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E'er since AMD and Intel announced they'd be releasing an Intel CPU married to an AMD GPU core, they've maintained the IP AMD contributed to the GPU in question was based on Vega, not Polaris. The flake is marketed every bit RX Vega and is baked into several Intel SKUs, including the recently-launched Hades Canyon NUC (nosotros've got i on the test demote and will exist discussing it in the not-too-distant future).

All of the initial messaging effectually the part from AMD and Intel have labeled it a Vega-class GPU, every bit have a number of diagnostic applications. Simply as PCWorld notes, AIDA64 reports the Core i7-8809G as beingness based on a "Polaris 22." In and of itself, this doesn't mean much. Applications like AIDA64 (and SiSoft Sandra, HWMonitor, etc) use a database of awarding IDs to determine what kind of functionality is supported by a given processor or graphics carte du jour. Sometimes these apps will return incorrect identifiers or flags if they haven't been properly updated.

Merely then others noticed that the integrated RX Vega on Kaby Lake-One thousand identified itself as supporting DirectX 12_0 features. Polaris, AMD's earlier GPU core, offers DirectX 12_0 back up. Vega, in contrast, is a DirectX 12_1 chip (for more on DirectX 12 features levels, see this article). Over again, these capabilities are self-reported, so it doesn't prove anything, but information technology'south a further oddity. Finally, Tom's Hardware set out to check whether the Core i7-8809G supports a key Vega feature, rapid packed math. Rapid packed math allows Vega to pack ii 16-chip operations into a single 32-bit annals, and while most games don't back up it, SiSoft Sandra has a broiled-in exam.

Now, keep in mind, these results don't tell us that Kaby Lake-G tin can't perform rapid-packed math — merely they practice point RPM is not currently enabled on the scrap. When reached for annotate, Intel's response was:

This is a custom Radeon graphics solution built for Intel. Information technology is similar to the desktop Radeon RX Vega solution with a high bandwidth memory cache controller and enhanced compute units with boosted ROPs.

So where does that get out u.s.a.?

The GPU baked into Intel'south Core i7-8809G admittedly has some Vega-class features. HBM2, for example, is clearly Vega-only. Intel refers to enhanced compute units, an HBM cache controller, and boosted ROPs — all capabilities that reverberate a college-terminate GPU than annihilation nosotros e'er saw from the Polaris family unit (the Core i7-8809G has more than ROPs than AMD'south Polaris-derived GPUs).

If it Waddles Like a Vaguely Duck-Shaped Object…

Information technology could be a duck. Alternately, it might be one of these:

Crocoduck

Information technology's non unusual for GPU companies to pull old silicon into new GPU families, sometimes for multiple generations in a row. AMD and Intel have both signed off on this RX Vega branding, and clearly neither were in the dark virtually what that entailed. We know that no other integrated GPU offers the kind of functioning y'all'll detect with the Core i7-8809G, which makes the entire argument a bit of a moot point. After all, if you lot're happy with the performance Intel's latest NUC offers, yous're happy with it. The difference between DirectX 12_0 and 12_1 isn't i any gamer is going to notice, and the GPU component of the 8809G absolutely has certain Vega features, similar the HBMCC, HBM2 itself, and college ROP counts. Intel's reference to Vega's enhanced compute units imply at least some Vega compute capabilities are baked in equally well.

The terminal slice of the puzzle is that AMD's semi-custom abilities and expertise hateful that not every GPU is going to cleanly adjust to a unmarried concept. This bit may exist a hybrid solution ultimately marketed nether the Vega make, but if AMD and Intel are happy calling it a Vega, it'due south probably off-white game to do so — especially since there's really nothing else like it in-market in the get-go place. Of course, information technology's also possible certain functions like rapid packed math might exist enabled at a subsequently engagement besides.