AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs Intel HD Graphics P530 Comparison

The Intel HD Graphics P530 and AMD Radeon Vega 3 are both integrated graphics solutions aimed at the low-power mobile and desktop segment, but their benchmark results show a clear and consistent performance gap. Based on the data, the Intel part holds a decisive lead in every head-to-head comparison, while the AMD part offers its own architectural advantages that do not translate into higher scores in the tested workloads. This analysis breaks down where each component excels, what the numbers indicate for different usage scenarios, and how their underlying designs differ.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel HD Graphics P530 wins outright in every benchmark category where both were tested against each other. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Intel part scores 4549 against the AMD Radeon Vega 3's 3963, a delta of 14.8 percent in Intel's favor. The Vulkan result is even more pronounced: Intel scores 4571 versus AMD's 3961, a 15.4 percent advantage. These are not marginal wins; they represent a substantial, consistent lead across different API workloads. The Intel part's average benchmark score of 4560 also sits well above the AMD part's 4268, reinforcing its overall performance superiority in the aggregate data.

The AMD Radeon Vega 3, despite losing both head-to-head matchups, does have one notable win in its own benchmark suite: it scores 4880 in the Geekbench Metal test. This is a workload the Intel part does not appear in, and it is the highest single score recorded for either GPU in the entire dataset. This suggests that in Apple's Metal API environment, the AMD part can outperform its own OpenCL and Vulkan results by a wide margin, and it also exceeds the Intel part's best scores in those other APIs. However, since no direct Metal comparison exists between the two, this win is isolated and cannot be used to claim overall superiority.

When looking at the percentile rankings, the Intel part is in the 26th percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD part sits slightly lower at the 25th percentile. This is a narrow gap in the broader context, but it aligns with the head-to-head results: Intel is marginally better positioned globally. The AMD part's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M with an average score of 4282 and a delta of -0.3 percent, meaning the AMD part is essentially on par with that older discrete mobile GPU. The Intel part's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 560 at 4569 (delta -0.2 percent), which is a much more capable discrete card, indicating that the Intel IGP punches well above its class in these synthetic benchmarks.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear verdict: choose the Intel HD Graphics P530 if your priority is raw compute performance in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. It wins both head-to-head tests with double-digit percentage margins, and its average benchmark score is nearly 300 points higher than the AMD part's. For any application that relies on these APIs, the Intel part is the safer bet. The Intel part also edges out the AMD part in the global percentile ranking, 26th versus 25th, which is a small but consistent indicator of its overall standing.

The AMD Radeon Vega 3, on the other hand, should be chosen only if you have a specific need for Metal API performance, based on the data available. Its Geekbench Metal score of 4880 is the standout number in its profile, exceeding everything the Intel part achieves in any test. If your software ecosystem is Metal-centric, the AMD part may be the only one of these two that supports that path, but the lack of a direct comparison means this remains a circumstantial advantage. For all other general-purpose compute tasks where both are tested, the Intel part is the stronger performer.

There is no scenario in the data where the AMD part wins a head-to-head benchmark or posts a higher average score. The production status for both is "End-of-life," so neither is a future-proof investment, but the Intel part's performance lead is the deciding factor for most users. The AMD part's higher boost clock of 1100 MHz versus Intel's 1000 MHz does not overcome the Intel part's higher base clock and superior texture and pixel rates in the tested workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test is the first and most telling comparison. The Intel HD Graphics P530 records 4549 points, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 manages 3963 points. This 14.8 percent delta is a substantial margin for two integrated GPUs that share the same 192 shading units and 15-watt TDP. The Intel part's higher pixel rate of 3.000 GPixel/s versus AMD's 4.400 GPixel/s does not hurt it here, nor does its lower texture rate of 16.00 GTexel/s versus AMD's 13.20 GTexel/s. The Intel part's FP32 throughput of 384.0 GFLOPS is actually lower than AMD's 422.4 GFLOPS, yet Intel still wins the OpenCL test by a wide margin, which points to driver efficiency or other architectural advantages that are not captured in the raw spec sheet.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows an even larger gap. Intel scores 4571 against AMD's 3961, a 15.4 percent delta. This is the largest percentage difference in any direct comparison, and it confirms that the Intel part's lead is not an artifact of a single API. Vulkan is a low-level API that tends to expose architectural strengths and weaknesses more directly, so Intel's consistent win here suggests its Skylake GT2 implementation handles the workload more efficiently than AMD's Picasso-based Vega 3. The Intel part's FP16 throughput of 768.0 GFLOPS (2:1) is also lower than AMD's 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1), but again, this does not translate into a win for AMD.

