Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 Comparison

Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 are two end-of-life graphics products from different eras, and their benchmark data places them very close in raw compute performance. The Intel part, released in late 2020, is a 10 nm integrated-class GPU (DG1) with 4 GB of LPDDR4X memory, while the NVIDIA card, launched in late 2010, is a 40 nm discrete Fermi 2.0 design with 1280 MB of GDDR5. Their Geekbench OpenCL scores differ by only 800 points, making this a comparison defined by architectural trade-offs rather than a clear performance knockout.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark result available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it shows a narrow win for the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics. The Intel part scores 14315 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13515 points. That is a delta of 5.9% in favor of Intel, translating to a 800-point lead. This is not a dominant victory; it is closer to a statistical tie when you consider the margin of error typical in synthetic compute workloads.

What this score means in context matters more than the raw number. The Iris Xe MAX sits at the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 570 is at the 54th percentile. Both are mid-pack performers, but Intel edges ahead in overall standing. Looking at nearest rivals, the Iris Xe MAX is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD Radeon Vega 11 (14352 points, only 0.3% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14373 points, 0.4% higher). The GTX 570, meanwhile, is bracketed by the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13536 points, 0.2% higher) and the NVIDIA P106-090 (13470 points, 0.3% lower). So the Intel GPU is competing with much higher-tier legacy hardware, while the GTX 570 is trading blows with mobile and low-end desktop parts.

The win for Intel is driven by its significantly higher FP32 throughput. The Iris Xe MAX delivers 2.534 TFLOPS, while the GTX 570 manages 1,405.4 GFLOPS. That is a 80% advantage in raw floating-point compute for Intel. However, the GTX 570 fights back with its memory subsystem. It has 152.0 GB/s of bandwidth versus 68.26 GB/s for the Intel part, a 2.2x advantage for NVIDIA. The GTX 570 also has more texture mapping units (60 vs 48) and more ROPs (40 vs 24), which helps in fill-rate-bound scenarios. Yet none of that translated into a benchmark win here; the Geekbench OpenCL workload appears to favor compute throughput over memory bandwidth or fill rate.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is substantially ahead in FP32 compute, delivering 2.534 TFLOPS versus 1,405.4 GFLOPS for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570. This is an 80% advantage for Intel and is the primary reason it wins the OpenCL benchmark.

Q: How much faster is the winner in the head-to-head benchmark?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 14315 against 13515 for the GTX 570, a delta of 5.9%. The score difference is 800 points.

Q: Does the GTX 570 have any performance advantages?

A: Yes, the GTX 570 has a much faster memory interface. It offers 152.0 GB/s of bandwidth on a 320-bit bus, compared to 68.26 GB/s on a 128-bit bus for the Intel part. It also has more TMUs (60 vs 48) and ROPs (40 vs 24), which could benefit texture-heavy or fill-rate-limited workloads not captured in the OpenCL score.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics has 4 GB of LPDDR4X memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 has 1280 MB of GDDR5. The Intel part has over three times the memory capacity, which matters for modern workloads that exceed 1.5 GB.

Q: Which GPU has a better percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics ranks at the 56th percentile, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 ranks at the 54th percentile. The difference is small, but it indicates Intel's overall standing is slightly better.

Q: How do the nearest rivals compare for each GPU?

A: The Iris Xe MAX's closest rival is the AMD Radeon Vega 11, which scores 14352 points (0.3% higher). The GTX 570's closest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, which scores 13536 points (0.2% higher). Both GPUs are within 1% of their nearest competitors.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from completely different design philosophies. The Intel Iris Xe MAX is built on Generation 12.1 architecture (codenamed DG1) using a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry. It is a low-power, integrated-style part with a 25 W TDP and no display outputs, meaning it was designed as a companion or secondary GPU. The die size is 95 mm², which is remarkably small for the performance it delivers. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture (GF110 chip) on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It is a massive 520 mm² die containing 3,000 million transistors, with a transistor density of 5.8M / mm². The GTX 570 is a traditional discrete card with a 219 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, and two 6-pin power connectors.

