GPU Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 560 and Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 represent two fundamentally different approaches to graphics, and the benchmark data reflects a decisive gap in raw compute performance. In the single shared benchmark test available (Geekbench OpenCL), the RX 560 delivers a score of 16,472 against the Iris Pro’s 5,042, a 226.7% advantage. This places the two GPUs in the same 26th percentile of all GPUs, yet the RX 560’s average benchmark score of 4,569 is only 4.8% higher than the Iris Pro’s 4,360. The disparity between the OpenCL head-to-head result and the average scores stems from the fact that the RX 560’s other benchmarks (PassMark DirectX tests) are not available for the Iris Pro, making the OpenCL comparison the only direct apples-to-apples metric.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon RX 560 scores 16,472, while the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 scores 5,042. This translates to a delta of 226.7% in favor of the AMD part. This is not a marginal win; it is a landslide. The RX 560 is operating in a completely different performance class for OpenCL compute workloads.

Looking at the broader benchmark picture, the RX 560’s other results show a mixed profile. In PassMark DirectX 9 it scores 57, but in DirectX 10 it drops to 16, DirectX 11 to 25, and DirectX 12 to 21. The PassMark G3D score of 3,671 and G2D score of 485 further illustrate its strengths in general 3D rendering tasks. The Iris Pro, by contrast, has no PassMark entries in the data, so its only other benchmark is Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 3,677. That Vulkan result is actually higher than the RX 560’s PassMark DirectX 11 score of 25, but this comparison is not meaningful because the tests measure different APIs and workloads.

The RX 560’s nearest rivals provide context for its standing. Its average benchmark score of 4,569 sits within 1.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (4,628) and 1.1% of the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M (4,621). It is effectively tied with the AMD Radeon R5 M230 (4,577, delta -0.2%) and the Intel HD Graphics P530 (4,560, delta 0.2%). The Iris Pro’s nearest rivals tell a different story: its average score of 4,360 is within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 (4,335) and 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce 930M (4,388). This suggests that while the Iris Pro is far behind the RX 560 in raw OpenCL compute, its average score is competitive with a range of low-end discrete and integrated solutions.

The wins tally confirms the direction: AMD takes 1 win in the head-to-head benchmarks, Intel takes 0. There is no benchmark where the Iris Pro outperforms the RX 560 in the available data. The 226.7% delta in OpenCL is the single most decisive number in this comparison, and it dwarfs any other performance relationship between the two cards.

The Verdict

The data is clear: the AMD Radeon RX 560 is the superior performer for anyone prioritizing compute and graphics workload execution. In the only direct comparison available, it is 226.7% faster than the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 in OpenCL. That is not a subtle edge; it is a generational and architectural chasm. The RX 560’s average benchmark score of 4,569 versus the Iris Pro’s 4,360 reinforces this, even though the average gap is smaller due to the different benchmark sets.

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 should be chosen only in contexts where its integrated nature is the deciding factor. It is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 45 W TDP, whereas the RX 560 is a dual-slot add-in card with a 75 W TDP and requires a 250 W suggested PSU. The Iris Pro has no power connectors and relies on the system's Ring Bus, while the RX 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8 and has no power connectors either. If the use case is a lightweight, low-power system where a discrete GPU cannot be installed, the Iris Pro is the only option. But for any task where GPU performance matters, the RX 560 wins outright.

The percentile ranking for both is identical at 26, which indicates that both GPUs sit in the lower half of all GPUs ever tested. However, this percentile does not tell the whole story. The RX 560’s average score is 4.8% higher than the Iris Pro’s, and its peak OpenCL performance is more than three times higher. The verdict is straightforward: the RX 560 is the pick for discrete performance, the Iris Pro is the fallback for integrated convenience.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process technologies. The AMD Radeon RX 560 uses the Polaris 21 chip, based on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 3,000 million transistors on a die size of 123 mm², yielding a transistor density of 24.4M per mm². The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 uses the Haswell GT3e chip, based on Generation 7.5 architecture, fabricated on a 22 nm process at Intel. Transistor count and die size are not listed for the Iris Pro, but the process node advantage clearly belongs to AMD.

The RX 560’s compute resources are substantially larger. It has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Iris Pro has 320 shading units, 40 TMUs, and only 4 ROPs. This explains the massive performance gap: the RX 560 has more than triple the shading units and quadruple the ROPs. The pixel rate for the RX 560 is 20.40 GPixel/s, versus 4.600 GPixel/s for the Iris Pro. Texture rate is 81.60 GTexel/s versus 46.00 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 2.611 TFLOPS for the RX 560 versus 736.0 GFLOPS for the Iris Pro, a 3.5x difference.

