Intel HD Graphics 4200 vs Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell) vs Intel HD Graphics 4600

Intel HD Graphics 4200

The Intel HD Graphics 4200 (GT2) is a processor graphics card that is included in some of the ULV Haswell processors of 2013 (4th generation core). The relatively low base clock can be automatically overclocked using Turbo Boost technology.

In comparison to the HD 4000, the graphics core has been modified in several details. The GPU supports DirectX 11.1, OpenCL 1.2 und OpenGL 4.0. It also features an improved decoder for 4K videos and the fast Quick Sync encoder.

The performance of the HD Graphics 4200 is clearly below the HD 4600 and HD 4400, since the GPU is designed for ULV models of the Y-series (11.5 W). Therefore, the clock rates are relatively low. Compared to a similar clocked HD 4000, the HD 4200 is somewhat faster due to architectural improvements and an increased number of execution units: The GT2 version integrates 20 EUs, compared to 16 EUs for the old HD 4000.

In simple games like Anno 2070 or Counter Strike: Global Offensive, the performance is sufficient to handle low settings and 1024 x 768 pixels. Many current titles like Battlefield 4, however, are not playable even at minimum graphic quality. Detailed benchmarks can be found below.

Due to the 22nm 3D Tri-Gate production process, the power consumption is relatively low and suitable even for tablets. In addition to the TDP of 11.5 watts, the Y-series CPUs are rated at an SDP (average power consumption) of 4.5 or 6 watts (depending on the model).

Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell)

The Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell)  is an integrated graphics card in the low end SoCs of the Braswell series (2016 Celeron models). It is based on the same architecture as the integrated GPU of the Broadwell graphics cards (e.g. HD Graphics 5300), but offers less shader cores and slower clock speeds.

It is a rename from the Intel HD Graphics (Braswell) card that included the faster 16 EU model in the Pentium SoCs. See the Intel HD Graphics Braswell graphics card page for benchmarks.

The performance depends on the processor (different boost speed for the GPU) and the used memory.

Gaming performance ist still only suited for older or less demanding games. Often also the processor is limited gaming performance (e.g. in the dual-core N3000).

The SoC also integrates a video decoding engine that should be able to handle 4K H.265 videos.

Intel HD Graphics 4600

The Intel HD Graphics 4600 (GT2) is a processor graphics card included in some of the Haswell processors of 2013. The base clock can be automatically overclocked using Turbo Boost technology.
Depending on the processor model, the base and turbo clock rates may differ greatly resulting in varying graphics performance between CPU models.

In comparison to the HD 4000, the graphics core has been modified extensively. The GPU supports DirectX 11.1, OpenCL 1.2 and OpenGL 4.0. It also features an improved decoder for 4K videos and the fast Quick Sync encoder.

According to Intel benchmarks in 3DMark 11, the HD Graphics 4600 will be up to 60 percent faster than the previous HD 4000. In our gaming benchmarks, however, the improvement was only about 30 percent. This performance boost is achieved by architectural improvements and an increased number of execution units: The GT2 version integrates 20 EUs, compared to 16 EUs for the old HD 4000. Thus, the HD 4600 not only matches some dedicated GPUs such as the GeForce GT 620M/630M, but also competes with the fastest integrated AMD GPUs like the Radeon HD 8650G.

Due to the 22nm 3D Tri-Gate production process, power consumption should be relatively low. The HD Graphics 4600 can be found on dual- and quad-core Haswell models in the 37 - 57 Watt TDP range.