Hi all, I am a little confused by onboard graphics on a motherboard and CPU. I thought if the motherboard supported onboard graphics then I should be able to use it to do basic tasks and even possibly run odd games, is this not true? For example, the Gigabyte
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/giga...2-amd-am4-b550-atx-motherboard-mb-593-gi.html has onboard graphics.
Does this simply mean it has outputs of HDMI and Display Port but I still need a graphics card or a CPU with integrated graphics?
That is more or less precisely what it's means.
The motherboard spec sheets tend be quite clear on this:
Onboard Graphics Integrated in the 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics processors: 1 x DisplayPort, supporting a maximum resolution of 5120x2880@60 Hz * Support for DisplayPort 1.4 version, HDCP 2.3, and HDR. 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@60 Hz * Support for HDMI 2.1 version, HDCP 2.3, and HDR. Maximum shared memory of 16 GB
Although in Gigabyte's case, I think I have seen far clearer than that.
Anyway the important point to remember is that for least the last decade, no (standard*) motherboard has come with onboard graphics, rather they have come with the ability to output graphics when the installed CPU has integrated graphics.
AMD call their CPUs which have integrated graphics APUs, while Intel just stick with three name CPU.
Integrating graphics has only ever been found on consumer desktop and mobile processors, not workstation/HEDT and servers processors (although some server motherboards might incorporate something like an Matrox card just for display).
Especially in the case of AMD AM4 boards, when not using APUs the graphic outputs just sit there.
(* Some server motherboards come with an old Matrox graphic card onboard just so they can display something on the rate occasions when they might be hooked up to a monitor.)