Intel HD Graphics 5000 vs Intel HD Graphics 4600

Intel HD Graphics 5000

The Intel HD Graphics 5000 (GT3) is a processor graphics card included in some of the ULV Haswell processors of 2013 (e.g. Core i5-4250U). It represents the highest configuration of the integrated graphics unit (40 execution units), but lacks the additional eDRAM cache of the Iris Pro Graphics 5200. The relatively low base clock can be automatically overclocked using Turbo Boost technology. Depending on the processor model, the base and turbo clock rates may differ, resulting in varying graphics performance between CPU models.

In comparison to the HD 4000, the graphics core has been modified extensively. The GPU supports DirectX 11.1, OpenCL 1.2 and OpenGL 4.0. It also features an improved decoder for 4K videos and the fast Quick Sync encoder.

According to benchmarks in 3DMark 11, the HD Graphics 5000 is up to 50 percent faster than the previous HD 4000. In games, however, the performance advantage is significantly lower. With simultaneous load on the CPU, the low TDP of the ULV models (15 W) limits the Turbo Boost of the GPU. Although the HD 5000 features 40 Execution Units, the graphics performance is still somewhat below the HD Graphics 4600 with only 20 EUs (HD 4000: 16 EUs). Overall, the HD 5000 is thus just behind the AMD Radeon HD 7660G and at the level of a dedicated Radeon HD 7650M. Current games (as of 2013) will run fluently in low to medium-low settings.

Due to the 22nm 3D Tri-Gate production process, power consumption is relatively low. The HD Graphics 5000 is available on certain ULV dual-core Haswell models in the 15 Watt TDP range.

Intel HD Graphics 4600

The Intel HD Graphics 4600 (GT2) is a processor graphics card included in some of the Haswell processors of 2013. The base clock can be automatically overclocked using Turbo Boost technology.
Depending on the processor model, the base and turbo clock rates may differ greatly resulting in varying graphics performance between CPU models.

In comparison to the HD 4000, the graphics core has been modified extensively. The GPU supports DirectX 11.1, OpenCL 1.2 and OpenGL 4.0. It also features an improved decoder for 4K videos and the fast Quick Sync encoder.

According to Intel benchmarks in 3DMark 11, the HD Graphics 4600 will be up to 60 percent faster than the previous HD 4000. In our gaming benchmarks, however, the improvement was only about 30 percent. This performance boost is achieved by architectural improvements and an increased number of execution units: The GT2 version integrates 20 EUs, compared to 16 EUs for the old HD 4000. Thus, the HD 4600 not only matches some dedicated GPUs such as the GeForce GT 620M/630M, but also competes with the fastest integrated AMD GPUs like the Radeon HD 8650G.

Due to the 22nm 3D Tri-Gate production process, power consumption should be relatively low. The HD Graphics 4600 can be found on dual- and quad-core Haswell models in the 37 - 57 Watt TDP range.