AMD Radeon 860M vs AMD Radeon RX 9060 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two AMD GPUs into completely different performance classes. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 wins both recorded head-to-head tests, making it the clear performance leader. The AMD Radeon 860M, however, holds its own in the integrated GPU space, ranking in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, while the RX 9060 sits at the 59th percentile. This percentile gap is notable because it reflects the broader benchmark distribution, not just the two direct comparisons.

For compute workloads, the RX 9060 dominates. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 88,183 versus the 860M's 22,759, a 74.2% margin. This is not a close contest. The RX 9060 delivers 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the 860M manages 3.072 TFLOPS. For anyone running GPU compute tasks, OpenCL workloads, or any FP32-heavy application, the discrete card is the only viable option.

For graphics and gaming APIs, the gap narrows but still favors the RX 9060. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 9060 scores 39,476 against the 860M's 30,043, a 23.9% advantage. The RX 9060 also posts a PassMark G3D score of 17,631, while the 860M has no comparable PassMark G3D entry in the database. The RX 9060's 191.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 334.9 GTexel/s texture rate dwarf the 860M's 48.00 GPixel/s and 96.00 GTexel/s.

The 860M wins in one specific context: power efficiency and form factor. It carries a 15 W TDP, uses system-shared memory, and slots as an IGP with no power connectors. The RX 9060 requires a dual-slot design, a 1x 8-pin power connector, a 300 W suggested PSU, and draws 132 W. For thin-and-light portable devices, the 860M is the only one of the two that fits. The RX 9060 is a discrete card with dedicated GDDR6 memory and a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the 860M uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 860M has an average benchmark score of 26,401, while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 averages 16,014. This difference reflects the benchmark mix: the 860M's two Geekbench results are both relatively high, while the RX 9060's average includes several PassMark tests with lower scores.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060's average score of 16,014 is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's average of 16,129. This places the two cards nearly identical in overall performance.

Q: Does the 860M outperform any dedicated GPUs?

A: Yes. The 860M's average score of 26,401 is 0.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26,421, delta -0.1%) and 0.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (26,331, delta 0.3%). It also trails the RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary by only 0.6% and the RTX A4000 by 1.1%.

Q: What is the RX 9060's closest rival based on average score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the closest, with an average score of 15,852, just 1% below the RX 9060. The AMD Radeon R9 370X is also 1% lower at 15,862.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RX 9060 has 28 ray tracing cores, while the 860M has 8. The RX 9060 also uses the newer RDNA 4.0 architecture, whereas the 860M uses RDNA 3.5.

Q: Can the 860M run the same APIs as the RX 9060?

A: Yes. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The API feature sets are identical, though actual performance will differ substantially.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct comparisons between these GPUs. Both come from Geekbench, and the RX 9060 wins both.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 9060 scores 88,183 against the 860M's 22,759. That is a 74.2% lead for the discrete card. This result aligns with the raw compute specifications: the RX 9060 delivers 21.43 TFLOPS FP32 from 1,792 shading units, while the 860M produces 3.072 TFLOPS from 512 shading units. The RX 9060 has 3.5 times the shading units and 7 times the FP32 throughput. The OpenCL score gap is even larger than the FP32 ratio would suggest, indicating that memory bandwidth and driver efficiency also play a role. The RX 9060's 288.0 GB/s dedicated bandwidth versus the 860M's system-dependent shared memory explains part of the difference.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 9060 scores 39,476 versus 30,043 for the 860M, a 23.9% advantage. This is a much smaller margin than OpenCL. Vulkan workloads often stress the CPU and driver overhead more than raw compute, and the 860M's integrated design benefits from lower memory latency in some scenarios. Still, the RX 9060 wins outright. The 28 ray tracing cores and 64 ROPs on the RX 9060 contribute to graphics-heavy Vulkan tasks, while the 860M's 8 RT cores and 16 ROPs limit its ceiling.

The RX 9060 also has additional benchmark data that the 860M lacks. Its PassMark G3D score is 17,631, its PassMark GPU Compute score is 9,919, and it posts a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,322. The 860M has no recorded scores for these tests, so a direct comparison is impossible. However, the RX 9060's PassMark DirectX 11 score of 182 versus DirectX 10 at 104 and DirectX 9 at 280 shows the expected scaling pattern, with newer APIs generally performing better per test design.

