What is switchable graphics?
The
switching graphics indicates mobile computers equipped with low power graphics chip and high -energy graphics card, with the ability to switch between them. The embedded chip performs a great work with everyday applications and video to book energy, allowing longer battery -based working periods. The discrete graphic adapter is capable of robust 3D plotting needed to play and sacrifice power.
The common inserted graphics chip on many mobile computers is Graphics Media Accelerator ™ (GMA), also referred to as the integrated graphics processor (IGP). The chip is ideal for everyday use and saves juice when 3D rendering is not required.
FREE DISCREET graphics card, often Raedon ™ or NVIDIA®, uses an internal PCI bus and comes with its own on -board memory, drivers and software interface. Such a card is referred to as a graphics processing unit (GPU) and does not present Serden counting unit for computer processing (CPU) with tasks or overheads, or steal system resources such as integrated graphics chip. Instead, it carries processing power and RAM and provides excellent performance, but requires more energy.
In the past, one had to choose between the purchase of a mobile computer with an embedded chip or select an upgrade to a discrete card, sacrifice either power or power. This unsatisfactory option has led to the development of switchable graphics with the ability to use the right graphic device for the right work.
Sony® Vaio ™ SZ-110B was the first switching graphic hybrid to hit the market where the GMA ™ 950 IGP and NVIDIA® GeForce ™ GO 7400 GPU GPU ™ 950 IGP and NVIDIA® GeForce ™ Go 7400.
second -generation switchable graphics are processed in a softwareA layer, which is devoted to the need for a physical switch or restart. However, a momentary pause is required, while graphic duties migrate from one processor to another. The handover is accompanied by some screen flashing and if the open application weighs the current processor, it may require closure.
The third generation is transparent, automatic and virtually instantaneous graphics. For example, Optimus ™ , for example, uses processes for impedted cores to smooth switching between available graphics devices for optimal performance. The core level library maintains an index of objects and classes together with associations on a specific graphic device. The routing layer manages all open applications and IGP or GPU workload based on the requests. The Optimus ™ index is regularly updated, but users can optionally suppress this behavior and create their own profile, assign certain games or IGP or GPU applications as needed.
Another example isGraphic technology AMD® Switchable. Computers with this integrated design automatically use low power IGP when the machine runs on battery power, and according to AMD®, this behavior can be rewritten to the user's preference and, like the former technology, the switch is smooth and virtually instant.
Switchable Graphics is an evolving technology with a trend towards automatic processing that does not require user intervention, designed to prevent yesterday's compromise with hunger strike or power. This technology is available in Slimline and full -size mobile computers.