AMD Radeon 610M vs AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile Comparison

AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile and AMD Radeon 610M are both integrated graphics processors, but they represent fundamentally different design philosophies from AMD. The Vega 10 Mobile is built on the older GCN 5.0 architecture using a 14 nm process, while the 610M utilizes the newer RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 6 nm node. The recorded data shows a clear performance hierarchy between them, though the story is more nuanced than a simple comparison of specifications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct benchmark comparison between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile scores 6476 points, while the AMD Radeon 610M scores 4535 points. This represents a 42.8% advantage for the Vega 10 Mobile, making it the definitive winner in the only head-to-head measurement available.

This result is striking given the architectural differences. The Vega 10 Mobile operates with a boost clock of 1301 MHz, whereas the 610M boosts to 1900 MHz, a substantially higher frequency. Despite the clock speed disadvantage, the Vega 10 Mobile's raw compute resources dominate. It features 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. In contrast, the 610M is equipped with only 128 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 render output units. The Vega 10 Mobile's shading unit count is exactly five times that of the 610M, and its texture unit count is also five times higher.

The FP32 throughput figures tell a similar story. The Vega 10 Mobile delivers 1.665 TFLOPS of single-precision compute, while the 610M manages 486.4 GFLOPS. This translates to a 3.4x advantage in raw floating-point performance for the Vega 10 Mobile. Pixel fill rates also favor the older GPU: 10.41 GPixel/s versus 7.600 GPixel/s. Texture fill rates show an even larger gap, with the Vega 10 Mobile reaching 52.04 GTexel/s compared to 15.20 GTexel/s for the 610M.

When placed against their respective nearest rivals in the database, the two GPUs occupy different performance tiers. The Vega 10 Mobile sits at the 37th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 6476. Its closest competitor is the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M, which scores 6481, a negligible 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M is 0.3% faster at 6493, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M is 0.6% faster at 6513. Interestingly, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell scores 6407, which is 1.1% slower than the Vega 10 Mobile, despite being a vastly more expensive workstation card.

The 610M, by contrast, ranks at the 32nd percentile with an average score of 5444 across its OpenCL and Vulkan results. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 at 5467, a 0.4% difference. The AMD Radeon R7 M365X scores 5416, which is 0.5% slower, while the AMD Radeon R7 M440 is 0.7% faster at 5483. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M leads the group at 5501, 1% ahead of the 610M.

Where Each One Wins

The performance split between these two GPUs is clear-cut in the recorded data. The Vega 10 Mobile wins the only shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, by a substantial 42.8% margin. This makes it the superior choice for any workload that relies on OpenCL compute acceleration. Applications such as video encoding, image processing, physics simulations, and general-purpose GPU computing would all benefit from the Vega 10 Mobile's higher shading unit count and FP32 throughput.

However, the 610M is not without its own advantages. It possesses dedicated ray tracing cores, specifically 2 of them, a feature entirely absent from the Vega 10 Mobile. This makes the 610M the only one of the two capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which is relevant for DirectX 12 Ultimate workloads. The 610M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Vega 10 Mobile is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). This means the 610M can access features like mesh shaders, variable rate shading, and sampler feedback, which the Vega 10 Mobile cannot.

The 610M also supports Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Vega 10 Mobile is limited to Vulkan 1.3. The newer Vulkan version brings additional features and optimizations that may benefit modern games and compute applications. The 610M's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is another point in its favor, offering higher bandwidth for data transfer compared to the Vega 10 Mobile's IGP bus interface, which is more constrained in this regard.

In the Vulkan benchmark, the 610M scores 6353, which is notably close to the Vega 10 Mobile's OpenCL score of 6476. This suggests that in Vulkan-based workloads, the 610M can approach the performance level of the Vega 10 Mobile, despite its lower raw compute specifications. The Vega 10 Mobile has no recorded Vulkan benchmark result, so a direct comparison in that API is not possible from the data.

