AMD Radeon Vega 11 vs Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics Comparison

AMD Radeon Vega 11 and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics occupy the same percentile tier of the benchmark database, both ranking at the 56th percentile against all GPUs. The data shows a narrow overall contest: AMD Radeon Vega 11 posts an average benchmark score of 14352, while Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14315, a difference of just 0.3% in favor of the AMD part. In the sole head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, Intel wins with a score of 14315 against AMD's 13392, representing a 6.4% deficit for the AMD IGP. This single-data-point comparison, however, masks a more complex picture involving architectural trade-offs and application-specific strengths.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the dataset is Geekbench OpenCL, where Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics delivers 14315 points against AMD Radeon Vega 11's 13392 points. That 6.4% margin is meaningful but not overwhelming; it places Intel ahead in compute workloads that scale well with raw shading throughput and memory bandwidth. AMD's score of 13392 in the same test is its lowest recorded benchmark, notably below its own Geekbench Vulkan result of 12273? No — the Vulkan score is lower at 12273, while its Geekbench Metal score reaches 17392. The OpenCL result therefore sits between Intel's single score and AMD's other API-specific results.

Looking at AMD's broader benchmark profile, the Metal score of 17392 is substantially higher than Intel's OpenCL score of 14315, a 21.5% advantage. However, Metal is Apple's API, and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics has no Metal benchmark recorded, so this comparison is not apples-to-apples. Within the same API (OpenCL), Intel leads by 6.4%. The average benchmark score across all tests tells a tighter story: AMD averages 14352, Intel averages 14315, a 0.3% edge for AMD. This average includes AMD's Metal outlier, so the realistic cross-API gap is smaller than the raw numbers suggest.

The nearest rivals list confirms how close this pairing is. AMD's closest competitor is NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN at 14373, which is 0.1% ahead of AMD. Intel's closest rival is AMD Radeon Vega 11 itself at 14385, which is 0.5% ahead of Intel. The deltaPct values between the two contenders are symmetric: AMD is 0.3% ahead of Intel in AMD's rival list, and Intel is 0.3% behind AMD in Intel's rival list. For context, both parts also sit near NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14404) and AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14385), meaning this performance cluster spans roughly a 1% total band.

Architecture Differences

The underlying architectures diverge sharply despite similar average performance. AMD Radeon Vega 11 is built on GCN 5.0 architecture using the Picasso chip, fabricated on GlobalFoundries' 12 nm process. The die measures 210 mm² and contains 4,940 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics uses Generation 12.1 architecture with the DG1 chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process. The die is significantly smaller at 95 mm², though Intel's transistor count is not listed in the data. This size difference is notable: AMD's IGP is more than twice the physical area of Intel's, yet delivers comparable average scores.

Compute resources favor Intel on paper. Intel packs 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines. AMD counters with 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. Intel's ROP count is triple that of AMD, which explains its significantly higher pixel rate: Intel achieves 39.60 GPixel/s versus AMD's 11.20 GPixel/s, a 3.5x advantage. Texture rate also favors Intel at 79.20 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s. Floating-point throughput follows the same pattern: Intel delivers 2.534 TFLOPS FP32 and 5.069 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio), while AMD manages 1.971 TFLOPS FP32 and 3.942 TFLOPS FP16. Intel leads by roughly 28% in FP32 and 29% in FP16.

Clock behavior differs notably. Both start at a 300 MHz base clock, but Intel boosts to 1650 MHz while AMD reaches 1400 MHz. Memory architecture creates the largest functional gap: Intel has 4 GB of dedicated LPDDR4X memory on a 128-bit bus, achieving 68.26 GB/s bandwidth at 2133 MHz (4.3 Gbps effective). AMD uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bus width and bandwidth, meaning its performance scales with the host platform's memory configuration. Intel's fixed memory allocation removes that variable, which likely contributes to its more consistent OpenCL showing. Power envelopes also separate the parts: AMD is rated at 15 W TDP as an integrated graphics processor with no power connectors, while Intel is rated at 25 W TDP and carries a suggested PSU of 200 W, though it also has no listed power connectors.

