Intel UHD Graphics 730 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX130 Comparison

# Intel UHD Graphics 730 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX130

The Intel UHD Graphics 730 and NVIDIA GeForce MX130 represent two very different approaches to integrated and entry-level mobile graphics. The Intel part, built on Rocket Lake's Generation 12.1 architecture, launches as an IGP with 192 shading units, while the NVIDIA MX130, a Maxwell-based discrete chip from TSMC's 28 nm process, packs 384 shading units. Benchmark results show a split decision: the MX130 wins the OpenCL test with 6102 points against 5988, while the Intel UHD 730 takes the Vulkan test decisively with 5870 points versus 4914, a 19.5% margin. Neither GPU holds a commanding lead overall, and their percentile rankings sit close together at 33rd and 32nd percentile respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 holds the higher average benchmark score at 5929, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce MX130's 5508. This difference is driven primarily by the MX130's significantly lower Vulkan score.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in OpenCL performance?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 scores 6102, which is 1.9% higher than the Intel UHD Graphics 730's 5988. The delta is small enough that real-world differences would be negligible in most workloads.

Q: What explains the Intel UHD 730's Vulkan win?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 scores 5870 in Geekbench Vulkan, beating the MX130's 4914 by 19.5%. This substantial margin suggests Intel's Generation 12.1 architecture has a more efficient Vulkan driver stack or better hardware-level support for the API's features.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and what is the impact?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 has 384 shading units, exactly double the Intel UHD 730's 192. This explains the MX130's higher FP32 throughput of 913.2 GFLOPS versus 499.2 GFLOPS, yet the Intel part still manages to win the Vulkan test, indicating architectural efficiency differences.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each GPU?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 has a TDP of 15 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 is rated at 30 W. The MX130 consumes twice the power budget, which is consistent with its dedicated memory and higher clock speeds.

Q: How does memory configuration differ between the two?

A: The Intel UHD 730 uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth described as System Dependent. The MX130 features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 40.10 GB/s of dedicated bandwidth. This gives the MX130 a significant advantage in memory-bound scenarios.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different use cases. For Vulkan-based applications and games, the Intel UHD Graphics 730 is the stronger choice, delivering a 19.5% performance advantage. Its lower 15 W TDP also makes it more suitable for power-constrained ultraportable designs. However, for OpenCL compute workloads and applications that benefit from dedicated memory bandwidth, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 holds the edge, with 40.10 GB/s of GDDR5 bandwidth versus the Intel part's system-shared memory. The MX130's higher FP32 throughput of 913.2 GFLOPS nearly doubles the Intel's 499.2 GFLOPS, making it the better option for raw compute tasks. Users prioritizing Vulkan gaming should lean toward Intel, while those running OpenCL-accelerated productivity apps should consider the MX130. Neither GPU ranks highly overall, sitting at the 33rd and 32nd percentiles, so expectations for modern AAA titles should remain modest.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two benchmark tests reveal a split decision with distinct winners. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 scores 6102, surpassing the Intel UHD Graphics 730's 5988 by a margin of 1.9%. While this is a win for NVIDIA, the delta is narrow, and both scores fall within a similar performance band. The MX130's advantage likely stems from its higher shading unit count (384 versus 192) and dedicated GDDR5 memory, which reduces latency and improves throughput in compute-heavy OpenCL workloads.

The Vulkan test tells a different story. The Intel UHD Graphics 730 posts a score of 5870, while the MX130 manages only 4914. The 19.5% delta in Intel's favor is substantial and cannot be explained by raw hardware specifications alone, given the MX130's superior FP32 rate and memory bandwidth. This points to architectural advantages in Intel's Generation 12.1 design, particularly in how it handles Vulkan's command buffers and synchronization primitives. The Intel part's pixel rate of 10.40 GPixel/s also exceeds the MX130's 9.512 GPixel/s, suggesting better rasterization efficiency despite fewer ROPs or TMUs.

