Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark recorded in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and it shows a decisive advantage for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE. The GTX 560 SE scores 7171 points, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 scores 4556 points. That is a 57.4% difference in favor of the NVIDIA card, making it the clear winner in raw compute workloads as measured by this particular test.

Looking at the broader context, the GTX 560 SE's OpenCL score of 7171 places it in the 39th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in that metric are the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7170 (a 0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 at 7157 (0.2% faster than the GTX 560 SE), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile at 7203 (0.4% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 at 7222 (0.7% ahead). What this means in practical terms is that the GTX 560 SE is essentially neck-and-neck with these mid-range parts from different eras, despite its older architecture. The margins are razor-thin, all within a single percentage point, so the GTX 560 SE can be considered performance-equivalent to those cards in OpenCL compute.

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 6117 across all its recorded tests, which puts it in the 35th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8690M at 6137 (0.3% ahead of the Intel part), the NVIDIA RTX A400 at 6078 (0.6% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce MX230 at 6077 (0.7% behind), and the NVIDIA Quadro P2000 at 6049 (1.1% behind). So the Iris Pro 6200 sits in a similar performance band relative to its own rivals, but that band is roughly 15% lower than where the GTX 560 SE sits.

The head-to-head data records only one benchmark where both parts were tested under identical conditions: Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 560 SE wins that test outright, and the database shows 1 win for the NVIDIA part versus 0 wins for the Intel part. There is no scenario in the recorded data where the Iris Pro 6200 beats the GTX 560 SE head-to-head.

It is notably the Intel part has additional benchmark entries in the database, specifically Geekbench Metal at 7764 and Geekbench Vulkan at 6032, but the GTX 560 SE has no corresponding scores in those APIs. This means the Intel GPU appears to have broader API coverage in testing, but for the one test where both are measured, the NVIDIA card is substantially ahead.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 560 SE wins the only direct comparison available. In OpenCL compute, it delivers 57.4% more performance than the Iris Pro 6200. That is a massive gap, not a marginal one. For any workload that relies on OpenCL, whether that is general-purpose GPU compute, certain rendering tasks, or older games that use OpenCL for physics or post-processing, the GTX 560 SE is the stronger choice by a wide margin.

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 does not win any head-to-head benchmark in the database. However, it does have strengths that are visible in its individual test results. Its Geekbench Metal score of 7764 is higher than its OpenCL score of 4556, and its Vulkan score of 6032 sits between the two. This suggests that the Intel part performs relatively better under Metal and Vulkan APIs than under OpenCL. In fact, its Metal score of 7764 exceeds the GTX 560 SE's OpenCL score of 7171, though these are not directly comparable since they use different APIs and different test conditions.

The Iris Pro 6200 also has a significantly lower power envelope, with a TDP of 15 W versus the GTX 560 SE's 150 W. That is a 10x difference in power draw, which makes the Intel part far more suitable for compact, low-power systems. The GTX 560 SE requires a dual-slot cooler, two 6-pin power connectors, and a 450 W suggested power supply, while the Iris Pro 6200 is an integrated graphics processor with no dedicated power connectors and no PSU recommendation. For a builder prioritizing energy efficiency or a small form factor, the Intel part has a clear practical advantage, even if it loses on raw compute.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous on performance: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE is the faster GPU in the one benchmark where both are measured. A 57.4% lead in OpenCL is not a close contest. The GTX 560 SE also holds a higher percentile ranking at 39 versus 35 for the Intel part, and its average benchmark score of 7171 is well above the Iris Pro 6200's average of 6117.

That said, the choice is not purely about speed. The GTX 560 SE is a discrete, dual-slot card with a 150 W TDP, requiring a power supply of at least 450 W and two 6-pin connectors. The Iris Pro 6200 is an integrated solution with a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, and no PSU requirement. If the system in question is a laptop or a compact desktop where a discrete card cannot be installed, the Intel part is the only viable option, and its performance is acceptable for lighter workloads.

For anyone building a desktop with room for a discrete GPU and a proper power supply, the GTX 560 SE is the clear pick based on the benchmark data. It delivers significantly higher OpenCL performance, sits in a higher percentile tier, and its nearest rivals include parts like the GTX 970 and GTX 750, which are respectable performers in their own right. The Iris Pro 6200, on the other hand, competes with mobile and low-power parts like the MX230 and HD 8690M, and it loses to the GTX 560 SE in the only direct comparison available.

The verdict is simple: if you need compute performance and have the power budget, take the GTX 560 SE. If you need an integrated solution with minimal power draw and no expansion slot, the Iris Pro 6200 is the practical fallback, but it will not match the NVIDIA card's OpenCL throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7171 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 scores 4556. The GTX 560 SE is 57.4% faster in this test.

