Intel Iris Graphics 540 vs NVIDIA GeForce 920MX vs Intel UHD Graphics 600

Intel Iris Graphics 540

The Intel Iris Graphics 540 (GT3e) is an integrated graphics unit of the Skylake generation. As successors of the HD Graphics 6000 (Broadwell), the Iris Graphics 540 can be found in CPUs of 15-watt series and offers 64 MB of dedicated eDRAM memory. Furthermore, the so-called GT3e-version features 48 Execution Units (EUs) clocked at up to 1050 MHz (depending on the CPU model). Besides the eDRAM cache, the Iris 540 is able to access the main memory (2x 64bit DDR3L-1600 / DDR4-2133).

Compared to the Iris Graphics 550 of the 28-watt series, the Iris Graphics 540 differs only by its slightly lower maximum clock and a nearly halved TDP, which limits the utilization of the Turbo Boost in certain situations.

Performance

The exact performance of the Iris Graphics 540 depends on various factors like memory configuration (DDR3/DDR4) and maximum clock rate of the specific model. The fastest versions (Core i7-6650U) should be slightly ahead of a dedicated GeForce 920M and will handle modern games (as of 2015) in low or medium settings.

Features

The revised video engine now decodes H.265/HEVC completely in hardware and thereby much more efficiently than before. Displays can be connected via DP 1.2 / eDP 1.3 (max. 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz), whereas HDMI is limited to the older version 1.4a (max. 3840 x 2160 @ 30 Hz). However, HDMI 2.0 can be added using a DisplayPort converter. Up to three displays can be controlled simultaneously.

Power Consumption

The Iris Graphics 540 can be found in mobile processors specified at 15 W TDP and is therefore suited for compact laptops and ultrabooks.

NVIDIA GeForce 920MX

The Nvidia GeForce 920MX is an entry-level graphics card for laptops that was launched in the first quarter of 2016. In comparison to the older 920M, the 920MX is now be based on the modern Maxwell chip of the 930MX but with a reduced shader count of 265 (GM108). According to our sources the TDP of 5-12 Watt and the support for DDR3 and GDDR5 is also specified.

The performance depends on the used graphics memory. The DDR3 version was slightly slower than an average GeForce 930M in our tests (and definitely faster than the GeForce 920M). The GDDR5 version could therefore best the 930M slightly. However, both versions are not suited for demanding games of 2017. Less demanding games, like The Sims 4, should be playable in medium to high settings (see below for benchmarks).

Thanks to the low power consumption, the GeForce 920MX is also suited for thin and light laptops.

Intel UHD Graphics 600

The Intel UHD Graphics 600 is an integrated processor graphics unit from the Gemini Lake generation (e. g. Pentium N4100), which was announced late 2017. The GPU can convince with low consumption figures, but the performance is only in the low-end segment and is rarely sufficient for modern games. Being the lowest configuration of the Gemini Lake GPU, the UHD Graphics 600 is equipped with 12 of the 18 Execution Units (EUs) running at up to 700 MHz. The technical specifications of the GPU are based on Intel's Gen9 architecture, which is also used for the more expensive Skylake series and also in the predecessor HD Graphics 505.

Due to its lack of dedicated graphics memory or eDRAM cache, the UHD 605 has to access the main memory via processor (2x 64bit DDR4/LPDDR4-2400).

Performance

The UHD Graphics 600 offers a similar performance as the Intel HD Graphics 500 in the Apollo Lake SoCs (same Gen 9 architecture). Therefore, the GPU is only suited for some very low demanding games like Dirt Rally or Sims 4.

Features

The video engine decodes H.265/HEVC (8b and 10b) and VP9 completely in hardware. Up to three displays can be connected via DP 1.2a/eDP 1.3 or HDMI 2.0a (including HDCP 2.2).

Power Consumption

The TDP of the whole Pentium N4100 chip is 6 Watts by default, so the GPU is primarily used for (often passively cooled) netbooks or thin notebooks. The TDP can also be reduced to 4.8 Watts, but this will obviously affect the performance.