AMD Radeon R7 M340 vs Intel HD Graphics P530 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark database clearly favors the AMD Radeon R7 M340 over the Intel HD Graphics P530. Across the two recorded tests, the AMD part wins both, with an average benchmark score of 5063 compared to Intel's 4560, a lead of roughly 11%. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 also ranks higher in the overall GPU percentile, sitting at the 30th percentile versus the Intel's 26th percentile. For users choosing between these two end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, the data points squarely to the AMD Radeon R7 M340 as the stronger performer, particularly in Vulkan workloads where its advantage expands to 13.6%.

The Intel HD Graphics P530, however, is not without its own merits. It operates at a dramatically lower thermal design power of 15 W, making it the obvious choice for ultra-portable systems where heat and power draw are the primary constraints. The R7 M340, by contrast, has no recorded TDP in the database, but its discrete nature and higher clock speeds suggest a more power-hungry design. Ultimately, the verdict is simple: choose the AMD Radeon R7 M340 for raw graphics throughput, choose the Intel HD Graphics P530 for integrated efficiency.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 is a discrete graphics processor built on the GCN 3.0 architecture with the Meso chip, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,550 million transistors onto a 125 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter. The Intel HD Graphics P530, in contrast, is an integrated graphics processor using the Generation 9.0 architecture with the Skylake GT2 chip, built on Intel's 14 nm+ process. Its die size is a nearly identical 123 mm², though the database does not record its transistor count.

The compute resources differ substantially. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 fields 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The Intel HD Graphics P530 counters with 192 shading units, 16 TMUs, and only 3 ROPs. This hardware disparity explains much of the performance gap. The AMD part also has a significant clock speed advantage: its base clock runs at 943 MHz with a boost up to 1021 MHz, while the Intel part starts at a low 350 MHz and boosts to 1000 MHz.

Memory architecture is another clear differentiator. The R7 M340 uses 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel HD Graphics P530 uses system shared memory, with its bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." The AMD part's dedicated memory avoids contention with the CPU, which is a crucial advantage in graphics workloads. Both support DirectX 12, with the AMD part at feature level 12_0 and the Intel part at the higher 12_1. Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the AMD part carries Vulkan 1.2.170 while the Intel part supports the newer Vulkan 1.3.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M340 wins in every recorded benchmark category. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 4932 against the Intel's 4549, a margin of 8.4%. In Geekbench Vulkan, the AMD part extends its lead to 13.6%, scoring 5193 versus 4571. This suggests the AMD architecture handles Vulkan's lower-level API overhead more efficiently, likely due to its larger shading unit count and dedicated memory bandwidth.

The Intel HD Graphics P530, however, wins on the efficiency front. Its 15 W TDP is a hard number in the database, and it is the only power figure recorded for either GPU. For thin-and-light laptops where battery life and cooling are paramount, this is a decisive factor. The Intel part also supports the newer Vulkan 1.3 API, which may offer future compatibility advantages in newer titles, even if current benchmark scores lag. Its boost clock of 1000 MHz nearly matches the AMD part's 1021 MHz boost, showing that Intel can scale its integrated solution to competitive frequencies when thermal headroom allows.

The R7 M340's wins are compute-heavy. Its FP32 throughput of 653.4 GFLOPS is roughly 70% higher than the Intel part's 384.0 GFLOPS. Its texture rate of 20.42 GTexel/s also outpaces the Intel's 16.00 GTexel/s. The pixel rate gap is even more pronounced: 8.168 GPixel/s versus 3.000 GPixel/s, a 2.7x difference that directly impacts fill-rate-bound scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340, with an average score of 5063, compared to the Intel HD Graphics P530's 4560.

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon R7 M340 in Vulkan?

A: The AMD part scores 5193 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 13.6% higher than the Intel's 4571.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two GPUs?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 has a recorded TDP of 15 W. The database does not list a TDP for the AMD Radeon R7 M340.

Q: Do both GPUs support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 supports feature level 12_0, while the Intel HD Graphics P530 supports the higher 12_1 feature level.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 has 320 shading units, while the Intel HD Graphics P530 has 192.

Q: How does memory allocation differ between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory with a 64-bit bus and 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel HD Graphics P530 uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are unambiguous. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 delivers a score of 4932 against the Intel HD Graphics P530's 4549. That 8.4% advantage is consistent with the hardware specifications: the AMD part's 320 shading units and dedicated memory give it a clear edge in compute workloads. The Intel part's 192 shading units, even with its higher 14 nm+ process efficiency, cannot close the gap.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows an even larger separation. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 scores 5193, while the Intel HD Graphics P530 manages 4571. This 13.6% delta is notable because Vulkan is a low-overhead API that tends to reward raw hardware throughput. The AMD part's FP32 performance of 653.4 GFLOPS, nearly double the Intel's 384.0 GFLOPS, likely drives this result. The Intel part's FP16 output of 768.0 GFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio is higher than its FP32 rate, but this does not translate into the benchmark scores recorded here.

Looking at the nearest rivals in the database provides additional context. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 sits exactly level with the AMD Radeon R7 240 at 5063, and is 0.6% ahead of the AMD FirePro W4170M. The Intel HD Graphics P530, by contrast, is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 560 and 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon R5 M230. This places the Intel part in a lower performance tier, despite its more modern 14 nm+ process.

The pixel rate differential is the starkest specification gap. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 achieves 8.168 GPixel/s, which is 2.7 times the Intel's 3.000 GPixel/s. In practical terms, this means the AMD part can handle higher resolutions and more complex pixel shading workloads without bottlenecking. The texture rate tells a similar story: 20.42 GTexel/s for AMD versus 16.00 GTexel/s for Intel.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measurable specification in the database. The process node is the first major divergence: the AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses 28 nm at TSMC, while the Intel HD Graphics P530 uses 14 nm+ at Intel. Despite this, the AMD part has more transistors (1,550 million versus unreported for Intel) on a similar die size (125 mm² versus 123 mm²).

Clock speeds favor AMD. The R7 M340 runs at a 943 MHz base and 1021 MHz boost, while the HD Graphics P530 runs at 350 MHz base and 1000 MHz boost. The memory systems are fundamentally different: AMD uses 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 at 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective) with a 64-bit bus and 16.00 GB/s bandwidth; Intel uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Compute resources heavily favor AMD: 320 shading units versus 192, 20 TMUs versus 16, and 8 ROPs versus 3. The resulting throughput numbers reflect this: FP32 is 653.4 GFLOPS versus 384.0 GFLOPS, texture rate is 20.42 GTexel/s versus 16.00 GTexel/s, and pixel rate is 8.168 GPixel/s versus 3.000 GPixel/s. The Intel part does have a higher FP16 rate at 768.0 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio) versus AMD's 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio).

Power and integration differ sharply. The Intel HD Graphics P530 carries a 15 W TDP and uses a Ring Bus interface, while the AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The Intel part is an IGP with motherboard-dependent display outputs, while the AMD part's display outputs are not recorded. Both are end-of-life products, with the AMD launching on May 4, 2015, and the Intel on August 31, 2015. The AMD part lists its predecessor as Solar System and successor as Polaris Mobile; the Intel part has no recorded predecessor or successor. API support shows the Intel part with a slight edge in Vulkan version (1.3 versus 1.2.170) and DirectX feature level (12_1 versus 12_0), but this does not translate into benchmark wins.