GeForce GTX 950 vs Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950

2015Core: 1024 MHzBoost: 1188 MHz
VS

Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)

2023Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1950 MHz

GeForce GTX 950 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 950 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 950

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $141 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • Delivers 83.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.7 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 500% higher power demand at 90W vs 15W.

Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)

2023

Why buy it

  • 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 90W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 88.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $300 MSRPvs$159 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 18.3 vs 33.7 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (5,500 vs 5,357), 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 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 950 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $141 cheaper on MSRP at $159 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 83.8% (33.7 vs 18.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 950 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 950 vs Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 950

The GeForce GTX 950 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,357 points. Launch price was $159.

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 950 scores 5,357 and the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 950 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) uses Xe LPG, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 4 (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 1950 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
G3D Mark Score
5,357
5,500+3%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Xe LPG
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
768+19100%
4
Boost Clock
1188 MHz
1950 MHz+64%
L1 Cache
288 KB
768 KB+167%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 950 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 950Graphics 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 950 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 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 950 and System on the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake).

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
106 GB/s
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 12 Ultimate (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
DirectX
12_1
12 Ultimate
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd Gen (GeForce GTX 950) vs Xe Media Engine (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Decoder: NVDEC 2nd Gen vs Xe Media Engine. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 950) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)).

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
Encoder
NVENC 2nd Gen
Xe Media Engine
Decoder
NVDEC 2nd Gen
Xe Media Engine
Codecs
H.264,H.265
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950 draws 90W versus the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)'s 15W — a 142.9% difference. The Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950) vs 350W (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 202mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
TDP
90W
15W-83%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
202mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
59.5
366.7+516%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 950 came in at $159, while the Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) launched at $300. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 950 was 47% cheaper ($141 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.7 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 18.3 (Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)) — the GeForce GTX 950 offers 84.2% better value. The newer card here is Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake) (2023 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 950Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arrow Lake)
MSRP
$159-47%
$300
Performance per Dollar
33.7+84%
18.3
Codename
GM206
Meteor Lake iGPU
Release
August 20 2015
December 14 2023
Ranking
#425
#496

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