Intel HD Graphics 630 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Comparison

The data places the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and Intel HD Graphics 630 in nearly the same overall performance bracket, with average benchmark scores of 4193 and 4075 respectively. However, this close aggregate masks a chasm in real-world capability. The GTX 1050 Ti wins all three head-to-head comparisons decisively, with its smallest victory being a 53.6% margin in Geekbench Metal. While both parts sit at the 24th and 25th percentiles of all GPUs, the Intel integrated solution is only competitive in the most basic of tasks, whereas the discrete NVIDIA card offers a playable, albeit entry-level, experience. The specifications confirm this: the GTX 1050 Ti is a 75W dual-slot card with dedicated memory, while the HD 630 is a 15W IGP sharing system resources.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are unambiguous; the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti outperforms the Intel HD Graphics 630 in every single test where both were measured. The most staggering difference appears in Geekbench OpenCL, where the GTX 1050 Ti scores 18129 against the Intel’s 3587, a 405.4% advantage. This test stresses raw compute throughput, and the data reflects the fundamental hardware disparity: the NVIDIA card has 768 shading units running at a 1291 MHz base clock, while the Intel part has only 192 shading units at a 350 MHz base clock.

The gap narrows somewhat in Geekbench Vulkan, but remains enormous. The GTX 1050 Ti posts 10001 points, which is 182.5% higher than the HD 630’s 3540. This indicates that even in a modern, low-level API, the discrete GPU’s dedicated memory bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s provides a massive edge over the Intel’s system-shared memory. The closest contest is in Geekbench Metal, where the GTX 1050 Ti scores 7834 versus 5099 for the Intel, a 53.6% lead. While this is the smallest delta, it still represents a dominant win for NVIDIA.

It is worth remembering the Intel HD Graphics 630 has no wins; the head-to-head tally is 3-0 in favor of the GTX 1050 Ti. The Intel’s only comparable benchmark scores come from its own limited test set, which lacks the DirectX and Passmark entries that the NVIDIA card has. For instance, the GTX 1050 Ti achieves a Passmark G3D score of 6340 and a Passmark G2D score of 651, figures that have no direct Intel counterpart in the data. The average benchmark score for the GTX 1050 Ti is 4193, which is slightly above its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R5 M330, by 0.6%. Conversely, the Intel HD 630’s average of 4075 puts it 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB, showing that while the aggregate scores are similar, the composition of those scores is entirely different.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti wins every category where a comparison exists. For compute-heavy workloads, the GTX 1050 Ti is the only viable option. The 405.4% lead in OpenCL makes it suitable for GPU-accelerated tasks like rendering or scientific calculations, whereas the Intel HD Graphics 630 would be severely handicapped. In gaming scenarios using Vulkan, the GTX 1050 Ti’s 182.5% advantage translates to playable frame rates at lower settings, while the Intel part would struggle to maintain acceptable performance even at minimal resolutions.

The Intel HD Graphics 630’s only potential advantage lies in scenarios not covered by the benchmark data. Its 15W TDP and IGP slot width mean it consumes a fraction of the power and requires no additional cooling or power connectors, making it the default choice for basic office productivity, video playback, and light 2D workloads. However, the data shows its Passmark G2D score is absent from the comparison, so even that advantage is qualitative rather than quantitative. The GTX 1050 Ti, with its 75W TDP and dual-slot cooler, is a dedicated card that will require a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and a 250W suggested PSU, but it delivers the only real performance on offer. For any task that involves 3D acceleration, the verdict is clear: the GTX 1050 Ti is the sole winner.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is built on the Pascal architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at Samsung, with 3,300 million transistors packed into a 132 mm² die. In contrast, the Intel HD Graphics 630 uses the Generation 9.5 architecture (Kaby Lake GT2), fabbed on Intel’s 14 nm++ process. While both use a 14nm class node, Intel’s is an optimized version of their own process, though the comparison is largely moot given the scale difference.

