Intel UHD Graphics P750 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M Comparison

The Intel UHD Graphics P750 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M occupy nearly the same performance tier, but they achieve it through entirely different design philosophies. The P750 is an integrated solution from Intel’s Rocket Lake generation, while the GT 555M is a dedicated mobile GPU from NVIDIA’s Fermi era. Benchmark data shows a single decisive test, with the Intel part edging ahead by a narrow margin, yet the underlying specifications tell a story of trade-offs in memory, power, and architecture that matter more than the score alone.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark record is minimal but clear: the Intel UHD Graphics P750 wins the only comparison available, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 6554 against the GT 555M’s 6493. That is a 0.9% advantage for Intel, which is effectively a statistical tie in real-world terms. However, wins are not just about the final number. The P750’s victory stems from its raw compute throughput, which is nearly double that of the GT 555M in FP32 operations — 665.6 GFLOPS versus 339.8 GFLOPS. This suggests the Intel part has a theoretical edge in workloads that scale with shader count and clock speed, such as compute-heavy filters or physics simulations.

The GT 555M, despite losing the benchmark, wins in the categories that historically mattered for gaming laptops of its era: dedicated memory and bandwidth. It has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The P750 uses system shared memory, with bandwidth listed as “System Dependent,” meaning its performance can vary wildly based on the platform’s RAM speed and configuration. For sustained texture streaming or large frame buffers, the GT 555M’s fixed memory allocation is an advantage that the benchmark does not capture. Thus, the Intel part wins on compute density per watt, while the NVIDIA part wins on memory independence and consistency.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is generational and foundational. The Intel UHD Graphics P750 is built on Intel’s 14 nm+++ process, using the Generation 12.1 architecture, which is part of the Rocket Lake HD Graphics-W family. It integrates 256 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M uses TSMC’s 40 nm process with the older Fermi architecture, packing 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Intel chip’s process advantage allows a significantly higher transistor density and clock behavior, with a base clock of 350 MHz and a boost of 1300 MHz, whereas the GT 555M’s core clocks are not listed in the data.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The P750 has no dedicated VRAM; it relies on system memory, which is shared with the CPU. The GT 555M has its own 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit interface. This means the Intel part’s memory performance is dependent on the host system’s RAM, while the NVIDIA part operates independently. The GT 555M also has a higher TDP at 35 W versus the P750’s 15 W, reflecting the cost of dedicated memory and a separate chip. The P750 is an IGP with a Ring Bus interface, while the GT 555M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. In terms of API support, the Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan listing.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, shows the Intel UHD Graphics P750 scoring 6554 against the GT 555M’s 6493, a delta of 0.9% in favor of Intel. This is a narrow victory, but it is consistent with the compute specs: the P750’s FP32 output of 665.6 GFLOPS is 95.9% higher than the GT 555M’s 339.8 GFLOPS. Likewise, the texture rate of the Intel part is 83.20 GTexel/s versus 14.16 GTexel/s for the NVIDIA part, a 5.9x difference. The pixel rate also favors Intel, at 41.60 GPixel/s compared to 3.540 GPixel/s. These raw throughput numbers suggest the P750 should win by a larger margin than 0.9%, but the benchmark’s OpenCL workload may be limited by memory bandwidth or driver overhead, particularly given the P750’s system-shared memory.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the P750 sits at the 38th percentile of all GPUs, while the GT 555M is at the 37th percentile. The P750’s closest competitor, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M, scores 6581, which is 0.4% higher. The GT 555M’s closest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M, scores 6481, which is 0.2% lower. Both cards are effectively interchangeable in this metric, but the Intel part’s higher raw compute suggests it will age better in compute tasks, while the NVIDIA part’s dedicated memory may hold up better in gaming scenarios where consistent frame times matter more than peak throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher benchmark score?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics P750 scores 6554 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M scores 6493. The Intel part leads by 0.9%.

Q: How do their memory configurations differ?

A: The GT 555M has 1024 MB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The P750 uses system shared memory with no fixed size or bandwidth, listed as “System Dependent.”

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics P750 has a TDP of 15 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W. The Intel part is more power-efficient.

Q: Which GPU supports Vulkan?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics P750 supports Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has no Vulkan support listed in the data.

Q: How do their shading unit counts compare?

A: The Intel part has 256 shading units, while the GT 555M has 144 shading units. The Intel part also has more TMUs (64 vs 24) and ROPs (32 vs 16).

Q: Are they both end-of-life products?

A: Yes, both the Intel UHD Graphics P750 and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M are listed as end-of-life in the production status.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but nuanced choice. If you need raw compute throughput and power efficiency, the Intel UHD Graphics P750 is the better pick. It delivers 665.6 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, a 1300 MHz boost clock, and a 15 W TDP, making it suitable for thin-and-light systems where battery life is paramount. Its support for Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1) also gives it a modern API advantage. The 0.9% benchmark lead over the GT 555M, while small, is backed by significantly higher texture and pixel rates.

If your priority is consistent memory performance in a discrete GPU form factor, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M is the safer choice for older gaming laptops. Its dedicated 1024 MB of DDR3 with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth means it does not compete with the CPU for RAM access, which can be a bottleneck for integrated graphics. However, its 35 W TDP and 40 nm process make it less efficient, and its compute capabilities are roughly half of the Intel part’s. The GT 555M also lacks Vulkan support, which limits its future-proofing.

For most modern workloads, the Intel UHD Graphics P750 is the stronger option due to its architectural advantages and lower power draw. For legacy gaming scenarios where memory bandwidth is the limiting factor, the GT 555M retains a niche advantage. The benchmark data alone cannot separate them meaningfully — the 0.9% delta is within noise — so the decision should rest on system requirements and the specific memory and API needs of your software.

Specification Differences

• Process Node: Intel UHD Graphics P750 is 14 nm+++ (Intel foundry); NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M is 40 nm (TSMC).
• Transistors: GT 555M has 1,170 million on a 238 mm² die; P750 has no transistor count listed.
• Core Configuration: P750 has 256 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs; GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, 16 ROPs.
• Clocks: P750 has a base clock of 350 MHz and boost of 1300 MHz; GT 555M has no base or boost clocks listed, only memory clock at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).
• Memory: P750 uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth; GT 555M has 1024 MB DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.
• FP32 Performance: P750 is 665.6 GFLOPS; GT 555M is 339.8 GFLOPS.
• Pixel/Texture Rates: P750 is 41.60 GPixel/s and 83.20 GTexel/s; GT 555M is 3.540 GPixel/s and 14.16 GTexel/s.
• TDP: P750 is 15 W; GT 555M is 35 W.
• Bus Interface: P750 uses Ring Bus; GT 555M uses PCIe 2.0 x16.
• API Support: P750 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4; GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and no Vulkan.
• Release Date: GT 555M was released on 2011-07-01; P750 has no release date listed.
• Successor/Predecessor: GT 555M’s predecessor is GeForce 400M and successor is GeForce 600M; P750 has none listed.