GeForce 845M vs Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

NVIDIA

GeForce 845M

2015Core: 1071 MHzBoost: 1176 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

2019Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 845M vs Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 845M vs Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU): Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 845M

2015

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).
  • Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce 845M is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 175% higher power demand at 33W vs 12W.

Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

2019

Why buy it

  • Draws 12W instead of 33W, a 21W reduction.
  • More future proof: Gen. 11 Ice Lake (2019−2022) on 10nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2019 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (1,500 vs 1,487), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 845M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 845M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 845M vs Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 845M

The GeForce 845M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 26 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1071 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,487 points.

Intel

Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

The Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is manufactured by Intel. It was released in May 28 2019. It features the Gen. 11 Ice Lake architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 48 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 12W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,500 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 845M scores 1,487 and the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) reaches 1,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 845M is built on Maxwell while the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) uses Gen. 11 Ice Lake, both on 28 nm vs 10 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 845M) vs 48 (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 845MIris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
G3D Mark Score
1,487
1,500
Architecture
Maxwell
Gen. 11 Ice Lake
Process Node
28 nm
10 nm
Shading Units
384+700%
48
Boost Clock
1176 MHz+7%
1100 MHz

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 845M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 845MIris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 845M has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) carries 0 MB. GeForce 845M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 845M and System on the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU).

FeatureGeForce 845MIris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 845M) vs 12 (12_1) (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce 845MIris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 845M) vs QuickSync (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs QuickSync. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC (GeForce 845M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,AVC,MPEG-2,JPEG (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)).

FeatureGeForce 845MIris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
Encoder
4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
QuickSync
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
QuickSync
Codecs
H.264,HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,AVC,MPEG-2,JPEG
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 845M draws 33W versus the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)'s 12W — a 93.3% difference. The Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 845M) vs 1W (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Power connectors: Legacy vs Integrated. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85.

FeatureGeForce 845MIris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
TDP
33W
12W-64%
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
Legacy
Integrated
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
85°C
85
Perf/Watt
45.1
125.0+177%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) (2019 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce 845MIris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
MSRP
$0
Codename
GM108
Ice Lake G4 Gen. 11
Release
August 26 2015
May 28 2019
Ranking
#768
#760

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