Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Comparison

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti are two end-of-life GPUs from different eras, representing an integrated solution versus a dedicated discrete card. The benchmark data shows a clear split in capabilities, with the NVIDIA card taking the only head-to-head victory while the Intel part counters with superior API support and a newer manufacturing process. Their average benchmark scores place them within a few percentage points of each other, yet their architectural philosophies could not be more different. The data indicates that one is a low-power efficiency play for mobile systems, while the other is a power-hungry desktop card that relies on dedicated memory bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti wins the only direct benchmark comparison available. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 5731 against the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200's 4556, a delta of -20.5% in NVIDIA's favor. This is a substantial margin, showing that the discrete card holds a clear computational advantage in this specific workload. The GTX 550 Ti also boasts a higher pixel rate at 7.200 GPixel/s compared to the Intel's 6.600 GPixel/s, suggesting it can fill frames faster in rasterization-bound scenarios. Its dedicated 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical asset for texture-heavy games and compute tasks that the Intel part, with its system-shared memory, cannot match.

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 wins in areas that are not directly benchmarked but are evident from its specifications. It supports a newer DirectX version at 12 (11_1) compared to the GTX 550 Ti's 12 (11_0), and it includes Vulkan 1.0 support, which the NVIDIA card completely lacks. The Intel part also has a significantly higher texture rate at 52.80 GTexel/s versus the GTX 550 Ti's 28.80 GTexel/s, meaning it can process texture data much faster despite its lower overall pixel throughput. This makes the Iris Pro particularly strong in compute-heavy or shader-bound workloads that rely on texture operations. Its FP32 throughput of 844.8 GFLOPS also exceeds the NVIDIA's 691.2 GFLOPS, indicating better raw floating-point performance for general-purpose compute tasks.

The Intel part also has the advantage of being an IGP with a 15 W TDP, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where the GTX 550 Ti's 116 W TDP and dual-slot cooler would be impossible to accommodate. While the GTX 550 Ti has a higher pixel rate, the Intel's superior texture rate and FP32 output suggest it can handle certain modern API workloads more efficiently. In terms of average benchmark scores, the Intel part scores 6117, which is 6.7% higher than the NVIDIA's 5731, indicating that across a broader set of tests (including Vulkan and Metal), the Intel part actually comes out ahead.

The Verdict

The data clearly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is the better choice for users who prioritize raw compute performance in OpenCL-based applications. Its 20.5% lead in the head-to-head benchmark is decisive, and its dedicated GDDR5 memory with 98.50 GB/s bandwidth provides a level of memory performance that the Intel IGP cannot approximate. For gaming at its release period or for running older DirectX 11 titles, the GTX 550 Ti's higher pixel rate and dedicated frame buffer make it the more capable option. Its 192-bit memory bus and 24 ROPs are designed for traditional rasterization workloads, and the data supports its superiority in that regard.

However, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 is the more forward-looking product. Its support for Vulkan 1.0 and DirectX 12 (11_1) means it can run modern applications that leverage these APIs, while the GTX 550 Ti is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support at all. The Intel part's higher texture rate and FP32 output make it a better fit for compute-heavy tasks that use OpenCL or Vulkan compute shaders. Its 15 W TDP also makes it the only viable option for ultra-portable systems where power consumption and heat dissipation are critical constraints. For users who need a GPU that can handle modern API workloads in a low-power envelope, the Iris Pro is the clear winner.

The verdict is split by use case. The GTX 550 Ti wins for legacy gaming and OpenCL compute on a desktop platform where power is not a concern. The Iris Pro wins for modern API support, compute-heavy workloads, and any scenario requiring an integrated solution. Neither card is a general-purpose champion; the data shows they are specialized tools for different jobs. The GTX 550 Ti's single benchmark victory is impressive, but the Intel part's higher average score across multiple tests (6117 vs 5731) suggests it is more versatile in contemporary software environments.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti decisively outperforms the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200. The NVIDIA card scores 5731, while the Intel part manages only 4556, resulting in a delta of -20.5%. This is a significant gap that highlights the GTX 550 Ti's strength in general-purpose GPU compute. The NVIDIA card's dedicated 98.50 GB/s of memory bandwidth is likely the primary driver of this result, as OpenCL workloads often saturate memory access. The Intel part's system-shared memory is a bottleneck here, as it relies on the same memory pool as the CPU, which introduces latency and reduces effective bandwidth.

Despite this loss, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 shows its strengths in other benchmark categories that are not directly compared. Its Geekbench Vulkan score is 6032, and its Geekbench Metal score is 7764, both of which are higher than its OpenCL score of 4556. This suggests that the Intel part performs much better in modern graphics APIs than in legacy OpenCL, while the GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan or Metal scores listed, indicating it cannot run those tests. The Intel part's average benchmark score of 6117 also exceeds the NVIDIA's 5731, meaning that if a weighted average were taken across all available tests, the Intel part would come out ahead.

The texture rate difference is another key data point. The Intel part's 52.80 GTexel/s is 83.3% higher than the GTX 550 Ti's 28.80 GTexel/s. This is a massive advantage in texture-heavy workloads, such as modern game engines that use texture streaming and procedural generation. However, the GTX 550 Ti compensates with a higher pixel rate of 7.200 GPixel/s versus 6.600 GPixel/s, giving it an 8.3% edge in fill-rate-bound scenarios. The NVIDIA card also has more ROPs at 24 versus 6, which helps with anti-aliasing and post-processing effects that require frequent pixel writes.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 has an average benchmark score of 6117, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti's 5731.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti support Vulkan?

A: No, the GTX 550 Ti does not support Vulkan, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 supports Vulkan 1.0.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has a dedicated memory bandwidth of 98.50 GB/s, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200's bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent" due to its shared memory architecture.

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP32 floating-point performance?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 has an FP32 performance of 844.8 GFLOPS, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti's 691.2 GFLOPS.

Q: What are the TDPs of these two GPUs?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 has a TDP of 15 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 has 384 shading units, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 uses the Broadwell GT3e chip based on Intel's Generation 8.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at Intel's own foundry. This is a highly integrated design with 384 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 6 ROPs, all packed into a 15 W TDP. It uses system-shared memory with a Ring Bus interface, which means its memory performance is entirely dependent on the host system's RAM. The chip supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.4, and Vulkan 1.0, making it compatible with a wide range of modern software APIs.

In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is based on the GF116 chip using the Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. This is a discrete GPU with 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 4.9M / mm². It has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs, and it draws 116 W of power, requiring a dual-slot cooler and a 6-pin power connector. Its memory subsystem is much more robust, featuring 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 550 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but it has no Vulkan support, which is a significant limitation for modern cross-platform applications.

The process node difference is stark: 14 nm for Intel versus 40 nm for NVIDIA. This gives the Intel part a massive efficiency advantage, allowing it to deliver comparable average performance (6117 vs 5731) while consuming only 15 W versus 116 W. The Intel part also has a much higher texture rate (52.80 GTexel/s vs 28.80 GTexel/s) and FP32 performance (844.8 GFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS), despite having fewer ROPs. The GTX 550 Ti's 24 ROPs versus 6 for the Intel part is the key to its higher pixel rate, making it better suited for traditional framebuffer-bound rendering. The bus interface also differs, with the Intel part using a Ring Bus and the NVIDIA card using PCIe 2.0 x16, reflecting their different positions as an integrated and discrete solution, respectively. The NVIDIA card's 1,170 million transistors and 238 mm² die size are far larger than anything Intel could fit into its IGP, but the newer 14 nm process allows Intel to achieve competitive compute results with far fewer resources.