When placed in the context of their nearest rivals, both parts perform as expected. The Intel part's average score of 4560 is only 0.2 percent below the AMD Radeon RX 560, a discrete desktop GPU with a much larger memory bus and power envelope. That is a remarkable result for an IGP. The AMD part's average score of 4268 is 0.3 percent below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, an older discrete part, which puts the Vega 3 in a lower performance tier. The Intel part also beats the AMD FirePro W4190M by 1.2 percent in its rival list, while the AMD part loses to the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M by 0.6 percent, further illustrating the performance hierarchy.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 has an average benchmark score of 4560, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 averages 4268. Intel leads by 292 points.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Vega 3 win any direct comparison against the Intel HD Graphics P530?

A: No. In the head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan tests, the Intel part wins both with deltas of 14.8 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively. The AMD part has zero wins in direct comparisons.

Q: What is the AMD Radeon Vega 3's best single benchmark result?

A: The AMD part scores 4880 in Geekbench Metal, which is its highest recorded score and exceeds all of the Intel part's scores in any test. However, no Metal result is available for the Intel part.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of global percentile ranking?

A: The Intel HD Graphics P530 is in the 26th percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is in the 25th percentile. This is a one-percentile difference in Intel's favor.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 has a boost clock of 1100 MHz, which is 100 MHz higher than the Intel HD Graphics P530's 1000 MHz boost clock. The Intel part has a higher base clock of 350 MHz versus AMD's 300 MHz.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU based on average score?

A: The Intel part's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 560 with an average score of 4569 and a delta of -0.2 percent. The AMD part's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M with an average score of 4282 and a delta of -0.3 percent.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different architectural lineages. The Intel HD Graphics P530 is built on the Skylake GT2 chip using Intel's Generation 9.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm+ process at Intel's own foundry. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 uses the Picasso chip with GCN 5.0 architecture, made on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This process difference gives AMD a density advantage, with 23.5 million transistors per square millimeter versus Intel's unspecified density, and a total transistor count of 4,940 million on a 210 mm² die. Intel's die size is 123 mm², but its transistor count is not listed in the data.

The shading unit count is identical at 192 for both GPUs, but the texture mapping units and raster output units differ. Intel has 16 TMUs and 3 ROPs, while AMD has 12 TMUs and 4 ROPs. This leads to different pixel and texture rates: Intel achieves 3.000 GPixel/s and 16.00 GTexel/s, while AMD achieves 4.400 GPixel/s and 13.20 GTexel/s. AMD's higher pixel rate suggests it can fill more pixels per second, while Intel's higher texture rate means it can sample textures faster. The FP32 and FP16 throughput also differ, with AMD posting higher numbers in both: 422.4 GFLOPS FP32 and 844.8 GFLOPS FP16 (2:1) versus Intel's 384.0 GFLOPS and 768.0 GFLOPS.

The memory subsystems are identical in description: both use "System Shared" memory with a "System Shared" type, bus width, and bandwidth that is "System Dependent." This means neither GPU has dedicated VRAM, and performance will vary based on the host system's memory configuration. The bus interface differs, with Intel using "Ring Bus" and AMD using "IGP." Both are classified as "IGP" slot width, and both have a TDP of 15 W. The AMD part lists "None" for power connectors, while Intel lists no value. Display outputs are "Motherboard Dependent" for both. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, with no RT or tensor cores on either.

Specification Differences

The most straightforward specification differences between the two are in their clock speeds and throughput rates. The Intel HD Graphics P530 has a base clock of 350 MHz and a boost clock of 1000 MHz, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1100 MHz. AMD's boost clock is higher by 100 MHz, but Intel's base clock is higher by 50 MHz. The AMD part has a higher pixel rate of 4.400 GPixel/s versus Intel's 3.000 GPixel/s, a difference of 1.4 GPixel/s. The Intel part has a higher texture rate of 16.00 GTexel/s versus AMD's 13.20 GTexel/s, a difference of 2.8 GTexel/s.

In compute throughput, AMD leads with 422.4 GFLOPS FP32 and 844.8 GFLOPS FP16 (2:1), while Intel trails with 384.0 GFLOPS FP32 and 768.0 GFLOPS FP16 (2:1). The TMU count is 16 for Intel and 12 for AMD, while the ROP count is 3 for Intel and 4 for AMD. The process node differs: Intel uses 14 nm+ and AMD uses 12 nm. The die size is 123 mm² for Intel and 210 mm² for AMD, and the AMD part has a transistor density of 23.5M / mm², which is not listed for Intel. The AMD part has a transistor count of 4,940 million, while Intel's is not listed. The bus interface is "Ring Bus" for Intel and "IGP" for AMD. The power connector field shows "None" for AMD and is null for Intel. The release dates differ: Intel launched on 2015-08-31 and AMD on 2019-11-19, with AMD listing a predecessor of "GCN 3.0 IGP" and a successor of "Vega II IGP," while Intel lists no predecessor or successor.