Q: Does the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 have any benchmark where it scores higher than the GTX 560 SE's OpenCL score?

A: Yes, the Iris Pro 6200 scores 7764 in Geekbench Metal, which is higher than the GTX 560 SE's 7171 in OpenCL. However, these are different APIs and are not directly comparable, as the GTX 560 SE has no Metal score recorded.

Q: What is the power consumption difference between the two?

A: The GTX 560 SE has a TDP of 150 W and requires a 450 W suggested power supply, while the Iris Pro 6200 has a TDP of 15 W and requires no external power connectors or PSU recommendation.

Q: How does the GTX 560 SE compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 560 SE's closest rivals are the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (7170, 0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (7157, 0.2% faster), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7203, 0.4% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7222, 0.7% faster). All are within 1% of the GTX 560 SE's score.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The GTX 560 SE has an average benchmark score of 7171, placing it in the 39th percentile. The Iris Pro 6200 has an average score of 6117, placing it in the 35th percentile.

Q: Which GPU supports Vulkan?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 lists Vulkan 1.0 support and has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6032. The GTX 560 SE does not list Vulkan support in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE is built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, codenamed GF114, and manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The chip contains 1,950 million transistors on a die size of 332 mm², yielding a transistor density of 5.9 million transistors per square millimeter. This is a large, power-hungry discrete GPU design from the GeForce 500 generation.

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 uses the Generation 8.0 architecture, specifically the Broadwell GT3e chip, manufactured on a 14 nm process at Intel. The database does not list transistor count, die size, or transistor density for this part, but the 14 nm process is significantly more advanced than the 40 nm node used by NVIDIA. This process advantage is reflected in the power envelope: the Intel part draws 15 W versus 150 W for the NVIDIA card, a 10x reduction despite both offering similar FP32 compute throughput.

Speaking of compute, the two are remarkably close in raw FP32 performance. The GTX 560 SE delivers 847.9 GFLOPS, while the Iris Pro 6200 delivers 844.8 GFLOPS. That is a difference of only 3.1 GFLOPS, less than 0.4%. Yet the OpenCL benchmark shows a 57.4% gap in favor of NVIDIA. This suggests that the GTX 560 SE's architecture is more efficient at translating its theoretical compute into actual OpenCL throughput, or that the Intel part is limited by other factors such as memory bandwidth or driver overhead.

The memory architecture differs drastically. The GTX 560 SE has 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 91.87 GB/s of bandwidth. The Iris Pro 6200 uses system shared memory, with a system-dependent bus width and bandwidth. This means the Intel part must compete with the CPU for memory access, which is a significant disadvantage in memory-intensive workloads.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12, but with different feature levels: the GTX 560 SE supports 11_0, while the Iris Pro 6200 supports 11_1. The NVIDIA part supports OpenGL 4.6, while the Intel part supports OpenGL 4.4. The Intel part adds Vulkan 1.0 support, which the GTX 560 SE lacks entirely.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal a clear contrast in design targets. The GTX 560 SE is a discrete, dual-slot card measuring 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length, with two DVI outputs and one mini-HDMI 1.3a output. It connects via PCIe 2.0 x16 and requires two 6-pin power connectors plus a 450 W power supply. The Iris Pro 6200 is an integrated graphics processor with no physical dimensions listed, no power connectors, no PSU requirement, and motherboard-dependent display outputs. It connects via a Ring Bus interface.

In terms of compute resources, the GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. The Iris Pro 6200 has 384 shading units, 48 TMUs, and only 6 ROPs. The shading unit count favors Intel, but the ROP count heavily favors NVIDIA. This explains the pixel rate difference: the GTX 560 SE achieves 8.832 GPixel/s, while the Iris Pro 6200 manages 6.600 GPixel/s. The texture rate tells the opposite story: the Intel part reaches 52.80 GTexel/s versus 35.33 GTexel/s for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds are not directly comparable because the GTX 560 SE lists no base or boost clock, only a memory clock of 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective). The Iris Pro 6200 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1100 MHz. Memory configuration is also fundamentally different: 1024 MB GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus for NVIDIA versus system shared memory for Intel.

The GTX 560 SE was released on 2012-02-19, while the Iris Pro 6200 came later on 2014-09-04. Both are end-of-life products. The GTX 560 SE has a predecessor in the GeForce 400 series and a successor in the GeForce 600 series, while the Intel part has no recorded predecessor or successor. Neither has a launch MSRP in the database. The GTX 560 SE supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but no Vulkan. The Iris Pro 6200 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.4, and Vulkan 1.0.