AMD Radeon HD 7730M vs Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single OpenCL benchmark comparison between these two mobile graphics solutions, and the result is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581 points, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 scores 5712 points. That works out to a 15.2% advantage for the AMD part in the Geekbench OpenCL test. This is not a marginal difference; it is a clear, measurable gap that places the two GPUs in different performance tiers.

Looking at the broader context, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M sits at the 38th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 sits at the 33rd percentile. The five-point percentile gap reflects the 869-point raw score difference. The AMD part's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554, just 0.4% behind), the AMD Radeon R7 M460 (6612, 0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513, 1% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (6493, 1.4% behind). This clustering suggests the HD 7730M is positioned in a competitive band of mobile and entry-level desktop GPUs.

For the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300, its nearest rivals tell a different story. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX scores 5721 (0.1% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 (0.3% ahead), the AMD Radeon HD 8790M scores 5691 (0.4% behind), and the NVIDIA Quadro M500M scores 5604 (1.9% behind). The Intel part is bracketed by older discrete mobile GPUs and a low-end workstation card, which indicates it performs roughly at the level of a mid-range discrete GPU from a previous generation.

The head-to-head data shows the AMD Radeon HD 7730M winning the only recorded benchmark, with a 15.2% delta. This is a substantial margin, especially when considering that both parts are integrated or low-power mobile solutions. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300, despite being a "Pro" branded part, cannot match the AMD chip in raw compute throughput in this particular test.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data gives the AMD Radeon HD 7730M one win out of one benchmark. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 has zero wins. This makes the use-case split quite straightforward based on available measurements.

For OpenCL compute workloads, which the Geekbench test measures, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M is the clear choice. Its 6581 score versus 5712 represents a 15.2% advantage. This suggests that applications leveraging general-purpose GPU compute, such as video encoding, image processing, or scientific calculations that use OpenCL, will favor the AMD part. The AMD chip also has a higher raw FP32 throughput, listed at 691.2 GFLOPS, compared to the Intel part's 614.4 GFLOPS. This aligns with the benchmark result and reinforces the compute-oriented strength of the AMD solution.

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300, on the other hand, does not win in any recorded benchmark. However, its architecture and specifications hint at strengths in other areas. It has 48 texture mapping units (TMUs) compared to the AMD part's 32, which gives it a higher texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. This suggests that texture-heavy workloads, such as certain types of graphics rendering that are not captured by the OpenCL compute test, might favor the Intel part. Its pixel rate is lower, at 4.800 GPixel/s versus 10.80 GPixel/s, so fill-rate-bound scenarios would likely favor the AMD chip.

In terms of power efficiency, the Intel part has a 15 W TDP compared to the AMD part's 25 W. This means the Intel chip will generate less heat and consume less power, making it more suitable for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermal management are priorities. The AMD part, with its higher TDP, may be better suited for slightly larger laptops or those with more robust cooling solutions.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M uses the GCN 1.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The chip is codenamed Chelsea and contains 1,500 million transistors on a die size of 123 mm². This gives it a transistor density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 uses Intel's Generation 8.0 architecture, built on a 14 nm process at Intel's own fabs. The chip is codenamed Broadwell GT3e, and the database does not list its transistor count or die size.

The AMD part has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Intel part has 384 shading units, 48 TMUs, and only 6 ROPs. This is an interesting split: AMD has more shaders, while Intel has more texture units and fewer ROPs. The clock speeds differ significantly. The AMD chip runs at a base clock of 575 MHz with a boost of 675 MHz. The Intel chip runs at a base of 300 MHz with a boost of 800 MHz. The Intel part has a much lower base clock but a higher boost clock, which suggests it can ramp up to higher frequencies when needed but is designed to idle at very low speeds.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 900 MHz, which translates to 1800 Mbps effective. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 uses System Shared memory, meaning it draws from the system's main RAM. Its memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This is a critical architectural difference: dedicated memory provides consistent bandwidth, while shared memory depends on the system's RAM configuration and can be a bottleneck.

The AMD part uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface, while the Intel part uses a Ring Bus, reflecting its integration into the CPU die. The AMD part is a discrete GPU (though it is mobile-oriented), while the Intel part is an IGP (integrated graphics processor). The display outputs are also different: AMD's are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," while Intel's are "Motherboard Dependent."

API support is broadly similar but with some differences. Both support DirectX 12 (11_1). AMD supports OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170, while Intel supports OpenGL 4.4 and Vulkan 1.0. The AMD part has more recent API support, which could matter for compatibility with newer applications.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M scores 6581 points, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 scores 5712 points. The AMD part leads by 15.2%.

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

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M is within 1.4% of its nearest rivals, including the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (0.4% behind), the AMD Radeon R7 M460 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (1% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (1.4% behind). The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 is within 1.9% of its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (0.1% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti (0.3% ahead), the AMD Radeon HD 8790M (0.4% behind), and the NVIDIA Quadro M500M (1.9% behind).

Q: What is the difference in shading units and texture units?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has 512 shading units and 32 TMUs. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 has 384 shading units and 48 TMUs. The AMD part has more shaders, while the Intel part has more texture units.

Q: How do their memory configurations differ?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth that is System Dependent.

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has a TDP of 25 W. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 has a TDP of 15 W.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M supports OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 supports OpenGL 4.4 and Vulkan 1.0. Both support DirectX 12 (11_1).

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every core specification. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M has a process node of 28 nm from TSMC, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 uses a 14 nm process from Intel. The AMD chip contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, while the Intel chip's transistor count and die size are not recorded. The AMD part has a base clock of 575 MHz and a boost clock of 675 MHz, while the Intel part has a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 800 MHz.

Memory is a major divergence: the AMD part has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel part uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth. The AMD part has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Intel part has 384 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 6 ROPs. The AMD part achieves a pixel rate of 10.80 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s, while the Intel part achieves 4.800 GPixel/s and 38.40 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 691.2 GFLOPS for AMD and 614.4 GFLOPS for Intel.

The TDP differs: 25 W for AMD versus 15 W for Intel. The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16 for AMD and Ring Bus for Intel. Display outputs are Portable Device Dependent for AMD and Motherboard Dependent for Intel. The AMD part supports OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Intel part supports OpenGL 4.4 and Vulkan 1.0. The AMD part was released on 2012-04-23, while the Intel part was released on 2014-09-04. Both are end-of-life products. The AMD part has a predecessor named Vancouver and a successor named Solar System, while the Intel part has no recorded predecessor or successor.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner in raw compute performance: the AMD Radeon HD 7730M. Its 15.2% lead in the OpenCL benchmark, combined with higher FP32 throughput (691.2 GFLOPS versus 614.4 GFLOPS), higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 4.800 GPixel/s), and dedicated memory with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth, makes it the stronger choice for compute-heavy workloads. The AMD part also sits at a higher percentile (38th versus 33rd), indicating it is closer to the median performance of all GPUs.

However, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 has its own advantages. Its 15 W TDP is 40% lower than the AMD part's 25 W, making it a better fit for power-constrained designs. Its higher texture rate (38.40 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s) suggests it could excel in texture-bound scenarios, though this is not reflected in the recorded benchmark. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock (800 MHz versus 675 MHz), which may help in short, bursty workloads.

For users who prioritize OpenCL compute performance, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For users who prioritize power efficiency and are willing to accept lower compute scores, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 offers a compelling alternative. The AMD part is better for gaming and compute tasks, while the Intel part is better for battery life and thermal management in portable devices. The choice ultimately depends on whether raw performance or efficiency is the higher priority.