One of the best graphics accelerators for creating an office PC or entry-level multimedia station is rightfully considered the 4400 model, which belongs to the Intel HD Graphics line. Reviews about this product, its capabilities and specifications will be very, very detailed in the future.
The reason for the appearance of this accelerator
To reduce the cost of entry-level personal computers, Intel HD Graphics 4000 was released. Reviews highlight its extremely low level of performance. But this is an integrated solution that is designed to implement the most simple tasks. This list includes office applications, video playback and the most simple toys in terms of graphic adapter resources. The reduction in cost in this case is achieved due to the fact that there is no need to purchase a discrete entry-level video card . If we compare this accelerator with earlier integrated graphics solutions, then its transfer to the CPU semiconductor chip has a very positive effect on speed, and the layout of the motherboard is greatly simplified (that is, its cost is reduced).
The market segment this accelerator is targeted at
This simple Intel HD Graphics controller is aimed at solving the simplest tasks. Reviews about him on Internet resources only confirm this. This accelerator perfectly copes with various office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, for example). The adapter also allows you to display the image on a monitor or TV in HD-quality. Even the simplest toys will go on it.
Also to this list include obsolete applications of this plan. For example, Heroes III of any version will definitely work. Well, for something more, you have to buy a discrete graphics adapter.
Processors with such an accelerator
This video card was part of the 4th generation Core i3 central processing units. All these chips belonged to the middle segment. They included 2 cores and could process data in 4 program threads. A more specific list of CPU models with such an accelerator is given in the table below. So, let's consider the characteristics of desktop processors with HD Graphics 4400.
No. p / p | Name | Graphics card in the CPU | CPU frequency, GHz |
one. | i3-4130 | HD Graphics 4400 | 3.4 |
2. | i3-4130T | 2.9 |
3. | i3-4150 | 3.5 |
four. | i3-4150T | 3.0 |
5. | i3-4160 | 3.6 |
6. | i3-4160T | 3.1 |
7. | i3-4170 | 3.7 |
8. | i3-4170T | 3.2 |
Mode of operation
An impressive list of image output modes is supported by Intel HD Graphics 4400. Owners' reviews indicate that it has all the monitor resolutions that exist today. A more detailed list of these modes is given in the following table. Let's look at the resolution of the displayed images and frame rate.
No. p / p | Picture Resolution, W x H, Pix | frequency Hz |
one. | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) | 60 |
2. | 3840 x 2160 | 60 |
3. | 4096 x 2304 | 24 |
Also, this accelerator can work in modes and with a lower resolution, but the frequency in this case will still be limited to 60 Hz. But this is quite enough for comfortable work.
Technical specifications
Clock frequencies are limited to 350 MHz and 1.1 GHz for this model of Intel HD Graphics. Reviews highlight its low power consumption. Depending on the load, this video chip dynamically changes its clock frequency. The degree of heating of the semiconductor crystal also affects this indicator. The higher the temperature, the lower the frequency, and the lower the speed of the graphics system. The crystal itself in this case is manufactured according to the standards of 22 nm of the technological process. The maximum number of connected monitors in this situation is three.
Memory
Under the RAM, which meets the specifications of the DDR3 standard, all video cards of the Intel HD Graphics series are sharpened. Owner reviews indicate that part of the RAM installed in the computer system is allocated for the needs of the accelerator. The maximum amount of RAM for the hero of this review is 2 GB. It should be noted separately that the frequencies of ordinary RAM modules are lower than those used in discrete graphics cards. As a result, in performance, any integrated accelerator will lose to the external, and this does not take into account the architectural nuances and frequency formulas of the chip itself.
Drivers
Without specially installed drivers, it is impossible to reveal the full potential of any Intel HD Graphics adapter. Reviews of the video card indicate that without it, it turns into a standard VGA-card with a resolution of 1024 x 768 at best. Therefore, when installing the operating system, it is imperative to install specialized video accelerator drivers with a control panel. After that, the picture on the monitor screen will already be displayed with a resolution of up to 4096 x 2304.
Acceleration and increase in productivity
The overclocking option for this model of video card is. Only this manipulation at best will allow you to get an additional 5% of productivity. In this case, the computer as it was, and will relate to entry-level solutions. But here the requirements in this situation for PC configuration increase significantly. This is a power supply with a power reserve, and an advanced motherboard, and an improved CPU crystal cooling system.
Competitors
The most productive graphics accelerator of the previous generation was HD Graphics 4000. It was part of the chips based on the 3rd generation Core architecture. He had a better frequency formula. This graphic solution could function in the frequency range from 650 MHz to 1.15 GHz. In turn, from 350 MHz to 1.1 GHz is the frequency range of Intel HD Graphics 4400. The reviews highlight the higher level of performance of the latter. And the answer in this case lies in the increased number of execution units. The accelerator HD Graphics 4600 provided a slightly higher level of performance. The frequency formula for these video cards was identical, but a larger number of information processing units ensured greater performance of the latter.
Reviews
Of course, the performance of the hero of this review is lower than that of the same Intel HD Graphics 4600. Owner reviews, in turn, indicate that the difference in performance between the integrated solutions is not so noticeable. For those tasks for which they are oriented, their speed is more than enough. And if you need to run more demanding applications, then you can not do without a full-fledged discrete video card.
Summary
Indeed, one can rightfully consider the 4400 model of the Intel HD Graphics line to be one of the best integrated graphics accelerators. Reviews highlight its high energy efficiency and good performance when solving the most simple tasks. Well, for something more, the capabilities of this product are definitely not enough. Yes, he is not intended for this. 6th generation chips based on the Core architecture with even faster integrated video accelerators have already appeared. But even their capabilities are not enough, and still for the normal launch of toys or Photoshop, you will have to buy an external accelerator. Well, in all other cases, the difference between integrated products is not so noticeable.