AMD Radeon R5 M420 vs Intel HD Graphics P530 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single direct comparison between the Intel HD Graphics P530 and the AMD Radeon R5 M420, and the result is decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Intel HD Graphics P530 scores 4549, while the AMD Radeon R5 M420 trails at 3956. That gives Intel a 15% advantage in raw compute performance, a meaningful gap for integrated graphics facing off against a discrete-class mobile part.

The Intel HD Graphics P530 also holds a slight edge in the broader benchmark landscape. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 4560, which includes both Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan results. The AMD Radeon R5 M420, by contrast, has only one recorded benchmark score, the Geekbench OpenCL result of 3956, which doubles as its average. This means the Intel part benefits from a second data point, the Geekbench Vulkan score of 4571, which is actually its highest recorded result and sits slightly above its OpenCL number.

When placed against their respective nearest rivals, the two GPUs occupy similar tiers but with different company. The Intel HD Graphics P530 sits at the 26th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the AMD Radeon R5 M420 rests at the 23rd percentile. The Intel part's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 560, averages 4569, a score only 0.2% higher, making the P530 effectively a statistical tie with that discrete card. The NVIDIA Quadro M3000M, another neighbor, averages 4621, putting the P530 1.3% behind it. The AMD Radeon R5 M230, at 4577, is 0.4% ahead of the P530, while the AMD FirePro W4190M, at 4505, falls 1.2% behind.

The AMD Radeon R5 M420's nearest rivals cluster even tighter. The NVIDIA GeForce 830M matches it exactly at 3957, a 0% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M averages 3953, just 0.1% behind. The NVIDIA Quadro K2000 sits at 3964, only 0.2% ahead, and the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 leads by 0.5% with an average of 3977. This suggests that the R5 M420 is squarely in a performance band where tiny margins separate competitors, and its 15% deficit to the Intel P530 is substantial within that context.

The benchmark data also reveals an asymmetry in the testing record. The Intel HD Graphics P530 has two recorded benchmark entries, indicating more comprehensive testing coverage. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 has only one, which limits the depth of comparison but does not obscure the clear OpenCL result.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the Intel HD Graphics P530 outperforms the AMD Radeon R5 M420 in the recorded compute benchmark. The 15% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is not trivial, and the Intel part's additional Vulkan score reinforces its consistency. For users who prioritize general-purpose compute tasks, OpenCL workloads, or any application that leverages the GPU for parallel processing, the Intel solution is the safer choice based on the recorded measurements.

The AMD Radeon R5 M420, however, should not be dismissed entirely. Its nearest rival cluster shows that it performs competitively against a range of NVIDIA and AMD parts from its era, with the GeForce 830M and GT 745M landing within a fraction of a percent. This places it in a familiar performance tier, albeit one that sits below the Intel HD Graphics P530.

The percentile rankings reinforce the same story. The Intel part's 26th percentile versus the AMD part's 23rd percentile may seem close, but the actual score gap of 604 points (4560 versus 3956) is what matters in practice. The Intel HD Graphics P530 is the pick for anyone choosing between these two based purely on benchmark performance. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 is for systems where its specific feature set, such as dedicated 4 GB of video memory, is more important than raw compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 scores 4549, which is 15% higher than the AMD Radeon R5 M420's 3956.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon R5 M420 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: It is effectively tied with the NVIDIA GeForce 830M, which averages 3957, and sits just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M at 3953. The NVIDIA Quadro K2000 leads it by 0.2% and the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 by 0.5%.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 averages 4560 across its recorded benchmarks, while the AMD Radeon R5 M420 averages 3956 from its single recorded test.

Q: Does the Intel HD Graphics P530 have any benchmark advantage beyond OpenCL?

A: Yes, the Intel part also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 4571, which is higher than its OpenCL score of 4549. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 has no recorded Vulkan benchmark.

