GPU Comparison

Intel HD Graphics P530 and AMD FirePro W2100 are both end-of-life graphics solutions aimed at different segments, one an integrated GPU inside Skylake mobile chips, the other a low-profile discrete workstation card. Benchmark data shows the Intel part wins both head-to-head tests, but the margin tells the real story: a decisive 11.1% lead in OpenCL and a narrow 1.6% edge in Vulkan. The FirePro W2100 still holds advantages in dedicated memory and physical form factor, making it the choice for legacy workstation setups where system RAM sharing is undesirable. The HD Graphics P530, meanwhile, delivers better raw compute for its power envelope and wins on modern API support.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but nuanced winner. In the two benchmark comparisons available, Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan, the Intel HD Graphics P530 wins both, taking 2 wins to 0. The OpenCL gap is substantial: 4549 versus 4093, an 11.1% advantage. The Vulkan margin is smaller, 4571 versus 4497, just 1.6%. Average benchmark scores reinforce this: the Intel part averages 4560 across both tests, while the AMD part averages 4295, a 6.2% overall deficit.

Who should pick which? Users needing integrated graphics with no extra card footprint and lower power draw (15 W versus 26 W) should take the HD Graphics P530. Its 26th percentile ranking versus 25th for the FirePro W2100 is nearly identical in global GPU standings, so neither is a performance class above the other. The FirePro W2100 makes sense only for those who require a discrete card with 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory and a 128-bit bus, the Intel part shares system memory entirely. For pure compute per watt, the Intel part wins. For dedicated VRAM in a workstation, the AMD card is the only option here.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from opposite architectural philosophies. Intel’s HD Graphics P530 uses the Skylake GT2 chip on a 14 nm+ process, built in-house at Intel. Its architecture is Generation 9.0, part of the HD Graphics-W (Skylake) family. The die measures 123 mm². The AMD FirePro W2100 is built on the Oland chip using GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. Its die is smaller at 77 mm², but it packs 950 million transistors, yielding a density of 12.3M per mm², the Intel part has no listed transistor count.

Core configuration differs significantly. The Intel GPU has 192 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and only 3 ROPs. The AMD card has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Despite fewer shaders, the Intel part achieves higher texture throughput per clock relative to its size, 16.00 GTexel/s versus 13.60 GTexel/s, but the AMD card has the higher pixel rate at 5.440 GPixel/s versus 3.000 GPixel/s. FP32 performance favors AMD slightly: 435.2 GFLOPS versus 384.0 GFLOPS. Intel also lists FP16 at 768.0 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the AMD card has no FP16 support listed.

Memory architecture is a fundamental split. The Intel P530 uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, tied to the motherboard’s RAM. The FirePro W2100 has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth and an effective 1800 Mbps memory clock. The Intel card’s base clock is 350 MHz with a 1000 MHz boost; the AMD card runs at 630 MHz base and 680 MHz boost. The AMD card’s higher clock speeds do not translate into overall benchmark wins, which suggests the Intel architecture extracts more efficiency from its lower clocks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test is where the Intel HD Graphics P530 makes its strongest case. Scoring 4549 against the FirePro W2100’s 4093, the Intel part leads by 11.1%. This is a significant margin for GPUs that otherwise rank within 1 percentile of each other globally (26th versus 25th). The OpenCL result suggests that the Intel GPU’s Gen 9.0 architecture handles compute workloads more effectively despite having fewer shading units (192 versus 320) and lower FP32 peak (384.0 GFLOPS versus 435.2 GFLOPS). Raw theoretical throughput does not predict real-world compute here.

The Vulkan test is much closer. Intel scores 4571, AMD scores 4497, a delta of just 1.6%. This near-tie indicates that in Vulkan workloads, the two GPUs perform almost identically despite their architectural differences. The Intel part’s Vulkan support is newer (1.3 versus 1.2.170 for AMD), which may explain its slight edge. However, the 74-point difference is within noise for most real workloads.