The compute pipelines are also structured differently. The Iris Xe MAX has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The GTX 570 has 480 shading units, 60 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. Intel's advantage in shading units is offset by NVIDIA's lead in texture and pixel processing hardware. The GTX 570 also supports a higher DirectX feature level of 12 (11_0), while the Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but only Intel supports Vulkan 1.4; the GTX 570 has no Vulkan support listed. The Intel part supports PCIe 4.0 x8, while the GTX 570 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The GTX 570 has display outputs (2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a), while the Iris Xe MAX has none.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences are stark. The Intel Iris Xe MAX has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, while the GTX 570 has no base or boost clock listed. Memory clocks differ: Intel runs at 2133 MHz (4.3 Gbps effective), while NVIDIA runs at 950 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective). Memory size is 4 GB LPDDR4X for Intel versus 1280 MB GDDR5 for NVIDIA. Bus width is 128-bit for Intel versus 320-bit for NVIDIA. Bandwidth is 68.26 GB/s for Intel versus 152.0 GB/s for NVIDIA. TDP is 25 W for Intel versus 219 W for NVIDIA, and suggested PSU is 200 W versus 550 W. The slot width is IGP for Intel versus Dual-slot for NVIDIA, and power connectors are absent on Intel while the GTX 570 requires 2x 6-pin. The Intel part has a die size of 95 mm² and no transistor count listed, while the GTX 570 has a 520 mm² die with 3,000 million transistors. Release dates are 2020-10-30 for Intel and 2010-12-06 for NVIDIA. The GTX 570 has a launch MSRP of 349 USD; the Intel part has no launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but nuanced conclusion: the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is the better compute performer, but only by a small margin. Its 5.9% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is consistent with its higher percentile ranking (56th vs 54th) and its massive FP32 throughput advantage (2.534 TFLOPS vs 1,405.4 GFLOPS). If your workload is compute-bound, the Intel part is the safer pick. However, the GTX 570 is not obsolete in every way. Its 152.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and higher TMU/ROP counts suggest it could outperform in texture-heavy or pixel-bound scenarios, though no benchmark data confirms this. The GTX 570 also has the advantage of being a functional display adapter with dual DVI and mini-HDMI outputs, whereas the Iris Xe MAX has no outputs at all — it is strictly a compute accelerator. For a modern system, the Intel part's 4 GB memory capacity and PCIe 4.0 support make it more future-proof, even if its performance lead is narrow. The GTX 570's 1280 MB memory is a severe limitation for any modern application.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics wins in compute-heavy tasks. Its 2.534 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 5.069 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1) capability are far ahead of the GTX 570's 1,405.4 GFLOPS. It also wins on memory capacity (4 GB vs 1280 MB) and power efficiency, drawing only 25 W versus 219 W. The Intel part supports modern APIs like Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1), making it suitable for newer compute frameworks. It also has a higher pixel rate (39.60 GPixel/s vs 21.96 GPixel/s) and texture rate (79.20 GTexel/s vs 43.92 GTexel/s), despite having fewer TMUs and ROPs. This is because of the much higher clock speeds.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 wins on memory bandwidth (152.0 GB/s vs 68.26 GB/s) and bus width (320-bit vs 128-bit). It also has more TMUs (60 vs 48) and ROPs (40 vs 24), which could translate to better performance in fill-rate-limited games or applications. The GTX 570 has display outputs, so it can function as a primary GPU in a legacy system. It also has a higher transistor count (3,000 million vs unknown) and a larger die, which historically indicated more complex hardware. Its launch MSRP was 349 USD, though that is a historical figure. For anyone needing a working graphics card with traditional outputs, the GTX 570 is the only choice here. For anyone needing compute throughput with low power draw and modern API support, the Iris Xe MAX is the clear winner.