Q: How do their overall percentiles compare?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 sits at the 26th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the AMD Radeon R5 M420 sits at the 23rd percentile.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M420 has 320 shading units, while the Intel HD Graphics P530 has 192.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs diverge significantly in their core configurations. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 packs 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The Intel HD Graphics P530, by contrast, offers 192 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and only 3 render output units. This gives the AMD part a higher theoretical pixel rate of 6.800 GPixel/s versus the Intel part's 3.000 GPixel/s, and a slightly higher texture rate of 17.00 GTexel/s versus 16.00 GTexel/s. The AMD part also posts a higher FP32 compute figure at 544.0 GFLOPS, compared to the Intel part's 384.0 GFLOPS, even though the benchmark results favor Intel.

Clock speeds also differ. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 runs at a base clock of 780 MHz with a boost of 850 MHz. The Intel HD Graphics P530 has a lower base clock of 350 MHz but a higher boost of 1000 MHz. Memory configuration is another clear split: the AMD part features 4 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel part uses system shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth. The AMD memory clock is rated at 1000 MHz, translating to 2 Gbps effective.

The bus interface differs as well. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the Intel HD Graphics P530 relies on a Ring Bus connection, typical for an integrated processor graphics solution. Display outputs also differ: the Intel part is motherboard dependent, while the AMD part is portable device dependent. The AMD GPU's production status is end-of-life, as is the Intel part's, but their release dates are separated by roughly nine months: the Intel HD Graphics P530 launched in August 2015, and the AMD Radeon R5 M420 followed in May 2016.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is fundamental. The Intel HD Graphics P530 is built on the Skylake GT2 chip using Intel's Generation 9.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm+ process at Intel's own foundry. The die measures 123 mm². The AMD Radeon R5 M420 uses the Jet chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Its die is considerably smaller at 56 mm², and it integrates 690 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 12.3M per mm².

The process node gap is significant: Intel's 14 nm+ is a more advanced manufacturing technology than AMD's 28 nm, which helps explain how the Intel part achieves competitive or better benchmark scores despite lower theoretical compute figures. The Intel architecture supports FP16 at a 2:1 ratio, delivering 768.0 GFLOPS, while the AMD part lists no FP16 capability. Both support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan, but with different version levels: Intel supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while AMD supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The AMD Radeon R5 M420's lineage is documented in the database: its predecessor is listed as Solar System, and its successor as Polaris Mobile. The Intel HD Graphics P530 has no listed predecessor or successor. The AMD part's power draw is not recorded, while the Intel part is rated at 15 W TDP. Both are classified as IGP slot width, meaning they are integrated into their respective platforms.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark record gives the Intel HD Graphics P530 a clear win in compute performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 4549 beats the AMD Radeon R5 M420's 3956 by 15%, and its Vulkan score of 4571 adds another data point that the AMD part simply does not have. For tasks like OpenCL-accelerated applications, general compute workloads, or any scenario where the GPU is used for parallel processing, the Intel part is the stronger choice.

The AMD Radeon R5 M420, however, wins on paper in several hardware specifications. Its 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs give it a higher theoretical pixel rate and texture rate. Its dedicated 4 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus provides a fixed 16.00 GB/s bandwidth, which could be advantageous in scenarios where system memory bandwidth is a bottleneck or where dedicated video memory is required. The AMD part also has a higher base clock of 780 MHz and a higher FP32 compute rating of 544.0 GFLOPS.

The data suggests a nuanced picture. The Intel part wins the actual benchmark tests, but the AMD part wins the specification sheet. This implies that real-world performance depends heavily on the specific workload. For compute-heavy tasks that favor the Intel architecture's efficiency, the P530 is superior. For tasks that rely on raw fill rates or dedicated memory, the R5 M420's specifications might translate into better results in certain graphics workloads, though the recorded benchmarks do not directly confirm this.

The percentile rankings place both firmly in the lower third of all GPUs, so neither is a high-performance part by modern standards. The Intel HD Graphics P530's 26th percentile, its proximity to the AMD Radeon RX 560 (0.2% difference), and its Vulkan capability make it the more versatile and better-measured option. The AMD Radeon R5 M420's tight cluster of rivals, all within 0.5% of its score, suggests it delivers a consistent, if unremarkable, level of performance that matches a well-known set of mobile and workstation GPUs. Ultimately, the database points to Intel for compute performance and AMD for memory capacity and theoretical throughput, with the Intel part carrying the overall benchmark advantage.