AMD Radeon R7 M260X vs Intel UHD Graphics 730 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data splits cleanly between these two end-of-life mobile graphics solutions. The Intel UHD Graphics 730 wins both head-to-head tests in the database, but the margin and the nature of those wins matter for real-world usage.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the Intel UHD Graphics 730 scores 5988 against the AMD Radeon R7 M260X's 5690. That is a 5.2% lead for Intel. This is a modest advantage, one that suggests the two are broadly comparable in compute-style workloads that stress raw shader throughput and general-purpose GPU tasks. The AMD card is not far behind, and in day-to-day OpenCL-accelerated applications, the difference would be noticeable but not dramatic.

The Vulkan result is a different story entirely. Here, the Intel UHD Graphics 730 scores 5870, while the AMD Radeon R7 M260X manages only 4631. That is a 26.8% lead for Intel. This is a decisive victory and indicates that Intel's newer architecture handles modern API overhead and draw-call efficiency far better. For anyone running Vulkan-based games or compute workloads, the Intel part is clearly the stronger choice.

However, the AMD Radeon R7 M260X does not lose everywhere in the broader database context. Its average benchmark score sits at 5161, which places it in the 30th percentile of all GPUs. The Intel UHD Graphics 730, by contrast, averages 5929 across its recorded benchmarks and sits in the 33rd percentile. The percentile gap is small, but the average score gap is 768 points, roughly 14.9% in Intel's favor.

The AMD card's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M (avg score 5154, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Radeon R7 240 (avg score 5063, delta 1.9%). This shows the R7 M260X is clustered with older mid-range mobile and entry desktop parts. The Intel UHD Graphics 730, meanwhile, sits alongside the AMD Radeon HD 8730M (avg score 5955, delta -0.4%) and NVIDIA Quadro K620M (avg score 5957, delta -0.5%), which are slightly slower in aggregate.

In short, the Intel part wins on both recorded benchmarks, wins on average score, and wins on percentile placement. The AMD part's only claim is that it is a discrete GPU with dedicated memory, which matters for certain workloads that the database does not directly measure.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation: pick the Intel UHD Graphics 730 unless you have a specific need for the AMD Radeon R7 M260X's dedicated memory pool.

The Intel UHD Graphics 730 wins both head-to-head tests. In OpenCL, it leads by 5.2%. In Vulkan, it leads by 26.8%. Its average benchmark score of 5929 is well ahead of the AMD card's 5161, and it sits in a higher percentile (33rd vs 30th). If you are choosing between these two for a laptop or small form factor system, the Intel integrated solution is the safer bet for general performance.

The AMD Radeon R7 M260X does have one structural advantage: it comes with 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel part uses system shared memory, and its bandwidth is system dependent. For workloads that are extremely sensitive to memory latency or that cannot tolerate sharing memory with the CPU, the AMD card's dedicated frame buffer could be preferable. However, the database does not record any benchmark where the AMD card wins, so any such advantage is speculative.

For most users, the Intel UHD Graphics 730 is the better choice. It is faster in compute, much faster in Vulkan, and its newer architecture (Generation 12.1 vs GCN 1.0) shows clear benefits in modern API workloads. The AMD card is only worth considering if you are locked into a system that already has it and you need its dedicated memory for a specific application.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data covers two tests, and Intel wins both. The OpenCL test is the closer one: Intel scores 5988, AMD scores 5690, for a 5.2% delta. This is a comfortable but not overwhelming margin. In raw FP32 compute, the AMD card actually has a theoretical edge (549.1 GFLOPS vs 499.2 GFLOPS), but the Intel part's higher clock behavior and architectural efficiency overcome that deficit in the recorded test.

The Vulkan test is where the separation becomes dramatic. Intel scores 5870, AMD scores 4631, a 26.8% delta. This is a large gap and reflects the architectural generation difference. The Intel UHD Graphics 730 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD Radeon R7 M260X supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The newer Intel architecture handles the Vulkan API's explicit command buffers and multi-threaded recording far more efficiently. For any game or application that uses Vulkan, the Intel part is unequivocally the better performer.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this. Intel averages 5929 across its recorded tests. AMD averages 5161. The delta between the two average scores is roughly 14.9% in Intel's favor. When you look at the nearest rivals, Intel's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon HD 8750M at 5970 (delta -0.7%), while AMD's closest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M at 5154 (delta 0.1%). The Intel part is competing in a slightly higher performance tier.

