AMD Radeon HD 8730M vs AMD Radeon RX 6400 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6400 and AMD Radeon HD 8730M represent two very distinct eras of mobile graphics. The RX 6400, built on the modern RDNA 2.0 architecture, is a discrete desktop solution, while the HD 8730M is a legacy notebook part from the GCN 1.0 generation. The benchmark data confirms a massive generational gap, with the RX 6400 delivering a 437.5% higher score in the only shared test, placing it in a completely different performance class. This analysis breaks down the data to determine which GPU is appropriate for which scenario.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark results, the AMD Radeon RX 6400 is the unequivocal performance winner. In the sole head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6400 scores 32,011 points compared to the HD 8730M's 5,955 points, representing a 437.5% advantage. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational leap that makes the HD 8730M non-competitive for any modern workload.

The data suggests the RX 6400 should be the choice for any user seeking playable frame rates in contemporary titles or performing GPU-accelerated compute tasks. Its average benchmark score of 6,001 places it in the 35th percentile of all GPUs, while the HD 8730M sits at the 34th percentile with an average score of 5,955. While their percentile ranks are close, this is misleading due to the different benchmark suites available for each card. The RX 6400 has a much broader set of test results, including DirectX 12, Vulkan, and compute workloads, where it consistently shows capability. The HD 8730M, with only a single OpenCL result, is effectively a legacy part with limited relevance. The verdict is clear: the RX 6400 is the only viable option for current use, while the HD 8730M is relegated to historical or basic display purposes.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6400 wins in every measurable category. It is the only card with data for modern API benchmarks. In PassMark DirectX 12, it scores 30, which is a low absolute number but indicates functional support for the API. Its DirectX 11 score is 70, and its DirectX 9 score is 93, showing strong performance in legacy APIs as well. The HD 8730M has no scores for these tests, meaning the RX 6400 wins by default in all DirectX scenarios.

The RX 6400 also showcases its compute capabilities. Its Geekbench Vulkan score is 16,372, and its PassMark GPU Compute score is 2,812. The HD 8730M's only benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL (5,955), which the RX 6400 beats by 437.5% with its score of 32,011. The RX 6400's PassMark G3D score of 7,673 and G2D score of 722 further demonstrate its superiority in both 3D rendering and 2D desktop tasks. The HD 8730M wins in no benchmark categories, as it lacks data for all tests except OpenCL, where it loses decisively. The only area where the HD 8730M might be considered a "winner" is in its power draw, as it has no listed TDP, while the RX 6400 is rated at 53 W; however, without a TDP figure for the HD 8730M, this cannot be quantified or confirmed.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is cavernous. The RX 6400 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using a 6 nm process at TSMC, while the HD 8730M uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm process. This process difference is stark: the RX 6400 packs 5,400 million transistors into a 107 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 50.5M / mm². The HD 8730M, in contrast, has only 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, for a density of 12.3M / mm². This explains the RX 6400's massive performance advantage.

The core configurations are also vastly different. The RX 6400 features 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster output units (ROPs). It also includes 12 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the HD 8730M. The older card has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. Clock speeds tell a similar story: the RX 6400 has a base clock of 1923 MHz and a boost clock of 2321 MHz, while the HD 8730M operates at a base of 650 MHz and a boost of 700 MHz. Memory configurations are equally divergent. The RX 6400 uses 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 128.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 8730M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, but only achieves 28.80 GB/s due to its low memory clock. The RX 6400 also supports PCIe 4.0 x4, while the HD 8730M is limited to PCIe 3.0 x8. In terms of API support, the RX 6400 offers DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the HD 8730M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6400 is significantly faster, scoring 32,011 compared to the HD 8730M's 5,955, a 437.5% difference.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon HD 8730M support ray tracing?

A: No. The HD 8730M has no ray tracing cores, while the RX 6400 includes 12 dedicated RT cores.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The RX 6400 has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 64-bit bus and 128.0 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 8730M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory with a 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RX 6400 has a much higher transistor density at 50.5M / mm², compared to the HD 8730M's 12.3M / mm².

Q: Is the HD 8730M a good choice for modern DirectX 12 games?

A: The data does not support this. The HD 8730M has no DirectX 12 benchmark scores, while the RX 6400 scores 30 in PassMark DirectX 12, indicating at least functional support.

Q: What is the production status of these GPUs?

A: Both the AMD Radeon RX 6400 and the AMD Radeon HD 8730M are listed as end-of-life products.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison is limited to a single test, but it is a decisive one. The Geekbench OpenCL benchmark shows the RX 6400 scoring 32,011 points against the HD 8730M's 5,955 points. This results in a delta of 437.5% in favor of the RX 6400, making it the clear winner in compute performance. This single result encapsulates the entire performance gap between the two architectures.

Beyond this shared test, the RX 6400 has a suite of benchmarks that the HD 8730M simply does not have data for. In PassMark DirectX 10, the RX 6400 scores 54. In PassMark DirectX 11, it scores 70. In PassMark DirectX 9, it scores 93. These scores, while not directly comparable to the HD 8730M due to missing data, demonstrate the RX 6400's ability to handle a range of graphics APIs. The HD 8730M's absence from these tests underscores its status as a legacy part. The RX 6400 also shows strength in other areas, with a PassMark G3D score of 7,673 and a PassMark G2D score of 722, alongside a PassMark GPU Compute score of 2,812. Its performance in the 3DMark Steel Nomad test is 176, and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 16,372. The evidence is overwhelming: the RX 6400 is the superior GPU in every benchmark category where data exists, delivering a generational leap in performance that the HD 8730M cannot match. The only test where the HD 8730M appears, it loses by a factor of more than five.