supported | 2 | 3 |
Intel® HD 5500/6000
| Processor Graphics | HD Intel® 5500 | HD Intel® 6000 |
| Graphics Base Frequency | 300 MHz | 300 MHz |
| Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency | 850 MHz | 950 MHz |
| Graphics Video Max Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Max Resolution (HDMI) | 2560×[email protected] | [email protected] |
| Max Resolution (DP) | 3840×[email protected] | 3840×[email protected] |
| Graphics Output | eDP/DP/HDMI | eDP/DP/HDMI |
| Number of Displays Supported | 3 | 3 |
Intel® Iris® Pro 6200/6100
| Processor Graphics | Intel® Iris® Pro 6200 | Intel® Iris® 6100 |
| Graphics Base Frequency | 300 MHz | 300 MHz |
| Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency | 1.05 GHz | 1.00 GHz |
| Graphics Video Max Memory | 32 GB | 16 GB |
| Max Resolution (HDMI) | 2560×[email protected] | 2560×[email protected] |
| Max Resolution (DP) | 3840×[email protected] | 3840×[email protected] |
| Graphics Output | eDP/DP/HDMI/VGA | eDP/DP/HDMI |
| Number of Displays Supported | 3 | 3 |
Intel® Iris® Plus/ Intel® Iris® Plus 655
| Processor Graphics | Intel® Iris® Plus | Intel® Iris® Plus 655 |
| Graphics Base Frequency | 300 MHz | 300 MHz |
| Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency | 1.05 GHz | 1.15 GHz |
| Graphics Video Max Memory | 32 GB – eRAM 128 MB | N/A |
| Max Resolution (HDMI) | 4096 x [email protected] | 4096×[email protected] |
| Max Resolution (DP) | 5120 x [email protected] | 4096×[email protected] |
| Max Resolution (eDP) | 5120 x [email protected] | 4096×[email protected] |
| 4K Support | Yes, 60Hz | N/A |
| Graphics Output | eDP/DP/HDMI | eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI |
| Number of Displays Supported | 3 | 3 |
Intel® Iris® Xᵉ
| Processor Graphics | Intel® Iris® Xᵉ |
| Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency | 1.30 GHz |
| Max Resolution (HDMI) | 4096×[email protected] |
| Max Resolution (DP) | 7680×[email protected] |
| Max Resolution (eDP) | 4096×[email protected] |
| Graphics Output | eDP 1.4b, MIPI-DSI 2.0, DP 1.4, HDMI 2.0b |
| Number of Displays Supported | 4 |
Note: AMD CPU does not refer to “onboard video cards” as iGPUs. AMD designs a series of 64-bit microprocessors that integrate both CPU and GPU in a single device. AMD calls them Accelerated Processing Unit (APU).
Reference: Intel® graphics support, AMD Graphics
