AMD Radeon R7 M465 vs Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 Comparison
AMD Radeon R7 M465
Iris Pro Graphics P6300
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Radeon R7 M465 vs Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300
The AMD Radeon R7 M465 and Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, yet they represent fundamentally different approaches to integrated and discrete GPU design. Benchmark data from Geekbench OpenCL shows the AMD part scoring 5841 points, placing it 2.3% ahead of the Intel Iris Pro P6300’s 5712 points. Both GPUs sit at the 33rd percentile among all GPUs, indicating they occupy a similar performance tier, but the underlying architectures, memory systems, and feature sets create distinct use-case advantages that go beyond the raw score.
Where Each One Wins
The AMD Radeon R7 M465 takes the sole benchmark victory in the head-to-head comparison, winning the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 5841 against the Intel’s 5712, a delta of 2.3%. This advantage is modest but consistent, and it stems from the M465’s dedicated GDDR5 memory configuration. The 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus delivers 36.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a fixed, dedicated resource that does not compete with the CPU for system memory access. For OpenCL workloads that are memory-bandwidth sensitive, such as image processing or certain compute shaders, this dedicated allocation provides a stable performance floor.
The Intel Iris Pro P6300, meanwhile, wins in scenarios where its shared memory architecture and higher texture throughput come into play. The P6300 relies on System Shared memory, with bandwidth listed as “System Dependent,” meaning its performance scales with the speed of the host system’s DDR3 or DDR4 memory. However, the Intel part features 48 texture mapping units (TMUs) compared to the AMD’s 24, resulting in a texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s versus the M465’s 24.58 GTexel/s. This 56% advantage in texture fill rate suggests the Iris Pro P6300 is better suited for texture-heavy tasks like basic 3D rendering or filtering operations where the shared memory bandwidth is sufficient and the extra TMUs can be kept busy.
The AMD chip also counters with a higher pixel rate: 8.192 GPixel/s against the Intel’s 4.800 GPixel/s. This 70% advantage in pixel throughput favors the M465 for fill-rate-bound operations at lower resolutions. In practical terms, the AMD Radeon R7 M465 is the safer choice for consistent, predictable compute performance, while the Intel Iris Pro P6300 offers a potential edge in texture-bound workloads, provided the system memory is fast enough to feed its 48 TMUs.
Architecture Differences
The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark. The AMD Radeon R7 M465 is built on the GCN 3.0 architecture, using the Topaz chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,550 million transistors onto a 125 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.4M per mm². The chip features 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Its compute capabilities include 786.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance and an equal 786.4 GFLOPS of FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio. The clocks are set at a base of 730 MHz with a boost up to 1024 MHz, and memory runs at 1125 MHz, translating to 4.5 Gbps effective on the GDDR5 bus.
The Intel Iris Pro P6300 uses the Broadwell GT3e chip, belonging to Intel’s Generation 8.0 architecture. It is fabricated on a more advanced 14 nm process at Intel’s own foundry, though the FACT PACK does not list transistor count or die size. The P6300 also has 384 shading units, but doubles the TMU count to 48 while reducing ROPs to 6. Its clocks are significantly lower: a 300 MHz base and 800 MHz boost, which explains its lower FP32 output of 614.4 GFLOPS. The Intel part has no listed FP16 performance. The TDP is specified at 15 W, whereas the AMD chip’s TDP is not provided. The P6300 is an IGP with a Ring Bus interface, while the M465 uses PCIe 3.0 x8.
Memory is the biggest differentiator. The AMD Radeon R7 M465 has its own 2 GB of GDDR5, ensuring fixed bandwidth. The Intel Iris Pro P6300 uses System Shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is “System Dependent” and its performance can vary based on the host platform’s memory configuration. This also affects API support: the AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Intel part is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.4, and Vulkan 1.0. The newer API versions on the AMD side suggest better long-term driver support for modern titles and compute frameworks.
