AMD Radeon R9 M395X vs Intel Arc B580 Comparison

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Radeon R9 M395X compare to the Intel Arc B580 in the database's shared OpenCL benchmark?

A: The Intel Arc B580 scores 92,821 points in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R9 M395X scores 17,829 points. The Intel part leads by 80.8% in this test.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M395X has an average benchmark score of 25,891, placing it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs. The Intel Arc B580 averages 23,021, placing it in the 68th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has the higher transistor density?

A: The Intel Arc B580, built on a 5 nm process, has a transistor density of 72.1M per mm². The AMD Radeon R9 M395X, using a 28 nm process, has a density of 13.7M per mm².

Q: What are the memory specifications of the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M395X has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Arc B580 features 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 456.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the closest rival to each card according to the database?

A: For the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, the AMD FirePro W7100 is nearest, with an average score of 25,856 (0.1% lower). For the Intel Arc B580, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP is closest, scoring 23,061 (0.2% higher).

Q: Which GPU supports hardware ray tracing?

A: The Intel Arc B580 includes 20 ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X lists no ray tracing cores in its specifications.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs spans nearly a decade of development. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X uses the GCN 3.0 architecture with the Amethyst chip, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This is a third-generation Graphics Core Next design from 2015. The Intel Arc B580 employs the Xe2-HPG architecture with the BMG-G21 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, representing Intel's Battlemage generation.

The manufacturing process difference is substantial. The AMD chip contains 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die, resulting in a density of 13.7M transistors per mm². The Intel chip packs 19,600 million transistors into a smaller 272 mm² die, achieving 72.1M transistors per mm². This five-fold density advantage allows the Intel part to integrate far more compute resources despite its smaller physical footprint.

Compute unit configurations differ markedly. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The Intel Arc B580 scales up to 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. Intel also adds 20 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the older AMD design.

Memory subsystems reflect their respective eras. The AMD card uses 8 GB of GDDR5 with a 256-bit interface, achieving 160.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel card uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus but achieves 456.0 GB/s, nearly three times the bandwidth. Clock behavior also differs: the AMD card lists only its memory clock at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) with no base or boost clock specified, while the Intel card runs at a constant 2670 MHz for both base and boost.

API support shows the generational shift. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Intel card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Intel part also features PCIe 4.0 x8 connectivity versus PCIe 3.0 x16 on the AMD side.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct comparison between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL test. This single data point tells a decisive story about compute performance.

The Intel Arc B580 scores 92,821 in Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X scores 17,829. The delta is 80.8% in favor of Intel. This is not a marginal improvement; it represents a fundamental leap in raw compute throughput. The Intel card's FP32 rating of 13.67 TFLOPS against the AMD card's 2.961 TFLOPS explains this gap, with the Intel part delivering roughly 4.6 times the single-precision floating-point performance.

The texture and pixel rates reinforce this divide. The Intel Arc B580 achieves 427.2 GTexel/s and 213.6 GPixel/s. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X manages 92.54 GTexel/s and 23.14 GPixel/s. The Intel card processes textures over 4.6 times faster and pixels over 9 times faster.

It is worth remembering the AMD card has its own benchmark entries outside the head-to-head comparison. Its Geekbench Metal score is 33,953, and its OpenCL score matches the head-to-head value at 17,829. The Intel card shows a broader test profile, including a Geekbench Vulkan score of 109,672, a Passmark G3D score of 15,748, and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 7,729. The Intel card also achieves 109,672 in Vulkan, indicating strong cross-API performance.

Specification Differences

The power requirements diverge sharply. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X has a TDP of 75 W and uses an MXM Module slot width with no power connectors, making it suitable for portable devices. The Intel Arc B580 has a TDP of 190 W, uses a dual-slot design, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and suggests a 450 W power supply.

Physical dimensions only exist for the Intel card: 272 mm in length, 115 mm in height, and 45 mm in width. The AMD card's dimensions are not recorded, but its MXM form factor indicates a compact mobile module.

Display outputs differ completely. The AMD card's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they vary by laptop implementation. The Intel card offers 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1.

Production status and release timing are generations apart. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X was released on May 4, 2015, and is marked end-of-life. Its predecessor is Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile. The Intel Arc B580 was released on December 12, 2024, remains active in production, and its predecessor is Alchemist.

The Intel card has a launch MSRP of 249 USD. The AMD card has no recorded launch MSRP.

Memory clock speeds also differ: the AMD card runs at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the Intel card runs at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc B580 wins decisively in every recorded compute benchmark. Its OpenCL lead of 80.8% over the AMD Radeon R9 M395X is the only direct head-to-head data point, but its broader benchmark suite shows consistent strength. The Vulkan score of 109,672 and the Passmark G3D score of 15,748 indicate strong graphics workloads. The 20 ray tracing cores give it a capability the AMD card simply does not possess. The 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports higher resolutions and texture-heavy scenes.

The AMD Radeon R9 M395X wins in portability and power efficiency. Its 75 W TDP is less than half of the Intel card's 190 W. The MXM form factor means it can fit into laptops and compact systems where the dual-slot Intel card with a 272 mm length cannot. Its lack of power connectors simplifies installation in systems without auxiliary power headers. For legacy applications that rely on Metal, the AMD card's 33,953 Geekbench Metal score shows functional performance, though no comparable Metal score exists for the Intel card.

In the database's overall percentile rankings, the AMD card actually sits higher at the 71st percentile compared to the Intel card's 68th percentile, despite the Intel card's newer architecture. The AMD card's average score of 25,891 exceeds the Intel card's 23,021 average. This counterintuitive result stems from the AMD card's closer proximity to its nearest rivals: the AMD FirePro W7100 at 25,856, the AMD FirePro D700 at 25,842, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile at 25,740. The Intel card's rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP at 23,061, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 at 22,895, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 at 23,172.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The Intel Arc B580 dominates in raw compute, memory bandwidth, and modern feature support. Its 80.8% OpenCL lead over the AMD Radeon R9 M395X is overwhelming. The 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 rating versus 2.961 TFLOPS, the 456.0 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s, and the presence of ray tracing cores all favor Intel without qualification.

The AMD Radeon R9 M395X retains relevance only in specific deployment scenarios. Its 75 W TDP and MXM form factor make it the only choice for systems requiring that compact, low-power footprint. A laptop with an MXM slot cannot accept a dual-slot, 190 W desktop card. For that niche, the AMD card remains functional, with its 71st percentile ranking showing it still outperforms many GPUs in the database.

For any new purchase or build, the Intel Arc B580 is the rational selection. It is an active product with modern API support, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4. Its 12 GB memory capacity and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth provide headroom for current workloads. The AMD card is end-of-life, limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, with its 8 GB GDDR5 memory and 160.0 GB/s bandwidth representing a bottleneck.

The single head-to-head result makes the verdict unambiguous. The Intel Arc B580 outperforms the AMD Radeon R9 M395X by 80.8% in the shared OpenCL test. No other direct comparison exists, but the specification differences support the same conclusion across every measurable category except power consumption and physical footprint. Users needing maximum performance should choose the Intel Arc B580. Users constrained to MXM mobile modules have no choice but the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, accepting its substantial performance deficit.