AMD Radeon R7 M260X vs Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single direct comparison between the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 and the AMD Radeon R7 M260X, using the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this measurement, the Intel part scores 5712 points, while the AMD part scores 5690 points. The margin is razor-thin, with the Intel iGPU leading by just 0.4%. This effectively places both products in the same performance tier, as the difference is well within typical run-to-run variance for OpenCL workloads.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces how close these two parts are. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 sits at the 33rd percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its closest competitors include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (average score 5721, a 0.1% deficit for Intel), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti (average score 5731, a 0.3% deficit), and the AMD Radeon HD 8790M (average score 5691, a 0.4% advantage for Intel). The AMD Radeon R7 M260X, meanwhile, sits at the 30th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 5161 across its two recorded tests. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M (average score 5154, a 0.1% advantage for AMD), the NVIDIA Quadro 4000M (average score 5211, a 1% deficit), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M (average score 5236, a 1.4% deficit).

The raw OpenCL score for the AMD part (5690) is nearly identical to the Intel score (5712), yet the AMD average benchmark score (5161) is dragged down by its second recorded test, a Geekbench Vulkan run where it scores 4631. That Vulkan result is significantly lower than its OpenCL result, suggesting the GCN 1.0 architecture has weaker Vulkan performance relative to its OpenCL showing. The Intel part has no recorded Vulkan benchmark in the database, so a direct comparison on that API is not possible.

Looking at the nearest rivals as a sanity check, the Intel part outperforms the AMD Radeon HD 8790M by 0.4% and the NVIDIA Quadro M500M by 1.9%, while trailing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX by 0.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti by 0.3%. The AMD Radeon R7 M260X outperforms the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M by 0.1% and the AMD Radeon R7 240 by 1.9%, while trailing the NVIDIA Quadro 4000M by 1% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M by 1.4%. Both parts cluster tightly around a narrow performance band, roughly 5050 to 5250 for the AMD side and 5600 to 5750 for the Intel side, when considering their respective rivals.

The data shows a single win for the Intel part in the head-to-head OpenCL test, with no wins recorded for the AMD part. However, the 0.4% delta is smaller than the margins separating either part from several of its nearest rivals, which means the practical performance difference in OpenCL workloads is minimal.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 is built on the Broadwell GT3e chip, using Intel's Generation 8.0 architecture and a 14 nm process node manufactured at Intel's own foundry. It belongs to the HD Graphics-W (Broadwell) generation. The AMD Radeon R7 M260X, by contrast, uses the Opal chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It belongs to the Gem System (R7 M200) generation. The process node difference is substantial: 14 nm versus 28 nm, which affects transistor density and power characteristics.

The Intel part integrates its memory controller with the system, using shared memory for both capacity and bandwidth. Its memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the iGPU relies on the host system's main memory, and its effective memory performance depends entirely on the platform's memory configuration. The AMD part, in contrast, has dedicated GDDR5 memory: 1024 MB on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1000 MHz, translating to 4 Gbps effective. This gives the AMD part a fixed, predictable memory subsystem that does not compete with the CPU for bandwidth.

Shader resources show an interesting split. Both parts have 384 shading units, but the Intel part has 48 texture mapping units (TMUs) versus 24 for AMD, and 6 render output units (ROPs) versus 8 for AMD. The higher TMU count on the Intel side explains its texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s, which is more than double the AMD part's 17.16 GTexel/s. The AMD part counters with a higher pixel rate of 5.720 GPixel/s versus 4.800 GPixel/s for Intel, driven by its 8 ROPs versus 6. In raw floating-point throughput, the Intel part leads with 614.4 GFLOPS FP32 versus 549.1 GFLOPS for AMD, a 12% advantage in compute throughput.

Clock speeds differ notably. The Intel part has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 800 MHz. The AMD part has a base clock of 620 MHz and a boost clock of 715 MHz. Despite the Intel part's lower clocks, its higher TMU count and shader efficiency allow it to match or slightly exceed the AMD part in OpenCL. The AMD part's higher base clock does not translate into a performance win in the recorded benchmark.

Other architectural differences include the bus interface. The Intel part uses a Ring Bus, consistent with its integrated nature, while the AMD part uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The AMD part has no power connectors listed, and its TDP is not recorded in the database, whereas the Intel part has a TDP of 15 W. The Intel part is an IGP with motherboard-dependent display outputs, while the AMD part is a portable-device-dependent part. The AMD chip contains 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, with a transistor density of 12.3 million per mm². The Intel part's transistor count and die size are not recorded.

API support shows differences in OpenGL and Vulkan. The Intel part supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.4, and Vulkan 1.0. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD part has a significantly newer Vulkan implementation and a newer OpenGL version, which may explain its ability to run the Vulkan benchmark at all.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 wins the only recorded head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 0.4%. Its texture rate is dramatically higher at 38.40 GTexel/s versus 17.16 GTexel/s for the AMD part, making it the stronger choice for workloads that depend on texture fetching and filtering. Its FP32 compute of 614.4 GFLOPS also exceeds the AMD part's 549.1 GFLOPS, which helps in general-purpose compute tasks that stress shader throughput. The Intel part also operates at a lower TDP of 15 W, which is advantageous in thermally constrained environments.

