Over the last few years, we have seen some significant improvements in Integrated Graphics Processors.

The previous generations of the Intel HD Graphics were able to play a lot of PC Games at low graphics settings without too many issues. In this article, we will be analyzing the graphics performance of Intel’s 8th Generation UHD Graphics 620.

After the Intel HD 520 and 620 Graphics, Intel decided to name its successor as Intel UHD Graphics 620. Here’s a video by LowSpecGamer which tests games such as PUBG, Skyrim, GTA V, DOOM, CS:GO, Overwatch, Fallout 4 and Crysis 3 on this GPU.

So, to avoid confusion, remember that HD Graphics 620 is the Integrated GPU for 7th Gen Processors while the UHD 620 Graphics is for the 8th Generation. Currently, this GPU is present in the following Kaby Lake R Processors from the Intel Core Series:

i5-8250U

i5-8350U

i7-8550U

i7-8650U

i3-8130U

In this review, we will go through the specifications, benchmarks, and average FPS in some of the popular games out there. We will also compare it with the previous generation Integrated Graphics to get an idea of the difference in the performance. At last, we will give our opinion on whether this GPU is good for gaming or not. So without any further delay, let’s move onto the specification.

Specification

Name Intel UHD Graphics 620 Type Integrated Fabrication Process 14nm FinFET Max Memory 32 GB Memory Type Same as Primary Memory Base Frequency 300 MHz Max Frequency 1.10 GHz / 1.15 GHz 4K Support Supported at 60Hz Max Resolution 4096 x 2304 Processing Power 422.4 − 441.6 GFLOPS DirectX Version 12 OpenGL Version 4.4 TDP 15W Max. Displays Supported 3

This Graphics Processing Unit is Integrated with the Intel’s 8th Generation Notebooks Processors. It is based on the Kaby Lake Refresh Architecture. Compared to the previous generations, this has some new features such as 10-bit colors, H.265/HEVC Main 10 Profile, and HDCP 2.2. The Thermal Design Power (TDP) is equal to 15W which is same as the Processor. It is based on the 14nm Tri-Gate (FinFET) fabrication technique.

It can support a maximum VRAM/Graphics Memory of 32 Gigabytes and the memory type will be same as the RAM. The base frequency of this GPU is 300 MHz and it is same as the previous generation HD 620 Graphics. However, the max GPU frequency is higher than HD 620 and it is 1.10 or 1.15 GHz. In the case of Core-i5 (8250U and 8350U), the max frequency is 1.10 GHz and for Core-i7 (8550U and 8650U), it is equal to 1.15 GHz. The Processing Power of UHD 620 is 422.4 − 441.6 GFLOPS which is once again higher than HD 620 (384 – 403.2 GFLOPS).

It supports 4K at 60Hz and the maximum display resolution can be 4096 x 2304 pixels. The DirectX and OpenGL versions are 12 and 4.4 respectively. At a time, we can connect a maximum of 3 displays with this Graphics Processor. Most of the features are almost the same as the previous generation but there is a slight improvement in some of the specifications.

How much is the Video Memory of Intel UHD Graphics 620?

As this is an Integrated Graphics Card, Intel UHD Graphics 620 doesn’t have any memory of its own. It uses the System’s Memory (RAM) as its Video Memory and it is allocated dynamically. The maximum video memory it supports is 32GB and it will always be less than the RAM. You can manually set the Graphics Memory of integrated graphics via BIOS.

Benchmark Scores

These benchmark scores are from the PassMark Benchmarking Software. In the first section, we will compare the benchmark score of UHD 620 with Intel’s 7th Gen and 6th Gen Integrated graphics (HD 620 and HD 520). In the next section, we will compare it with two of the most popular mid-range dedicated GPUs for Laptops. You must note that these scores don’t directly reflect the performance. For instance, if a GPU has 2x the benchmark score, it doesn’t mean that it will get twice the FPS. In the real world, there are a lot of different factors that affect the gaming performance.

Benchmark Comparison of Intel’s Integrated Graphics

This GPU scores 1,183 points in PassMark Benchmark. As you can see, generation by generation, the Intel’s Integrated Graphics are improving. However, there’s still a long way to get anywhere near a good dedicated GPU. Without any doubt, the UHD 620 is a lot better when compared to the HD 620 and 520.

