Intel HD Graphics 2500 vs Intel HD Graphics (Braswell)

Intel HD Graphics 2500

The Intel HD Graphics 2500 (or Ivy Bridge GT1) is an integrated graphics card in the Ivy Bridge codenamed desktop processors. It is the successor the the Intel HD Graphics 2000 in the Sandy Bridge CPUs and performs between the old HD 2000 and 3000 GPU (see benchmarks below). Usually it is used in the cheaper desktop Ivy bridge CPUs. The mobile version is simply called Intel HD Graphics and integrated in the Pentium and Celeron line.

Compared to the faster HD Graphics 4000, the 2500 one features less Execution Units (6 versus 16) and only one texture sampler. Therefore, the performance is clearly worse and only suited for low demanding gaming. Intel states a 10 to 15% higher performance compared to the old Sandy Bridge based HD Graphics 2000. Therefore, only older casual games with low requirements are playable with the HD 2500.

A speciality of the Ivy Bridge GPUs is that 4x MSAA is supported in hardware now. However, 2x is only supported through software.  The algorithm to support 2x is going through the 4x pipeline with a software algorithm, so performance is similar to 4x MSAA.

The integrated video decoder called Multi Format Codec Engine (MFX) was also improved and should allow even simultaneus 4K video decoding. DXVAChecker lists MPEG2, VC1, WMV9, and H264 as supported codecs. QuickSync for fast transcoding of videos was also optimized for higher performance and better image quality.

Another new feature is the support for up to 3 independent displays as AMD offers with theirs Eyefinity support (up to 6 displays).

Due to the 22nm 3D Tri-Gate production process, the power consumption is relatively low (the development was focused on performance per Watt). 

Intel HD Graphics (Braswell)

The Intel HD Graphics (Braswell)  is an integrated graphics card in the low end SoCs of the Braswell series (e.g. Pentium N3700). It is based on the same architecture as the integrated GPU of the Broadwell graphics cards (e.g. HD Graphics 5300), but offers less shader cores and slower clock speeds.

The performance depends on the processor. The fastest models offer 16 EUs (shader cores) at 400 - 700 MHz. It should be about twice as fast as the old HD Graphics in Bay Trail SoCs. At the time of announcement in Q1 2015 the following models exist:

• Pentium N3700: 16 EUs @ 400 - 700 MHz, Dual-Channel Memory
• Celeron N3150: 12 EUs @ 320 - 640 MHz, Dual-Channel Memory
• Celeron N3050: 12 EUs @ 320 - 600 MHz, Dual-Channel Memory
• Celeron N3000: 12 EUs @ 320 - 600 MHz, Dual-Channel Memory

In the first CPUs the graphics card was only called Intel HD Graphics. Later (e.g. in the Celeron N3060) Intel renamed it to Intel HD Graphics 400 (Celeron with 12 EUs) and Intel HD Graphics 405 (Pentium with 16 EUs).

Gaming performance ist still only suited for older or less demanding games. Often also the processor is limited gaming performance (e.g. in the dual-core N3000).

The SoC also integrates a video decoding engine that should be able to handle 4K H.265 videos.