Across both tests, the Intel UHD 730 wins one benchmark and the MX130 wins the other, resulting in a 1-1 tie. The average benchmark score, however, favors Intel at 5929 versus 5508, because the MX130's Vulkan deficit is much larger than its OpenCL advantage. The MX130's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501, 0.1% delta) and AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483, 0.5% delta), placing it in a performance class that is closely packed. The Intel UHD 730's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8730M (5955, -0.4% delta) and NVIDIA Quadro K620M (5957, -0.5% delta), showing it sits just below those parts in average score.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification. The Intel UHD Graphics 730 is built on Intel's 14 nm+++ process node, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 uses TSMC's 28 nm process. The MX130's die measures 77 mm² with 1,020 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 13.2M per mm²; the Intel part does not list transistor count, die size, or density in the data. Clock speeds diverge significantly: the Intel UHD 730 has a base clock of 300 MHz and boost clock of 1300 MHz, whereas the MX130 operates at a base of 1109 MHz and boost of 1189 MHz. The MX130's memory runs at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the Intel part's memory clock is listed as System Shared.

Memory configuration is another major split. The MX130 offers 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 40.10 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel UHD 730 uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth, meaning performance varies with the host system's RAM. Shading units differ by a factor of two: 192 for Intel versus 384 for NVIDIA. TMUs also double from 12 to 24, while both parts have 8 ROPs. The MX130's texture rate of 28.54 GTexel/s far exceeds the Intel's 15.60 GTexel/s, and its FP32 of 913.2 GFLOPS nearly doubles the Intel's 499.2 GFLOPS. The Intel part does have a higher pixel rate at 10.40 GPixel/s versus 9.512 GPixel/s.

Power characteristics differ as well: the Intel UHD 730 has a 15 W TDP, while the MX130 is rated at 30 W. Both use an IGP slot width, but the MX130 has no power connectors and uses a PCIe 3.0 x4 bus interface, whereas the Intel part uses a Ring Bus. Display outputs are Motherboard Dependent for Intel and Portable Device Dependent for NVIDIA, reflecting their target platforms. The MX130 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), a higher feature level. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Architecture Differences

The Intel UHD Graphics 730 is built on the Generation 12.1 architecture, which is part of the Rocket Lake HD Graphics family. This architecture is fabricated on Intel's 14 nm+++ process, a mature node that Intel has optimized for power efficiency. The GPU is integrated into the processor package, using System Shared memory and a Ring Bus interface, which ties it to the CPU's internal interconnect. The Generation 12.1 architecture supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12_1, which includes features like conservative rasterization and rasterizer-ordered views, giving it a feature advantage over the MX130's DirectX 12 (11_0) support.

The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 uses the Maxwell architecture, specifically the GM108S chip, manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process. Maxwell was designed as a power-efficient architecture for entry-level discrete GPUs, and the MX130's 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die reflect a compact design optimized for 30 W TDP. The MX130's 384 shading units are organized in a configuration that delivers 28.54 GTexel/s texture rate, but its 8 ROPs match the Intel part, limiting pixel throughput. The MX130 has no FP16 capability listed, while the Intel UHD 730 achieves 998.4 GFLOPS FP16 via a 2:1 ratio from its FP32 rate.

The MX130's dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 40.10 GB/s bandwidth is a fundamental architectural advantage, as it does not compete with the system for memory access. The Intel UHD 730's System Shared memory means its bandwidth is System Dependent, which can vary widely based on the platform's memory configuration. This architectural difference likely explains the MX130's OpenCL win, where memory bandwidth is often a bottleneck. Conversely, the Intel UHD 730's Vulkan performance advantage may stem from the Generation 12.1 architecture's newer command processor and driver optimizations, which allow it to extract more performance per shading unit in API-specific workloads. The MX130's release in 2017 and the Intel part's 2021 launch also reflect different design eras, with Intel's newer architecture benefiting from more recent API developments.