It's no secret that we're not big fans of integrated graphics solutions. You know, the graphics built into a lot of the low-cost motherboards (and even some of the high-end models), where you plug your monitor right into the back plane and don't need a graphics card.
Integrated graphics just don't perform well enough to be used for "real" gaming (that is, stuff beyond simple Web-based flash games and the like). Intel, Nvidia, and AMD/ATI all make integrated graphics solutions, and while Intel's are the most popular in the marketplace, they're also our least favorite—often slower than the others, with common driver issues that cause games to look wrong or not run at all.
Integrated graphics have their place, though. If you're building a home theater PC or just a plain business box—they'll get the job done. You can save a few bucks and a few watts of power utilization using integrated graphics, and if the IG you have does a good job with video processing, that can be all you need to put together a pretty good home theater PC.
Intel's GMA 3100 and 3500 were not too impressive at the time, but the company promises big improvements in the GMA X4500 HD, debuting in the G45 Express chipset. Today we're taking a look at one of the first shipping Intel-brand motherboards to use this chipset, the DG45ID. We'll focus on graphics performance and features, including video, with the aim of answering one simple question: Did Intel get it right this time?
Integrated graphics just don't perform well enough to be used for "real" gaming (that is, stuff beyond simple Web-based flash games and the like). Intel, Nvidia, and AMD/ATI all make integrated graphics solutions, and while Intel's are the most popular in the marketplace, they're also our least favorite—often slower than the others, with common driver issues that cause games to look wrong or not run at all.
Integrated graphics have their place, though. If you're building a home theater PC or just a plain business box—they'll get the job done. You can save a few bucks and a few watts of power utilization using integrated graphics, and if the IG you have does a good job with video processing, that can be all you need to put together a pretty good home theater PC.
Intel's GMA 3100 and 3500 were not too impressive at the time, but the company promises big improvements in the GMA X4500 HD, debuting in the G45 Express chipset. Today we're taking a look at one of the first shipping Intel-brand motherboards to use this chipset, the DG45ID. We'll focus on graphics performance and features, including video, with the aim of answering one simple question: Did Intel get it right this time?
0 comments on "Intel DG45ID Motherboard"
Post a Comment