AMD Radeon HD 6950 vs Intel UHD Graphics P750 Comparison

Intel UHD Graphics P750 and AMD Radeon HD 6950 represent two fundamentally different approaches to graphics, separated by a decade of architectural evolution. The data shows a single benchmark comparison where the Intel integrated solution edges out the older AMD discrete card, but the full picture involves trade-offs in raw compute, memory bandwidth, and hardware features that dictate which GPU suits specific workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU scores higher in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics P750 wins the head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 6554, beating the AMD Radeon HD 6950's score of 6210 by 5.5%.

Q: How does each GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel P750 sits between the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581, -0.4%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513, +0.6%), with a 38th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The AMD HD 6950 scores near the AMD FirePro W600 (6223, -0.2%) and trails the NVIDIA Quadro K620 (6282, -1.1%), holding a 36th percentile ranking.

Q: What are the memory configurations of these two cards?

A: The Intel P750 uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth, while the AMD HD 6950 has a dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has higher raw FP32 compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 6950 offers 2.253 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is significantly higher than the Intel P750's 665.6 GFLOPS, despite the Intel part winning the OpenCL benchmark.

Q: What is the power consumption difference between the two?

A: The Intel P750 has a 15 W TDP and is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), while the AMD HD 6950 is a dual-slot discrete card with a 200 W TDP, requiring two 6-pin power connectors and a suggested 550 W power supply.

Q: Which GPU supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The Intel P750 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The AMD HD 6950 is limited to DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support listed.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different eras and design philosophies. The Intel UHD Graphics P750 is built on Intel's Generation 12.1 architecture, using the Rocket Lake chip on a 14 nm+++ process node fabricated by Intel. It integrates 256 shading units, 64 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster operation units (ROPs). The GPU operates with a base clock of 350 MHz and a boost clock of 1300 MHz, and it connects to the rest of the system via a Ring Bus interface. This is an integrated solution with no dedicated memory, relying entirely on system-shared RAM.

In contrast, the AMD Radeon HD 6950 uses the older TeraScale 3 architecture, built on the Cayman chip using a 40 nm process node fabricated by TSMC. This discrete card packs a much larger silicon footprint: 2,640 million transistors on a 389 mm² die, with a transistor density of 6.8M per mm². The compute layout is substantially beefier, featuring 1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The AMD card also has its own dedicated memory subsystem with 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

The architectural gap is most visible in feature support. Intel's newer design natively supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, along with FP16 compute at 1,331.2 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio). The AMD card, released in December 2010, tops out at DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support at all. The AMD card also lacks any FP16 capability listed, which limits its usefulness in modern compute workloads that leverage half-precision math.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it produces a surprising result. The Intel UHD Graphics P750 scores 6554, while the AMD Radeon HD 6950 scores 6210. This gives the Intel part a 5.5% victory, marking the sole win for either GPU in the head-to-head comparison table.

This result is counterintuitive given the raw specifications. The AMD card has over five times the shading units (1,408 vs 256) and more than three times the FP32 throughput (2.253 TFLOPS vs 665.6 GFLOPS). Yet the Intel GPU's modern architecture, with its support for newer APIs and likely better driver optimization for OpenCL, manages to edge out the older card.

Context from the nearest rivals helps frame this result. The Intel P750's score of 6554 is within 1% of the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581, -0.4%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513, +0.6%). The AMD HD 6950's score of 6210 places it just below the AMD FirePro W600 (6223, -0.2%) and notably below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102 and RTX 5070 Ti SUPER (both 6270, -0.9%). This suggests the HD 6950 is competitive with entry-level modern GPUs in compute benchmarks, but it's firmly in the lower percentile bracket at 36% compared to Intel's 38%.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal stark contrasts in nearly every category. On process technology, Intel uses a 14 nm+++ node while AMD uses a much older 40 nm node from TSMC. The Intel chip integrates 256 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, whereas the AMD card has 1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs.

Clock speeds differ in structure as well. The Intel P750 has defined base (350 MHz) and boost (1300 MHz) clocks, while the AMD HD 6950 lists no base or boost clock for the core, only specifying its memory clock at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). Memory configuration is equally divergent: the Intel part uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the AMD card has 2 GB of GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 160.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Pixel and texture rates also differ. The Intel P750 achieves 41.60 GPixel/s and 83.20 GTexel/s, while the AMD HD 6950 manages 25.60 GPixel/s and 70.40 GTexel/s. The power envelope is a major differentiator: the Intel IGP draws just 15 W, while the AMD dual-slot card consumes 200 W and requires a 550 W suggested power supply.

Physical dimensions and connectivity follow the expected pattern. The Intel P750 is an IGP with motherboard-dependent display outputs and no power connectors. The AMD HD 6950 is a 286 mm long, 126 mm tall, 42 mm wide dual-slot card with 2x 6-pin power connectors and a display output array of 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel UHD Graphics P750 wins in scenarios that favor modern API support and efficiency. Its DirectX 12 (12_1), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6 support makes it the better choice for applications that leverage these newer interfaces, particularly in compute workloads where OpenCL performance is optimized for current hardware. The 5.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with a 38th percentile ranking versus AMD's 36th, indicates the Intel part is slightly better positioned in general-purpose compute tasks. Its 15 W TDP also makes it the only viable option for systems without a discrete GPU slot or power budget, and the Ring Bus interface means it integrates fluidly into Rocket Lake platforms.

The AMD Radeon HD 6950 wins on raw compute throughput and dedicated memory. Its 2.253 TFLOPS FP32 performance dwarfs Intel's 665.6 GFLOPS, making it the stronger choice for workloads that are not bottlenecked by API support or driver optimization. The 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with 160.0 GB/s bandwidth provides a significant advantage for texture-heavy applications or tasks that exceed the bandwidth available from system-shared memory. The higher texture rate (70.40 GTexel/s) and larger TMU count (88 vs 64) also favor this card in traditional rasterization workloads, even if the pixel rate is lower (25.60 GPixel/s vs 41.60 GPixel/s). For legacy DirectX 11 applications, the HD 6950's architecture is purpose-built, and its dual-slot cooler with 2x 6-pin power connectors suggests it was designed for sustained gaming loads.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear split based on use case. For users building or upgrading a Rocket Lake system who need basic graphics acceleration, light gaming, or compute tasks that benefit from modern API support, the Intel UHD Graphics P750 is the sensible choice. Its 5.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, lower power draw, and support for DirectX 12 and Vulkan make it a capable integrated solution that outperforms its raw specifications suggest.

For users with specific workloads that demand high FP32 throughput or dedicated memory, the AMD Radeon HD 6950 remains relevant despite its age. The 2.253 TFLOPS compute capacity and 160.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are substantial resources, and the card's performance in the 36th percentile places it near modern entry-level discrete GPUs. However, its lack of Vulkan support, older DirectX 11.2 (11_0) API ceiling, and 200 W power requirement limit its appeal to legacy systems or specialized compute tasks.

The data ultimately shows that while the Intel P750 wins the only head-to-head benchmark, the two GPUs are not direct competitors in the traditional sense. The Intel part is a modern integrated solution optimized for efficiency and current software, while the AMD card is a high-power discrete GPU from a previous generation with strengths in raw compute and memory bandwidth. Choosing between them depends entirely on whether the user prioritizes modern feature support and low power draw, or raw compute resources and dedicated video memory.