We will explain and test how an integrated GPU works, we will test with allocated RAM memory and at different speeds to see how it behaves.
Computers, laptops or mini PCs with a processor with integrated GPU are very sensitive to the configuration of our RAM memory. We will check how they work in Dual / Single Channel, assigning memory manually or in auto and changing its working speed.
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Integrated GPU test scenario
To test our iGPU we are going to perform tests with the same scenario, hardware and software. We will configure our hardware with different scenarios by changing the BIOS and installed RAM.
Test Hardware
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS Octa core 3.8-4.9 GHz.
- GPU: Radeon 780M 12EU 2.6 GHz.
- RAM: SODIMM DDR5 5600 MHz Max.
- TPD: CPU 45W / Total 115W Max.
- System: Windows 11 Pro / Performance Profile.
Test Software
- Synthetic Test: Unigine Haven 4.0 Extreme.
- Test Game: Shadow of the Tomb Raider Demo.
IGPU Performance Tests
We performed several tests by changing the most critical aspects of the system. We checked how it affects the amount of RAM allocated, its configuration of installed modules and the speed at which they work.
iGPU with allocated or automatic RAM
Modern integrated iGPU’s can allocate RAM memory to the needs we are going to play automatically. We can also block RAM to always dedicate it to the GPU, but then we will not have it available for the system.
- Auto: dynamically allocated by taking it from the general system, usually 512 MB.
- Manual: Manually allocated and locked for the general system
- Game Optimized: BIOS profile that calculates the ideal RAM allocation
iGPU with Dual Channel RAM vs. Single Channel RAM
Undoubtedly the critical point of graphics performance in an integrated GPU is the DDR RAM memory, its Dual Channel configuration almost doubles the performance compared to Single Channel as we can see in the tests. Whenever we can for games we must mount two memory modules. LPDDR soldered memory usually works by default in Dual Channel when using multiple memory chips.
iGPU RAM speed
Undoubtedly the critical point of graphics performance in an integrated GPU is the DDR RAM memory, its Dual Channel configuration almost doubles the performance compared to Single Channel as we can see in the tests. Whenever we can for games, we must mount two memory modules. LPDDR soldered memory typically works by default in Dual Channel when using multiple memory chips.
Conclusions GPU and RAM
As we can see in our tests, the RAM memory in integrated GPUs has two critical points. If we want maximum performance, it is necessary to use Dual Channel configuration and get the highest speed possible to accelerate the graphics chip.
On the other hand, we observe that configuring it with fixed RAM memory allocation does not have such a relevant impact. If we always want to have the most memory available for browsing or other apps we can leave it on Auto in the BIOS, it is not critical.
We hope this information will help you to configure your system in the best setup. If you have any doubt, leave it in the comments.