The wins are decisive for the RX 9060, but the 860M's average score remains higher because of benchmark selection bias. The 860M's two recorded tests are both Geekbench, where it performs well. The RX 9060's ten recorded tests include PassMark entries that score lower, dragging the average down.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category.

Memory subsystem: The RX 9060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 860M uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. Memory clocks differ: the RX 9060 runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective, while the 860M's memory clock is listed as "System Shared."

Compute units: The RX 9060 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The 860M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The RX 9060 also has 28 RT cores versus 8.

Clocks: The RX 9060 boosts to 2990 MHz with a base of 1700 MHz and a game clock of 2400 MHz. The 860M boosts to 3000 MHz from a 600 MHz base. Despite the similar boost clocks, the RX 9060's larger chip produces far more throughput.

Power and cooling: The RX 9060 is a dual-slot card with a 132 W TDP and a 1x 8-pin power connector, requiring a 300 W suggested PSU. The 860M is an IGP with a 15 W TDP and no power connectors.

Interface: The RX 9060 uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the 860M uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The RX 9060 has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 2x DisplayPort 2.1a outputs; the 860M's display outputs are portable-device dependent.

Physical specs: The RX 9060 has 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die with a transistor density of 149.2M per mm². The 860M's transistor count and die size are unknown.

Architecture Differences

The RX 9060 uses RDNA 4.0 architecture on the Navi 44 chip, part of the Navi IV (RX 9000) generation. The 860M uses RDNA 3.5 on the Krackan Point chip, part of the Navi III IGP (Strix Point Mobile) generation. Both are manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process, but the architecture generations differ.

The RX 9060's RDNA 4.0 represents the newer generation. Its predecessor is listed as Navi III, while the 860M's predecessor is Navi II IGP. The 860M's generation label explicitly includes "Strix Point Mobile," confirming its mobile-integrated positioning. The RX 9060's generation label is "Navi IV (RX 9000)," placing it in the discrete RX 9000 series.

The 860M carries 8 RT cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, but its smaller RDNA 3.5 design targets efficiency. The RX 9060's 28 RT cores and 64 ROPs give it substantially more geometry and rasterization throughput. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

The RX 9060's transistor density of 149.2M per mm² indicates a dense, modern design. The 860M's density is not recorded. The RX 9060 also has a game clock specification (2400 MHz), which the 860M lacks, confirming the RX 9060 is designed for sustained gaming workloads.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the performance choice for any workload requiring dedicated graphics memory, high FP32 throughput, or ray tracing. Its 74.2% OpenCL lead and 23.9% Vulkan lead over the 860M are decisive. The RX 9060's 21.43 TFLOPS, 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 28 RT cores make it suitable for gaming, compute, and content creation on desktop systems with a 300 W PSU.

The AMD Radeon 860M serves a different role entirely. As a 15 W IGP with system-shared memory, it fits in portable devices where the RX 9060 cannot physically install. Its 72nd percentile ranking and competitive average score against dedicated GPUs like the MX550 and RTX 5060 show that integrated graphics have closed much of the gap for light workloads. The 860M's 30043 Vulkan score is respectable and indicates playable performance for less demanding titles.

Users choosing between these two are not really comparing alternatives. The RX 9060 demands a discrete slot, a power connector, and a 300 W PSU. The 860M requires none of those. If the system can accommodate the RX 9060, it wins every benchmark category. If the system is a thin-and-light portable, the 860M is the only option listed here. The RX 9060's closest rivals, the RTX 3060 Ti and RX 7700, sit within 1% of its average score, confirming it as a mid-range discrete card. The 860M's rivals, including the RTX 5060 and RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary, also cluster within 1%, but at a much higher average score of roughly 26,400 versus 16,000. This means the 860M, despite being integrated, outperforms the RX 9060 in average benchmark score, but that is an artifact of test selection, not real-world performance. In every direct head-to-head test, the RX 9060 wins.