AMD Radeon HD 8850M vs AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile Comparison

The Verdict

The data separates these two AMD mobile graphics solutions clearly. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M holds a decisive performance lead, scoring 7447 in the Geekbench OpenCL test against 6476 for the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile, a 15% advantage. For users prioritizing raw compute performance in an older discrete GPU, the HD 8850M is the stronger choice. The Vega 10 Mobile, however, is an integrated processor with a 10 W TDP, making it the only viable option for ultra-thin, power-efficient laptops where a discrete GPU cannot fit. The HD 8850M wins the only head-to-head benchmark, while the Vega 10 Mobile offers a more modern feature set and significantly higher clock speeds.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon HD 8850M is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Venus chip, and fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Its die contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² slice of silicon, resulting in a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm². It belongs to the Solar System generation of the HD 8800M series.

In contrast, the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile uses the GCN 5.0 architecture, based on the Raven-M chip, and is manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This chip is substantially larger, with 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². It is part of the Vega IGP generation within the Raven Ridge-M family. The Vega 10 Mobile also supports half-precision compute with FP16 performance of 3.331 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), a feature the HD 8850M lacks, as its FP16 field is null.

The two GPUs also differ in their API support. The HD 8850M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega 10 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The newer Vulkan version and higher DirectX feature level on the Vega 10 Mobile reflect its more modern architecture.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded benchmark comparison is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are unambiguous. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447, while the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile scores 6476. This gives the HD 8850M a 15% victory in the head-to-head matchup.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides additional context. The HD 8850M sits at the 40th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its closest competitor is the Intel UHD Graphics 750, which scores 7441, a mere 0.1% difference. The HD 8850M is also 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 350, which scores 7425. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 by 0.3%, which scores 7472, and the Intel Arc A310 by 1.4%, which scores 7550. This places the HD 8850M in a tight cluster of mid-range performers.

The Vega 10 Mobile, on the other hand, sits at the 37th percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M, which scores 6481, a 0.1% difference in favor of the Quadro. The Vega 10 Mobile is 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (6493) and 0.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513). Interestingly, it is 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell, which scores 6407. The Vega 10 Mobile's score places it in a lower performance tier than the HD 8850M.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The HD 8850M has a base clock of 575 MHz and a boost clock of 625 MHz, while the Vega 10 Mobile operates at a 300 MHz base and 1301 MHz boost. The Vega 10 Mobile's boost clock is more than double that of the HD 8850M.

Memory configurations are fundamentally different. The HD 8850M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 10 Mobile uses System Shared memory, with its bus width and bandwidth listed as System Dependent. This makes the Vega 10 Mobile entirely reliant on system RAM for its memory operations.

The shading units and texture mapping units are identical at 640 and 40, respectively. The HD 8850M has 16 ROPs, while the Vega 10 Mobile has 8, half the count. This affects pixel processing capabilities.

Rasterization and texture rates differ. The HD 8850M achieves a pixel rate of 10.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 25.00 GTexel/s. The Vega 10 Mobile achieves a slightly higher pixel rate of 10.41 GPixel/s but a dramatically higher texture rate of 52.04 GTexel/s, reflecting its higher boost clock. FP32 performance shows the Vega 10 Mobile's advantage in raw compute per clock, delivering 1.665 TFLOPS versus 800.0 GFLOPS for the HD 8850M.

Power and interface specifications are also distinct. The Vega 10 Mobile has a TDP of 10 W, requires no power connectors, and uses an IGP bus interface. The HD 8850M has no listed TDP, uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, and is a discrete card. The Vega 10 Mobile's display outputs are Portable Device Dependent, while the HD 8850M has no listed display outputs.

FAQ

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

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M is faster, scoring 7447 compared to 6476 for the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile, a 15% difference.

Q: What is the architectural generation difference between the two?

A: The HD 8850M uses the GCN 1.0 architecture from the Solar System generation, while the Vega 10 Mobile uses the GCN 5.0 architecture from the Vega IGP generation.

Q: How does the memory setup compare?

A: The HD 8850M has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 10 Mobile uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth.

Q: What is the TDP of the Vega 10 Mobile?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile has a TDP of 10 W and uses an IGP bus interface, making it suitable for low-power portable devices.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile has a much higher boost clock of 1301 MHz, compared to 625 MHz for the HD 8850M.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU based on benchmark scores?

A: The HD 8850M's closest rival is the Intel UHD Graphics 750 with a 0.1% score difference. The Vega 10 Mobile's closest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M with a 0.1% difference.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 8850M wins in raw compute performance, as evidenced by its 15% higher Geekbench OpenCL score. It also offers dedicated GDDR5 memory with fixed bandwidth, which can be more consistent than shared system memory. For users running compute-heavy workloads or older games on a discrete GPU, the HD 8850M is the clear choice. Its position at the 40th percentile, slightly behind the GTX 1650 but ahead of the UHD 750, indicates it can handle moderate tasks.

The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile wins in power efficiency and integration. Its 10 W TDP, IGP form factor, and lack of power connectors make it the only option for thin-and-light laptops. It also has a higher boost clock (1301 MHz vs 625 MHz) and more than double the texture rate (52.04 GTexel/s vs 25.00 GTexel/s). Its FP16 support and newer Vulkan 1.3 API provide modern features that the HD 8850M lacks. The Vega 10 Mobile's lower score (37th percentile) reflects its position as an integrated solution, but its architecture is significantly newer.

For a dedicated GPU upgrade in an older system, the HD 8850M is the better performer. For a new ultra-portable laptop that relies on integrated graphics, the Vega 10 Mobile is the only realistic choice. The data shows no scenario where the Vega 10 Mobile outperforms the HD 8850M in the recorded benchmark, so performance-oriented buyers should favor the discrete option.