AMD Radeon R7 M260 vs Intel HD Graphics P530 Comparison

# Intel HD Graphics P530 vs AMD Radeon R7 M260

The benchmark data presents a fascinating split decision between these two end-of-life mobile graphics solutions. Intel's integrated HD Graphics P530 and AMD's discrete Radeon R7 M260 each claim one victory across the two available Geekbench tests, with the Intel part dominating OpenCL compute while the AMD part takes a significant lead in Vulkan performance. The average benchmark scores tell a tight story — 4560 for the Intel versus 4499 for the AMD — placing both in the 26th percentile of all GPUs, yet the per-application results reveal that the "winner" depends heavily on which API is being exercised.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the data is the OpenCL gap. Intel's HD Graphics P530 scores 4549 against AMD's 3708, a 22.7% advantage that is substantial for any comparison, let alone one between an integrated processor and a discrete mobile GPU. This suggests the Intel part's compute architecture, based on Generation 9.0 silicon, is particularly well-suited to OpenCL workloads. The AMD R7 M260, built on GCN 3.0, trails by a wide margin in this test, and the delta is large enough that it likely reflects more than just clock speed differences — it points to fundamental architectural efficiencies in how each chip executes compute shaders.

Vulkan tells the opposite story. AMD's R7 M260 scores 5289 versus Intel's 4571, giving the AMD part a 13.6% lead. This is a notable reversal, and the magnitude of the Vulkan win does not fully offset the OpenCL loss in percentage terms — 13.6% versus 22.7% — but it does demonstrate that the AMD hardware has strengths in low-level graphics APIs that the Intel part cannot match. The Vulkan result is particularly interesting because the AMD chip supports Vulkan 1.2.170 while Intel offers Vulkan 1.3, meaning Intel has the newer API specification yet still loses the actual benchmark.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides additional context. The Intel HD Graphics P530 sits within a tight cluster: AMD Radeon RX 560 scores 4569 (0.2% ahead), AMD Radeon R5 M230 scores 4577 (0.4% ahead), and AMD FirePro W4190M scores 4505 (1.2% behind). The AMD R7 M260's nearest rivals show a similar clustering, with the FirePro W4190M at 4505 (0.1% behind) and the Intel P530 at 4560 (1.3% ahead). Both parts are essentially performing at parity with their immediate competitors, reinforcing that neither is a standout in its class — but the head-to-head results show they achieve this parity through very different means.

The Verdict

The data does not crown a single winner — it identifies two different tools for two different jobs. If the workload is OpenCL compute, the Intel HD Graphics P530 is the clear choice, delivering 22.7% more performance than the AMD R7 M260. This margin is decisive and would matter for any application that relies heavily on OpenCL for general-purpose GPU computing, such as certain video encoding tasks or scientific workloads. The Intel part's 384.0 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, while halved in this comparison by the AMD's 752.6 GFLOPS, apparently translates into better real-world OpenCL execution due to architectural advantages.

If the workload involves Vulkan graphics, the AMD Radeon R7 M260 is the better pick. Its 5289 Vulkan score represents a 13.6% improvement over Intel's result, and this could translate into noticeably better frame rates in Vulkan-based games or applications. The AMD part also offers 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth, whereas Intel relies on system shared memory, which can become a bottleneck in graphics-intensive scenarios.

For users who do a mix of both types of workloads, the choice is less clear. The average benchmark scores — 4560 for Intel versus 4499 for AMD — are separated by only 1.3%, which is within the margin of noise for these tests. Both parts sit at the 26th percentile of all GPUs, indicating they are entry-level solutions that will handle light gaming and basic compute but will not satisfy demanding users. The verdict ultimately depends on the specific applications: OpenCL-heavy users should choose Intel, Vulkan-heavy users should choose AMD.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different foundries and process nodes, which explains several performance characteristics. Intel's HD Graphics P530 is built on a 14 nm+ process at Intel's own foundry, while AMD's R7 M260 uses TSMC's 28 nm process. The Intel part's die size is 123 mm², slightly smaller than AMD's 125 mm², but the AMD chip packs 1,550 million transistors versus Intel's unspecified count, yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million per mm² for AMD. The process node difference is significant: 14 nm+ should offer better power efficiency, though the AMD part runs at higher clocks — 940 MHz base and 980 MHz boost versus Intel's 350 MHz base and 1000 MHz boost.

