First Encounter with Intel iris graphics.
Intel Iris is an integrated graphic card series from intel which introduced in 2013. My first encounter with this iris graphic card is on late 2014 mac mini. Intel iris integrated graphic card was first introduced in intel Haswell processor as a "high-end" graphic processing unit. In mac mini computer, intel iris is on macmini7,2 and macmini7,3 models.
Intel Iris is an integrated graphic card series from intel which introduced in 2013. My first encounter with this iris graphic card is on late 2014 mac mini. Intel iris integrated graphic card was first introduced in intel Haswell processor as a "high-end" graphic processing unit. In mac mini computer, intel iris is on macmini7,2 and macmini7,3 models.
Fact finding on this Intel iris graphics on the web.
After my first encounter with intel iris graphic card, i do a little googling to get to know it better. Stuff that i wanted to know are: hardware specs, 3D performance on this graphic card and to find out the claim that it was as good as discrete graphic card.
What i find out about Intel iris graphics.
First thing i need to know is the hardware specification on this intel iris graphic card, and this is what i found:
As an integrated graphic card, intel iris on haswell processor comes in two variant, Iris Graphics 5100 and Iris Pro Graphics 5200. On Broadwell processor, there are two variant for consumer product and one variant for server. The consumer product variant is intel Iris Graphics 6100 and Iris Pro Graphics 6100, while on the server variant is Iris Pro Graphics P6300. On Skylake processor, there are three variant for consumer product, and two variant for server. Intel Iris Graphics 540, 550 and Iris Pro Graphics 580 is for consumer variant, while Iris Pro Graphics P555 and P580 is for server variant.
Execution units for Iris Graphics 5100 and Iris Pro Graphics 5200 on Haswell processor is 40 units, Iris Graphics 6100, Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and P6300 on Broadwell processor have 48 execution units. On Skylake processor, Iris Graphics 540, 550 and Iris Pro P555 have 48 execution units while Iris Pro Graphics 580 and P580 have 72 execution units.
Clockspeed for Iris Graphics 5100 is between 1100 - 1200 Mhz while Iris Pro Graphics 5200 is at 1200 Mhz. On broadwell, Iris 6100 is at 1100 Mhz, while Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and Iris Pro Graphics P6300 is at 1150Mhz. On Skylake processor, Iris Graphics 540 clockspeed is at 1050 Mhz, Iris Graphics 550 is at 1100 Mhz, while Iris Pro Graphics 580, Iris Pro Graphics P555 and P580 is at 1000 Mhz.
Computational speed for Iris Graphics 5100 is between 704 - 768 GigaFLOPS, while Iris Pro Graphics 5200 at 832 GigaFLOPS. On Broadwell processor, Iris Graphics 6100 speed is at 844.8 GigaFLOPS, while Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and Iris Pro Graphics P6300 is at 883.2 GigaFLOPS. On Skylake processor, Iris Graphics 540 speed is at 806.4 GigaFLOPS, Iris Graphics 550 is at 844.8 GigaFLOPS, Iris Pro Graphics P555 is at 768 GigaFLOPS, while Iris Pro Graphics 580 and P580 is at 1152 GigaFLOPS.
Iris Graphics that was integrated with Haswell processor all support OpenGL version 4.3, DirectX version 11.1, HLSL shader model version 5.0, and openCL version 1.2. All Iris Graphics on Broadwell and Skylake support OpenGL version 4.4. Broadwell support DirectX version 11.2 while Iris Graphics on Skylake support DirectX version 12. HLSL Shader model supported in Broadwell is version 5.0 while Skylake support version 5.1. Iris Graphics on both Broadwell and Skylake support openCL version 2.0
All Iris Graphics capable of accelerating H.264 and MPEG-2 enconding/decoding. Some of Iris Graphics on Broadwell and Skylake capable in accaccelerating H.265/HEVC encoding and decoding.
Second thing i need to know is how this card's performance on 3D tasks.
Acording to videobenchmark.net, Intel iris 5100 only score 721 on g3d mark test. This score is far below top ten descrete graphics card which score above 5900. The score for g3d mark/$price is 0, probably because nobody know the price for this integrated graphic card because it was integrated with intel processor. Intel iris 5100 can play Metal gear solid V in low resolution(1024x768) up to 32 fps, but if we use medium resolution (1366x786) the frame rate drop to 25fps, and for high resolution (1920x1080) the frame rate drop to 10 fps.
Last thing i want to know is the claim that it was as good as discrete graphic card.
