Thinkpads Forum

A lot of different Intel CPUs have nominally the same (e.g. HD4000) integrated graphics. My question is whether the performance varies by CPU. That is, are the HD4000 graphics in a 3720qm faster than the HD4000 graphics in a 3210M chip?

3720QM maximum graphics clock frequency: 1250 MHz (taken from Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency - https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... 0-ghz.html)
3210M maximum graphics clock frequency: 1100 MHz (taken from Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency - https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... -rpga.html)

short answer: yes

So its linear with graphics speed? I think that the graphics shares cache with the main processors, right? So that must factor in...

it isn't, the GPU itself has its own dedicated clock multiplier. what it does is it takes that clock multiplier variable and multiplies it with the internal base clock frequency to get its own clock frequency. and while it's true that the GPU does indeed share the CPU's L3 cache, it has no relation to the CPU's clock frequency.

by the way, the GPU doesn't generally use the CPU's L3 cache as it has its own integrated L3 cache in its core. it only uses the CPU's L3 cache if additional storing of data is needed. which isn't common, because the internal bus that allows the GPU to access the CPU's L3 cache has to be powered up, and it also adds up additional latency which might reduce performance in latency-sensitive tasks.

They are wise and deeply informed about GPUs in the land of the three Iguanas, apparently. Many thanks.

From what you say about cache, extra system RAM won't boost graphics performance, as you generally don't run into situations where you even use up the internal graphics cache memory.

But the bottom line is: A faster processor gets you faster integrated graphics performance. This pertains to my putting a 3720qm into an HP 4540s that does not have discrete graphics.

Check in the BIOS/Config/Display if you can change the amount of Graphics Memory.
Some laptops let you change it (like my T440p, from 256MB to 512MB).