GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M and the Intel HD Graphics P4600 represent two very different approaches to integrated and semi-integrated graphics from the same era. The NVIDIA part is a discrete-class mobile GPU built on a 28 nm process, while the Intel solution is a processor-integrated graphics core on a 22 nm process. Benchmark data shows the NVIDIA GeForce 825M achieving a Geekbench OpenCL score of 3694, placing it in the 22nd percentile of all GPUs, while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 scores 3389, landing in the 20th percentile. The head-to-head comparison gives the NVIDIA part a 9% advantage in this single test, with a delta of exactly 9 percentage points. This page breaks down the architectural, benchmark, and specification differences between these two end-of-life graphics solutions.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 825M has a higher average benchmark score of 3694, compared to the Intel HD Graphics P4600's 3389. This represents a 9% advantage for the NVIDIA part in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: How do these GPUs rank against all other GPUs in the database?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 825M sits in the 22nd percentile of all GPUs, while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 sits in the 20th percentile. Both are in the lower quartile, but the NVIDIA part ranks slightly higher overall.

Q: What is the closest rival for each GPU?

A: For the NVIDIA GeForce 825M, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M, which scores 3717, a -0.6% delta relative to 3694. For the Intel HD Graphics P4600, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740, which scores 3431, a -1.2% delta relative to 3389.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 825M has 384 shading units, whereas the Intel HD Graphics P4600 has 160. This is a 224-unit difference and represents a major architectural gap between the two.

Q: What is the difference in pixel fill rate?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 825M achieves a pixel rate of 7.528 GPixel/s, while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 achieves 2.400 GPixel/s. The NVIDIA part is more than three times faster in this metric.

Q: Do both GPUs support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12, but with different feature levels. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). The Intel part has a slightly higher feature level.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M is built on the Kepler 2.0 architecture using the GK208 chip, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The die contains 1,020 million transistors on an 87 mm² package, yielding a transistor density of 11.7M per mm². In contrast, the Intel HD Graphics P4600 uses the Haswell GT2 chip based on the Generation 7.5 architecture, fabricated by Intel on a 22 nm process. The Intel part has no listed transistor count or die size, but its process node is denser at 22 nm versus 28 nm.

The NVIDIA part features 384 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 raster output units (ROPs). The Intel HD Graphics P4600 features 160 shading units, 20 TMUs, and only 2 ROPs. This is a substantial difference in raw execution resources, particularly in ROP count where the NVIDIA part has 4 times the number of the Intel part. The shading unit count also favors NVIDIA by a factor of 2.4.

Clock behavior differs significantly. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M has a base clock of 850 MHz and a boost clock of 941 MHz. The Intel HD Graphics P4600 has a much lower base clock of 350 MHz but boosts to 1200 MHz. This means the Intel part can reach a higher peak frequency, but the NVIDIA part starts from a much higher floor and maintains a more consistent performance envelope.

Memory architecture is another major divider. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M uses 1024 MB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s and a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The Intel HD Graphics P4600 uses System Shared memory, with System Dependent bandwidth and a System Shared bus width. This means the Intel part relies entirely on the host system's memory subsystem, while the NVIDIA part has its own dedicated pool.

API support shows a split. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Intel HD Graphics P4600 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.3, and Vulkan 1.0. The NVIDIA part has newer OpenGL and Vulkan versions, while the Intel part has a slightly newer DirectX feature level.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only benchmark available for direct comparison is Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce 825M scores 3694, while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 scores 3389. The winner is the NVIDIA GeForce 825M, with a delta of 9%. This means the NVIDIA part outperforms the Intel part by 305 points on this specific workload.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides context for these numbers. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M's closest competitor, the GeForce GT 740M, scores 3717, which is only 0.6% higher. The Quadro 3000M scores 3718, also 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 6770 scores 3649, which is 1.2% lower. The GeForce GT 635M scores 3740, which is 1.2% higher. This places the 825M in a tight cluster where a 1-2% swing separates it from several comparable parts.

The Intel HD Graphics P4600's nearest rivals show a similar pattern. The GeForce GT 740 scores 3431, which is 1.2% higher than the Intel part. The Quadro 2000M scores 3434, 1.3% higher. The Intel HD Graphics 530 scores 3332, which is 1.7% lower. The GeForce GT 730M scores 3316, 2.2% lower. The P4600 sits in a slightly wider band, with rivals ranging from 1.2% above to 2.2% below its score.

