Integrated Intel HD Graphics

[soliloquist]

So I have been playing around with a new Celeron G530, and for every bit that I have been amazed at how well this CPU can handle things, I am equally amazed at how horrible the HD Graphics is.

I have not tried it in any games nor will I, I am talking about general 2D desktop environments. On web pages the text looks worse, video playback the colors seem off. I don't have any specific example of its poor performance but my general feel was very bad. I am extremely glad to be writing this on my main comp with discrete graphics.

Is there a "fix" to this problem, or is HD Graphics really that terrible.

I have not tried updating the drivers, I am using the ones that came with the mother board.

Also what exactly is the difference between the HD 2000 and the plain HD? In the Intel Ark it seems that the HD on the Pentiums turbo up to 1.1GHz just like the HD 2000, but on the Celeron's they only turbo up to 1GHz.

On Anand's initial review of Sandy Bridge he said:

"I’ve been careful to mention the use of HD Graphics 2000/3000 in 2nd generation Core series CPUs, as Intel will eventually bring Sandy Bridge down to the Pentium brand with the G800 and G600 series processors. These chips will feature a version of HD Graphics 2000 that Intel will simply call HD Graphics. Performance will be similar to the HD Graphics 2000 GPU, however it won’t feature Quick Sync."

Which is a little vague. He does not say that they will be the same as HD 2000, he says "similar". According to the Ark again the HD Graphics do not support:
- Intel Quick Sync
- Intel InTru 3D Technology
- Intel Insider
- Intel Clear Video HD Technology
Is there any other difference?

 

[gmaster456]

The graphics card should not effect what the text looks like. And I've never heard of video playback color issues with a functional chip. Perhaps its a monitor issue? Are you running at your native res? Are all the connections secure? What types of videos are you watching? HTML5, Flash, Silverlight etc? Also it can't hurt updating your drivers anyway.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm using my 2500k's Intel 2000 GPU for gaming as well as normal computing, it works fine (within it's performance envelope.) I can play MW2 with it...

 

[StinkyPinky]

I'm using my 2500k's Intel 2000 GPU for gaming as well as normal computing, it works fine (within it's performance envelope.) I can play MW2 with it...

Pretty sure 2500k is HD3000, which is definitely a better performer than HD2000.

 

[Fallengod]

Yeah, 2500k is HD 3000 graphics, not 2000. And yes, it is significantly better than HD 2000. Either way, the previous comments are correct. HD 2000 graphics should not have an effect on what text or colors look like. You may have some other issue that is making your "text" and "colors" look bad.

 

[Charlie98]

Pretty sure 2500k is HD3000, which is definitely a better performer than HD2000.

I thought that too... but when I pull it up on CPUz it says HD2000.

 

[StinkyPinky]

That's....weird. Perhaps a CPU-Z problem? Have you tried another program?

 

[Fallengod]

I think my CPU-Z says the same thing. Remember, this is a third party software app, that doesnt automatically make it correct.

2500k is HD3000 graphics. I am almost positive my CPU-Z says its HD 2000 as well(I dont feel like looking).

This is what the latest version of CPU-Z displays for my Zotac GT 440 512MB DDR5 video card:

Core: 50mhz
Shaders: 101mhz
Memory: 135mhz

Memory Size: 1024 MBytes

If its not obvious, that is most definitely wrong. The card doesnt even have 1GB of memory, it has 512mb.... Dont trust software apps.

Also note, you should be using GPU-Z for graphic processor info, not CPU-Z.

 

[Cerb]

On web pages the text looks worse, video playback the colors seem off.

That would be a configuration problem. Text on web pages should look identical, regardless of GPU. Likewise, if you don't use any advanced color adjustments, colors should, likewise, be identical. Make sure that you are running at native resolution. If your native resolution is not showing up in your choices, Intel has a special driver to fix that per GPU series.

Unless, of course, you are using VGA. In that case, I would ask if you have any all-digital video transport options. Today, a VGA signal looking good on any monitor is the exception, not the rule.

I have not tried updating the drivers, I am using the ones that came with the mother board.

The only driver you should ever get from the mobo CD is NIC, and then only if Windows fails to install a driver for it by itself. That said, if it is the video driver, it would only be a problem if the resolution is off. Otherwise, I would suspect monitor settings or use of VGA.

 

[beginner99]

Agree with Cerb. VGA can look terrible on certain monitors like the Samsung I own. No issue with DVI/HDMI.

Note that Celerons != HD2000. Full HD2000 has some additional features (probably in software) but don't know if they could cause it.

Also the browser in question could lead to odd rendering of text like the issue Firefox had when using GPU acceleration (not sure if it is actually fixed).

 

[Rvenger]

Agree with Cerb. VGA can look terrible on certain monitors like the Samsung I own. No issue with DVI/HDMI.

Note that Celerons != HD2000. Full HD2000 has some additional features (probably in software) but don't know if they could cause it.

Also the browser in question could lead to odd rendering of text like the issue Firefox had when using GPU acceleration (not sure if it is actually fixed).

My Celeron G530 says HD1000.

 

[pauldun170]

OP - What motherboard are you using?
Can you update using the latest intel drivers and retest?
Pentium SB processors are still new enough where motherboards shipped from inventory (as in old stock) may not have appropriate drivers to support them.

 

[soliloquist]

I am using HDMI for the video out not VGA.

The motherboard is an ASUS P8H61-M.

The monitor is a 46" Sony Bravia. It is the same monitor that I use with my other comp running a AMD 6870 which looks perfectly fine.

The monitor is set to native resolution (1920x1080).

I am at work at the moment, so will try updating drivers when I get home. I will also try connecting with a DVI-to-HDMI cable (which is what I use for my main comp), and see if that makes a difference.

 

[soliloquist]

Oh, and the web browser is Explorer 8(fresh install of Windows 7, nothing else on their yet).

 

[Hubb1e]

The Sony Bravia is not a monitor. It is a TV. They DO use a different color space. Also, TVs overscan the image automatically which cause issues with text from a computer. Update your drivers, and set your overscan properly in the intel drivers. Overscan settings are what is causing your text issues. You will also want to set your TV to the native output mode in the video settings. The TV settings are all rather complicated. You may want to google how to set the TV to properly display at it's native mode without overscan.

That should fix the issue. Also, your 6870 WILL provide a better picture with video (text will look identical once overscan and resolution settings are properly set) because it will use advanced telecine algorithms and other post processing that improves the picture quality of video. The HD1000 graphics in the Celeron lacks Intel Clear Video which is their name for their post processing. The Celeron will look fine with video, but for watching video with post processing, an i3 with HD2000 graphics, or an AMD or Nvidia card faster than an ATI 5450 are needed.