4 Ways to Improve Intel HD Graphics Performance

Not a long time ago integrated graphics card was a synonym of low performance, non-game capable video card. Fortunately, huge advancements has been made and today an integrated graphics card can satisfy all of our multimedia and gaming needs (except those of the hardcore gamers, of course). So if you are not a hardcore gamer or a professional video editor, chances are that you have a desktop computer or a laptop with an integrated video card. In this article I'm going to show you how to get the max out of the integrated graphics card in Intel processors - Intel HD Graphics. The performance improvement tips in this article will also work for other integrated graphics cards, for example the AMD integrated graphics.

1. Update the graphics card driver

The driver is the piece of software all the programs and games use to communicate with your graphics card. Being with the latest driver means that your graphics card will work faster and you will experience less problems and freezes in graphic intensive applications and games. New driver versions also introduce improvements and optimizations for many games. If you are on a laptop, it is best to visit the website of you laptop's manufacturer and find the web page related to your laptop. Usually there's a search box where you can enter you laptop's exact model number. When you find your notebook's support page, download the Intel HD Graphics driver for your operating system and install it.
If you are on a desktop, simply go to Intel's website and search for the exact model of your CPU's graphics card, for example Intel HD Graphics for Celeron, Intel HD Graphics 3000, Intel HD Graphics 4000, etc. Then download the driver for your operating system and install it.

2. Increase the amount of RAM and make it work in dual channel mode

Integrated graphics cards usually do not have their own memory (or only have a small amount of one). They take memory from the RAM of the computer. When your computer has more RAM the Intel HD Graphics will be able to utilize more memory. But what will really speed it up will be using two memory sticks of the same capacity and speed. In this case you computer's RAM will begin to work in dual channel mode which means that it will become at least 15% faster. As the integrated graphics use computer's RAM extensively you can expect an even greater performance improvement for your Intel HD Graphics - it will become 20 - 25% faster in most applications and games.

3. Make sure the graphics card is not in power saving mode
 

If you are after maximum performance of you Intel HD Graphics, make sure you have turned off all of its power saving features. This tip is valid for all video cards, power saving features kill performance and vice versa. That is why in order to achieve maximum performance you have to make sure that your Windows power plan is not on Power Saver, you can use the Balanced or the High Performance power plan. You can also click the Intel HD Graphics driver tray icon (it should be near the clock in the task bar), select Graphics Properties, then click the Power tab and select Maximum Performance. The image on the right shows how this dialog looks for Intel HD Graphics 3000 on Windows 7. Please, note that although this tip will certainly improve your Intel HD Graphics' performance it will also increase the power it draws, as well as the heat it generates under heavy load (which is the case for games). Caution is advised, especially if you are on a laptop that experiences temperature problems. Set the 3D preference of Intel HD Graphics to "Performance" 

4.Set the 3D preference of Intel HD Graphics to "Performance"

This trick will help you improve the frame rate in games. To apply it click the Intel HD Graphics driver tray icon, select Graphics Properties, then click the 3D tab and move the slider to Performance. In this way you sacrifice a bit of image quality for improved 3D perfromance, which should lead to a few more frames per second (FPS) in games. The image on the right shows the way this dialog looks for Intel HD Graphics 3000 on Windows 7. Do not expect miracles though, this will not turn your Intel HD Graphics into a high performance gaming video card, but you will get a slight bump in frame rates depending on the game.

These 4 tips will greatly improve your Intel HD Graphics performance thus letting you enjoy smooth gameplay even in games you thought you wouldn't be able to play with an integrated graphics card. Most of them can be applied to other integrated graphics cards, too. Other ways to improve the performance of Intel HD Graphics also exist, but I found these ones most effective. Let me know if they work well for you, too, or if you have any other Intel HD Graphics performance improvement methods.

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