Sandy Bridge GPU Benchmarked using N53SV

A lot of people are probably wondering whether or not to wait for Sandy Bridge. Well here's the raw facts

If they don't somehow find a way to make a hybrid SLi.. it might even make some low mid-range discrete GPUs obsolete. The integrated Sandy Bridge graphics score 5275 points in 3dmark06 whereas the 540m scored 8423 points. That's only just around 3000 points more for one of Nvidia's upper-mid range GPUs.

However, in real life gaming it seems as though the new intel integrated graphics perform slightly worse than the 320M found in the MBP13 and slightly better than the discrete 310M.

Go check out the full article:

Review Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics solution - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Another review is out by Anandtech:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...ore-i5-2600k-i5-2500k-and-core-i3-2100-tested

 

Whoa what? 5k points in 3dmark06? On an integrated GPU? Wooow, my discrete Radeon 3650 barely got 3800 in 3dmark06.

 

Yeah it's better than my aging 8600M GS which I think scores a little less than 3000. Battery life is also improved greatly according to Anandtech. (source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...ore-i5-2600k-i5-2500k-and-core-i3-2100-tested)

"Concerning the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000, you should keep in mind that it is - depending on the CPU - differently clocked. While the tested i7-2720QM CPU clocks the graphics chip at 650 up to 1300 MHz, the clock rate of the GPU only ranges from 650-1200 MHz in the i7-2635QM or from 650-1100 MHz in the i7-2630QM. In ULV processors the clock rate is even lower at 350-900 MHz. So, the performance drops accordingly."

I figure this is pretty important if anyone's going to skim the article .

 

That is .. pretty .. wow.
My 8600M GT (GDDR3) can get just 5,5k in 3DMark06. I guess low-mid mid-high gpu's might just die out in the following years.

 

3DMark06 is very CPU dependent so I'm not surprised. It's not apple-to-apple comparison since other GPU uses different CPU than new SB so its an unfair advantages.

 

reading anand's review, I can pretty much say that if the game is not improved the low mid range gpus will die, and it wont be a slow death.

The i7 2820qm has plenty of power to compete with the lower end chips.

 

While it might be an unfair comparison, the main point is that the benefit from SB IGPs are far greater than I and probably many others expected. You can run some older games and HD video (1080/720p) without even using your discrete GPU saving tons of battery life.

Once the dual core chips come out next month I'm sure we'll see the average battery life of laptops increase. I'm also excited to see the ATI 6XXX series being used in conjuction with SB IGP as seen in lenovo's refreshed Thinkpad Edge 14. More choice never hurts and I'd love to have a 67XX/68XX in a relatively thin 15" form factor (ie Envy 15/MBP 15).

 

After reading Anandtech, Tech Report, Hothardware, & finally Notebookcheck.net - the best all around mobile quad looks to be the 2720QM version.

Notebookcheck did a good review on the mobile sandy bridges with comparision to the OEM 2630QMs vs 2720QM vs 2920XM as well as the old clarkdales.

Get me an Intel Sandy Bridge 2720QM with discrete Nvidia 540m or ATI 6570 for around 1000 USD and Im sold preferably Asus or Lenovo (but their new ideapads are fugly).
The 2630QM is unfavorable in my taste n believe OEM pricing vs the 2720QM won't be considerable (- 50 USD less at most).