Intel UHD Graphics 730 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 Comparison

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but narrow hierarchy. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is the stronger performer in raw compute, posting a Geekbench OpenCL score of 6698, which is 11.9% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics 730’s 5988 in the same test. The GT 1010 also holds a higher position in the overall GPU percentile ranking, sitting at the 38th percentile compared to the Intel’s 33rd. This makes the GT 1010 the pick for anyone who needs a discrete, low-profile card that slots into a PCIe slot and delivers consistent standalone performance without taxing the system’s power delivery, given its 30 W TDP and 200 W suggested PSU.

The Intel UHD Graphics 730 is the better choice for a completely different use case: it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built into the CPU, drawing only 15 W, and requiring no extra power connectors or slot space. It loses the compute race by 11.9%, but it wins on simplicity and system integration. For a basic office PC, a media center, or a build where adding any discrete card is undesirable, the UHD 730 is entirely serviceable. Its Vulkan score of 5870 is close to its OpenCL result, suggesting a balanced API implementation. Pick the GT 1010 for dedicated graphics muscle in a small form factor; pick the UHD 730 for a zero-additions, low-power integrated solution. Neither part is current, as both are marked end-of-life, but they serve opposite ends of the builder’s spectrum.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is built on the Pascal architecture, utilizing the GP108 chip, and is fabricated on a 14 nm process at Samsung. This is a discrete GPU with its own dedicated memory subsystem. In contrast, the Intel UHD Graphics 730 is part of the Generation 12.1 architecture, based on the Rocket Lake chip, and is manufactured on Intel’s 14 nm+++ process. The Intel part is not a standalone chip but an integrated graphics solution that shares system memory.

The memory situation is fundamentally different. The GT 1010 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering a fixed 48.06 GB/s of bandwidth. The UHD 730 uses System Shared memory, with a bus width and type also listed as System Shared, and bandwidth described as System Dependent. This means the Intel GPU’s performance is tied to the speed and configuration of the host system’s RAM, while the NVIDIA card has a predictable, dedicated pool.

In terms of compute resources, the GT 1010 packs 256 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The UHD 730 has fewer shading units at 192, fewer TMUs at 12, but the same 8 ROPs. Clock speeds also differ substantially: the GT 1010 has a base clock of 1228 MHz and a boost clock of 1468 MHz, while the UHD 730 idles at a 300 MHz base and boosts to 1300 MHz. The higher core count and higher clocks give the NVIDIA part a decisive edge in raw throughput.

Both cards support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so there is no API feature-level difference in the recorded data. The GT 1010 is a single-slot card with no power connectors, while the UHD 730 is an IGP with no physical dimensions or power connector requirements at all. The NVIDIA card connects via PCIe 3.0 x4, while the Intel solution uses a Ring Bus interface, reflecting its integration into the CPU die.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 wins in every benchmark category where both parts have a recorded score. In the sole head-to-head test, Geekbench OpenCL, the GT 1010 scores 6698 against the UHD 730’s 5988, a delta of 11.9%. This advantage is consistent with its higher shading unit count, higher boost clock, and dedicated GDDR5 memory. The GT 1010 also has a higher pixel rate at 11.74 GPixel/s versus 10.40 GPixel/s, and a texture rate of 23.49 GTexel/s versus 15.60 GTexel/s. For any workload that stresses raw pixel filling or texture sampling, the NVIDIA card is the clear leader.

The Intel UHD Graphics 730 wins on integration and efficiency. Its TDP is 15 W, exactly half of the GT 1010’s 30 W. It requires no power connectors, no slot space, and no additional PSU headroom. The GT 1010’s suggested PSU is 200 W, while the UHD 730 has none listed, meaning it draws entirely from the motherboard. For a compact prebuilt or a low-power server that needs basic display output, the UHD 730 is the only sensible choice, despite its lower performance.