The core configurations diverge sharply. The GTX 1050 Ti has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Intel HD 630 has only 192 shading units, 24 TMUs, and a mere 3 ROPs. This explains the pixel rate disparity: the NVIDIA card achieves 44.54 GPixel/s versus the Intel’s 3.000 GPixel/s. Texture rate is similarly lopsided at 66.82 GTexel/s versus 24.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute performance tells the story of the generation gap: 2.138 TFLOPS for NVIDIA versus 384.0 GFLOPS for Intel, a 5.5x difference. Interestingly, the Intel part has a higher FP16 rate of 768.0 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the NVIDIA card offers only 33.41 GFLOPS (1:64), indicating Pascal’s design focus on standard precision.

Memory architecture is the most fundamental differentiator. The GTX 1050 Ti uses 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel HD 630 uses System Shared memory, with its bandwidth being System Dependent. This means the NVIDIA card never competes with the CPU for memory access, ensuring consistent performance, while the Intel IGP is at the mercy of the system’s RAM speed and availability. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan (1.4 for NVIDIA, 1.3 for Intel), so API-level features are similar, but the hardware execution units are vastly different in capability.

The Verdict

Choose the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti if you need any level of discrete graphics performance. The data shows it is over 50% faster in the closest benchmark and over 400% faster in compute tasks. Its 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory, 112.1 GB/s bandwidth, and 2.138 TFLOPS of FP32 power make it a legitimate entry-level gaming card or a competent accelerator for light creative work. The nearest rivals in its performance class, such as the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% slower) and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (1.1% faster), confirm that it sits at a specific, if modest, performance tier.

Choose the Intel HD Graphics 630 only if you have no other option, such as a system without a discrete GPU slot. Its 15W TDP and IGP form factor mean it is integrated into the processor and requires no additional hardware. However, its 3.000 GPixel/s pixel rate and 384.0 GFLOPS of compute are insufficient for modern gaming or GPU-accelerated applications. Its average score of 4075 is within 3% of the GTX 1050 Ti’s 4193, but this is misleading; the Intel part achieves this only through a different benchmark mix, and in direct comparisons it loses every time. For the vast majority of users, the GTX 1050 Ti is the clear choice, provided the system can accommodate its 75W TDP and dual-slot cooler.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1050 Ti in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti scores 18129 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 405.4% higher than the Intel HD Graphics 630’s score of 3587.

Q: Does the Intel HD Graphics 630 win any benchmark against the GTX 1050 Ti?

A: No. The head-to-head results show 3 wins for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and 0 wins for the Intel HD Graphics 630.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has a dedicated 112.1 GB/s bandwidth from its 4 GB GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus. The Intel HD Graphics 630 uses System Shared memory, and its bandwidth is System Dependent, meaning it varies based on the system’s RAM.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 4193, while the Intel HD Graphics 630 has an average of 4075. This places them at the 25th and 24th percentiles of all GPUs, respectively.

Q: What are the power consumption figures?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has a TDP of 75 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The Intel HD Graphics 630 has a TDP of just 15 W and no suggested PSU requirement, as it is an integrated part.

Q: Which GPU has higher shading unit count?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has 768 shading units, compared to the Intel HD Graphics 630’s 192 shading units.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | Intel HD Graphics 630 |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |

| Architecture | Pascal | Generation 9.5 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 14 nm++ |

| Foundry | Samsung | Intel |

| Transistors | 3,300 million | Not specified |

| Die Size | 132 mm² | Not specified |

| Base Clock | 1291 MHz | 350 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1392 MHz | 1000 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 112.1 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Shading Units | 768 | 192 |

| TMUs | 48 | 24 |

| ROPs | 32 | 3 |

| Pixel Rate | 44.54 GPixel/s | 3.000 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 66.82 GTexel/s | 24.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 2.138 TFLOPS | 384.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 33.41 GFLOPS (1:64) | 768.0 GFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 75 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | None | Not specified |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | Not specified |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | Ring Bus |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a | Motherboard Dependent |

| Vulkan Version | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2016-10-24 | 2016-08-29 |

| Launch MSRP | 139 USD | Not specified |