AMD Radeon R7 250 vs AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded Geekbench OpenCL data places the AMD Radeon R7 250 clearly ahead of the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile. The R7 250 scores 7557 points, while the Vega 10 Mobile manages 6476 points. That is a 16.7% advantage for the R7 250 in the only directly comparable benchmark in the database.

This is not a marginal gap. A 16.7% delta in a compute-oriented test like Geekbench OpenCL indicates a substantial difference in raw throughput for general-purpose GPU workloads. The R7 250's victory is decisive, and the benchmark results show no test where the Vega 10 Mobile takes the lead.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces the R7 250's standing. The R7 250 sits within 0.1% of the Intel Arc A310 (7550 points) and is 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (7472 points). It also beats the AMD Radeon HD 8850M by 1.5% (7447 points). On the other side, the Vega 10 Mobile trails the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M by 0.1% (6481 points) and sits 0.3% behind the GeForce GT 555M (6493 points). The Vega 10 Mobile's nearest rivals are all within a narrow 1.1% band, but every one of them is below the R7 250's score.

The percentile data tells the same story. The R7 250 ranks in the 41st percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the Vega 10 Mobile ranks in the 37th percentile. That four-point percentile gap aligns with the 16.7% benchmark delta. In practical terms, the R7 250 is the stronger performer for any workload that leans on OpenCL compute.

Where Each One Wins

The R7 250 wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, so the use-case split is straightforward. For compute-heavy tasks such as OpenCL acceleration, video encoding assist, or any general-purpose GPU compute, the R7 250 delivers the higher score. Its 7557-point result puts it in a class with the Arc A310 and GTX 1650, both of which are substantially newer designs. That is a strong outcome for a GPU from the Volcanic Islands generation.

The Vega 10 Mobile does not win any recorded benchmark. Its strength lies elsewhere, specifically in its power profile and form factor, not in raw performance. The database shows the Vega 10 Mobile with a 10 W TDP versus the R7 250's 55 W TDP. That is a five-fold difference in power draw. For a mobile IGP, that efficiency matters more than raw compute scores. The Vega 10 Mobile is designed for laptops and portable devices, where the R7 250's single-slot 168 mm card with a 250 W suggested PSU would be impractical.

The R7 250 wins on pixel rate as well, posting 14.80 GPixel/s against the Vega 10 Mobile's 10.41 GPixel/s. However, the Vega 10 Mobile counters with a higher texture rate: 52.04 GTexel/s versus 29.60 GTexel/s. That means the R7 250 is faster at filling pixels, while the Vega 10 Mobile is faster at texture sampling. For gaming at lower resolutions where fill-rate is the bottleneck, the R7 250 has the edge. For texture-heavy workloads, the Vega 10 Mobile's 40 TMUs give it an advantage despite its lower overall score.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras and process nodes. The R7 250 uses the Cape Verde chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC at 28 nm. The Vega 10 Mobile uses the Raven-M chip built on GCN 5.0, fabricated by GlobalFoundries at 14 nm. The process shrink is significant: 14 nm versus 28 nm allows the Vega 10 Mobile to pack 4,940 million transistors onto a 210 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5M per mm². The R7 250 has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, for a density of 12.2M per mm².

The chip sizes are not directly comparable in performance terms because the Vega 10 Mobile's die includes more than just the GPU. The Raven-M chip is an APU, so the 210 mm² die also contains the CPU complex. The R7 250's Cape Verde die is a discrete GPU only. This explains why the larger transistor count and newer architecture do not translate into a higher benchmark score. The Vega 10 Mobile's GPU portion, with 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, is smaller relative to its die than the R7 250's 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs.

The R7 250 has 16 ROPs versus the Vega 10 Mobile's 8, which explains its higher pixel rate. The Vega 10 Mobile has more shading units (640 vs 512) and more TMUs (40 vs 32), which explains its higher texture rate and its FP32 throughput of 1.665 TFLOPS versus the R7 250's 947.2 GFLOPS. The Vega 10 Mobile also has FP16 support at 3.331 TFLOPS with 2:1 ratio, while the R7 250 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Memory configurations differ fundamentally. The R7 250 has 1024 MB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 10 Mobile uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. This means the R7 250 has guaranteed memory bandwidth, while the Vega 10 Mobile's performance depends entirely on the host system's memory speed and configuration.

API support favors the Vega 10 Mobile. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) versus the R7 250's DirectX 12 (11_1). Vulkan support also differs: the Vega 10 Mobile supports Vulkan 1.3, while the R7 250 supports 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 250 scores 7557 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile scores 6476. The R7 250 leads by 16.7%.

