An Intel DRM driver change that's been queued up for the Linux 3.14 kernel provides High Bit Rate 2 (HBR2) support for DisplayPort 1.2 devices for Haswell and future generations of Intel hardware.

The High Bit Rate 2 (HBR2) mode of DisplayPort 1.2 provides bandwidth of 17.28 Gbit/s and allows for greater resolutions, refresh rates, and great color depth. Intel supports Displayport 1.2 with HBR2 on Haswell and Broadwell graphics processors while now with the next Linux kernel release it will be supported on the software side.

The change allowing Intel's open-source Linxu graphics driver to support DisplayPort High Bit Rate 2 (HBR2) can be found with this Git commit. Intel's Linux graphics team settling their DisplayPort 1.2 support comes just ahead of DisplayPort 1.3 that's expected in the months ahead with even higher bit rates.