The 9% delta in the head-to-head test is larger than any of the deltas against nearest rivals for either part. This suggests the two GPUs are not direct competitors in the same performance tier; rather, the NVIDIA part consistently places slightly above the Intel part in this compute-oriented benchmark.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M uses a 28 nm process from TSMC, while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 uses a 22 nm process from Intel. The NVIDIA part has a known transistor count of 1,020 million and a die size of 87 mm²; the Intel part has no listed values for either.

Clock speeds differ in both base and boost. The NVIDIA part runs at 850 MHz base and 941 MHz boost. The Intel part runs at 350 MHz base and 1200 MHz boost. The memory clock is 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) for NVIDIA, while Intel's memory clock is listed as System Shared.

Memory configuration is fundamentally different. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel HD Graphics P4600 has System Shared memory, System Shared type, System Shared bus width, and System Dependent bandwidth.

Compute resources heavily favor NVIDIA. The shading unit count is 384 versus 160, TMUs are 32 versus 20, and ROPs are 8 versus 2. The pixel rate is 7.528 GPixel/s versus 2.400 GPixel/s. The texture rate is 30.11 GTexel/s versus 24.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 722.7 GFLOPS versus 384.0 GFLOPS.

Power consumption differs notably. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M has a TDP of 33 W, while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 has a TDP of 84 W. Both are listed as IGP (integrated graphics processor) for slot width, but the NVIDIA part has no power connectors while the Intel part has no listed power connector data. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x8 for NVIDIA and Ring Bus for Intel.

API support shows differences as well. NVIDIA offers DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. Intel offers DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.3, and Vulkan 1.0. Display outputs are Portable Device Dependent for NVIDIA and Motherboard Dependent for Intel.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce 825M wins on raw compute throughput. Its FP32 performance of 722.7 GFLOPS is nearly double the Intel part's 384.0 GFLOPS. The pixel rate of 7.528 GPixel/s versus 2.400 GPixel/s indicates a significant advantage in fill-rate-bound scenarios. The 14.40 GB/s of dedicated memory bandwidth versus System Dependent bandwidth means the NVIDIA part does not contend with the host CPU for memory access.

The Intel HD Graphics P4600 wins on peak clock speed, with a boost of 1200 MHz versus 941 MHz for the NVIDIA part. It also has a higher DirectX feature level at 11_1 versus 11_0. The Intel part's system-shared memory model can be an advantage in systems where the host memory is fast, though this is not quantified in the data.

In terms of benchmark placement, the NVIDIA part's 22nd percentile versus the Intel part's 20th percentile means the NVIDIA part sits slightly higher in the overall distribution. The head-to-head winner is the NVIDIA GeForce 825M with a 9% delta. The Intel part's closest rival deltas are slightly wider, ranging from -1.2% to +2.2%, while the NVIDIA part's rival deltas are tighter, ranging from -0.6% to +1.2%. This indicates the NVIDIA part is more centrally positioned among its peer group.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The NVIDIA GeForce 825M outperforms the Intel HD Graphics P4600 in the Geekbench OpenCL test by 9% and holds a higher percentile ranking at 22 versus 20. The NVIDIA part also has substantially more shading units, TMUs, and ROPs, which translates to higher pixel and texture rates. The FP32 throughput of 722.7 GFLOPS versus 384.0 GFLOPS reinforces this advantage.

The Intel HD Graphics P4600 should be selected in systems where the CPU-integrated graphics model is preferred, given its Ring Bus interface and System Shared memory. Its higher boost clock of 1200 MHz and slightly newer DirectX feature level of 11_1 are its main technical advantages. However, the higher TDP of 84 W versus 33 W suggests the Intel part is less efficient despite having fewer compute resources.

For users choosing between these two end-of-life parts, the NVIDIA GeForce 825M offers measurably better benchmark performance in the available test, a higher percentile standing, and more robust hardware specifications across every compute metric. The Intel HD Graphics P4600 is a viable alternative only when the system integration benefits of shared memory and Ring Bus connectivity outweigh the 9% performance deficit. Based strictly on the data, the NVIDIA GeForce 825M is the stronger performer in compute workloads, while the Intel part's advantages are limited to clock speed and feature-level details.