AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 vs Intel HD Graphics 630 Comparison

Intel HD Graphics 630 and AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 are both end-of-life graphics solutions, but they represent radically different design philosophies. The Intel part is a 15 W integrated GPU built on a 14 nm++ process, while the AMD card is a 254 W dual-slot discrete beast from the TeraScale 2 era. Benchmark data shows the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 holds a decisive performance lead in the single available compute test, yet the Intel HD Graphics 630 counters with superior API support and a dramatically lower power envelope. This analysis breaks down the numbers to determine which legacy component wins in specific scenarios.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available between these two GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this compute workload, the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 scores 3977 points, while the Intel HD Graphics 630 manages 3587 points. This represents a 9.8% advantage for the AMD card, as indicated by the deltaPct value of -9.8 when viewed from the Intel side. The AMD part wins this head-to-head matchup, marking the only win in the wins column (1 win for AMD, 0 for Intel).

Interpreting this gap requires context beyond the raw score. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2’s average benchmark score of 3977 places it in the 24th percentile of all GPUs, exactly matching the Intel HD Graphics 630’s 24th percentile ranking. Despite the 9.8% performance difference, both cards sit at the same percentile level, meaning they occupy a similar tier in the overall performance distribution. The Intel HD Graphics 630’s average benchmark score of 4075 is actually higher than its individual OpenCL result, pulled up by additional tests: 5099 in Geekbench Metal and 3540 in Geekbench Vulkan. The AMD card has no corresponding Metal or Vulkan scores, so its average is simply its OpenCL number.

The nearest rivals data further contextualizes the AMD card’s lead. The Radeon HD 6850 X2’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA Quadro K2000, which scores 3964 with a deltaPct of 0.3% — meaning the AMD card is effectively tied with that professional GPU. The next rivals, the GeForce 830M and Radeon R5 M420, score 3957 and 3956 respectively, with deltas of 0.5% each. This tight cluster shows the AMD card is right at the edge of its performance class, neither significantly ahead nor behind its peers.

For the Intel HD Graphics 630, the nearest rival list tells a similar story of parity. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB scores 4093, just 0.4% higher than the Intel part. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M scores 4033, 1% lower, and the AMD FirePro M4150 scores 4013, 1.5% lower. The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M scores 4151, 1.8% higher. This suggests the Intel integrated GPU is competitive with entry-level discrete GPUs from several generations ago, despite being an IGP. In practical terms, the 9.8% OpenCL deficit means the AMD card completes compute tasks roughly 10% faster, a noticeable but not overwhelming margin for workloads like OpenCL-based rendering or physics calculations.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 wins decisively in raw compute throughput. Its 1.536 TFLOPS of FP32 performance dwarfs the Intel HD Graphics 630’s 384.0 GFLOPS — a 4x difference. This translates directly to the OpenCL benchmark victory. The AMD card’s 960 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs provide substantial parallel processing capacity compared to the Intel part’s 192 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 3 ROPs. For tasks like video encoding, scientific simulation, or any GPU-accelerated compute workload that can leverage OpenCL, the AMD card is the clear choice. Its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 134.4 GB/s bandwidth and 256-bit bus also gives it a massive memory bandwidth advantage over the Intel part’s system-shared memory, which has system-dependent bandwidth.

The AMD card also wins on raw pixel and texture throughput. Its 25.60 GPixel/s pixel rate and 38.40 GTexel/s texture rate are substantially higher than the Intel HD Graphics 630’s 3.000 GPixel/s and 24.00 GTexel/s. This makes the AMD card more capable for older DirectX 11 games that rely heavily on fill rate. However, the Intel part counters with a notable feature advantage: support for DirectX 12 (12_1), Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6. The AMD card is limited to DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support at all. This means modern games and applications that require newer APIs will run on the Intel HD Graphics 630 but may not run at all on the Radeon HD 6850 X2.

The power consumption differential is stark: 15 W for Intel versus 254 W for AMD. This makes the Intel HD Graphics 630 the only viable option for low-power systems, laptops, or any build without a discrete power supply. The Intel part’s IGP form factor requires no power connectors, while the AMD card needs 2x 8-pin connectors and a suggested 600 W PSU. Additionally, the Intel HD Graphics 630 has a higher average benchmark score (4075) due to its Metal and Vulkan results, making it more versatile in cross-platform compute scenarios where those APIs are available.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel HD Graphics 630 has an average benchmark score of 4075, while the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 averages 3977. However, this is skewed because the Intel part has scores from three tests (Metal, OpenCL, Vulkan) while the AMD card only has an OpenCL result.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 support Vulkan?

A: No. The AMD card has no Vulkan support listed in its API specifications. The Intel HD Graphics 630 supports Vulkan 1.3, along with DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 134.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel HD Graphics 630 uses system-shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, and its memory bandwidth is system dependent.

