AMD Radeon HD 8730M vs Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8730M and the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 represent two very different approaches to mobile graphics, separated by a generation of process technology but competing for the same slice of the laptop market. In the single head-to-head benchmark available, the discrete AMD part comes out ahead, but the margin is slim and the architectural story is far more complex than a single score suggests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it shows a narrow victory for the AMD Radeon HD 8730M. The AMD part scores 5955, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 scores 5712, giving the Radeon a 4.3% lead. That is a meaningful but not decisive advantage; in real-world terms, it places the two parts in the same performance class, where application optimization and driver maturity can easily flip the result.

Looking at how each part sits among its nearest rivals, the picture sharpens. The Radeon HD 8730M's 5955 score ties it almost exactly with the NVIDIA Quadro K620M, which averages 5957 (0% delta). It also edges out the Intel UHD Graphics 730 by 0.4% and trails the AMD Radeon HD 8750M and NVIDIA Quadro K4000 by just 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively. The Intel Iris Pro P6300, meanwhile, posts a 5712 that lands it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (5721) and 0.3% of the GeForce GTX 550 Ti (5731). It leads the AMD Radeon HD 8790M by 0.4% and the NVIDIA Quadro M500M by a more comfortable 1.9%.

The takeaway is that neither GPU dominates its peer group. The AMD part's 4.3% head-to-head win is its only victory, but that win is consistent with its percentile ranking: it sits at the 34th percentile of all GPUs, one point above the Intel's 33rd percentile. The benchmark data suggests a photo finish, with the AMD card taking the checkered flag by a nose.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs could not be more different under the hood. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M uses the GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm process from TSMC, packing 950 million transistors into a 77 mm² die. The Intel Iris Pro P6300 uses Intel's Generation 8.0 architecture on a 14 nm process, built in-house. The process node advantage is significant for Intel, allowing for denser transistors, though the Intel chip's transistor count and die size are not listed in the data.

Both parts feature 384 shading units, but the similarity ends there. AMD's chip has 24 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 8 render output units (ROPs), while Intel's part doubles the TMU count to 48 but drops to 6 ROPs. That imbalance shows up directly in throughput numbers. The Intel part achieves a texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s, more than double the AMD's 16.80 GTexel/s. Conversely, the AMD part has a higher pixel rate at 5.600 GPixel/s versus 4.800 GPixel/s for Intel, reflecting its extra ROPs.

Clock speeds tell another story. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M runs at a base of 650 MHz with a 700 MHz boost, while the Intel Iris Pro P6300 starts at a much lower 300 MHz base but boosts to 800 MHz. The higher boost clock helps Intel close the raw compute gap, but the AMD card still leads in FP32 throughput with 537.6 GFLOPS versus 614.4 GFLOPS for Intel — wait, the data shows Intel ahead here. The Intel part's 614.4 GFLOPS tops the AMD's 537.6 GFLOPS, a 14.3% advantage in raw floating-point compute, despite the AMD's higher pixel rate.

Memory is a fundamental differentiator. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M has its own dedicated 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Iris Pro P6300 uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." That means the Intel part's memory performance varies with the host system's RAM, while the AMD card's performance is fixed. The bus interface also differs: AMD uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while Intel uses a Ring Bus, reflecting its integrated nature.

Feature support is similar but not identical. Both support DirectX 12 (11_1) and OpenGL 4.6 for AMD versus 4.4 for Intel. Vulkan support differs notably: AMD lists Vulkan 1.2.170, while Intel only reaches Vulkan 1.0. For modern titles using Vulkan, the AMD part has a clear API advantage. The Intel part's TDP is listed at 15 W, while the AMD's TDP is not provided, but the AMD part is a discrete GPU and likely consumes more power.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data points to different strengths for each GPU. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M wins the only head-to-head test, taking the Geekbench OpenCL crown by 4.3%. Its higher pixel rate of 5.600 GPixel/s suggests it is better suited to fill-rate-bound scenarios, such as lower-resolution gaming or tasks that hammer the ROPs. The dedicated 2 GB of DDR3 memory with 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth also gives it a consistency advantage — performance does not depend on system RAM speed or capacity.

The Intel Iris Pro P6300, despite losing the head-to-head, has its own areas of superiority. Its FP32 throughput of 614.4 GFLOPS is significantly higher than the AMD's 537.6 GFLOPS, meaning it can push more raw compute in general-purpose workloads. The doubling of TMUs to 48 gives it a massive texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s, which is 2.3 times the AMD's 16.80 GTexel/s. That makes the Intel part a stronger choice for texture-heavy workloads, such as certain compute shaders or image processing tasks that rely on texture fetches.

The Intel part also has the process node advantage, built on 14 nm versus 28 nm, which typically translates to better energy efficiency. Its 15 W TDP is listed, while the AMD's is not, but the Intel's integrated design with a Ring Bus suggests it is designed for low-power, thin-and-light laptops. The AMD part, with its discrete PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, is a separate chip that requires its own board space and power delivery.

For API support, the AMD Radeon HD 8730M is the clear winner. Its Vulkan 1.2.170 support is far ahead of Intel's Vulkan 1.0, and its OpenGL 4.6 beats Intel's 4.4. Gamers running Vulkan-based titles will see a significant compatibility and performance advantage on the AMD card.

The Verdict

The data gives a narrow but clear verdict to the AMD Radeon HD 8730M in the head-to-head benchmark, with a 4.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. Its 5955 score versus the Intel's 5712 is the only direct comparison available, and the AMD part wins it. The AMD card also holds a higher percentile ranking at 34 versus 33, reinforcing its slight edge in overall performance distribution.

Buyers who prioritize raw compute throughput should lean toward the Intel Iris Pro P6300. Its 614.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance and 38.40 GTexel/s texture rate are substantial advantages over the AMD part, making it a better fit for compute-heavy or texture-intensive workloads. The Intel part's 14 nm process and 15 W TDP also position it as the more efficient choice for ultraportable laptops.

However, for gaming and general graphics performance, the AMD Radeon HD 8730M is the safer pick. It wins the head-to-head test, offers dedicated memory with predictable bandwidth, and supports modern APIs like Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD part's higher pixel rate of 5.600 GPixel/s also suggests better performance in fill-rate-limited scenarios.

The choice comes down to workload. Data centers or professional users running OpenCL compute tasks might prefer the Intel part's higher FP32 output. Gamers and consumers looking for a discrete GPU experience with dedicated VRAM should choose the AMD Radeon HD 8730M, which takes the only head-to-head win in the data. The margin is thin, but the AMD part is the benchmark winner.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8730M scores 5955, which is 4.3% higher than the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300's 5712.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon HD 8730M compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K620M?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8730M's 5955 score is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K620M's 5957, showing a 0% delta.

Q: What is the texture rate advantage for the Intel Iris Pro P6300?

A: The Intel Iris Pro P6300 has a texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s, which is more than double the AMD Radeon HD 8730M's 16.80 GTexel/s.

Q: Which GPU supports a newer version of Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8730M supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Intel Iris Pro P6300 only supports Vulkan 1.0.

Q: Does the Intel Iris Pro P6300 have dedicated video memory?

A: No, the Intel Iris Pro P6300 uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent," unlike the AMD Radeon HD 8730M's dedicated 2 GB of DDR3.

Q: What is the FP32 performance difference between the two GPUs?

A: The Intel Iris Pro P6300 has a higher FP32 throughput of 614.4 GFLOPS, compared to the AMD Radeon HD 8730M's 537.6 GFLOPS.