Intel is set to release a new graphics driver for computers with Ivy Bridge processors, which the company says will improve graphics performance while lowering power consumption.

The Intel HD 4000 graphics driver version 15.3.1 should be available in early April.

Intel HD graphics

Intel’s 3rd-generation Core family processors feature integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. While these chips don’t offer the same sort of performance you’d expect from a discrete graphics card from AMD or NVIDIA, the integrated graphics offer better support for HD video playback and 3D graphics than any of Intel’s earlier integrated graphics cores.

In fact, you can even play Crysis on a PC with Intel HD 4000 graphics.

But there’s always room for improvement, and Intel promises that its new graphics driver could improve performance by up to 10 percent. It also adds support for OpenCL 1.2.

According to Ultrabook News the new graphics driver was actually developed for Intel’s next-generation “Haswell” chips, but it sounds like a pretty welcome improvement for current Ivy Bridge processors.

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10 replies on “Intel says HD 4000 graphics driver update will boost performance by 10 percent”

  1. Yeah, and even today, i cannot even run black flag on all graphics at lowest and res at 720p and not get more than only 22 fps.

    1. Slowest APU goes down to near netbook performance range… While Intel HD 4000 GMA isn’t that far below AMD Trinity. It actually compares quite well to the previous Llano… So no, it’s not worse than the slowest AMD APU!

      Main thing is AMD normally has better driver support than Intel but this update helps lessen that handicap for Intel and it pretty much only applies to gaming anyway as everything else the Intel GMA handles just fine to begin with…

      While most people who want a gaming laptop would still look for a discrete solution as even Trinity still falls far short of what discrete graphics can offer and even AMD is still supporting discrete solutions on even their upcoming next gen high end offerings, going above Kaveri (which will replace Trinity)…

      1. I agree. My Acer 522 uses the C-50 with an integrated 6250. I’ve played Crysis with it, but I’m pretty sure the HD 4000 would run it much better, especially with dual-channel RAM. There are many YouTube videos showing the HD 4000 doing quite well.

    2. Geez…A10 processor that can barely perform on par with a i3 + slightly better than entry/mid graphics vs i7 processor that destorys a A10 + Intel 4000 that performs a little less + 10% boost + optimus at similar price = Intel build wins 🙂

  2. Let’s hope this fixes the screen jumping/flickering bugs when using dual monitors.

  3. Typo, 1 percent isn’t a newsworthy performance boost 😛 “new graphics driver could improve performance by up to 1 percent.”

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