Sandy Bridge will be the first CPU from Intel bringing integrated graphics on the transistor level. The processor family that launches in January 2011 will house up to 12 GPU units, something Intel is expected to double with Ivy Bridge by the end of next year.
Intel calls its GPU units for execution units (EU) and we’ve already seen what Sandy Bridge can with 12 EUs, where the processor can render 3D performance on par with budget graphics cards.
According to Fudzilla Intel will double the number of EUs for the launch of Ivy Bridge, when it shrinks Sandy Bridge to 22 nanometer. With 24 EUs Ivy Bridge should almost double the performance, at least in theory. Something that could very well be optimized further with the new architecture.
According to the same source Intel’s new graphics circuits will be held back by its drivers, something Intel is working hard on and hopes to remedy before the important launches that are coming. This doesn’t sound very surprising considering Intel’s worthless game support with previous generations of integrated graphics solutions.
Intel has already revealed that it has started the manufacturing of the first 22nm processors and it is one time for Ivy Bridge to debut just slightly after AMD Bulldozer, which means AMD will have to raise the bar substantially with its second generation Fusion APU.
