GeForce GTX 690 vs Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 690

2012Core: 915 MHzBoost: 1019 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS

Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)

2023Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1950 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce GTX 690 vs Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) 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 GTX 690 vs Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake): 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 GTX 690

2012

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 233% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • 1900% higher power demand at 300W vs 15W.

Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)

2023

Why buy it

  • Costs $699 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 230.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.3 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Xe LPG (2023) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 15W instead of 300W, a 285W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 690 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (5,536 vs 5,500), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) makes the most sense to buy today. It is $699 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 230.8% (18.3 vs 5.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GTX 690 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 690 vs Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 690

The GeForce GTX 690 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 3 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 3072 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,536 points. Launch price was $999.

Manufacturer

Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)

The Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) is manufactured by an unknown manufacturer. It was released in December 14 2023. It features the Xe LPG architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1950 MHz. It has 4 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 690 scores 5,536 and the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 690 is built on Kepler while the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) uses Xe LPG, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 4 (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Boost clocks: 1019 MHz vs 1950 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
G3D Mark Score
5,536
5,500
Architecture
Kepler
Xe LPG
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
3072 ×2+76700%
4
Boost Clock
1019 MHz
1950 MHz+91%
L1 Cache
128 KB
768 KB+500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 690 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
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 GTX 690 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) carries 4 GB. Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX 690 and System on the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake).

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
192.2 GB/s x2
System
Bus Width
256-bit x2
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 12 Ultimate (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
DirectX
12_0
12 Ultimate
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 690) vs Xe Media Engine (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Decoder: VP5 vs Xe Media Engine.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
Xe Media Engine
Decoder
VP5
Xe Media Engine
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 690 draws 300W versus the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)'s 15W — a 181% difference. The Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 690) vs 350W (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 279mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
TDP
300W
15W-95%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
279mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
18.5
366.7+1882%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 690 came in at $999, while the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) launched at $300. On MSRP, Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) was 70% cheaper ($699 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 18.3 (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)) — the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) offers 232.7% better value. The newer card here is Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) (2023 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
MSRP
$999
$300-70%
Performance per Dollar
5.5
18.3+233%
Codename
GK104
Meteor Lake iGPU
Release
May 3 2012
December 14 2023
Ranking
#414
#496

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.