How good (or bad) is Intel's graphics tech?

[Capper]

We already know that Nvidia doesn't think highly of Intel's graphics technology. But is it really that bad, or is it good enough for most PC users?
Let's focus on the graphics technology that Intel has been supplying in volume to notebook PC makers over the last year or so. Namely, the Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100, which is integrated into the GM965 chipset. Like many graphics platforms (Nvidia and ATI not excluded) it has a checkered past: late drivers (very late in some cases), broken DirectX promises, and erratic performance.
That said, tens of millions of PC users blithely use computers with Intel X3100 integrated graphics. And there's no great hue and cry from people clamoring for better graphics (gamers excluded).
That doesn't mean Intel's graphics technology is great. It simply means that "free" (as Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang put it) Intel integrated graphics is used without objection by lots of people. "Corporate is 60 percent of (graphics chip) unit volume. So, 60 percent of the market falls into the 'don't care' category," said Dean McCarron, founder and principal of Mercury Research.
Where Intel gets into trouble is its claims about game performance. Here's what Intel says on a Web page entitled Intel Graphics: Making the Most of Your Visual Experience. "With the dramatic improvements in Intel Graphics and Intel processors, it's no longer necessary for most users to buy expensive add-on graphics cards."

How good (or bad) is Intel's graphics tech? | Nanotech: The Circuits Blog - CNET Blogs

[screwballl]

Thats all another way for the talking heads to claim that IGP is fine... when in reality there is an amazing difference how much performance you can gain when using a dedicated GPU for an additional $30-100. Why can't they just add a miniPCIe slot with an upgradeable video card? It would help the performance significantly... but why they can't or won't is because Intel would fight this as hard as possible as they would lose a significant portion of market share.