The Verdict

The data clearly indicates that the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile is the stronger performer in compute-heavy tasks. Its 42.8% lead in OpenCL benchmarks, combined with its 5x advantage in shading units and texture units, makes it the recommended choice for users who prioritize raw computational power in legacy APIs. The Vega 10 Mobile's 37th percentile ranking versus the 610M's 32nd percentile further reinforces this conclusion.

However, the AMD Radeon 610M is the more future-proof option due to its architectural modernity. The inclusion of ray tracing cores, support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility means it can handle newer graphics features that the Vega 10 Mobile cannot. Its higher clock speeds (1900 MHz boost versus 1301 MHz) and smaller 6 nm process node also indicate better power efficiency, though the 610M's TDP is actually higher at 15 W versus 10 W for the Vega 10 Mobile.

For users running older DirectX 11 or OpenGL applications, or those relying on OpenCL compute, the Vega 10 Mobile is the clear choice. For users who play modern DirectX 12 Ultimate titles or want ray tracing capability, even at modest performance levels, the 610M is the only viable option between the two. The Vega 10 Mobile is also the more powerful GPU in absolute terms, as evidenced by its higher average benchmark score of 6476 versus 5444 for the 610M.

The production status for both GPUs is end-of-life, meaning neither is currently manufactured. The Vega 10 Mobile was released in January 2019, while the 610M came later in September 2022. The Vega 10 Mobile's predecessor is the GCN 3.0 IGP, and its successor is the Navi II IGP, which is exactly the architecture used in the 610M. This confirms that the 610M is the direct successor to the Vega 10 Mobile in AMD's product lineup.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile is significantly faster, with 1.665 TFLOPS FP32 performance compared to 486.4 GFLOPS for the AMD Radeon 610M. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Vega 10 Mobile scores 6476 versus 4535 for the 610M, a 42.8% difference.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 610M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon 610M includes 2 dedicated ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile has no ray tracing cores at all.

Q: What are the API differences between these two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon 610M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon 610M has a boost clock of 1900 MHz, while the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile boosts to 1301 MHz. Despite the higher clock, the 610M still trails in compute performance due to fewer shading units.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile is within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M and 0.1% of the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M. The 610M is within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M and 0.4% of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile ranks at the 37th percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD Radeon 610M ranks at the 32nd percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on entirely different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile uses the GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. The chip, codenamed Raven-M, contains 4,940 million transistors on a die size of 210 mm², giving it a transistor density of 23.5 million transistors per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon 610M uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 6 nm process by TSMC. Its Mendocino chip has a die size of 100 mm², though the transistor count is not recorded in the database.

The Vega 10 Mobile represents the Vega IGP generation from the Raven Ridge-M family, while the 610M belongs to the Navi II IGP generation from the Mendocino Mobile family. The Vega 10 Mobile's predecessor was the GCN 3.0 IGP, and its successor is the Navi II IGP, which is the exact architecture used in the 610M. This indicates a clear generational handoff within AMD's integrated graphics lineup.

Memory configurations are identical in concept: both GPUs use system-shared memory with a system-shared bus width and system-dependent bandwidth. Neither has dedicated VRAM. The Vega 10 Mobile's base clock is 300 MHz with a boost of 1301 MHz, while the 610M has a much higher base clock of 1500 MHz and boosts to 1900 MHz. The 610M's clock advantage does not overcome its compute deficit.

Power consumption differs notably. The Vega 10 Mobile has a TDP of 10 W, while the 610M is rated at 15 W. Both are integrated graphics processors with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent display outputs. The 610M uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, whereas the Vega 10 Mobile uses a standard IGP bus interface.

The Vega 10 Mobile has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The 610M has 128 shading units, 8 TMUs, and 4 ROPs. This represents a 5x reduction in shading and texture units, and a 2x reduction in ROPs. The Vega 10 Mobile also supports FP16 at 3.331 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the 610M achieves 972.8 GFLOPS FP16, also at a 2:1 ratio.

Both GPUs support OpenGL 4.6. The Vega 10 Mobile's pixel rate is 10.41 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 52.04 GTexel/s. The 610M's pixel rate is 7.600 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 15.20 GTexel/s. These figures reflect the Vega 10 Mobile's dominance in traditional rasterization workloads.