Intel UHD Graphics 600 vs Intel Iris Graphics 5100

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.

Intel Iris Graphics 5100

The Intel Iris Graphics 5100 (GT3), also called HD Graphics 5100, is a processor graphics card included in some of the Haswell processors of 2013. 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 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.

The performance of the Iris Graphics 5100 is about 20 percent above the HD Graphics 5000, which can be found in ULV CPUs of the 15W class. In a best case scenario, the IGP machtes a dedicated GeForce GT 640M LE. In other cases, however, the performance is only at the level of the GeForce GT 620M due to the limited memory bandwidth. Current games (as of 2013) can be played fluently in low or medium detail settings and a resolution of 1.024 x 768 or 1.366 x 768 pixels.

Due to the 22nm 3D Tri-Gate production process, power consumption should be relatively low. The Iris Graphics 5100 can be found on certain ULV dual-core Haswell models in the 28 Watt TDP range.