The Verdict
The data points to a narrow but real victory for the AMD Radeon R7 M465. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 2.3%, and its dedicated GDDR5 memory provides a performance consistency that the Intel Iris Pro P6300 cannot match due to its system-dependent bandwidth. The AMD chip also offers superior pixel throughput (8.192 GPixel/s vs. 4.800 GPixel/s) and more modern API support, including Vulkan 1.2.170 and OpenGL 4.6. For users who need predictable OpenCL compute performance or plan to run applications that leverage newer graphics APIs, the R7 M465 is the clear pick.
The Intel Iris Pro P6300, however, is not without its merits. Its 48 TMUs deliver a texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s, which is 56% higher than the AMD’s 24.58 GTexel/s. In scenarios where texture filtering dominates and the shared memory bandwidth is adequate—such as older DirectX 11 titles or specific OpenGL workloads—the Intel part could outperform the AMD chip. It also has a lower TDP at 15 W, making it a more power-efficient option for thin-and-light laptops, assuming the system memory is fast. But given that the Intel part’s performance is contingent on the host system’s memory, the AMD Radeon R7 M465 is the more reliable choice for a benchmark-based recommendation.
FAQ
Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?
A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841, which is 2.3% higher than the Intel Iris Pro P6300’s 5712.
Q: How does the memory configuration differ between the two?
A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Iris Pro P6300 uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth listed as “System Dependent.”
Q: Which GPU has better texture processing capability?
A: The Intel Iris Pro P6300 has 48 TMUs and a texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s, while the AMD Radeon R7 M465 has 24 TMUs and a texture rate of 24.58 GTexel/s.
Q: What are the pixel fill rates for each GPU?
A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 has a pixel rate of 8.192 GPixel/s, while the Intel Iris Pro P6300 is limited to 4.800 GPixel/s.
Q: Which GPU supports newer graphics APIs?
A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Intel Iris Pro P6300 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.4, and Vulkan 1.0.
Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU based on average benchmark scores?
A: For the AMD Radeon R7 M465, the closest rival is the AMD Radeon R5 M435 at 5859 (0.3% higher). For the Intel Iris Pro P6300, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX at 5721 (0.1% higher).
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The only head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841 against the Intel Iris Pro P6300’s 5712, a delta of 2.3%. This single result tells a story of two GPUs that are closely matched overall, but the margin reveals underlying architectural strengths. The AMD chip’s victory is driven by its dedicated memory and higher FP32 throughput (786.4 GFLOPS vs. 614.4 GFLOPS). This 28% advantage in raw compute power likely contributes to the OpenCL score, as many OpenCL kernels are compute-bound rather than texture-bound.
The Intel Iris Pro P6300’s closer-than-expected score, despite a 28% FP32 deficit, highlights its texture unit advantage. With 48 TMUs, the Intel part can offload more work to texture units, which may help in certain OpenCL test patterns that involve image sampling or filtering. However, the Intel part’s lower boost clock of 800 MHz (versus the AMD’s 1024 MHz) and its shared memory bottleneck cap its overall performance.
Looking at the nearest rivals for context, the AMD Radeon R7 M465 sits between the AMD Radeon R5 M435 (5859, 0.3% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti (5731, 1.9% lower). The Intel Iris Pro P6300, meanwhile, is bracketed by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (5721, 0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon HD 8790M (5691, 0.4% lower). These rival scores confirm that both GPUs occupy a performance band within roughly 2% of each other, making the 2.3% head-to-head delta the definitive differentiator.
In practical terms, the AMD Radeon R7 M465’s win in the OpenCL benchmark is a direct consequence of its architecture. The GCN 3.0 design with 384 shading units and dedicated GDDR5 memory provides a balanced compute setup. The Intel Iris Pro P6300, despite its Generation 8.0 architecture and 14 nm process, cannot overcome the shared memory penalty in this specific test. The data shows that for compute workloads, the AMD part delivers more consistent results, while the Intel part remains a viable option only for texture-focused tasks where its TMU count can be fully utilized.