Memory architecture diverges completely. The RX 560 has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Iris Pro uses System Shared memory, with a System Dependent bandwidth and System Shared bus width. This means the Intel part has no dedicated VRAM and competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which is a severe bottleneck for graphics workloads.

Clock speeds also favor AMD. The RX 560 has a base clock of 1175 MHz and a boost clock of 1275 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The Iris Pro has a base clock of 200 MHz and a boost clock of 1150 MHz. While the Iris Pro’s boost is close, its base clock is dramatically lower, and the lack of dedicated memory further hampers sustained performance.

API support differs as well. The RX 560 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Iris Pro supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.3, and Vulkan 1.0. The RX 560 also has FP16 support at 2.611 TFLOPS (1:1), while the Iris Pro has no listed FP16 capability.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 560 scores 16,472 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 226.7% higher than the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200’s score of 5,042.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same overall performance percentile?

A: Yes, both are in the 26th percentile of all GPUs. However, the RX 560’s average benchmark score of 4,569 is higher than the Iris Pro’s 4,360.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RX 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Iris Pro uses System Shared memory of System Dependent size and bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RX 560 has 1,024 shading units, while the Iris Pro has 320. The RX 560 also has 64 TMUs and 16 ROPs, versus 40 TMUs and 4 ROPs for the Intel part.

Q: Are these GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are listed as end-of-life products. The RX 560 was released on 2017-04-17, and the Iris Pro on 2013-06-02.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The RX 560 has a 75 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The Iris Pro has a 45 W TDP and no listed PSU requirement, as it is an integrated processor.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 560 wins in every benchmark category where data exists. Its OpenCL score of 16,472 is more than triple the Iris Pro’s 5,042. Its PassMark G3D score of 3,671 demonstrates solid 3D rendering capability, while its PassMark GPU compute score of 1,437 indicates respectable compute throughput. The RX 560’s 2.611 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 112.0 GB/s memory bandwidth make it suitable for gaming at 1080p with moderate settings, as well as for GPU-accelerated applications that can leverage OpenCL or Vulkan 1.3.

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 wins in the categories of power efficiency and system integration. Its 45 W TDP is 40% lower than the RX 560’s 75 W TDP. It requires no power connectors, no slot space (being an IGP), and no dedicated PSU recommendation. Its Ring Bus interface means it is built into the CPU, eliminating the need for a PCIe slot. For a compact, low-power system where a discrete GPU is not feasible, the Iris Pro is the only viable option. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 3,677 shows it can handle some modern API workloads, but its 4 ROPs and 736.0 GFLOPS FP32 performance severely limit its gaming and rendering potential.

In terms of use cases, the RX 560 is the clear winner for any discrete GPU task: gaming, 3D rendering, video editing, or compute workloads. The Iris Pro is the winner for ultra-portable or embedded systems where power draw and physical footprint are the primary constraints. The data does not support any scenario where the Iris Pro outperforms the RX 560 in raw performance, but it does support the Iris Pro as a more efficient integrated solution.

Specification Differences

The specification differences between the two GPUs are extensive and explain the performance gap. The RX 560 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the Iris Pro uses a 22 nm process at Intel. The RX 560 has 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, while the Iris Pro’s transistor count and die size are not listed. The RX 560’s base clock is 1175 MHz and boost is 1275 MHz; the Iris Pro’s base is 200 MHz and boost is 1150 MHz. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) for the RX 560, versus System Shared for the Intel part.

The RX 560 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs; the Iris Pro has 320, 40, and 4, respectively. Pixel rate is 20.40 GPixel/s versus 4.600 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 81.60 GTexel/s versus 46.00 GTexel/s. FP32 is 2.611 TFLOPS versus 736.0 GFLOPS. The RX 560 has FP16 at 2.611 TFLOPS (1:1); the Iris Pro has no FP16 listed.

Memory is 4 GB GDDR5 with a 128-bit bus and 112.0 GB/s bandwidth for the RX 560, versus System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth for the Iris Pro. The RX 560 has a 75 W TDP, is dual-slot, has no power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The Iris Pro has a 45 W TDP, is an IGP, and has no power connectors or PSU requirement. The RX 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8; the Iris Pro uses Ring Bus. Display outputs are 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a for the RX 560, versus Motherboard Dependent for the Iris Pro. API support: DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.3 for the RX 560; DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.3, Vulkan 1.0 for the Iris Pro.