AMD Radeon HD 6950 vs Intel UHD Graphics 730 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 6950 and Intel UHD Graphics 730 represent two entirely different eras and purposes in the GPU landscape. The data shows a narrow but consistent lead for the older discrete card, with the HD 6950 holding a 3.7% advantage in the only shared benchmark, while the Intel part counters with a much lower power draw and newer API support. This comparison is less about raw performance parity and more about understanding where each part's specific strengths lie.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 6950 wins in every head-to-head benchmark recorded. In the only direct comparison available, Geekbench OpenCL, the HD 6950 scores 6210 against the UHD 730's 5988, a 3.7% delta. This makes it the clear choice for any workload that leverages raw compute throughput, as its average benchmark score of 6210 places it in the 36th percentile of all GPUs, slightly ahead of the Intel's 33rd percentile.

The Intel UHD Graphics 730, however, wins decisively in efficiency and integration. Its 15 W TDP is a fraction of the 200 W required by the HD 6950, and as an IGP it requires no additional power connectors or dedicated slot space. It also wins on API modernity, supporting DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the AMD part is limited to DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4 with no Vulkan support. For a basic desktop or office machine that needs video output without a dedicated card, the UHD 730 is the practical choice, despite losing the compute benchmark.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is generational. The AMD Radeon HD 6950 is built on the TeraScale 3 architecture, using the Cayman chip, and fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 2,640 million transistors into a 389 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 6.8M per mm². This is a massive, power-hungry design from late 2010, released as part of the Northern Islands (HD 6900) generation.

In contrast, the Intel UHD Graphics 730 is a Generation 12.1 architecture part, based on the Rocket Lake chip, manufactured on Intel's 14 nm+++ process. It is not a standalone chip but an integrated graphics processor (IGP) that uses a Ring Bus interface to communicate with the rest of the system. Its transistor count and die size are not specified in the data, reflecting its nature as a small, embedded component rather than a discrete GPU. The architectural philosophies are polar opposites: the AMD is a brute-force discrete solution with dedicated memory, while the Intel is a low-power, space-saving integrated solution that shares system resources.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole recorded head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD Radeon HD 6950 posts a score of 6210 against the Intel UHD Graphics 730's 5988. The AMD part wins by 3.7%. While this is a modest margin, it is consistent with the overall average scores: the HD 6950 averages 6210 across all benchmark entries, while the UHD 730 averages 5929 across its two entries (5988 in OpenCL and 5870 in Vulkan).

Looking at the nearest rivals provides context. The HD 6950's score is just 0.2% behind the AMD FirePro W600 (6223) and 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102 (6270). This puts the older card in surprisingly modern company in terms of compute performance. The UHD 730, meanwhile, sits 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8730M (5955) and 0.5% behind the NVIDIA Quadro K620M (5957). The Intel IGP is essentially neck-and-neck with low-end mobile discrete GPUs from a similar era, which confirms how far integrated graphics have come, even if it still trails the decade-old HD 6950.

The data also reveals the UHD 730's Vulkan score of 5870 is notably lower than its OpenCL score of 5988, a 2% drop. This suggests the Intel part is better optimized for OpenCL workloads, while the AMD card has no Vulkan results listed at all, indicating it likely cannot run them.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs diverge on nearly every point. Here is a breakdown of the key differing fields:

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 6950 | Intel UHD Graphics 730 |

|---|---|---|

| Process Node | 40 nm | 14 nm+++ |

| Shading Units | 1408 | 192 |

| Texture Mapping Units (TMUs) | 88 | 12 |

| Render Output Units (ROPs) | 32 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 25.60 GPixel/s | 10.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 70.40 GTexel/s | 15.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 2.253 TFLOPS | 499.2 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | Not specified | 998.4 GFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 200 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | Ring Bus |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 160.0 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Memory Clock | 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | System Shared |

| DirectX Support | 11.2 (11_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| OpenGL Support | 4.4 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan Support | None | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2010-12-13 | 2021-03-29 |

The AMD card is vastly more powerful on paper, with 7.3 times more shading units, 4 times more ROPs, and a 4.5 times higher FP32 throughput. It also has a dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory pool with 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth, versus the Intel's shared system memory architecture. The HD 6950's physical footprint is also a factor: it is 286 mm long, dual-slot, and requires a 550 W PSU, while the UHD 730 is an IGP with no physical dimensions listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in compute benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6950 is faster. It scores 6210 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 3.7% higher than the Intel UHD Graphics 730's 5988. Its average benchmark score is also higher at 6210 versus 5929.

Q: Does the Intel UHD Graphics 730 support newer graphics APIs?

A: Yes, significantly newer. The Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The AMD Radeon HD 6950 is limited to DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support at all.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 has a TDP of 15 W, which is drastically lower than the AMD Radeon HD 6950's 200 W. The AMD card also requires a 550 W suggested PSU and two 6-pin power connectors, while the Intel IGP needs none.

Q: How does the memory setup differ between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6950 has a dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel UHD Graphics 730 uses System Shared memory, with its bandwidth listed as "System Dependent" and no dedicated VRAM.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6950 has a pixel rate of 25.60 GPixel/s, which is more than double the Intel UHD Graphics 730's 10.40 GPixel/s. This indicates the AMD card is better suited for high-resolution rasterization tasks.

Q: Are these GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are listed as End-of-life. The AMD Radeon HD 6950 was released on 2010-12-13, and the Intel UHD Graphics 730 was released on 2021-03-29.

The Verdict

The data makes the choice straightforward for different use cases. If you need raw compute performance, the AMD Radeon HD 6950 is the winner. It beats the Intel UHD Graphics 730 in the only shared benchmark by 3.7%, has a 4.5 times higher FP32 throughput, and offers dedicated memory with 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its 36th percentile ranking versus the Intel's 33rd confirms it holds a real, if modest, performance edge. This card is for a legacy system where compute output matters more than power efficiency.

The Intel UHD Graphics 730 is the choice for anyone building a basic, low-power system. Its 15 W TDP is negligible, it requires no extra power connectors, and it supports modern APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan 1.4, making it far more capable for current software compatibility, even if its raw performance is lower. It is an IGP, so it takes up no slot space and needs no dedicated cooling.

The verdict is not about which is "better" overall, but which fits the scenario. The HD 6950 is a dated but potent compute workhorse; the UHD 730 is a modern, efficient, and feature-complete basic display solution. The HD 6950 wins on performance, the UHD 730 wins on efficiency and software support. Choose based on your priority: the data shows a clear winner for each category.