Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs NVIDIA T400 4 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data includes a single shared benchmark between the NVIDIA T400 4 GB and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA T400 4 GB scores 17,320 points, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14,315 points. This gives the NVIDIA part a 21% advantage in raw compute performance, a substantial margin that places it clearly ahead in the only direct comparison available.

The NVIDIA T400 4 GB records a win in this head-to-head matchup, with one victory and zero for the Intel part. The 21% delta is significant enough to suggest that the T400’s architecture and memory subsystem deliver superior throughput for OpenCL workloads. In practical terms, this means tasks that rely heavily on general-purpose GPU compute, such as rendering, video encoding, or scientific simulations, would see measurable gains on the NVIDIA solution.

Conversely, the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics does not secure a single win in the recorded head-to-head data. Its 14,315 OpenCL score places it in a different performance tier, as evidenced by its nearest rivals. The Intel part sits just 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon Vega 11 (14,352 points) and 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14,385 points), while also being 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti (14,277 points) and 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373 points). These narrow margins indicate that the Iris Xe MAX is competitive with a cluster of older or lower-tier discrete GPUs, but it cannot match the T400’s absolute performance.

The NVIDIA T400 4 GB, by contrast, sits in a higher percentile bracket. Its average benchmark score is 16,792 points, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (16,696 points, 0.6% behind), the NVIDIA Tesla M4 (16,932 points, 0.8% ahead), the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17,019 points, 1.3% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037 points, 1.4% ahead). This context shows that the T400 is not merely ahead of the Iris Xe MAX; it is performing at a level that rivals much newer or more powerful GPUs, while the Intel part is nearer to the bottom of its own comparison group.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only direct benchmark in the database?

A: The NVIDIA T400 4 GB wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 17,320 against the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics’ 14,315, a 21% difference.

Q: How does the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics compare to its nearest rivals?

A: It is 0.3% slower than the AMD Radeon Vega 11 (14,352), 0.5% slower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14,385), 0.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti (14,277), and 0.4% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373).

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

A: The NVIDIA T400 4 GB has an average benchmark score of 16,792 points. The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics has an average benchmark score of 14,315 points.

Q: How does the NVIDIA T400 4 GB rank against its nearest rivals?

A: It is 0.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (16,696), 0.8% slower than the NVIDIA Tesla M4 (16,932), 1.3% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17,019), and 1.4% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037).

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: Both are listed as end-of-life products. The NVIDIA T400 4 GB was released on 2021-05-05, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics was released on 2020-10-30.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA T400 4 GB is built on the TU117 chip, which uses the Turing architecture and belongs to the Quadro Turing (Tx000) generation. It is manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC, with 4,700 million transistors packed onto a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5M per mm². The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics uses the DG1 chip, based on the Generation 12.1 architecture, and is part of the Xe Graphics generation. It is built on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 95 mm²; transistor count and density are not recorded.

The memory subsystems differ significantly. The NVIDIA T400 4 GB uses 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 80.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics also has 4 GB, but it uses LPDDR4X memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 68.26 GB/s. Despite the wider bus, the Intel part has lower total bandwidth due to the slower memory type.

Compute resources are distributed differently as well. The NVIDIA T400 has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The Intel Iris Xe MAX has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, essentially doubling the execution units. However, the recorded clock speeds tell a different story: the NVIDIA part has a base clock of 420 MHz and a boost clock of 1425 MHz, while the Intel part has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. The higher boost clock on Intel helps, but the T400’s memory bandwidth and architecture compensates in practice.

Pixel and texture rates reflect these differences. The NVIDIA T400 achieves 22.80 GPixel/s and 34.20 GTexel/s, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX achieves 39.60 GPixel/s and 79.20 GTexel/s. The Intel part has higher raw fill rates, but this does not translate into a higher OpenCL score. FP32 performance is 1,094.4 GFLOPS for the NVIDIA part and 2.534 TFLOPS for the Intel part, again favoring Intel on paper. FP16 performance is 2.189 TFLOPS for NVIDIA and 5.069 TFLOPS for Intel, both using a 2:1 ratio.

