Intel HD Graphics P4600

The Intel HD Graphics P4600 is an end-of-life integrated graphics processor based on the Haswell GT2 chip, built on Intel's 22 nm process. Benchmark results place it in the 19th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is positioned firmly in the entry-level segment, with performance that is competitive with older discrete mobile GPUs but far from modern gaming standards. Its single Geekbench OpenCL score of 3376 points serves as the primary metric for comparison, showing a processor that trades blows with low-end NVIDIA parts from several generations ago.

How It Compares

Against the NVIDIA GeForce 920MX, the P4600 shows a negligible 0.7% advantage in average benchmark score. This places the two effectively on par, meaning the integrated Intel solution can keep pace with a low-end discrete mobile GPU from NVIDIA's 900 series. In practical terms, this indicates the P4600 is suitable for similar workloads as the 920MX, such as basic multimedia and light productivity, but neither part offers meaningful gaming capability at modern resolutions.

The NVIDIA Quadro 2000M holds a 1.5% lead over the P4600, a margin so small it falls within typical run-to-run variance. The Quadro 2000M is a professional mobile workstation GPU, yet the data shows the integrated P4600 nearly matches it in raw compute performance. This suggests that for OpenCL-based tasks, the P4600 delivers performance comparable to a professional-grade part from an earlier era, though the Quadro likely offers better driver optimization for specific professional applications.

Looking at the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740, the P4600 comes out 2.2% ahead. The GT 740 is a desktop discrete card, and being faster than it is a notable achievement for an integrated solution. This result indicates that the P4600's compute capabilities exceed those of a low-end desktop GPU, making it a viable option for systems where a separate graphics card would provide only marginal compute benefits.

The NVIDIA GeForce 920M trails the P4600 by 3.4%, making it the most decisively beaten rival in the comparison set. The 920M is another entry-level mobile discrete GPU, and the data shows the integrated Intel part outperforming it. This reinforces the conclusion that the P4600, despite being integrated, can outperform some older low-end discrete solutions in pure compute benchmarks.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Intel HD Graphics P4600 does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these hardware features are absent from the Haswell GT2 architecture. Ray tracing workloads, therefore, rely entirely on compute shaders, a method that is significantly less efficient than dedicated hardware acceleration. Benchmark data provides no ray tracing scores, indicating this is not a strength of the part.

In terms of API support, the P4600 offers DirectX 12 (11_1) and OpenGL 4.3, along with Vulkan 1.0. This API set provides compatibility with modern graphics frameworks, but the DirectX 12 support is limited to the 11_1 feature level, which restricts access to some advanced features available on newer hardware. The Vulkan 1.0 support is present but does not include later revisions, potentially limiting performance in games that rely on newer Vulkan extensions.

The feature set is rounded out by a pixel rate of 2.400 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 24.00 GTexel/s, reflecting the modest number of ROPs (2) and TMUs (20). These figures indicate the P4600 is not designed for high-fill-rate workloads, and its rendering capabilities are capped well below what modern games require at high resolutions. The architecture is Generation 7.5, which was introduced with the Haswell lineup, and it represents a mid-generation update to Intel's graphics core.

Benchmark Performance

The P4600's average benchmark score of 3376 points places it in the 19th percentile of all GPUs, a clear indication of its low absolute performance level. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 3376 is the sole benchmark data point, and it serves as the basis for all comparisons. This score reflects the integrated part's compute throughput, which is driven by 160 shading units operating at a base clock of 350 MHz and a boost clock of 1200 MHz.

The data shows a tight cluster of rival scores, with the NVIDIA GeForce 920MX at 3354 and the NVIDIA Quadro 2000M at 3429. The P4600's 0.7% advantage over the 920MX translates to a raw score difference of just 22 points, which is negligible in real-world terms. Conversely, the 1.5% deficit to the Quadro 2000M represents a 53-point gap, again a minimal difference. These margins confirm that the P4600 sits in a performance band where rival parts are effectively interchangeable.

The more favorable comparisons come against the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740 (score 3304) and the NVIDIA GeForce 920M (score 3266). The P4600 leads the GT 740 by 2.2% (a 72-point gap) and the 920M by 3.4% (a 110-point gap). These deltas, while still small, show the P4600 is consistently ahead of these two rivals, which are themselves low-end parts. The overall picture is one of a GPU that competes in the lowest performance tier, where score differences of a few percent are the norm.

