3
1
I plan on building a computer with Intel Xeon E3 1231v3 which has no GPU:
Graphics Specifications
Processor Graphics: None
on a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H motherboard which has an onboard integrated graphics processor:
Integrated Graphics Processor:
- 1 x D-Sub port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz
- 1 x DVI-D port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz
- 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@24Hz or 2560x1600@60Hz
- Support for up to 3 displays at the same time
- Maximum shared memory of 512 MB
I have asked another question and know that even if the CPU has no GPU, I can still get video as long as the motherboard has onboard graphics. However, when I went to buy the parts at a computer center yesterday, the technician said motherboards nowadays use CPU's GPU to display, including this Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H motherboard (which he meant this board has no real onboard graphics).
So for Xeon E3 1231v3 + Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H to display, do I need a video card or not?
(I don't really care about the graphics quality. I use the computer mostly to write programs, web browsing, and Photoshop, and seldom play games or watch videos.)
I bought the v1230/1v3 because it saves Intel and us costs by not including the on-chip GPU. I wasn't planning to run a headless server, but get a discrete card for gaming and video watching (I think Intel can give you 4 hours of undropped frames at the actual framerate of the current common framerate in film; I've yet to exceed this.). +1 to you and the answer, but I find this a bit easier to read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haswell_(microarchitecture)#List_of_Haswell_processors
– Louis – 2014-08-28T23:54:58.677Louis, thanks for comment. What you wanna point out in the wiki? – midnite – 2014-08-29T10:21:10.620
Windows can run without GPU, but recent motherboards refuse to boot without GPU (probably assuming that you would want it or they need one for UEFI setup). My Asrock motherboard refused to boot with Xeon E3 1231, so I contacted Asrock. They modified the bios so that it would not check for GPU and sent it to me. I am not sure if they would do it again, but at least they did at that time. – Damn Vegetables – 2015-06-22T01:16:37.910