Pixel and texture rates tell a mixed story. The Intel part has a higher pixel rate (10.40 GPixel/s vs 5.720 GPixel/s), but the AMD part has a higher texture rate (17.16 GTexel/s vs 15.60 GTexel/s). This suggests the AMD card might have an edge in texture-heavy workloads, but the recorded benchmarks do not show any test where that translates into a win.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL workloads?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 scores 5988 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R7 M260X scores 5690. Intel leads by 5.2%.

Q: How big is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 scores 5870 in Geekbench Vulkan, versus 4631 for the AMD Radeon R7 M260X. That is a 26.8% lead for Intel.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R7 M260X have any memory advantage?

A: Yes. The AMD card has 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel part uses system shared memory, and its bandwidth is system dependent.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 averages 5929 across its recorded benchmarks. The AMD Radeon R7 M260X averages 5161. Intel sits in the 33rd percentile of all GPUs, while AMD sits in the 30th.

Q: Which architecture is newer?

A: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 uses Generation 12.1 architecture on a 14 nm+++ process. The AMD Radeon R7 M260X uses GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm process.

Q: What is the AMD card's closest rival in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M260X's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M, with an average score of 5154 and a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon R7 240 is also close at 5063 with a delta of 1.9%.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is significant and explains most of the benchmark results.

The Intel UHD Graphics 730 is built on Generation 12.1 architecture, the same family used in Rocket Lake processors. It is fabricated on Intel's 14 nm+++ process node. The chip uses a Ring Bus interface and is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), meaning it shares system memory with the CPU. It has 192 shading units, 12 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The architecture supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 1300 MHz. The FP32 throughput is 499.2 GFLOPS, and FP16 throughput is 998.4 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio. The pixel rate is 10.40 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 15.60 GTexel/s. It was released in March 2021 and is now end-of-life.

The AMD Radeon R7 M260X is built on GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Opal chip. It is fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process and has 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, for a transistor density of 12.3M per mm². It is a discrete mobile GPU with 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. It has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The base clock is 620 MHz, with a boost clock of 715 MHz. Memory runs at 1000 MHz, or 4 Gbps effective. The FP32 throughput is 549.1 GFLOPS, and there is no recorded FP16 throughput. The pixel rate is 5.720 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 17.16 GTexel/s. It supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. It uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface and was released in December 2015. It is also end-of-life.

The key architectural differences are the process node (14 nm+++ vs 28 nm), the memory subsystem (system shared vs 64.00 GB/s dedicated GDDR5), the shading unit count (192 vs 384), and the API support (Vulkan 1.4 vs 1.2.170). The AMD card has more shading units and higher theoretical FP32, but the Intel card's newer architecture and much higher boost clock (1300 MHz vs 715 MHz) allow it to win in practice.

Specification Differences

The specification table shows clear differences in every major category.

Process and Die: The Intel UHD Graphics 730 uses a 14 nm+++ process from Intel. The AMD Radeon R7 M260X uses a 28 nm process from TSMC. The AMD chip has 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, with a transistor density of 12.3M per mm². Intel does not list transistor or die size data.

Clocks: The Intel part has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1300 MHz. The AMD part has a base clock of 620 MHz and a boost clock of 715 MHz. The Intel part boosts much higher, which contributes to its benchmark wins.

Memory: The Intel part uses system shared memory of an unspecified size and type, with system dependent bandwidth. The AMD part has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Compute Units: The Intel part has 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The AMD part has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The AMD part has double the shaders and TMUs, but only matches the ROP count.

Rates: The Intel part has a pixel rate of 10.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 15.60 GTexel/s. The AMD part has a pixel rate of 5.720 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 17.16 GTexel/s. Intel wins pixel rate, AMD wins texture rate.

Compute: The Intel part has FP32 throughput of 499.2 GFLOPS and FP16 throughput of 998.4 GFLOPS (2:1). The AMD part has FP32 throughput of 549.1 GFLOPS and no listed FP16 throughput.

Power and Interface: The Intel part has a TDP of 15 W and is an IGP with a Ring Bus interface. The AMD part does not list a TDP, has no power connectors, and uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface.

Outputs and API: The Intel part's display outputs are motherboard dependent. The AMD part's outputs are portable device dependent. The Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Release and Status: The Intel part was released on March 29, 2021. The AMD part was released on December 5, 2015. Both are end-of-life. The AMD part lists its predecessor as Solar System and its successor as Polaris Mobile. Intel lists no predecessor or successor.