Intel HD Graphics P4600 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M and Intel HD Graphics P4600 represent two distinct approaches to integrated graphics from the same era. The GT 735M is a discrete-class mobile GPU from NVIDIA’s Kepler family, while the P4600 is Intel’s professional-grade integrated solution built into Haswell processors. Benchmark data shows the GT 735M holds a narrow lead in raw compute, but the two parts are far closer than their architectural differences suggest.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the available benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M scores 3616 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Intel HD Graphics P4600 scores 3389. This gives the GT 735M a 6.7% performance advantage.

Q: How do these GPUs rank against all other GPUs?

A: The GT 735M sits in the 21st percentile of all GPUs, while the P4600 sits just behind in the 20th percentile. Both are entry-level parts by modern standards.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU?

A: The GT 735M’s closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, which scores 3629 (0.3% higher). The P4600’s closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740, scoring 3431 (1.2% higher than the P4600).

Q: Do both GPUs support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12. The GT 735M supports version 12 (11_0 feature level), while the P4600 supports version 12 (11_1 feature level).

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The GT 735M has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The P4600 uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P4600 has a boost clock of 1200 MHz, nearly double the GT 735M’s boost clock of 628 MHz. The GT 735M has a higher base clock at 575 MHz versus 350 MHz.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The GT 735M uses NVIDIA’s Kepler 2.0 architecture on a 28 nm TSMC process, built around the GK208 chip. The P4600 uses Intel’s Generation 7.5 architecture (Haswell GT2) on a 22 nm Intel process. This process advantage gives Intel a smaller transistor footprint per unit of performance, though the GT 735M’s dedicated design compensates with higher raw throughput.

Shading resources diverge sharply. The GT 735M packs 384 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The P4600 has 160 shading units, 20 TMUs, and just 2 ROPs. Despite having fewer than half the shading units, the P4600’s much higher boost clock (1200 MHz vs 628 MHz) narrows the FP32 gap: the GT 735M delivers 482.3 GFLOPS versus the P4600’s 384.0 GFLOPS.

Memory architecture is the starkest difference. The GT 735M has dedicated 2 GB DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The P4600 shares system memory with the CPU, making its bandwidth entirely dependent on the host platform. This gives the GT 735M predictable memory performance, while the P4600’s results vary by system configuration.

The TDP figures reflect their intended roles. The GT 735M is rated at 33 W, appropriate for a discrete mobile GPU. The P4600 is rated at 84 W, but this is the TDP for the entire Haswell processor package, not the GPU alone — the graphics portion is not separately rated. Both use IGP slot widths and require no power connectors.

API support differs in older and newer standards. The GT 735M supports OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.175, while the P4600 tops out at OpenGL 4.3 and Vulkan 1.0. In DirectX, the P4600 has a slight edge with an 11_1 feature level versus the GT 735M’s 11_0.

Where Each One Wins

The GT 735M wins in the single available benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a 6.7% margin. This advantage comes from its dedicated memory subsystem and higher shading unit count. For applications that rely heavily on raw compute throughput, the GT 735M’s 482.3 GFLOPS FP32 rating gives it a clear theoretical edge over the P4600’s 384.0 GFLOPS.

The P4600 counters with superior clock scaling. Its 1200 MHz boost clock is 91% higher than the GT 735M’s 628 MHz boost, which helps close the gap in workloads that are latency-sensitive rather than throughput-bound. The P4600 also achieves a higher texture rate of 24.00 GTexel/s versus the GT 735M’s 20.10 GTexel/s, despite having fewer TMUs — a direct result of its aggressive clock speed.

In practical terms, the GT 735M is better suited for gaming and media applications that benefit from dedicated VRAM and consistent bandwidth. The P4600 makes more sense in office or professional environments where the GPU is an incidental feature of the CPU package, and where system memory is plentiful. The P4600’s 2 ROPs severely limit pixel fill rate (2.400 GPixel/s vs 5.024 GPixel/s), making it a poor choice for high-resolution rendering.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M | Intel HD Graphics P4600 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Kepler 2.0 | Generation 7.5 |

| Process Node | 28 nm (TSMC) | 22 nm (Intel) |

| Base Clock | 575 MHz | 350 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 628 MHz | 1200 MHz |

| Shading Units | 384 | 160 |

| TMUs | 32 | 20 |

| ROPs | 8 | 2 |

| Pixel Rate | 5.024 GPixel/s | 2.400 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 20.10 GTexel/s | 24.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 482.3 GFLOPS | 384.0 GFLOPS |

| Memory Size | 2 GB DDR3 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus | 64 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 14.40 GB/s | System Dependent |

| TDP | 33 W | 84 W (processor package) |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | Ring Bus |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.3 |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.0 |

| Transistors | 1,020 million | Not specified |

| Die Size | 87 mm² | Not specified |

| Release Date | March 2013 | May 2013 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it produces a decisive result: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M scores 3616 against the Intel HD Graphics P4600’s 3389. That 6.7% delta is the entire measurable difference between these two GPUs in the data.

Context from nearest rivals clarifies the margin. The GT 735M’s 3616 score puts it within 0.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (3629) and 0.6% of both the RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation (3596) and GeForce GT 545 (3594). This clustering suggests the GT 735M sits at a performance plateau where many disparate GPUs converge. The P4600’s 3389 score places it 1.2% below the GeForce GT 740 (3431) and 1.3% below the Quadro 2000M (3434), while running 1.7% ahead of the Intel HD Graphics 530 (3332).

The 6.7% win for the GT 735M is modest in absolute terms but consistent with its hardware advantages. The GT 735M has 2.4 times the shading units, 4 times the ROPs, and dedicated memory — all of which should theoretically produce a larger margin. The P4600’s 1200 MHz boost clock and higher texture rate (24.00 vs 20.10 GTexel/s) clearly mitigate some of the GT 735M’s structural advantages in this particular workload.

The data does not hint that either GPU is dramatically better than the other. A 6.7% benchmark delta falls within the normal variance users might expect from driver updates or thermal conditions. Both GPUs are end-of-life products, released within two months of each other in 2013, and both occupy the bottom fifth of all GPU performance rankings. The GT 735M is the stronger part on paper and in practice, but the P4600’s integrated nature means it costs nothing extra in a system that already includes a Haswell processor.