Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M: a clash of integrated graphics from the Haswell era against a dedicated Fermi-generation mobile GPU. The benchmark data shows a clear, if narrow, victory for the Intel part in the one test available, but the underlying specifications tell a more complex story about how each chip achieves its performance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results favor the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200. The Intel part scores 5042 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282 points. That translates to a 17.7% advantage for the Iris Pro part. This is a substantial lead in a compute-oriented workload, indicating that the Intel architecture’s execution resources are better utilized in OpenCL tasks than the older Fermi design.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the Iris Pro’s average benchmark score of 4360 places it in the 26th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 (average score 4335, a 0.6% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce 930M (average score 4388, a -0.6% delta). This suggests the Iris Pro sits in a competitive mid-range tier, trading blows with entry-level discrete solutions. The GeForce GTX 460M, with an average score of 4282, lands in the 25th percentile, just one point behind. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295, -0.3% delta) and the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268, 0.3% delta). The delta between the two parts in this head-to-head is roughly equivalent to the performance gap separating them from their respective rival clusters.

The GeForce GTX 460M’s single benchmark score of 4282 is lower than the Iris Pro’s OpenCL result but higher than the Iris Pro’s Vulkan score of 3677. However, no Vulkan result exists for the NVIDIA part, so a direct comparison in that API is impossible. The data shows that while the Intel part wins the OpenCL test decisively, the margin is not overwhelming; both GPUs operate in the same performance neighborhood, as evidenced by their adjacent percentile rankings (26th vs 25th). The 17.7% delta in the head-to-head is significant, but it does not represent a generational leap in capability, rather a meaningful edge in a specific workload.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies and eras. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 is built on a 22 nm process by Intel, using the Haswell GT3e chip. Its architecture is Generation 7.5, part of the HD Graphics (Haswell) family. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is fabricated on a 40 nm process by TSMC, using the GF106 chip with the Fermi architecture, belonging to the GeForce 400M generation. The process node difference alone—22 nm versus 40 nm—explains much of the efficiency and transistor density disparity, even though the Intel part is an IGP and the NVIDIA part is a discrete MXM module.

The Intel chip allocates its resources with 320 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and only 4 ROPs. The NVIDIA chip counters with 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. This configuration is telling: the Iris Pro has 66.7% more shading units and 25% more TMUs, while the GTX 460M has 6 times the ROP count. The result is that Intel’s part achieves a texture rate of 46.00 GTexel/s versus NVIDIA’s 21.60 GTexel/s, a 113% advantage. However, the NVIDIA part’s pixel rate of 5.400 GPixel/s edges out the Intel’s 4.600 GPixel/s, a 17.4% advantage. This reflects the GTX 460M’s design focus on fill-rate-bound scenarios, which is typical of discrete gaming GPUs of that era.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The Iris Pro uses system-shared memory, with no dedicated VRAM, leading to bandwidth that is "System Dependent." The GTX 460M features 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a fixed 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a crucial distinction; the NVIDIA part’s dedicated memory ensures consistent performance, while the Intel part is at the mercy of system RAM speed and allocation. Clock speeds also differ: the Iris Pro has a base clock of 200 MHz and a boost clock of 1150 MHz, while the GTX 460M’s core clock is not listed, but its memory runs at 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). The Intel part’s boost behavior is typical of modern integrated graphics, dynamically scaling based on thermal and power headroom.

API support shows another generational split. The Intel part supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.3, and Vulkan 1.0. The NVIDIA part supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. This means the Iris Pro is more future-proof for modern compute and rendering APIs, despite being an integrated solution. The GTX 460M’s OpenGL 4.6 support is superior, but the lack of Vulkan is a notable omission for a GPU from 2010. The Intel part also uses a Ring Bus interface, while the NVIDIA part uses PCIe 2.0 x16, reflecting their respective integration strategies.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear, albeit situational, winner. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M by 17.7% in Geekbench OpenCL, and it does so with a lower TDP (45 W vs 50 W) and a smaller process node. For users prioritizing compute workloads, modern API support (Vulkan), and power efficiency, the Intel part is the superior choice. Its higher shading unit count and texture rate directly contribute to its OpenCL lead.

However, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is not without merit. Its 24 ROPs and dedicated GDDR5 memory with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth suggest it could outperform the Intel part in traditional rasterization-heavy gaming scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions where pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are critical. The Intel part’s system-shared memory is a bottleneck that no amount of shading units can fully compensate for in such workloads. The GTX 460M’s higher pixel rate (5.400 vs 4.600 GPixel/s) supports this theory.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 is the better overall GPU for general compute and modern API compatibility. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, has a higher average benchmark score (4360 vs 4282), and offers Vulkan support. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is the choice for those who need dedicated memory bandwidth and higher ROP throughput for legacy DirectX gaming, but it is a dead end for Vulkan-based titles. The Intel part is also the more efficient option, drawing 45 W versus 50 W, a meaningful difference in a laptop form factor. The verdict leans decisively toward Intel for forward-looking use, but the NVIDIA part remains relevant for specific legacy workloads.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M |

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

| Process Node | 22 nm | 40 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Architecture | Generation 7.5 | Fermi |

| Chip | Haswell GT3e | GF106 |

| Shading Units | 320 | 192 |

| TMUs | 40 | 32 |

| ROPs | 4 | 24 |

| Texture Rate | 46.00 GTexel/s | 21.60 GTexel/s |

| Pixel Rate | 4.600 GPixel/s | 5.400 GPixel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 736.0 GFLOPS | 518.4 GFLOPS |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 1536 MB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | System Shared | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 60.00 GB/s |

| TDP | 45 W | 50 W |

| Vulkan API | 1.0 | None |

| OpenGL API | 4.3 | 4.6 |

| Bus Interface | Ring Bus | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Release Date | 2013-06-02 | 2010-09-02 |

| Transistors | Not listed | 1,170 million |

| Die Size | Not listed | 238 mm² |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 scores 5042 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 17.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M’s score of 4282.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M support Vulkan?

A: No. The GTX 460M has no Vulkan support listed, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 supports Vulkan 1.0.

Q: How does the memory configuration differ between the two?

A: The Intel Iris Pro uses system-shared memory with bandwidth that is system dependent, while the NVIDIA GTX 460M has 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a fixed bandwidth of 60.00 GB/s.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two GPUs?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 has a TDP of 45 W, which is 5 W lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M’s 50 W TDP.

Q: Which GPU has a higher shading unit count?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 has 320 shading units, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M’s 192 shading units, a 66.7% advantage for the Intel part.

Q: How do their pixel rates compare?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has a higher pixel rate of 5.400 GPixel/s, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 achieves 4.600 GPixel/s, giving the NVIDIA part a 17.4% lead in this metric.