Performance - Ultra HD Video Playback

Accelerating & Enhancing Video

CPU with integrated GPU based platforms are a lot about additional features and performance on top of regular processing. So another key feature is of course the embedded GPU with video processor. The combo of the video processor and some additional shader processors inside that chipset allows for high-definition 1080P content playback, acceleration, and though limited... enhancement of overall picture quality. For those that use other content like the immensely popular MKV / x.264 container formats, please download Media Player Classic Home Cinema. This free open source software will DXVA accelerate and enhance your MKV content at 1080P or even higher. We have written an article on Media Player Classic Home Cinema and how to set up that software to make this happen, please read that here. 
 

Now we will skip traditional DXVA content playback as we'd be measuring the graphics card really. However we do have some non DXVA content in Ultra HD quality we can check out. We have some extra shaders enabled like complex Image Sharpening. Perfect playback. But let's disable DXVA and try Ultra HD playback.

Above, the 4K Ultra HD resolution Elysium trailer, this is a MP4 H.264 file and you can see that the CPU load is 7% with multiple cores showing utilization. Unlike many APUs we recently tested, Ultra HD video-playback did not result in stuttering, and that is a good thing. Here as well we have additional shaders enabled like image sharpening and darkened black levels. These shaders however run over the GPU.

Normally the reason why we notice stuttering with an UHD trailer is that it is not DXVA encoded. So then the processor cores will kick in and only IF they can handle the content fast enough this will be a successful mission. The Core i7 5960X was plenty fast for this job, as expected of course.