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Iris Graphics 540 vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

CPUCPUGPUGPU
Intel

Iris Graphics 540

2015Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz
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VS
Intel

UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

2019Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
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Buy on Amazon

Iris Graphics 540 vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) Performance Spectrum

Iris Graphics 540
Shared System RAM 15
1,270
0.0%
brand logoArc Graphics 130T
brand logoArc A770M
brand logoArc B580
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
Shared System RAM 15
1,300
+2.4%
brand logoArc Graphics 130T
brand logoArc A770M
brand logoArc B580

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.

Iris Graphics 540 vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 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.

Iris Graphics 540

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • ❌2015 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

2019

Why buy it

  • ✅Iris Graphics 540 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) is the less risky modern option long term.
  • ✅More future proof: Gen. 11 Ice Lake (2019−2022) on 10nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌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?
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.4% in PassMark G3D (1,300 vs 1,270), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 10nm process instead of 14nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Iris Graphics 540 vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) Technical Specifications

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

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.

Intel

UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

The UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 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 32 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,300 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Iris Graphics 540 scores 1,270 and the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) reaches 1,300 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Iris Graphics 540 is built on Generation 9.0 while the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) uses Gen. 11 Ice Lake, both on 14 nm+ vs 10 nm. Shader units: 384 (Iris Graphics 540) vs 32 (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureIris Graphics 540UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
G3D Mark Score
1,270
1,300+2%
Architecture
Generation 9.0
Gen. 11 Ice Lake
Process Node
14 nm+
10 nm
Shading Units
384+1100%
32
Boost Clock
1000 MHz
1100 MHz+10%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureIris Graphics 540UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 0 MB of Shared. Memory bus width is System on the Iris Graphics 540 and System on the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU).

FeatureIris Graphics 540UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
VRAM Capacity
Shared System RAM
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
Shared
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
System
System
Bus Width
System
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (Iris Graphics 540) vs 12 (12_1) (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

FeatureIris Graphics 540UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
DirectX
12 (FL 12_1)
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: Quick Sync (Iris Graphics 540) vs Quick Sync Video (Gen 11) (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Decoder: Quick Sync vs Quick Sync Video (Gen 11). Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP8 (Iris Graphics 540) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)).

FeatureIris Graphics 540UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
Encoder
Quick Sync
Quick Sync Video (Gen 11)
Decoder
Quick Sync
Quick Sync Video (Gen 11)
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,VP8
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Iris Graphics 540 draws 15W versus the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)'s 15W — a 0% difference. The UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Iris Graphics 540) vs 0W (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Power connectors: Integrated vs None.

FeatureIris Graphics 540UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
TDP
15W
15W
Recommended PSU
1W
0W-100%
Power Connector
Integrated
None
Length
—
0mm
Height
—
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
—
80
Perf/Watt
84.7
86.7+2%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Iris Graphics 540 came in at $0, while the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) launched at $0. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Iris Graphics 540) vs Infinity (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)) — the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) offers NaN% better value. The newer card here is UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) (2019 vs 2015).

FeatureIris Graphics 540UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
MSRP
$0
$0
Performance per Dollar
Infinity
Infinity
Codename
Skylake GT3e
Ice Lake G1 Gen. 11
Release
September 1 2015
May 28 2019
Ranking
#808
#820
Search Iris Graphics 540 on AmazonSearch UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) on Amazon

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