Q: How does each GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The R7 250 is within 0.1% of the Intel Arc A310 and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. The Vega 10 Mobile is 0.1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M and 0.3% behind the GeForce GT 555M.

Q: Which GPU draws less power?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile has a 10 W TDP, while the R7 250 has a 55 W TDP. The Vega 10 Mobile is designed as an IGP for portable devices.

Q: What is the memory situation for each?

A: The R7 250 has 1024 MB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 10 Mobile uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has better DirectX support?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the R7 250 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). The Vega 10 Mobile also supports Vulkan 1.3 versus the R7 250's Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What are the pixel and texture rates?

A: The R7 250 has a pixel rate of 14.80 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 29.60 GTexel/s. The Vega 10 Mobile has a pixel rate of 10.41 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 52.04 GTexel/s.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear choice for compute workloads: the AMD Radeon R7 250. Its 16.7% benchmark lead over the Vega 10 Mobile, combined with a higher percentile ranking (41st versus 37th), makes it the stronger GPU for OpenCL-based tasks. The R7 250 also holds the edge in pixel fill rate, which matters for traditional rasterization at lower resolutions.

The Vega 10 Mobile is the rational pick only when power consumption and form factor dominate the decision. Its 10 W TDP versus the R7 250's 55 W TDP, plus its IGP design, makes it suitable for laptops and compact portable systems. The R7 250 requires a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, a 250 W suggested PSU, and a single-slot card measuring 168 mm. None of that fits in a thin-and-light laptop.

For desktop users with a PCIe slot available, the R7 250 is the better performer. For mobile users who need a GPU integrated into the system, the Vega 10 Mobile is the only option of the two. There is no scenario where the Vega 10 Mobile wins on raw benchmark performance. The R7 250 wins the only head-to-head test, and the architecture differences that favor the Vega 10 Mobile, such as texture rate and FP16 support, do not translate into a higher OpenCL score.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in every major specification category except for manufacturer, OpenGL support, power connector requirement, and production status.

• Process Node: R7 250 is 28 nm (TSMC); Vega 10 Mobile is 14 nm (GlobalFoundries).
• Transistors: R7 250 has 1,500 million; Vega 10 Mobile has 4,940 million.
• Die Size: R7 250 is 123 mm²; Vega 10 Mobile is 210 mm².
• Transistor Density: R7 250 is 12.2M / mm²; Vega 10 Mobile is 23.5M / mm².
• Base Clock: Vega 10 Mobile has 300 MHz; R7 250 has no recorded base clock.
• Boost Clock: Vega 10 Mobile has 1301 MHz; R7 250 has no recorded boost clock.
• Memory: R7 250 has 1024 MB DDR3 with 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth; Vega 10 Mobile uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.
• Shading Units: R7 250 has 512; Vega 10 Mobile has 640.
• TMUs: R7 250 has 32; Vega 10 Mobile has 40.
• ROPs: R7 250 has 16; Vega 10 Mobile has 8.
• Pixel Rate: R7 250 is 14.80 GPixel/s; Vega 10 Mobile is 10.41 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: R7 250 is 29.60 GTexel/s; Vega 10 Mobile is 52.04 GTexel/s.
• FP32: R7 250 is 947.2 GFLOPS; Vega 10 Mobile is 1.665 TFLOPS.
• FP16: Vega 10 Mobile is 3.331 TFLOPS (2:1); R7 250 has no recorded FP16.
• TDP: R7 250 is 55 W; Vega 10 Mobile is 10 W.
• Slot Width: R7 250 is single-slot; Vega 10 Mobile is IGP.
• Suggested PSU: R7 250 is 250 W; Vega 10 Mobile has no suggested PSU.
• Bus Interface: R7 250 is PCIe 3.0 x16; Vega 10 Mobile is IGP.
• Display Outputs: R7 250 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2; Vega 10 Mobile is portable-device dependent.
• DirectX: R7 250 supports 12 (11_1); Vega 10 Mobile supports 12 (12_1).
• Vulkan: R7 250 supports 1.2.170; Vega 10 Mobile supports 1.3.
• Architecture: R7 250 is GCN 1.0; Vega 10 Mobile is GCN 5.0.
• Chip: R7 250 is Cape Verde; Vega 10 Mobile is Raven-M.
• Release Date: R7 250 launched on October 7, 2013; Vega 10 Mobile launched on January 7, 2019.
• Predecessor: R7 250's predecessor is Sea Islands; Vega 10 Mobile's is GCN 3.0 IGP.
• Successor: R7 250's successor is Pirate Islands; Vega 10 Mobile's is Navi II IGP.