Architecturally, Intel employs Generation 9.0 silicon with a Skylake GT2 chip, while AMD uses GCN 3.0 with a Topaz chip. The Intel part has 192 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and only 3 raster output units, whereas AMD doubles the shading units to 384, increases TMUs to 24, and boosts ROPs to 8. These raw counts favor AMD on paper, yet the OpenCL benchmark shows Intel winning decisively — a reminder that shading unit count does not tell the whole story. Intel's FP16 performance is 768.0 GFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio versus FP32, while AMD's FP16 is 752.6 GFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, indicating Intel has dedicated half-precision hardware that AMD lacks.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. Intel uses system shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth, while AMD has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD's memory clock is 900 MHz, effective 1800 Mbps, whereas Intel's memory speed is listed simply as "System Shared." This dedicated memory gives AMD an advantage in avoiding system memory contention, though it is limited by the narrow 64-bit bus. The API support also diverges: Intel offers DirectX 12 (12_1) versus AMD's DirectX 12 (12_0), both support OpenGL 4.6, but Intel has Vulkan 1.3 while AMD has Vulkan 1.2.170.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences between these two parts are numerous. Intel's base clock is 350 MHz with a boost of 1000 MHz, while AMD's base is 940 MHz with a boost of 980 MHz — AMD runs much faster at base but Intel catches up at boost. Intel's TDP is 15 W, while AMD's TDP is not listed in the data, making power comparison impossible from available facts. Intel uses a Ring Bus interface while AMD uses PCIe 3.0 x8, reflecting their different integration strategies — Intel is an integrated GPU (IGP) while AMD is a discrete chip.

Shading units differ dramatically: 192 for Intel versus 384 for AMD, a 2x advantage for AMD. Texture mapping units are 16 versus 24, and ROPs are 3 versus 8, both favoring AMD. Pixel rate is 3.000 GPixel/s for Intel versus 7.840 GPixel/s for AMD, and texture rate is 16.00 GTexel/s versus 23.52 GTexel/s — again AMD leads. However, FP32 performance is 384.0 GFLOPS for Intel versus 752.6 GFLOPS for AMD, and FP16 is 768.0 GFLOPS for Intel versus 752.6 GFLOPS for AMD, showing Intel's half-precision advantage. The Intel part has no transistors listed, while AMD has 1,550 million, and Intel's die size is 123 mm² versus AMD's 125 mm². AMD's transistor density is 12.4M per mm², a figure not available for Intel.

Release dates differ by over a year: Intel launched on 2015-08-31 while AMD launched on 2014-06-10. Both are end-of-life products. AMD lists a predecessor ("Solar System") and successor ("Polaris Mobile"), while Intel lists neither. Intel's display outputs are motherboard dependent, while AMD's are not listed. Neither part has a launch MSRP in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in OpenCL performance?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 wins decisively, scoring 4549 against AMD's 3708, a 22.7% advantage.

Q: Which GPU wins in Vulkan performance?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M260 wins, scoring 5289 against Intel's 4571, a 13.6% lead.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: They are very close: Intel averages 4560 while AMD averages 4499, a difference of only 1.3% in Intel's favor.

Q: What memory configurations do they use?

A: Intel uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while AMD has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: AMD has 384 shading units, double Intel's 192 units, though Intel still wins the OpenCL benchmark.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: Intel uses a 14 nm+ process from Intel foundry, while AMD uses a 28 nm process from TSMC.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel HD Graphics P530 is the winner in OpenCL compute workloads, as demonstrated by its 22.7% higher score in the geekbench_opencl test. This makes it the better choice for applications that leverage OpenCL for GPU acceleration, such as certain video processing, image filtering, or scientific computing tasks. The Intel part also offers a newer API stack with Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1), which may provide better compatibility with newer software. Its 15 W TDP suggests modest power consumption, though AMD's power draw is not listed for comparison. The Intel part's FP16 performance at 768.0 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio indicates strong half-precision compute, which could benefit machine learning inference workloads that use FP16.

The AMD Radeon R7 M260 is the winner in Vulkan graphics workloads, taking a 13.6% lead in the geekbench_vulkan test. This makes it preferable for Vulkan-based games or rendering applications that use this modern graphics API. The AMD part's dedicated 2 GB of DDR3 memory with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth provides more predictable memory performance compared to Intel's system shared memory, reducing the risk of system memory contention during graphics-heavy tasks. With double the shading units (384 versus 192), higher pixel rate (7.840 GPixel/s versus 3.000 GPixel/s), and higher texture rate (23.52 GTexel/s versus 16.00 GTexel/s), the AMD part has theoretically superior graphics throughput — the Vulkan result confirms this advantage in practice. The AMD's higher base clock of 940 MHz versus Intel's 350 MHz means it delivers consistent performance without relying on boost states, which can be throttled in thermally constrained mobile environments.