AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 vs Intel HD Graphics 530 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single shared benchmark between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In that test, the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 records a score of 3977, while the Intel HD Graphics 530 scores 3550. This results in a 12% advantage for the AMD part, making it the clear winner in the only directly comparable workload. The margin is not trivial; a 12% lead in a compute-oriented benchmark such as OpenCL indicates that the AMD card sustains a meaningful performance advantage over the Intel integrated solution. However, the scope of comparison is limited, as the Intel GPU has additional benchmark entries in Metal and Vulkan that have no equivalent result for the AMD product. Those scores, 5025 in Metal and 1422 in Vulkan, are recorded in the database but cannot be used for a direct head-to-head comparison because the AMD card lacks corresponding tests.

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 also holds a higher average benchmark score across its recorded tests. Its average is 3977, which is exactly its OpenCL score since that is its only entry. The Intel HD Graphics 530, by contrast, has an average score of 3332 across its three benchmark entries. This average is dragged down by the relatively low Vulkan score of 1422, while its OpenCL score of 3550 is closer to the AMD result. The gap in average scores, 645 points, is larger than the gap in the directly comparable OpenCL test, but that difference is partly an artifact of the differing benchmark suites available for each product. Still, the data shows a consistent pattern: the AMD card outperforms the Intel part in OpenCL, and the Intel part's best result in any single test, its Metal score of 5025, is an outlier relative to its other results.

Looking at percentile rankings, the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 sits at the 24th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Intel HD Graphics 530 sits at the 20th percentile. This 4-percentage-point gap reinforces the notion that the AMD card is the stronger performer overall, even though both are positioned in the lower half of the database. The nearest rivals for each product further contextualize these standings. The AMD card's closest competitor is the NVIDIA Quadro K2000, which averages 3964, a mere 0.3% difference. The Intel HD Graphics 530's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M, which averages 3316, a 0.5% difference. The AMD card also sits very close to the NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3957, 0.5% delta) and the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3956, 0.5% delta). The Intel part is similarly close to the NVIDIA GeForce 920M (3287, 1.4% delta) and trails the Intel HD Graphics P4600 (3389, -1.7% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740 (3431, -2.9% delta). These rival distances show that both products are clustered tightly with their peers, but the AMD card's cluster sits at a higher performance level.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies and generations. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is built on the Barts chip using the TeraScale 2 architecture, part of the Northern Islands (HD 6800) generation. It is fabricated by TSMC on a 40 nm process, with 1,700 million transistors packed into a 255 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 6.7 million transistors per square millimeter. The Intel HD Graphics 530, in contrast, uses the Skylake GT2 chip with the Generation 9.0 architecture, part of the HD Graphics (Skylake) generation. It is built by Intel on a 14 nm+ process, and its die size is 123 mm². No transistor count or density figure is recorded for the Intel part, but the process node advantage, 14 nm+ versus 40 nm, is substantial and explains how Intel can integrate the GPU alongside a CPU on the same package.

The memory subsystems are entirely different in character. The AMD card features 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 134.4 GB/s and a memory clock of 1050 MHz (4.2 Gbps effective). The Intel HD Graphics 530 uses system shared memory, with a system-dependent bandwidth and no dedicated VRAM. This is a critical architectural distinction: the AMD card's dedicated memory ensures predictable bandwidth, while the Intel solution's performance depends entirely on the host system's memory configuration. In compute workloads that are bandwidth-sensitive, the AMD card's 134.4 GB/s should provide a significant edge, which aligns with its 12% OpenCL lead.

Core counts also differ dramatically. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has 960 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The Intel HD Graphics 530 has 192 shading units, 24 TMUs, and only 3 ROPs. The AMD card's pixel rate is 25.60 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 38.40 GTexel/s, while the Intel part manages 2.850 GPixel/s and 22.80 GTexel/s respectively. The pixel rate difference is particularly stark, an 8.9x gap, though the texture rate gap is much smaller at roughly 1.7x. The AMD card also delivers 1.536 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, versus 364.8 GFLOPS for the Intel part. The Intel GPU does offer FP16 compute at 729.6 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, which the AMD card does not record, but that is unlikely to matter for most legacy workloads.