Q: How do the pixel rates compare?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 achieves 25.60 GPixel/s, which is significantly higher than the Intel HD Graphics 630’s 3.000 GPixel/s. This gives the AMD card a major advantage in fill-rate-bound workloads.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has 1,700 million transistors on a 255 mm² die, while the Intel HD Graphics 630 has no listed transistor count. The AMD part’s transistor density is 6.7M per mm².

Q: What are the power requirements for each?

A: The Intel HD Graphics 630 has a 15 W TDP and requires no power connectors as an IGP. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has a 254 W TDP, requires 2x 8-pin power connectors, and needs a suggested 600 W power supply.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measurable specification. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 uses a 40 nm process from TSMC, while the Intel HD Graphics 630 uses Intel’s 14 nm++. The AMD card has 1,700 million transistors on a 255 mm² die with a density of 6.7M per mm²; the Intel part has no listed transistor or die size data. Clock speeds differ fundamentally: the Intel part has a 350 MHz base and 1000 MHz boost clock, while the AMD card has no listed base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 1050 MHz (4.2 Gbps effective).

Memory specifications are completely different. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has 2 GB GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 134.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel HD Graphics 630 uses system-shared memory with system-shared type, bus width, and system-dependent bandwidth. Compute resources favor the AMD card: 960 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs versus the Intel part’s 192 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 3 ROPs. Pixel rate is 25.60 GPixel/s for AMD versus 3.000 GPixel/s for Intel, and texture rate is 38.40 GTexel/s versus 24.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 1.536 TFLOPS for AMD versus 384.0 GFLOPS for Intel. The AMD card has no FP16 capability, while the Intel part delivers 768.0 GFLOPS FP16 (2:1).

Power and physical specifications diverge sharply: the AMD card has a 254 W TDP, dual-slot width, 2x 8-pin power connectors, and a suggested 600 W PSU, while the Intel part has a 15 W TDP, IGP slot width, and no power connectors or PSU requirement. The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16 for AMD versus Ring Bus for Intel. Display outputs are 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.1 for AMD, while Intel’s outputs are motherboard dependent. API support differs: AMD has DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4 with no Vulkan, while Intel has DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is generational and philosophical. The Intel HD Graphics 630 is built on the Generation 9.5 architecture with the Kaby Lake GT2 chip, part of the HD Graphics (Kaby Lake) generation. This is a modern, power-efficient design focused on integration and broad API compatibility. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 uses the TeraScale 2 architecture with the Barts chip, from the Northern Islands (HD 6800) generation. This is a legacy discrete GPU architecture designed for high-throughput compute in a dedicated card form factor.

The process node difference is significant: Intel uses 14 nm++ from its own foundry, while AMD uses 40 nm from TSMC. This explains the power envelope disparity — the newer, denser process allows Intel to deliver 192 shading units at 15 W, while the older 40 nm process requires 254 W for 960 shading units. The AMD card’s predecessor is Evergreen and its successor is Southern Islands, showing its position in AMD’s historical GPU lineage. The Intel part has no listed predecessor or successor.

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is a dual-GPU card, as indicated by its "X2" designation, which explains why its specs (960 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs) double what a single Barts chip would typically offer. This architecture is designed for maximum parallel compute, but it lacks modern API features. The Intel HD Graphics 630 is a single integrated GPU that sacrifices raw throughput for compatibility and efficiency. Its support for DirectX 12_1, Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6 means it can run modern workloads, while the AMD card is locked to older APIs. The Intel part’s FP16 support (768.0 GFLOPS) also enables certain modern compute paths that the AMD card cannot access, as the AMD card has no FP16 listing.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows a split decision. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 wins the only head-to-head benchmark, beating the Intel HD Graphics 630 by 9.8% in Geekbench OpenCL. It also dominates in raw specs: 4x the FP32 throughput, 5x the pixel rate, 5x the shading units, and 134.4 GB/s of dedicated memory bandwidth versus system-dependent shared memory. For anyone running OpenCL-heavy workloads on a desktop with adequate power delivery, the AMD card is the performance choice.

However, the Intel HD Graphics 630 is the more versatile and future-proof option despite its lower raw numbers. Its support for DirectX 12, Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6 means it can run modern software that the AMD card cannot. Its 15 W TDP enables use in systems where the AMD card’s 254 W TDP and 600 W PSU requirement are prohibitive. The Intel part also has a higher average benchmark score (4075 versus 3977) thanks to its Metal and Vulkan results, demonstrating broader compute API coverage.

Choose the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 if you have a desktop with a robust power supply, need maximum OpenCL compute performance, and are working with legacy DirectX 11-era software. Choose the Intel HD Graphics 630 if you need modern API support (Vulkan, DirectX 12), operate within a 15 W power budget, or require an integrated solution without discrete power connectors. The AMD card wins on pure speed; the Intel part wins on compatibility and efficiency. Given that both sit at the 24th percentile of all GPUs, neither is a high-performance option by modern standards — but each serves a distinct use case.