Neither GPU includes ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The NVIDIA part has no power connectors, while the Intel part has none recorded. The bus interface differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for NVIDIA and PCIe 4.0 x8 for Intel. Display outputs are another clear split: the NVIDIA T400 has 3x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX has no outputs, indicating it is designed as an integrated or companion GPU rather than a standalone card.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across many recorded specifications. The chip and architecture are distinct: TU117 with Turing versus DG1 with Generation 12.1. The process node is 12 nm for NVIDIA and 10 nm for Intel. The foundry is TSMC for NVIDIA and Intel for Intel. Transistor count is 4,700 million for NVIDIA, while it is not recorded for Intel. Die size is 200 mm² for NVIDIA and 95 mm² for Intel, and transistor density is 23.5M per mm² for NVIDIA, unrecorded for Intel.

Clock speeds vary. NVIDIA has a base clock of 420 MHz and a boost clock of 1425 MHz. Intel has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. Memory clocks are 1250 MHz (10 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA and 2133 MHz (4.3 Gbps effective) for Intel. Memory type is GDDR6 for NVIDIA and LPDDR4X for Intel. Bus width is 64 bit for NVIDIA and 128 bit for Intel. Bandwidth is 80.00 GB/s for NVIDIA and 68.26 GB/s for Intel.

Shading units are 384 for NVIDIA and 768 for Intel. TMUs are 24 vs 48, and ROPs are 16 vs 24. Pixel rate is 22.80 GPixel/s vs 39.60 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 34.20 GTexel/s vs 79.20 GTexel/s. FP32 is 1,094.4 GFLOPS vs 2.534 TFLOPS. FP16 is 2.189 TFLOPS vs 5.069 TFLOPS. TDP is 30 W for NVIDIA and 25 W for Intel. Slot width is single-slot for NVIDIA and IGP for Intel. Power connectors are none for NVIDIA and unrecorded for Intel. Bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 for NVIDIA and PCIe 4.0 x8 for Intel. Display outputs are 3x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a for NVIDIA and none for Intel. Release dates are 2021-05-05 for NVIDIA and 2020-10-30 for Intel. Predecessors are Quadro Volta for NVIDIA and Graphics for Intel. Successors are Workstation Ampere for NVIDIA and Alchemist for Intel. Both share the same DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan versions.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA T400 4 GB wins in any scenario where raw compute performance is the deciding factor, based on the 21% OpenCL lead over the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics. Its average benchmark score of 16,792 points versus 14,315 points for the Intel part reinforces this. The T400’s GDDR6 memory with 80.00 GB/s bandwidth, while on a narrower 64-bit bus, provides faster effective throughput than the Intel part’s LPDDR4X at 68.26 GB/s. The T400 is also a discrete, single-slot card with 3x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, making it suitable for workstation environments where dedicated display connectivity is required. Its 30 W TDP and lack of power connectors mean it can fit into low-power systems without additional cabling.

The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, despite losing the head-to-head benchmark, has its own strengths. It offers higher pixel and texture rates (39.60 GPixel/s and 79.20 GTexel/s versus 22.80 and 34.20 for NVIDIA), and more than double the FP32 compute (2.534 TFLOPS versus 1,094.4 GFLOPS). Its 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs suggest it could excel in tasks that are fill-rate limited or that scale well with shader count, even if the OpenCL result does not reflect this. The 25 W TDP is lower than the NVIDIA part’s 30 W, and its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface offers higher per-lane bandwidth than PCIe 3.0 x16, though the narrower width limits total throughput. The lack of display outputs means it is not a primary graphics card; it is better suited as a companion or embedded GPU where computation is more important than output.

In summary, the NVIDIA T400 4 GB is the stronger choice for OpenCL-heavy workloads and any task requiring a discrete GPU with standard display outputs. The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is more competitive on paper for certain compute metrics, but the recorded benchmark data shows it trailing by a meaningful margin. For users prioritizing raw OpenCL performance, the T400 is clearly superior. For those who need higher theoretical fill rates or lower power consumption, the Intel part has qualitative advantages, but it does not convert those into a benchmark win in the database.