Power and physical characteristics are equally divergent. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has a 254 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, uses two 8-pin power connectors, and needs a 600 W suggested PSU. The Intel HD Graphics 530 has a 15 W TDP, is an IGP with no separate power connectors, and requires no suggested PSU. The AMD card uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, while the Intel GPU connects via a Ring Bus. Display outputs also differ: the AMD card offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.1, whereas the Intel GPU's outputs are motherboard dependent. API support favors the Intel part in modern terms: the Intel HD Graphics 530 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the AMD card supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support recorded.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 in raw compute performance. Its 12% OpenCL lead over the Intel HD Graphics 530 is the only direct benchmark comparison available, and it wins that test outright. Its higher pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput align with that result. The AMD card also has dedicated GDDR5 memory with 134.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a major advantage over system shared memory for any workload that stresses memory bandwidth. Its higher percentile ranking, 24th versus 20th, further supports the conclusion that the AMD card is the stronger performer in the database's overall distribution.

However, the Intel HD Graphics 530 is not without merits. Its 15 W TDP is dramatically lower than the AMD card's 254 W, and it requires no additional power connectors or a dedicated PSU. It supports modern APIs including DirectX 12 and Vulkan 1.3, which the AMD card cannot match. Its OpenGL 4.6 support is also newer than the AMD card's OpenGL 4.4. For users who need those API features, the Intel part is the only viable choice between the two. The Intel GPU also records a Metal score of 5025, which is the highest single benchmark score between the two products, though no Metal result exists for the AMD card to compare against.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, users prioritizing raw compute performance, dedicated memory bandwidth, and higher throughput in OpenCL workloads should choose the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2. Users who need a low-power integrated solution with modern API support, particularly Vulkan and DirectX 12, should choose the Intel HD Graphics 530. The AMD card is end-of-life and was released in September 2011, while the Intel part is also end-of-life but released in August 2015. Neither product is current, but they serve different use cases: the AMD card as a legacy discrete GPU with substantial power requirements, and the Intel part as an integrated solution with minimal power draw and broader API compatibility. The AMD card wins on performance; the Intel part wins on efficiency and software modernity.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every recorded specification. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 uses the Barts chip with TeraScale 2 architecture from the Northern Islands (HD 6800) generation, fabricated by TSMC on a 40 nm process. The Intel HD Graphics 530 uses the Skylake GT2 chip with Generation 9.0 architecture from the HD Graphics (Skylake) generation, fabricated by Intel on a 14 nm+ process. The AMD chip has 1,700 million transistors on a 255 mm² die with a density of 6.7M per mm²; the Intel chip has a 123 mm² die with no recorded transistor count or density.

Memory configuration is a major differentiator. The AMD card has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 134.4 GB/s bandwidth and a 1050 MHz memory clock (4.2 Gbps effective). The Intel GPU uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth and no dedicated memory clock. Core counts differ: the AMD card has 960 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; the Intel part has 192 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 3 ROPs. The AMD card achieves 25.60 GPixel/s and 38.40 GTexel/s, while the Intel part achieves 2.850 GPixel/s and 22.80 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 1.536 TFLOPS for AMD versus 364.8 GFLOPS for Intel; the Intel part also records FP16 at 729.6 GFLOPS, which the AMD card does not.

Power and physical specs are starkly different. The AMD card has a 254 W TDP, is dual-slot, requires 2x 8-pin power connectors, and needs a 600 W suggested PSU. The Intel GPU has a 15 W TDP, is an IGP, and requires no power connectors or suggested PSU. The AMD card uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the Intel GPU uses a Ring Bus. Display outputs are 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.1 for AMD, versus motherboard dependent outputs for Intel. API support: AMD offers DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4 with no Vulkan; Intel offers DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. Release dates differ: September 2011 for AMD, August 2015 for Intel. Both are end-of-life, and neither has a recorded launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 scores 3977 in the Geekbench OpenCL test, which is 12% higher than the Intel HD Graphics 530's score of 3550.

Q: Does the Intel HD Graphics 530 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the Intel HD Graphics 530 supports Vulkan 1.3. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has no recorded Vulkan support.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. The Intel HD Graphics 530 uses system shared memory, so its memory size, type, and bus width are all system dependent.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has a 254 W TDP and requires two 8-pin power connectors plus a 600 W suggested PSU. The Intel HD Graphics 530 has a 15 W TDP and requires no power connectors or suggested PSU.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12?

A: Only the Intel HD Graphics 530 supports DirectX 12 (12_1). The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is limited to DirectX 11.2 (11_0).

Q: How do their overall percentile rankings compare?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 ranks at the 24th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Intel HD Graphics 530 ranks at the 20th percentile.