GeForce GTX 680M vs Iris Xe Graphics G7

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 680M

2012

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Iris Xe Graphics G7: it remains the more sensible modern option while Iris Xe Graphics G7 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 16.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
❌233.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 30W.

Iris Xe Graphics G7

2020

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 100W, a 70W 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 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2020-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 680M

2012

Iris Xe Graphics G7

2020

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Iris Xe Graphics G7: it remains the more sensible modern option while Iris Xe Graphics G7 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 100W, a 70W reduction.
✅More future proof: Gen. 11 Ice Lake (2019−2022) on 10nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 16.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
❌233.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 30W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2020-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is Iris Xe Graphics G7 better than GeForce GTX 680M?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,277 vs 3,311 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Iris Xe Graphics G7 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (30W vs 100W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 680M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 4 GB instead of Unknown. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Iris Xe Graphics G7 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $200 MSRP. Iris Xe Graphics G7 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Iris Xe Graphics G7 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $200 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 1.0% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 680M is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce GTX 680M make more sense than Iris Xe Graphics G7?

Yes. GeForce GTX 680M is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is future-proofing and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Iris Xe Graphics G7. The trade-off is that Iris Xe Graphics G7 currently gives you 1.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 680M Benchmark Check

Iris Xe Graphics G7 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
1080p
low	78 FPS	80 FPS
medium	67 FPS	70 FPS
high	53 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	32 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	66 FPS
medium	60 FPS	58 FPS
high	42 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	23 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	24 FPS
medium	23 FPS	23 FPS
high	15 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	12 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Iris Xe Graphics G7

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
1080p
low	79 FPS	122 FPS
medium	56 FPS	85 FPS
high	43 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	44 FPS	80 FPS
medium	29 FPS	48 FPS
high	21 FPS	35 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	26 FPS
4K
low	17 FPS	38 FPS
medium	11 FPS	25 FPS
high	9 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Iris Xe Graphics G7

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
1080p
low	147 FPS	149 FPS
medium	118 FPS	119 FPS
high	98 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	112 FPS
medium	88 FPS	89 FPS
high	74 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	74 FPS
medium	59 FPS	60 FPS
high	49 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Iris Xe Graphics G7

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
1080p
low	131 FPS	139 FPS
medium	103 FPS	109 FPS
high	88 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	99 FPS	104 FPS
medium	79 FPS	82 FPS
high	68 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	52 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	63 FPS
medium	44 FPS	49 FPS
high	35 FPS	40 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	30 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Iris Xe Graphics G7

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 680M and Iris Xe Graphics G7

GeForce GTX 680M

The GeForce GTX 680M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 4 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 719 MHz to 758 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,277 points. Launch price was $310.50.

Iris Xe Graphics G7

The Iris Xe Graphics G7 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in August 15 2020. It features the Gen. 11 Ice Lake architecture. It has 96 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680M scores 3,277 and the Iris Xe Graphics G7 reaches 3,311 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680M is built on Kepler while the Iris Xe Graphics G7 uses Gen. 11 Ice Lake, both on 28 nm vs 10 nm. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 96 (Iris Xe Graphics G7).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
G3D Mark Score	3,277	3,311+1%
Architecture	Kepler	Gen. 11 Ice Lake
Process Node	28 nm	10 nm
Shading Units	1344+1300%	96

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680M gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Iris Xe Graphics G7 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 680M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Iris Xe Graphics G7 has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 680M offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 12.1 (Iris Xe Graphics G7). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12.1
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 680M) vs QuickSync (Iris Xe Graphics G7). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs QuickSync. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 680M) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Iris Xe Graphics G7).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Iris Xe Graphics G7
Encoder	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)	QuickSync
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP5	QuickSync
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,HEVC,AV1

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680M draws 100W versus the Iris Xe Graphics G7's 30W — a 107.7% difference. The Iris Xe Graphics G7 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 1W (Iris Xe Graphics G7). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated. Typical load temperature: 81°C vs 85°C.