AMD Radeon RX 560 vs Intel HD Graphics 630 Comparison
AMD Radeon RX 560
HD Graphics 630
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Radeon RX 560 vs Intel HD Graphics 630
The Verdict
The benchmark data separates these two graphics solutions cleanly. The AMD Radeon RX 560 is a dedicated, high-performance graphics card, while the Intel HD Graphics 630 is an integrated processor feature. The recorded head-to-head results show the AMD part winning both shared tests by a wide margin. For any user who needs consistent, playable frame rates in modern 3D applications, the RX 560 is the only viable choice from this data. The Intel HD Graphics 630 serves a different purpose entirely. It is for basic desktop use, video playback, and light workloads where a separate card is unnecessary. The database shows the RX 560 at the 26th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 4569. The Intel part sits at the 24th percentile with an average score of 4075. While the percentile gap looks small, the raw score difference and the head-to-head deltas tell a very different story about real-world capability. The RX 560 is for gamers and creators. The HD 630 is for office tasks and media consumption. There is no overlap in their intended use cases according to the data.
Architecture Differences
The two processors come from completely different design philosophies. AMD uses the Polaris 21 chip built on the GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The chip contains 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.4M per mm². This is a substantial, power-hungry design meant for sustained load. Intel's HD Graphics 630 uses the Kaby Lake GT2 chip with the Generation 9.5 architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm++ process. The database does not list transistor count or die size for the Intel part, but it is an integrated GPU, meaning it shares the processor die and uses system memory.
The compute resources differ massively. The RX 560 has 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The Intel HD 630 has only 192 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 3 ROPs. This is a 5.3x advantage in shading units, a 2.7x advantage in TMUs, and a 5.3x advantage in ROPs for AMD. Clock speeds also favor AMD. The RX 560 runs at a base clock of 1175 MHz with a boost of 1275 MHz. The Intel part runs at 350 MHz base and 1000 MHz boost. The AMD card has its own 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel part uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth, which is far slower in practice.
The feature sets are comparable in some ways. Both support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. AMD supports DirectX 12 (12_0) while Intel supports DirectX 12 (12_1), giving Intel a slight feature level advantage. The AMD card has a pixel rate of 20.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 81.60 GTexel/s. The Intel part has a pixel rate of 3.000 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 24.00 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 2.611 TFLOPS for AMD versus 384.0 GFLOPS for Intel. Interestingly, the Intel part has a higher FP16 rate at 768.0 GFLOPS (2:1) compared to AMD's 2.611 TFLOPS (1:1), but the AMD part still wins in raw FP16 throughput. The RX 560 is a dual-slot card with no power connectors, drawing 75 W TDP with a suggested 250 W PSU. The Intel HD 630 is an IGP with 15 W TDP and no separate power requirements. The RX 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8 while Intel uses a Ring Bus interface. Display outputs are 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a for AMD, while Intel is Motherboard Dependent.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The database records two direct comparison tests between these parts. The Geekbench Metal test shows a massive gap. The AMD Radeon RX 560 scores 18941, while the Intel HD Graphics 630 scores 5099. This is a 271.5% advantage for AMD. That means the RX 560 delivers roughly 3.7 times the Metal performance of the Intel integrated solution. The Geekbench OpenCL test shows an even larger spread. AMD scores 16472, Intel scores 3587, and the delta is 359.2% in favor of AMD. The RX 560 delivers about 4.6 times the OpenCL compute performance. These are not marginal differences. They represent entirely different performance classes. The RX 560 is significantly ahead in both recorded compute workloads, and there are no benchmark wins recorded for the Intel HD Graphics 630 in the head-to-head data. The wins column shows AMD with 2 wins and Intel with 0.
The average benchmark score comparison reinforces this. The RX 560 has an average score of 4569 across all its recorded tests, which include PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12, plus G2D, G3D, and GPU compute. The Intel part has an average of 4075, but this is based on only three tests: Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan. The RX 560's individual PassMark scores are instructive. It scores 57 in DirectX 9, 16 in DirectX 10, 25 in DirectX 11, 21 in DirectX 12, 485 in G2D, 3671 in G3D, and 1437 in GPU compute. These numbers show a part that is weakest in legacy DirectX 9 and strongest in modern G3D workloads. The Intel part has no recorded DirectX or PassMark results in the database, so direct comparison on those tests is not possible.
