Intel’s Next Generation Integrated Graphics Architecture –Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3000 and 3000 White Paper Ground breaking hybrid architecture for increased performance and flexibility for delivering a compelling graphics and video experience July 2006 313343-002 2 White Paper Introduction Introduction ................................. 3 Gamers and Media enthusiasts have been long demanding better Evolution of Graphics ...................... 4 technology for unparallel ultra-realistic visual experience and the demand will be even greater in the future. Intel has answered the current demand Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator to support future technologies by unveiling its hybrid graphics 3000 Family Innovations ... 5 architecture with the introduction of Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Intel® G965 Express Chipset with 3000 (Intel® GMA 3000) family engine. This state-of-the-art hybrid the Intel® GMA X3000 ....... 7 architecture evolved as a balance between fixed function and Intel® Q965, Q963 Express Chipset programmability. The graphics engine of the Intel® Graphics Media with the Intel® GMA 3000..10 Accelerator 3000 family consists of a scalable array of symmetric Graphics Memory ..........................11 processing components known as execution units (EUs) which can be programmed to dynamically process graphics or media data alike. Summary .................................12 Programmability of the EUs adds flexibility and enables support for future Learn More ………………………………..13 graphics and media usages by upgrading the driver. Execution units support dynamic load balancing, multi-threading, and multi-functional data processing, resulting in increased performance to enable a more compelling gaming and visual experience for main stream users. Intel’s next generation architecture shows Intel’s continued innovation by delivering greater flexibility and performance to meet the needs for the current and future consumer and corporate applications. The new Intel Graphics Media Accelerator architecture with its greater performance and flexibility will be the basis for many new consumer and corporate applications. For consumers, the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3000 engine supported on Intel® G965 Express chipset has been optimized for enhanced 3D to allow for greater game compatibility and realism with new video and display features to deliver a theater-like entertainment experience through Intel® Clear Video Technology. For corporate users, Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 engine incorporated in Intel® Q965/Q963 Express chipsets continues to offer stability, ease of use, and lower power consumption, in a cost effective solution. The Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 family engine is eligible for the Microsoft Windows Vista*Premium logo. Intel’s next generation Graphics Media Accelerator that provides new levels of graphics and video responsiveness in a cost effective solution. The Intel graphics engine is integrated into the Graphics Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) and enables a low power, reduced form factor solution compared to power-hungry discrete graphics cards. White Paper 3 Evolution of Graphics Graphics architecture has undergone With the evolution of graphics significant evolutionary changes in this technology, in every generation the decade to bring to life environments programmability of each component of for ultra-realistic graphics and theater- the 3D pipeline has evolved with like media on the screen. Yet the improved performance and flexibility to challenge to provide greater realism process greater detail and visual and natural images remains. The details effects. With the arrival of Intel’s next of the nature that provide unparalleled generation graphics architecture the realism include shades of color, smooth notion of fixed functions units and textured surfaces, and subtle lighting limited programmability for processing effects. specific types of data has given way to generalized programmable engines To create realistic-looking 3D objects, supporting multi-functional data every image in a scene has to go execution and processing, providing through the 3D pipeline- geometry or incredible flexibility and performance. vertex processing, lighting, rasterization, set up, texture mapping, Figure 1 represents the evolution from pixel processing, and coloring before 2000 to 2006. Further, more the image is rendered on the screen. traditional architectures used fixed Relatively Fixed function units for Relatively fixed function units for Video Graphics Generalized Programmable architecture for Graphics and Video Figure 1. Graphics Evolution from 2000 to 2006 4 White Paper function processing units for Intel’s next generation GMA 3000 processing a particular type of graphics family architecture provides new levels or video data and each unit was of flexibility because of the optimized for speed. In traditional programmable multi-functional and architectures there is an added cost to multi-threaded execution units (EUs) to accommodate new features as the easily enable new features by hardware needs to be upgraded. But upgrading the driver suites. Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 Family Innovations With Intel’s next-generation Graphics This programmability allows new Media Accelerator, Intel continues to graphics and video features to be drive innovative platform added with the simple driver upgrades. enhancements that increase the Improved programmability means overall performance for the end user. greater flexibility for independent This next-generation Intel graphics software vendors (ISVs) and improved architecture is designed to be features for original equipment extensible and offers extraordinary manufacturers (OEMs). features. This section discusses the benefits of the Intel® Graphics Media Dynamic Load Balancing Accelerator 3000 architecture features Dynamic load balancing is an and innovations: programmability, architectural feature that enables dynamic load balancing, multi- faster processing of the graphics and threading, multi-function, 32 bit full video workloads for improved precision compute, and dynamic and performance. static flow control which enable more The Intel® GMA 3000 family graphics stunning graphics in games and video engine consists of a programmable applications. array of symmetric execution units to process graphics and video data Programmability threads. These EUs can perform many tasks or process many kinds of graphics The Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator or video threads, which permits greater 3000 architecture is programmable and execution, parallelism, and load fixed function technology balanced to balancing among the available EUs and achieve high flexibility and performance enabling efficient use of EUs while for graphics and video applications. The increasing video and graphics Intel® Graphics Media accelerator 3000 performance. With the previous fixed engine consists of programmable array function units, each unit was limited to of symmetric processing components perform specific tasks or process knows as execution units (EUs). specific threads, which resulted in White Paper 5 certain units being idle at any instant Multi-threading and as a result reducing efficiency. The Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Dynamic Load balancing increases the 3000 family engine has a massively game play performance, enables threaded architecture. The whole array greater realism, and enhances viewer of symmetric execution units has been fidelity. designed to process multiple threads of graphic or video data simultaneously. In Multi-functional traditional graphics architecture, as the The Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator compute frequency increases, the time 3000 family is multi-functional and can it takes to read or write memory is easily switch between executing longer for the EUs and more idle graphics-related tasks or video related periods will appear while waiting for tasks. The array of EUs can dynamically access to the memory. However, Intel’s switch to process either graphics next-generation architecture reduces threads (for both vertex and pixel these inefficiencies due to its multi- processing) or video threads (decode threading capability; EUs have many and post-processing) depending on the threads to choose from at any instant application being processed. in time and with multi-threading The Multi-functional feature supported capability can automatically switch to on the new generation Intel® Graphics execute ready threads while the other Media Accelerator 3000 family enables threads may be waiting on memory Programmable array of symmetric Execution Units for Video and Graphics EU EU EU EU Fixed function units for graphics and Fixed function units for graphics and video video EU EU EU EU Figure 2. Intel’s Next Generation Graphics Architecture Overview. smaller real estate and lower power access. When the current thread requirements and provides more process is completed, each EU then appealing graphics and video switches to the next highest priority performance. thread. 6 White Paper Multi-threading helps to boosts the flexibility in code generation and shader performance and increase game management. and media delivery speed for stellar visual performance. 32-Bit Floating Point Figure 2 shows balance between fixed Compute function and programmability. The symmetric array of EUs is Advanced animations and real-time programmable, multi-threaded, multi- effects are compute-intensive and functional and supports dynamic load demand high precision to maintain