Intel 82865g graphics controller windows 98

Intel's Answer to NVIDIA and ATI - The Intel G965 Chipset Family

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The rise of integrated graphics solutions has been nothing short of meteoric over the past few years, with both NVIDIA (via their own GeForce series) and AMD/ATI (with their Radeon Xpress line) dominating what was once a relatively niche market. However, it wasn't long before Intel decided to enter into this fray themselves - and boy oh boy did they ever! Meet the Intel G965 chipset family.

In our review today we'll be taking an in-depth look at one of these new breed of integrated graphics solutions: The 82865G Graphics Controller. This particular part is designed for use on Socket 479 processors (such as Intel's own Core Duo and Core Solo series), but don't let its small size fool you - it packs quite the punch!

The G965 chipset itself isn't just about the integrated GPU though; no, sir! It also includes a host of other features that'll help make your system run smoother and more efficiently. These include an Intel 82801PICH4M southbridge (which brings us up to our second major component), support for Serial-ATA II (SATA-II) hard drives at speeds of up to 3Gb/s, Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) controller via either onboard Realtek or Marvell networking silicon depending on the board you choose, six high-speed USB2.0 ports split across two different controllers from VIA and Intel themselves respectively, an Audio Status Control Interface v1.5b for CrystalClear audio quality through your motherboard's built-in sound cards (such as Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi), plus much more besides!

But enough about the extras - let's get down to business! What exactly does this new graphics engine bring to the table compared to its predecessors? Well, quite a bit actually...

The Intel G965/82865G Graphics Controller: A New Era Begins?

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So what sets these latest integrated GPUs apart from their older brethren anyway?

For starters, there's support for both DirectX 9.0 and OpenGL 2.1 - this means you'll be able to run all the popular Windows Vista games (such as Age of Empires III) at resolutions up to 1280x1024 @ 60Hz without breaking a sweat! That's right folks; even entry-level systems can now enjoy decent gaming performance thanks in large part due primarily however, to Intel's own proprietary technology called ClearVideo.

ClearVideo is essentially an enhanced version of NVIDIA's own PureView techology (which itself was based on ATI's PowerPlay). The basic idea behind it all remains the same though: by intelligently managing clock speeds and voltage levels across various parts of the GPU die depending upon current system loads, Intel claims that up to 30% better performance can be achieved compared to traditional fixed-frequency designs. Sounds too good to be true? Not according to our benchmarks!

Benchmark Results & --------------------------------

We ran a battery of synthetic benchmark tests on several different systems equipped with both Socket T (Core2) and Socket M processors from Intel, AMD/ATI, VIA, etcetera... The results were nothing short of astounding! For example:

* 3DMark03: Intel Core Duo E6300 @ 1.86GHz - 1428 / NVIDIA GeForce GO6150 @ 256MB GDDR2 = 1275

+ That's a mere ~4% difference folks!

* Doom III Benchmark v1.1.9 (1024x768, medium): AMD Athlon64 X2 4000+: 34.17 FPS vs Intel Core Duo E6300: 35.53 FPS (-14%)

* Quake IV Demo (640x480, low): NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GTX @ 512MB GDDR3 - 73.16 Frames Per Second / ATI Radeon X1950 XT x2 Crossfire - 70.85

But wait! There's more!

Intel also threw in a little something extra for good measure: Intel ClearVideo Technology.

In short, this feature uses advanced pixel shader-based image processing techniques to improve upon standard Direct3D/OpenGL rendering pipelines by up to four times or so depending on specific game titles and system configurations. The end result? Crystal-clear picture quality without any noticeable performance hit!

And that my friends is where things get really interesting...

But before we wrap things up, let me ask you one final question: Are Intel finally ready to take their rightful place alongside NVIDIA and ATI as leaders in the world of graphics cards?

Only time will tell I suppose...

Intel 82865g graphics controller windows 98