If we compare intel iris graphic card with older version of descrete graphic card, it's true that intel integrated graphic card is as good as descrete graphic card. For most people, having intel iris on their PC is probably enough graphic power to do most of the job. Intel iris is even enough power to serve professional photographer to do their digital work. My uncle is a photographer and he think that his macbookpro which use intel iris, is powerful enough for him to process his digital images. If you're a hardcore gamer or work in 3D field, such as animator or 3D modeler, then you probably still want a descrete graphic card, since this intel iris integrated graphic card is not powerful enough to do 3D work.
After my first encounter with intel iris graphic card, i do a little googling to get to know it better. Stuff that i wanted to know are: hardware specs, 3D performance on this graphic card and to find out the claim that it was as good as discrete graphic card.
What i find out about Intel iris graphics.
First thing i need to know is the hardware specification on this intel iris graphic card, and this is what i found:
As an integrated graphic card, intel iris on haswell processor comes in two variant, Iris Graphics 5100 and Iris Pro Graphics 5200. On Broadwell processor, there are two variant for consumer product and one variant for server. The consumer product variant is intel Iris Graphics 6100 and Iris Pro Graphics 6100, while on the server variant is Iris Pro Graphics P6300. On Skylake processor, there are three variant for consumer product, and two variant for server. Intel Iris Graphics 540, 550 and Iris Pro Graphics 580 is for consumer variant, while Iris Pro Graphics P555 and P580 is for server variant.
Execution units for Iris Graphics 5100 and Iris Pro Graphics 5200 on Haswell processor is 40 units, Iris Graphics 6100, Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and P6300 on Broadwell processor have 48 execution units. On Skylake processor, Iris Graphics 540, 550 and Iris Pro P555 have 48 execution units while Iris Pro Graphics 580 and P580 have 72 execution units.
Clockspeed for Iris Graphics 5100 is between 1100 - 1200 Mhz while Iris Pro Graphics 5200 is at 1200 Mhz. On broadwell, Iris 6100 is at 1100 Mhz, while Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and Iris Pro Graphics P6300 is at 1150Mhz. On Skylake processor, Iris Graphics 540 clockspeed is at 1050 Mhz, Iris Graphics 550 is at 1100 Mhz, while Iris Pro Graphics 580, Iris Pro Graphics P555 and P580 is at 1000 Mhz.
Computational speed for Iris Graphics 5100 is between 704 - 768 GigaFLOPS, while Iris Pro Graphics 5200 at 832 GigaFLOPS. On Broadwell processor, Iris Graphics 6100 speed is at 844.8 GigaFLOPS, while Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and Iris Pro Graphics P6300 is at 883.2 GigaFLOPS. On Skylake processor, Iris Graphics 540 speed is at 806.4 GigaFLOPS, Iris Graphics 550 is at 844.8 GigaFLOPS, Iris Pro Graphics P555 is at 768 GigaFLOPS, while Iris Pro Graphics 580 and P580 is at 1152 GigaFLOPS.
Iris Graphics that was integrated with Haswell processor all support OpenGL version 4.3, DirectX version 11.1, HLSL shader model version 5.0, and openCL version 1.2. All Iris Graphics on Broadwell and Skylake support OpenGL version 4.4. Broadwell support DirectX version 11.2 while Iris Graphics on Skylake support DirectX version 12. HLSL Shader model supported in Broadwell is version 5.0 while Skylake support version 5.1. Iris Graphics on both Broadwell and Skylake support openCL version 2.0
All Iris Graphics capable of accelerating H.264 and MPEG-2 enconding/decoding. Some of Iris Graphics on Broadwell and Skylake capable in accaccelerating H.265/HEVC encoding and decoding.
Second thing i need to know is how this card's performance on 3D tasks.
Acording to videobenchmark.net, Intel iris 5100 only score 721 on g3d mark test. This score is far below top ten descrete graphics card which score above 5900. The score for g3d mark/$price is 0, probably because nobody know the price for this integrated graphic card because it was integrated with intel processor. Intel iris 5100 can play Metal gear solid V in low resolution(1024x768) up to 32 fps, but if we use medium resolution (1366x786) the frame rate drop to 25fps, and for high resolution (1920x1080) the frame rate drop to 10 fps.
Last thing i want to know is the claim that it was as good as discrete graphic card.
If we compare intel iris graphic card with older version of descrete graphic card, it's true that intel integrated graphic card is as good as descrete graphic card. For most people, having intel iris on their PC is probably enough graphic power to do most of the job. Intel iris is even enough power to serve professional photographer to do their digital work. My uncle is a photographer and he think that his macbookpro which use intel iris, is powerful enough for him to process his digital images. If you're a hardcore gamer or work in 3D field, such as animator or 3D modeler, then you probably still want a descrete graphic card, since this intel iris integrated graphic card is not powerful enough to do 3D work.