Intel UHD Graphics 620 vs Nvidia GeForce MX150 vs GeForce 940MX

The Nvidia’s dedicated Graphics Processing Units score a lot more compared to Intel’s iGPU. Also, these scores are higher than most of the AMD Radeon mid-range GPUs like Radeon R5 M330, R5 M335, and R5 M430. The Nvidia’s GT 1030‘s Notebook variant MX150 gets the highest score of 1,927 points. Even though there’s only a small difference between UHD 620 and GeForce 940MX in benchmarks, there’s a huge difference in actual FPS in games. This difference will get a lot more clear in the next section when we will compare the real-world gaming performance.

Gaming Benchmarks

All the benchmark scores are taken at 1366×768 Resolution and Low/Medium Graphics Settings. The other system specs are Intel Core-i5 8250U and 8GB DDR4 RAM. Most of the graphics-intensive games at Full HD Resolution will be unplayable with Intel UHD Graphics 620. To get some extra frames per second, you can change the resolution to 1280×720 (or even lower) and preset to minimum/lowest.

CS: GO

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the average FPS is around 80-85. Even if the settings are switched to high and resolution to Full HD, the game will be playable. You can clearly see that the 940MX performs far better with the same graphics settings. On MX150, you can expect around 200+ FPS on 1366×768 resolution and 100+ FPS on 1920×1080 resolution.

GTA V

Grand Theft Auto V is playable with HD 620 at 30 FPS and the same is true for UHD 620 but you will get a slight FPS boost.

Nvidia GeForce 940MX can run GTA 5 at above 60 FPS and GeForce MX150 can do it at 100 FPS.

Battlefield 1

The gameplay experience of Battlefield 1 won’t be good on the Integrated GPUs. To get around 25-30 FPS, you’ll have to switch down the resolution to 1280×720 and video/graphics quality to the minimum. GeForce MX150 can run the same with ease at more than 60 frames per second.

Rise of The Tomb Raider

The Rise of the Tomb Raider is another game where these Integrated GPUs struggle. Even the 940MX could manage only 30 FPS at the lowest Graphics Settings. The game is playable with 940MX but unfortunately the same cannot be said for HD 620 and UHD 620. To play this game of UHD 620, you’ll have to further lower down the screen resolution.

Need more FPS in Gaming?

Just follow our Intel Graphics Optimization Guide to boost the frame rates in games.

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Intel UHD Graphics 620 Review

As we can see from the benchmarks, there’s definitely a significant improvement in Intel UHD Graphics 620 and this iGPU is quite good for casual gaming. Most of the games released before 2016 can be played at 720p resolution with a decent FPS. Popular games like GTA V, Counter-Strike: GO, Far Cry 3, DOTA 2, Batman: Arkham Origins can be played with ease at a good FPS. FIFA 17 and Fortnite are also playable at 40-50 FPS at 720p resolution. Even PUBG can be played at the owest graphics settings. Awesome, right?

Unfortunately, most of the high-end games like The Witcher 3, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Batman: Arkham Knight will be unplayable at 1366×768. To play these games, you’ll have to further lower down the resolution and for obvious reasons the gaming experience won’t be as good. For Video Rendering and content creation, I’ll recommend you to go with a dedicated GPU instead. So, unless you’re a hardcore gamer or a content creator, you can go with a Laptop that has the Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU.

Ratings Intel UHD Graphics 620 4

Final Suggestions

For the first time, Intel has brought 4 cores in their low-power U series and there’s a drastic improvement in the CPU performance. The Intel Core i5-8250U is going to be the preferred choice for OEMs in the mid-range Notebooks and it is a really powerful CPU for Laptops. The 8th Generation Intel Processors do deserve a good dedicated GPU for their extreme performance. Two of the dedicated GPUs I will pick to pair up with this CPU are the Nvidia GeForce MX150 and the GTX 1050 Ti.

So, if you’re just a casual gamer who likes to play in their excess time, you can consider a laptop without a dedicated GPU. But for heavy gaming at high resolutions, I wouldn’t recommend it. For serious gaming or content creation (video editing & rendering), you shouldn’t look at anything less than a GTX 1050 Ti but if you just want to run all games at 1080p at a decent frame rate, the GeForce MX150 will do the job for you.

List of Laptops with Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU:

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Note that these Notebooks may or may not include a dedicated Graphics Processor but they have the 8th Generation Intel Processor with the UHD 620 Integrated Graphics.