Averaging both tests, the Intel part’s advantage is 4560 to 4295, a 6.2% overall lead. The rival data places the Intel part between the AMD Radeon RX 560 (4569, -0.2% delta) and AMD Radeon R5 M230 (4577, -0.4% delta), meaning it sits just below those two. The FirePro W2100 sits between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (4282, +0.3% delta) and AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268, +0.6% delta). Neither GPU is close to the top of any performance tier; both are entry-level parts by 2025 standards.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification except for OpenGL support (both 4.6) and production status (both end-of-life). Key differences are listed below:

• Process node: Intel 14 nm+ versus AMD 28 nm
• Foundry: Intel versus TSMC
• Die size: 123 mm² versus 77 mm²
• Transistors: Not listed versus 950 million
• Base clock: 350 MHz versus 630 MHz
• Boost clock: 1000 MHz versus 680 MHz
• Memory: System Shared versus 2 GB DDR3
• Memory bus: System Shared versus 128 bit
• Memory bandwidth: System Dependent versus 28.80 GB/s
• Shading units: 192 versus 320
• TMUs: 16 versus 20
• ROPs: 3 versus 8
• Pixel rate: 3.000 GPixel/s versus 5.440 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 16.00 GTexel/s versus 13.60 GTexel/s
• FP32: 384.0 GFLOPS versus 435.2 GFLOPS
• FP16: 768.0 GFLOPS versus not listed
• TDP: 15 W versus 26 W
• Slot width: IGP versus Single-slot
• Power connectors: None versus None
• Bus interface: Ring Bus versus PCIe 3.0 x8
• Display outputs: Motherboard Dependent versus 2x DisplayPort 1.2
• DirectX: 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_1)
• Vulkan: 1.3 versus 1.2.170
• Release date: 2015-08-31 versus 2014-08-11
• Dimensions: Not listed versus 168 mm length, 69 mm height

The AMD card’s dedicated memory and higher ROP count give it clear advantages in pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The Intel card counters with lower power draw and a more advanced process node.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 averages 4560 across Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan tests, while the AMD FirePro W2100 averages 4295. Intel leads by 6.2% overall.

Q: Does the AMD FirePro W2100 have dedicated memory?

A: Yes, it has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel HD Graphics P530 uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports a newer version of Vulkan?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the AMD FirePro W2100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The Intel card also has higher DirectX support at 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_1).

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 has a 15 W TDP, while the AMD FirePro W2100 has a 26 W TDP. The Intel part draws 11 W less.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are end-of-life. The Intel part was released on 2015-08-31, and the AMD part on 2014-08-11.

Q: How do they compare in pixel and texture rates?

A: The AMD FirePro W2100 has a higher pixel rate at 5.440 GPixel/s versus 3.000 GPixel/s for Intel. The Intel HD Graphics P530 has a higher texture rate at 16.00 GTexel/s versus 13.60 GTexel/s for AMD.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel HD Graphics P530 wins in compute benchmarks, taking both head-to-head tests. Its OpenCL lead of 11.1% is the largest single margin in this comparison. It also wins on power efficiency (15 W versus 26 W), newer process node (14 nm+ versus 28 nm), and modern API support (DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.3). The FP16 capability at 768.0 GFLOPS gives it an edge in workloads that can use half-precision arithmetic, a feature the AMD card lacks entirely. For integrated graphics in a laptop or small form factor system, the Intel part is the better compute performer per watt.

The AMD FirePro W2100 wins on memory architecture. Its 2 GB dedicated DDR3 with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth avoids the system-dependent performance of the Intel part, which relies on shared system memory. The AMD card also has more shading units (320 versus 192) and ROPs (8 versus 3), giving it a higher pixel rate (5.440 GPixel/s versus 3.000 GPixel/s). Its FP32 peak of 435.2 GFLOPS exceeds Intel’s 384.0 GFLOPS. For workstation tasks that rely on dedicated VRAM, such as driving multiple displays via its 2x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, the FirePro W2100 is the practical choice. Its single-slot form factor and 168 mm length make it a drop-in card for legacy PCIe 3.0 x8 slots.

The use-case split is clean: choose the Intel HD Graphics P530 for lower power, better compute benchmarks, and modern API support in an integrated package. Choose the AMD FirePro W2100 for dedicated memory, higher pixel throughput, and a discrete card that does not tax system RAM. The benchmark data favors Intel in raw scores, but the AMD card’s specification advantages in memory and ROPs serve different workloads that benchmarks here do not fully capture.