Do All CPUs Have Integrated Graphics?

If you don’t have a graphics card or looking to buy one in the future, then buying a CPU that supports integrated graphics is probably a good idea, but do all CPUs have integrated graphics?

No, not all CPUs have integrated graphics. Some CPUs come with an integrated graphics processor (IGP) which is built into the CPU while others do not. The presence of integrated graphics can vary depending on the brand, model, and series of the CPU.

Not all CPUs have integrated graphics, so you should know how to tell the difference between a normal CPU and one with integrated graphics.

Ryzen APU with integrated graphics in a box
RTZ 3080 graphics card

How to Know If Your CPU Has Integrated Graphics

Integrated graphics or “IGPU” can help your computer run without a graphics card, but not all CPUs come with this feature. There are a few ways to tell and test if your CPU has integrated graphics. So, here is how to tell.

To know if your CPU has integrated graphics, plug your display port into the back of your motherboard. If your pc turns on then your CPU has integrated graphics, if it doesn’t turn on, then you don’t. Also, AMD CPUs marked “G” have integrated graphics, and Intel CPUs marked “f”, don’t have integrated graphics.

Even, though most CPUs have integrated graphics there are exceptions that don’t follow the rules above, and there are also a few performance differences when it comes to which IGPU you want to buy.

Most Intel CPUs come with integrated graphics inside. However, when a specific CPU model ends with the letter “f” it will not support integrated graphics. It is also good to know that the 9th generation Intel processors were made with 0 integrated graphics support at all.

AMD Ryzen APU with integrated graphics installed on a motherboard.

Another thing to note is that the IGPU’s made by Intel were made so you can perform everyday tasks without the use of a GPU, and won’t work that well on heavier tasks like gaming compared to a dedicated graphics card.

On the other hand, you have AMD. AMD has made a batch of CPUs made especially for gaming and heavier tasks. These CPUs are marked by having a “G” at the end of their name. Please note that no CPU alone is better at performing graphically intensive tasks than a dedicated graphics card.

However, AMD’s APU lineup (which is what they call their CPUs with integrated graphics), is made with the same technology that is used to manufacture AMD’s Radeon graphics cards. This makes them have better integrated graphics than Intel’s counterpart.

Now, this may seem like the better choice, but when there is a will there is a way because these CPUs sacrifice a little of their processing power in order to get better graphics. You will often see that these CPUs have one less core than they’re supposed to which might be a big deal for some people.

You should also read: What is AMD Ryzen?

List of CPUs With Integrated Graphics

AMD

List of AMD CPUs that have integrated graphics and their counterparts.

Model CoresCPU SpeedIntegrated Graphic SupportPrice
APU Models
Ryzen 3 2200G43.5GHzYes$222
Ryzen 5 2400G43.6GHzyes$224
Ryzen 3 3200G43.6GHzYes$179
Ryzen 5 3400G43.7GHzYes$295
CPU Models
Counter Parts
Ryzen 3 310043.6GHzNo$211
Ryzen 5 360063.6GHzNo$240
Ryzen 3 3300X43.8GHzNo$205
Ryzen 5 5600X63.7GHzNo$300

Please note that there are many other Ryzen APUs with integrated graphics, but they are not made for consumers and are not available for purchase, which I find very unfortunate.

Also, keep in mind that there is a bigger variety of CPUs than what you see on this list. However, these are the closest models for the price of each APU that are still good by today’s standards.

Intel 11th Gen Processors

List of 11th Gen Intel CPUs that have and don’t have integrated graphics

ModelCoresCPU SpeedIntegrated Graphics SupportPrice
Core i9 11900KF83.5GHzNo$699
Core i9 11900F82.5GHzNo$540
Core i7 11700KF83.6GHzNo$459
Core i7 11700F82.5GHzNo$346
Core i5 11600KF63.9GHzNo$297
Core i5 11400F62.6GHzNo$399
Core i9 11900K83.5GHzYes$621
Core i9 1190082.5GHzYes$599
Core i9 11900T81.5GHzYes$439
Core i7 11700K83.6GHzYes$404
Core i7 1170082.5GHzYes$369
Core i7 11700T81.4GHzYes$323
Core i5 11600K63.9GHzYes$262
Core i5 1160062.8GHzYes$289
Core i5 11600T61.7GHzYes$192
Core i5 1140062.6GHzYes$217
Core i5 11400T61.3GHzYes$183

Unlike AMD, Intel’s CPUs most of their models are available to consumers right now, but even though most of their CPUs have integrated graphics, those CPUs aren’t focused on having integrated graphics. They are more like a bonus feature that comes with the CPU.

Difference Between IGPU and APU

The difference between an IGPU (internal graphics processing unit) and an APU (accelerated processing unit) is that an APU is made by AMD with their HSA hardware made in their Radeon GPUs, which makes them more powerful than your typical IGPU.

Essentially, they are the same thing just with a few slight differences, but AMD decided to make their own name for the IGPU to separate their newest Ryzen line of GPUs.

Do You Need a GPU if Your CPU Has Integrated Graphics?

A CPU with integrated graphics will allow your computer to be usable, but if you are using your computer for more than just scrolling through the web then you should really try and get your hands on a graphics card.

Even if you purchase a low-end graphics card it will still most likely perform better than an IGPU, and it will lighten your CPUs load as well. This is because if your CPU is running your graphics as well as running your system it will have to not only share power and cores between itself, but it will share the system’s RAM between the two tasks.

Not only that, but system RAM is slower than your graphics cards VRAM because system RAM is external and VRAM is built into the GPU.

Conclusion

This article is part of a series click here to get the full guide on how your can increase your CPU performance.

You also might want to read this next article in the series on higher clock speeds or more cores to improve performance when gaming.

Lucas Coulson

I first got into building my own computer when I was around 12 or 13. The first computer I had ever built didn't work. So I kept researching to figure what I did wrong. I really enjoyed researching, learning, and building computers, so I decided to turn it into an online business, and here I am.

Recent Posts