API support is nearly identical: both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3 (AMD) or 1.4 (Intel). The bus interface differs — AMD uses an IGP interface while Intel uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Intel's display outputs are listed as "No outputs," making it a compute-only or secondary-GPU part, whereas AMD's outputs are motherboard-dependent, reflecting its IGP nature.

Where Each One Wins

Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics wins the only directly comparable benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, by 6.4%. This advantage aligns with its architectural strengths: 28% higher FP32 throughput, triple the ROP count, and dedicated memory with a fixed 68.26 GB/s bandwidth. For compute workloads that are memory-bandwidth-sensitive or rely on dense pixel throughput, the data points to Intel as the stronger option. The 128-bit memory bus and 4 GB dedicated pool also remove reliance on system RAM performance, which is a consistent advantage in OpenCL-style compute tasks.

AMD Radeon Vega 11 wins on average benchmark score, 14352 versus 14315, though this is driven by its Geekbench Metal result of 17392. If the workload targets Metal — which is Apple-specific — AMD is the only part with data, so it wins by default. More broadly, AMD's system-shared memory architecture is a double-edged sword: it can be a liability when system RAM is slow or heavily contended, but it also means the IGP incurs no memory copying overhead for data already in system memory. AMD's lower TDP of 15 W versus 25 W also suggests it fits better in power-constrained designs, though the data does not include thermals or sustained-load testing.

For gaming or general-purpose graphics, the pixel rate disparity (11.20 GPixel/s versus 39.60 GPixel/s) strongly favors Intel for fill-rate-bound scenes. Conversely, AMD's texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s is within 22% of Intel's 79.20 GTexel/s, so texture-heavy workloads see a smaller gap. The average benchmark scores place both parts in the same performance band as NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14373) and GTX 965M (14404), suggesting neither part is a clear class leader outside their specific architectural niches.

The Verdict

The data supports a split decision. Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is the better choice for compute-oriented tasks that use OpenCL, where it posts a 6.4% higher score than AMD. Its dedicated 4 GB LPDDR4X memory, 128-bit bus, and 68.26 GB/s bandwidth provide a stable, predictable memory environment that AMD's system-shared approach cannot guarantee. The 3.5x pixel rate advantage and 28% FP32 lead reinforce Intel's position for raw throughput workloads.

AMD Radeon Vega 11 is the better choice for Metal-based workloads, where it achieves 17392 points — the highest single score between both parts. Its lower 15 W TDP also suits power-sensitive designs, and its system-shared memory can be an advantage when working with data already resident in system RAM. The 0.3% average score lead is marginal but exists, and AMD's nearest-rival position (0.1% behind GTX TITAN) shows it holds its own against older discrete GPUs.

Neither part is a clear winner for general-purpose use. The average scores are within 0.3%, and both rank at the 56th percentile of all GPUs. For users who know their workload uses OpenCL, Intel wins. For users on Metal, AMD is the only option with data. For everything else, the choice hinges on memory architecture preferences rather than benchmark deltas. Both parts are end-of-life, so availability and platform compatibility will likely dictate the practical decision more than the performance numbers.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: AMD Radeon Vega 11 has an average benchmark score of 14352, which is 0.3% higher than Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics' average of 14315.

Q: How much faster is Intel in the head-to-head OpenCL test?

A: Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14315 in Geekbench OpenCL, while AMD Radeon Vega 11 scores 13392, giving Intel a 6.4% lead.

Q: What is the pixel rate difference between the two?

A: Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics achieves 39.60 GPixel/s, which is 3.5 times higher than AMD Radeon Vega 11's 11.20 GPixel/s.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan — specifically Vulkan 1.3 for AMD and Vulkan 1.4 for Intel.

Q: What memory configurations do the two GPUs use?

A: Intel uses 4 GB of dedicated LPDDR4X memory on a 128-bit bus with 68.26 GB/s bandwidth. AMD uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN?

A: AMD Radeon Vega 11 is 0.1% behind GTX TITAN (14352 vs 14373), while Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is 0.4% behind GTX TITAN (14315 vs 14373).