GeForce 930A vs Iris Graphics 540

NVIDIA

GeForce 930A

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 941 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Iris Graphics 540

2015Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 930A vs Iris Graphics 540 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 930A vs Iris Graphics 540: 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 930A

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).
  • Iris Graphics 540 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce 930A 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.
  • 120% higher power demand at 33W vs 15W.

Iris Graphics 540

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 33W, a 18W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 8.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Iris Graphics 540 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.3% in PassMark G3D (1,270 vs 1,241), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 930A 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?
GeForce 930A makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Iris Graphics 540 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 930A vs Iris Graphics 540 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 930A

The GeForce 930A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 941 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,241 points.

Intel

Iris Graphics 540

The Iris Graphics 540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in September 1 2015. It features the Generation 9.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm+ process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,270 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 930A scores 1,241 and the Iris Graphics 540 reaches 1,270 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 930A is built on Maxwell while the Iris Graphics 540 uses Generation 9.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm+. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 930A) vs 384 (Iris Graphics 540). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 930A) vs 0.768 TFLOPS (Iris Graphics 540). Boost clocks: 941 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 930AIris Graphics 540
G3D Mark Score
1,241
1,270+2%
Architecture
Maxwell
Generation 9.0
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm+
Shading Units
384
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7227 TFLOPS
0.768 TFLOPS+6%
Boost Clock
941 MHz
1000 MHz+6%
ROPs
8+33%
6
TMUs
24
48+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 930A gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Iris Graphics 540 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 930AIris Graphics 540
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 930A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Iris Graphics 540 carries 0 MB. GeForce 930A 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 930A and System on the Iris Graphics 540.

FeatureGeForce 930AIris Graphics 540
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: 11.0 (GeForce 930A) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (Iris Graphics 540). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce 930AIris Graphics 540
DirectX
11.0
12 (FL 12_1)+9%
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
1
3+200%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2 (GeForce 930A) vs Quick Sync (Iris Graphics 540). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs Quick Sync. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 (GeForce 930A) vs H.264,HEVC,VP8 (Iris Graphics 540).

FeatureGeForce 930AIris Graphics 540
Encoder
NVENC 2
Quick Sync
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
Quick Sync
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4
H.264,HEVC,VP8
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 930A draws 33W versus the Iris Graphics 540's 15W — a 75% difference. The Iris Graphics 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 930A) vs 1W (Iris Graphics 540). Power connectors: Legacy vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce 930AIris Graphics 540
TDP
33W
15W-55%
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
Legacy
Integrated
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
37.6
84.7+125%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 930A came in at $150, while the Iris Graphics 540 launched at $0. On MSRP, Iris Graphics 540 was 100+% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.3 (GeForce 930A) vs Infinity (Iris Graphics 540) — the Iris Graphics 540 offers Infinity% better value.

FeatureGeForce 930AIris Graphics 540
MSRP
$150
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
8.3
Infinity
Codename
GM108
Skylake GT3e
Release
March 13 2015
September 1 2015
Ranking
#810
#808

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