The AMD Radeon R7 M260X wins on memory architecture. Its dedicated 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth on a 128-bit GDDR5 bus provides predictable, high-speed memory access that does not depend on system DRAM configuration. In contrast, the Intel part's bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning its real-world memory performance could vary widely based on the host platform. The AMD part also has a higher pixel rate at 5.720 GPixel/s versus 4.800 GPixel/s, giving it an edge in fill-rate-bound scenarios such as heavy fragment shading or post-processing effects. Its 8 ROPs versus 6 for Intel directly enables this pixel throughput advantage.

The AMD part also offers better API support for newer standards. Its OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170 are more recent than the Intel part's OpenGL 4.4 and Vulkan 1.0. For applications that leverage these newer APIs, the AMD part has a compatibility and feature-set advantage, even if its raw OpenCL score is slightly lower. The AMD part's recorded Vulkan score of 4631, while lower than its OpenCL score, indicates it can run Vulkan workloads at all; the Intel part has no recorded Vulkan benchmark.

The Intel part's higher TMU count (48 versus 24) makes it the better choice for texture-heavy workloads, such as those found in certain game engines or image processing pipelines. The AMD part's higher ROP count (8 versus 6) makes it the better choice for resolution-heavy or fragment-bound scenarios. The Intel part's integrated nature means it shares system memory, which can be a disadvantage when the system memory is slow or when the CPU and GPU compete for bandwidth, but it also means there is no dedicated memory allocation to manage.

The 14 nm process node of the Intel part gives it a manufacturing advantage in terms of density and potential power efficiency, though the database only records TDP for the Intel part (15 W), not for the AMD part. The AMD part's 28 nm process is older, but its discrete design allows for dedicated memory and a wider bus interface.

The Verdict

The data shows that the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 and AMD Radeon R7 M260X are effectively tied in OpenCL performance, with a 0.4% margin favoring Intel. The Intel part wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and it offers superior texture rate, higher FP32 compute, and lower TDP. However, the margin is so small that it would be misleading to declare a clear winner based on the OpenCL score alone.

For workloads that are texture-bound or compute-heavy in the FP32 domain, the Intel part has the measurable advantage. Its 38.40 GTexel/s texture rate is more than double the AMD part's 17.16 GTexel/s, and its 614.4 GFLOPS exceeds the AMD part's 549.1 GFLOPS by 12%. The Intel part also draws only 15 W, making it suitable for low-power platforms.

For workloads that are fill-rate-bound or require consistent memory bandwidth, the AMD part is the better choice. Its 5.720 GPixel/s pixel rate exceeds the Intel part's 4.800 GPixel/s by 19%, and its dedicated 64.00 GB/s GDDR5 bandwidth is independent of system memory configuration, unlike the Intel part's "System Dependent" bandwidth. The AMD part also supports newer OpenGL (4.6) and Vulkan (1.2.170) versions, which may be required for certain modern applications.

The choice between the two should be guided by the specific workload profile. If the application stresses texture throughput or raw FP32 compute, the Intel part wins. If the application stresses pixel fill rate or requires dedicated memory bandwidth, the AMD part wins. For general-purpose OpenCL compute, the two are statistically indistinguishable.

The AMD part's average benchmark score of 5161 is lower than its OpenCL score of 5690 because of its Vulkan score of 4631. This suggests that the AMD part's Vulkan performance is notably weaker than its OpenCL performance, and users who prioritize Vulkan should be cautious. The Intel part has no recorded Vulkan score, so its Vulkan performance is unknown from the database.

Given the 0.4% delta in the head-to-head test, and the fact that the Intel part holds the 33rd percentile versus the AMD part's 30th percentile, the data marginally favors Intel for raw OpenCL compute. However, the AMD part's dedicated memory and higher pixel rate make it the stronger candidate for graphics workloads that are not represented in the OpenCL benchmark. The verdict depends on the application mix, but for a general-purpose compute comparison, the Intel part takes the narrow win.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 scores 5712 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R7 M260X scores 5690. The Intel part leads by 0.4%.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon R7 M260X compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD part has an average score of 5161. It leads the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M by 0.1% and the AMD Radeon R7 240 by 1.9%, while trailing the NVIDIA Quadro 4000M by 1% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M by 1.4%.

Q: What are the memory configurations of these two GPUs?

A: The Intel part uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth. The AMD part has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth at 4 Gbps effective.

Q: Which GPU has better texture and pixel throughput?

A: The Intel part has a texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s, more than double the AMD part's 17.16 GTexel/s. The AMD part has a pixel rate of 5.720 GPixel/s, which is higher than the Intel part's 4.800 GPixel/s.

Q: What API versions does each GPU support?

A: The Intel part supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.4, and Vulkan 1.0. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the process node difference between the two chips?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 is built on Intel's 14 nm process, while the AMD Radeon R7 M260X is built on TSMC's 28 nm process. The AMD chip contains 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die.