Specification Differences
The two parts differ in nearly every measurable specification. The process node is the same lithography class but different implementations: 14 nm for AMD at GlobalFoundries versus 14 nm++ for Intel. The RX 560 has 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The Intel part has no listed transistor count or die size. The RX 560 is a dual-slot card measuring 170 mm or 6.7 inches in length. The Intel part is an IGP with no physical dimensions listed. Memory is a fundamental split. AMD uses 4 GB of GDDR5 with a 128-bit bus and 112.0 GB/s bandwidth. Intel uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth. The RX 560 requires PCIe 3.0 x8, while Intel uses Ring Bus. Power delivery is also different. The RX 560 has a 75 W TDP, no power connectors, and a suggested 250 W PSU. Intel has a 15 W TDP with no PSU requirement. The RX 560 has a launch MSRP of 99 USD. The Intel part has no launch MSRP listed, as it is an integrated component. The RX 560 was released on 2017-04-17, while the Intel HD 630 was released on 2016-08-29. Both are marked as End-of-life in production status. The RX 560 lists Arctic Islands as its predecessor and Vega as its successor. The Intel part has no listed predecessor or successor.
FAQ
Q: Which GPU is faster in the recorded head-to-head benchmarks?
A: The AMD Radeon RX 560 wins both recorded tests. It scores 18941 versus 5099 in Geekbench Metal, a 271.5% advantage, and 16472 versus 3587 in Geekbench OpenCL, a 359.2% advantage.
Q: Does the Intel HD Graphics 630 win any benchmark in the head-to-head data?
A: No. The wins column shows AMD with 2 wins and Intel with 0 wins in the shared tests.
Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?
A: The AMD Radeon RX 560 has an average benchmark score of 4569, while the Intel HD Graphics 630 has an average of 4075. The RX 560 sits at the 26th percentile among all GPUs, and the Intel part sits at the 24th percentile.
Q: What are the closest rivals to each part according to the database?
A: For the RX 560, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R5 M230 (avg 4577, -0.2% delta), Intel HD Graphics P530 (avg 4560, +0.2%), NVIDIA Quadro M3000M (avg 4621, -1.1%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (avg 4628, -1.3%). For the Intel HD 630, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB (avg 4093, -0.4%), NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M (avg 4033, +1%), AMD FirePro M4150 (avg 4013, +1.5%), and NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (avg 4151, -1.8%).
Q: What memory configurations do the two parts use?
A: The AMD Radeon RX 560 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel HD Graphics 630 uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth.
Q: Do both parts support the same graphics APIs?
A: Both support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1). AMD also has recorded Geekbench Metal and OpenCL scores, and Intel has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 3540.
Where Each One Wins
The AMD Radeon RX 560 wins in every scenario that requires dedicated graphics processing. The data shows it is more than 3.7 times faster in Metal and more than 4.6 times faster in OpenCL. Its 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, combined with 112.0 GB/s of dedicated GDDR5 bandwidth, make it suitable for modern gaming at reasonable settings. The PassMark G3D score of 3671 indicates strong 3D rendering performance. The GPU compute score of 1437 suggests it can handle compute offload tasks. The 4 GB GDDR5 frame buffer is enough for current game textures. Users who play 3D games, run GPU-accelerated content creation tools, or need consistent OpenCL performance should choose the RX 560. It also has a clear physical advantage: dedicated display outputs of 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a, allowing multi-monitor setups without adapter complications.
The Intel HD Graphics 630 wins in scenarios where a discrete card is impractical or impossible. It is an IGP with a 15 W TDP, meaning it adds no board space, no power connectors, and no additional cost beyond the processor itself. The database shows no head-to-head benchmark wins for Intel, but its recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 3540 shows it has some 3D capability. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), which is a higher feature level than the AMD part's 12_0. For office productivity, web browsing, video playback, and light 2D workloads, the HD 630 is sufficient. The system shared memory means it can flexibly use whatever RAM is available, though bandwidth is system dependent and generally lower than dedicated GDDR5. The motherboard dependent display outputs mean the available ports depend on the host system's design, but this also gives motherboard manufacturers flexibility. Users who do not play games, do not run GPU compute workloads, and want the simplicity of an all-in-one processor should pick the Intel HD Graphics 630. The data does not support using it for demanding 3D applications, but for basic acceleration it has a clear role. The RX 560 is a dedicated component that must be installed in a PCIe slot and requires a 250 W PSU. The HD 630 requires nothing beyond what the processor already needs. That is the practical split: the RX 560 for performance, the HD 630 for integration and efficiency.