Intel to use Graphics processor for antivirus scanning
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Fox2232
Good for average user. Not really benefit to many of OCers. As quite some reach at least 100MHz more on all cores w/o need to bump voltage as long as iGPU is disabled.
So, does iGPU scan faster than 100MHz bump on 4C/8T CPU?
asturur
Sure, or they would not bother.
Also while the gpu is scanning, cpu is sort of free i believe.
Is still more a marketing thing than a real improvement for now, since if you need an antivirus you do not keep windows defender
fantaskarsef
Still won't make me buy a CPU because of it's iGPU for a main rig... and if it's bought for the iGPU to use as the display adapter I still need it's performance when using the computer...
Not sure this makes much sense besides scanning when doing 2D / no work at all, but that's when the CPU itself could do it. I too think again, it's a marketing gag.
Fox2232
When you reduce CPU utilization, it does not necessarily means that you free all CPU resources as scanning is still accessing memory.
Would like to see some well threaded benchmark like Cinebench/Luxmark in loop on low priority. And then compare that 20% loss from CPU scan vs. potential almost-full CPU use when iGPU takes over scan.
BlueRay
Finally a good use for the iGPU sitting there doing absolutely nothing. I hope they will bring this tech to MS Defender for home users.
asturur
Well, i do not think is gonna happen, no one is gonna waste time on benchmark this. I really think is a marketing push.
If you need to make a full scan of your super fast m2ultra drive full of data, you probably would notice the difference, for background scanning not.
GPU have generally power to spare, and apart intense workload like games, mining (sigh), math calculations there is little or no use for our daily background tasks.
fantaskarsef
My GPU's general workload are games 😀 But yes I understand your point.
Reading it again they're "just" doing it for enterprise versions of windows, because enterprises usually rely on windows defender.... right? Can anybody give some insight on this, if even remotely true?
Stairmand
The enterprise version of Defender is different to the standard "home" version and is an expensive paid for extra.
I'm not aware of many business using it though, many I support tend to use more established AV like ESET Secure business etc. My understanding is that it isn't actually "that" bad but business tend to stick with what they know.
EdKiefer
This sounds like a positive thing, but I am curious how many of you install Intel IGPU drivers on your systems?
I ask cause I don't even bother but this "maybe" might change my mind.
tensai28
When can we expect this on defender?
nosirrahx
On systems with serious CPU limitations you also have disk access limitations. The disk is slowest part of this equation and cannot be sped up.
On a system with a blazing SSD you likely also have a blazing CPU with lots of cores so again, iGPU scanning won't help this user.
The only person that likely needs this is someone that has a system with a NVMe SSD and a slow dual core CPU. This .01% of users will see better performance.
Fox2232
But intel pairs weaker iGPUs with weaker CPUs. Would be lovely if intel had weak CPU variants with strong iGPU.
Especially in notebook segment. most of notebooks with strong iGPU have dGPU at same time. And there where iGPU is alone, it is usually weak.
airbud7
so iGPU can do this even if you have dGPU installed?
Michael Chen
Would be good to make use of the iGPU, if that really works.
But... How about those enterprise machines, running with Xeon that has no iGPU at all?
Michael Chen
You should be able to activate both in the UEFI.
Check for options like "hybrid multi-monitor" or like, so the iGPU is not disabled with dGPU as primary device.
airbud7
Cool...Thanks!
I don't have enterprise version but maybe they will start and use other versions of windows.
schmidtbag
Virus scanners aren't intensive enough to need anything better than an Intel IGP. I think this is a good idea to maintain live security while minimizing CPU utilization. For many of us, these GPUs sit there never used, anyway. I wish more software would take advantage of IGPs.
Not that any of this affects me - every time I have an Intel IGP, it's my primary graphics source. I also never use antivirus.
Then they fallback on CPU... what else would they do? Assuming this uses OpenCL, there are CPU drivers for that.
Robbo9999
This is exactly what I was thinking. I don't install the iGPU drivers - maybe the CPU will be able to somehow use the iGPU for this computational purpose without drivers, I don't know (seeing as it's not being used for it's usual GPU display output).
EdKiefer
pretty sure you would need to install drivers or it won't use the HW as it is not listed in device manager.
Robbo9999
My thinking was just because it was located so close to the CPU on the same die with (I guess) direct connections makes me think the CPU might be able to communicate with it without drivers, whereas the rest of the system would need drivers to communicate with it. Just a very loose idea. But either way, will be good to see the performance impact of this virus scan off-loading, I'll be interested to read reviews on it.