The Vulkan score for the UHD 730, 5870, is not directly comparable to the GT 1010 because no Vulkan score is recorded for the NVIDIA card in the database. However, it indicates that the Intel part is reasonably balanced across APIs. The GT 1010’s single recorded benchmark is OpenCL only. In the nearest rival comparisons, the GT 1010 sits within 1.9% of the AMD FirePro M5100 and 1% of the AMD Radeon R7 M370, while the UHD 730 is within 0.9% of the NVIDIA Quadro K4000, showing that both parts are closely matched to their immediate competitors.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in compute workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is faster. It scores 6698 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 11.9% higher than the Intel UHD Graphics 730’s 5988.

Q: Does the Intel UHD Graphics 730 have its own memory?

A: No. The UHD 730 uses System Shared memory, with its bandwidth listed as System Dependent. The GT 1010, by contrast, has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus with 48.06 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Can the Intel UHD Graphics 730 be installed in a PCIe slot?

A: No. It is an IGP, meaning it is integrated into the processor. The GT 1010 is a single-slot discrete card that connects via PCIe 3.0 x4.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 has a 15 W TDP, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 has a 30 W TDP. The GT 1010 also lists a 200 W suggested PSU, while the UHD 730 has no such requirement.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. There is no difference in the recorded API feature set.

Q: How does each compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GT 1010 is 1% behind the AMD Radeon R7 M370 and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M460. The UHD 730 is 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8730M and 0.9% behind the NVIDIA Quadro K4000.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a decisive win for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010. The GT 1010 scores 6698, while the Intel UHD Graphics 730 manages 5988. That is an 11.9% advantage for the NVIDIA card. To put this in perspective, the GT 1010’s score places it at the 38th percentile of all GPUs in the database, whereas the UHD 730 sits at the 33rd percentile. The gap is not enormous in percentile terms, but it is consistent with the underlying hardware differences.

The GT 1010’s advantage is most pronounced in texture throughput. It delivers 23.49 GTexel/s against the UHD 730’s 15.60 GTexel/s, a 50.6% lead in that metric. Pixel rate is closer but still favors the NVIDIA part: 11.74 GPixel/s versus 10.40 GPixel/s, a 12.9% lead. Floating-point performance follows the same pattern, with the GT 1010 achieving 751.6 GFLOPS against the UHD 730’s 499.2 GFLOPS, a 50.6% difference. Even the memory clock differs, with the GT 1010 running its GDDR5 at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) against the UHD 730’s system-dependent shared memory.

The Intel part does have one recorded advantage: its FP16 throughput. The UHD 730 lists 998.4 GFLOPS (2:1) for FP16, while the GT 1010 has no FP16 figure recorded. This suggests the Intel architecture can handle half-precision workloads at a higher rate than its FP32, but since no FP16 benchmark is present, it is not possible to verify a real-world win. In the recorded benchmarks, the GT 1010 wins the only test that compares both directly.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every core specification. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 uses the GP108 chip with the Pascal architecture, while the Intel UHD Graphics 730 uses the Rocket Lake chip with the Generation 12.1 architecture. The process node is 14 nm for the GT 1010 and 14 nm+++ for the UHD 730, both fabricated by different foundries: Samsung for NVIDIA, Intel for Intel.

The GT 1010 has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The UHD 730 has 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Base clocks are 1228 MHz for the GT 1010 and 300 MHz for the UHD 730; boost clocks are 1468 MHz and 1300 MHz, respectively. The GT 1010’s memory is 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 48.06 GB/s bandwidth, while the UHD 730 uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

The GT 1010 has a 30 W TDP, is single-slot, has no power connectors, and suggests a 200 W PSU. The UHD 730 has a 15 W TDP, is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and no PSU suggestion. The GT 1010’s display outputs are 1x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 2.0, while the UHD 730’s outputs are motherboard dependent. The GT 1010 uses a PCIe 3.0 x4 bus interface; the UHD 730 uses a Ring Bus. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GT 1010 has a die size of 74 mm² with 1,800 million transistors, while the UHD 730 has no die size or transistor count recorded. The GT 1010 was released on 2021-01-12, and the UHD 730 on 2021-03-29. Both are end-of-life.