Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 vs NVIDIA Quadro P4200 vs NVIDIA Quadro P620

Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650

The Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 (GT3e) is a processor graphics card for Kaby Lake models announced in January 2017. As the successor to the Intel Iris Graphics 550 (Skylake), the Iris Plus Graphics 650 is used for 28-Watt models and is equipped with 64 MB eDRAM cache. There should not be any big changes compared to the Iris Graphics 550.

The so called GT3e version of the Kaby Lake GPU probably still has 48 Execution Units (EUs), which can reach up to 1100 MHz depending on the model. Besides eDRAM cache, the Iris 650 can also access the system memory (2x 64 Bit DDR3L-1600/DDR4-2400) via processor interface.

Compared to the Iris Plus 640 from the 15-Watt models, the Iris 650 only has a slightly higher maximum clock as well as almost twice the TDP, which allows a better utilization of the Turbo Boost potential.

Performance

The exact performance of the Iris Plus Graphics 650 depends on the CPU model, because maximum clock as well as the size of the L3 cache can differ a bit. The system memory (DDR3/DDR4) will influence the performance as well.

The fastest chips are high-clocked Core i7 models like the Core i7-7567U. Depending on the game, the Iris Plus 650 will probably be on par with a dedicated GeForce 930M and can handle smooth gameplay in modern titles in low up to medium settings.

Features

The reworked video engine now fully supports hardware decoding of H.265/HEVC videos. Contrary to Skylake, however, Kaby Lake can now also decode H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The video output is possible via DP 1.2/eDP 1.3 (up to 3840 x 2160 @60 Hz), whereas HDMI is also supported in the older 1.4a standard. An HDMI 2.0 output can be added via converter from DisplayPort. The GPU can drive up to three displays simultaneously.

Power Consumption

The Iris Plus Graphics 650 is used for 28-Watt processor and therefore medium-sized notebooks.

NVIDIA Quadro P4200

The Nvidia Quadro P4200 is a mobile high-end workstation graphics card for notebooks. It is based on the GP104 chip (like the consumer GeForce GTX 1070 or 1080 for laptops) and features 2304 shader cores. The clock rate is not disclosed but the theoretical SP performance is rated at 8.9 TFLOPs (for the fast Max-P version) and therefore faster than the old Quadro P5000 but below the Quadro P5200 (see table below). The P4200 is equipped with 8 GB GDDR5 which leads to 224 GB7s peak bandwidth due to the 256 Bit memory bus. There are two variants available, a Max-P performance version and a Max-Q version tuned for efficiency (with lower clock speeds).

The Quadro GPUs offer certified drivers, which are optimized for stability and performance in professional applications (CAD, DCC, medical, prospection, and visualizing applications). The performance in these areas is therefore much better compared to corresponding consumer GPUs.

Power Consumption

The power consumption of the Quadro P4200 is rated at 115 Watt TGP (max power consumption incl. memory) and therefore 15 Watt more than the Quadro P5000. The card is therefore best suited for large 17-inch notebooks.

NVIDIA Quadro P620

The Nvidia Quadro P620 is an entry-level mobile workstation graphics card for laptops. It uses a GP107 Pascal chip with a 128 Bit memory bus and therefore similar to the old Quadro P1000 with reduced clock speeds. Compared to consumer cards, there is no similar specified card currently and therefore the P620 slots in between the GeForce MX250 and GTX 1050. With a theoretical peak of 1.5 TFLOPS, the performance is clearly ahead of the old P600 with 1.2 TFLOPS.

The Quadro GPUs offer certified drivers, which are optimized for stability and performance in professional applications (CAD, DCC, medical, prospection, and visualizing applications). The performance in these areas is therefore much better compared to corresponding consumer GPUs.