Power and Cooling

The Intel HD Graphics P4600 has a thermal design power (TDP) of 84 W, which is a system-level figure that includes the entire processor package, not just the graphics portion. As an integrated graphics processor (IGP), it occupies a slot width of "IGP," meaning it does not require a discrete expansion slot. The power delivery is handled through the motherboard, and no power connectors are listed for the part.

Because the P4600 is integrated into the Haswell CPU, there is no suggested PSU rating provided in the data. The absence of a power connector requirement and a suggested PSU indicates that the graphics portion draws power from the motherboard's existing CPU power delivery circuitry. This makes the P4600 inherently low-maintenance from a power standpoint, as it does not add any additional load beyond what the host processor already demands.

Cooling is likewise handled by the CPU cooler, as the IGP does not have its own thermal solution. The 84 W TDP is the total package power, meaning the graphics component is a fraction of that figure. For system builders, this means no additional cooling considerations are necessary beyond what a standard Haswell CPU requires. The end-of-life status suggests that replacement parts are no longer manufactured, but existing systems with this IGP will continue to operate within their original thermal envelope.

Who Should Consider It

The benchmark data positions the P4600 as suitable for basic computing tasks rather than gaming or intensive graphics workloads. With a 19th percentile ranking and scores that barely exceed 3300 in Geekbench OpenCL, this IGP is appropriate for office productivity, web browsing, and media playback at standard resolutions. Users who primarily run spreadsheets, word processors, and video streaming will find the P4600 adequate, as these tasks do not stress the graphics core heavily.

For gaming, the P4600 is only viable at low resolutions and low settings for older or less demanding titles. The 2.400 GPixel/s pixel rate and 384.0 GFLOPS FP32 performance severely limit the frame rates possible in modern 3D games. At 1080p, even esports titles will struggle, and the data suggests that 720p with reduced detail settings is the realistic ceiling. Users seeking any form of modern gaming should look to discrete GPUs, as the P4600's performance relative to the GeForce GT 740 (which is itself a low-end part) demonstrates its limitations.

The P4600 is best suited for office desktops and home theater PCs where discrete graphics are unnecessary. Its performance parity with the NVIDIA GeForce 920MX means it can handle similar workloads, which include video decoding and light photo editing. The integrated nature of the part simplifies system design, as there is no separate card to install or power. For users with older Haswell-based systems, the P4600 provides a baseline level of graphics capability that matches the era of its release.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem of the Intel HD Graphics P4600 is entirely system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," which means the IGP uses a portion of the host system's main memory for graphics operations. This design choice eliminates the cost of dedicated memory but introduces a performance penalty, as the graphics core competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," indicating that the effective bandwidth available to the GPU varies based on the system's memory configuration. A system with dual-channel DDR3 memory will provide more bandwidth than a single-channel configuration, directly impacting graphics performance. This dependency means that two systems with the same CPU can exhibit different P4600 performance levels based solely on their memory setups.

For high resolutions, the system-shared memory architecture is a significant bottleneck. The lack of dedicated VRAM means that texture storage and frame buffer data must reside in main memory, which is slower and has higher latency than dedicated GDDR memory. At resolutions like 1440p or 4K, the memory subsystem would be overwhelmed, but the compute performance (384.0 GFLOPS) is already insufficient for these resolutions regardless. The system-shared design works adequately for low-resolution desktop use, but it is a limiting factor for any graphics-intensive application.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel HD Graphics P4600 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce 920MX?

A: The P4600 holds a 0.7% average score advantage over the GeForce 920MX, with respective scores of 3376 and 3354. This makes the two parts effectively equal in OpenCL compute performance.

Q: Does the Intel HD Graphics P4600 support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, the P4600 supports DirectX 12, but only at the 11_1 feature level. It also supports OpenGL 4.3 and Vulkan 1.0.

Q: What is the thermal design power (TDP) of the Intel HD Graphics P4600?

A: The TDP is listed as 84 W, which covers the entire processor package. The graphics portion is integrated into the CPU and does not have its own power connectors or PSU recommendation.

Q: Can the Intel HD Graphics P4600 handle modern games?

A: The benchmark data shows a 19th percentile ranking and a 2.400 GPixel/s pixel rate, indicating it is only suitable for older or less demanding games at low resolutions and settings. It outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740 by 2.2%, but that part is itself a low-end GPU.

Q: How much video memory does the Intel HD Graphics P4600 have?

A: The P4600 has no dedicated video memory. All memory is system-shared, with the size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all dependent on the host system's main memory configuration.

Q: What is the production status of the Intel HD Graphics P4600?

A: The P4600 is end-of-life, having been released on May 31, 2013. It has no listed launch MSRP, and no successor is specified in the data.