GPU Comparison

The benchmark data presents a clear, decisive outcome: the AMD Radeon RX 570X is in a different performance class entirely, delivering over 2.7 times the raw compute score of the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics in the single head-to-head test available. While the Intel part holds its own in a narrow band around its peer group, it cannot compete with the dedicated, higher-power AMD solution on raw throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is not close. The AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38,939, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14,315. This represents a -63.2% delta for Intel, meaning the AMD card is approximately 172% faster in this test. This is a decisive victory for the RX 570X, reflecting its substantially higher raw compute resources.

To contextualize the Intel score, the Iris Xe MAX's 14,315 points places it at the 56th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are a tightly clustered group: the AMD Radeon Vega 11 at 14,352 (only -0.3% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN at 14,373 (-0.4%), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 at 14,385 (-0.5%). Interestingly, it also sits just above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, which scores 14,277 (a 0.3% delta in Intel's favor). This data shows the Intel part is competitive with older flagship and mid-range desktop parts from years past, but it is firmly in that specific performance tier.

The AMD Radeon RX 570X, with its Geekbench score of 38,939, sits at the 55th percentile. Its nearest rivals are a mix of professional and modern parts: the NVIDIA Tesla K10 scores 14,029 (-1.1% relative to the AMD card, which is 172% faster), while the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13,821), AMD Radeon 660M (13,812), and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (13,745) are all around 0.4% to 0.9% slower than the RX 570X in this specific metric. This is a strange grouping, but the data indicates the RX 570X's OpenCL score is exceptionally high, far exceeding its nearest listed rivals.

The aggregate benchmark scores tell a slightly different story. The Intel part has an average benchmark score of 14,315, while the AMD part's average is 13,871 due to its inclusion of lower Passmark scores (G2D: 750, G3D: 1923). However, the Geekbench result is the only apples-to-apples comparison, and it heavily favors AMD. The Intel part wins 0 head-to-head tests, while the AMD part wins 1.

The Verdict

The verdict from the data is unambiguous. For any workload that relies on the OpenCL compute performance measured by Geekbench, the AMD Radeon RX 570X is the clear choice. Its score of 38,939 dwarfs the Intel's 14,315, a gap of over 24,000 points. This is a massive performance advantage that no other metric in the data can offset.

The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, however, is not without merit. Its performance, while far lower, is achieved within a 25 W TDP and a 200 W suggested PSU, compared to the AMD card's 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU. The data suggests it is an efficient, low-power solution that delivers performance comparable to the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti in OpenCL, but it is not a competitor to the RX 570X in raw throughput.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, a user needing maximum compute performance and who can accommodate a Dual-slot, 241 mm card with a 1x 6-pin power connector should choose the AMD Radeon RX 570X. A user with severe power and space constraints, who requires No outputs (i.e., it's a secondary compute card), and who prioritizes a 10 nm process node and lower power draw, would be the target for the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics. The choice is between raw, dominating performance (AMD) and a compact, low-power compute unit (Intel).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X, with a score of 38,939, is significantly higher than the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics' score of 14,315.

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon RX 570X in the head-to-head benchmark?

A: The data shows a delta of -63.2% for the Intel part, meaning the AMD Radeon RX 570X is over 172% faster in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics has an average score of 14,315, while the AMD Radeon RX 570X has an average score of 13,871.

Q: Is the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics competitive with any other GPUs?

A: Yes. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Vega 11, which scores 14,352 (a -0.3% difference). It also scores slightly higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, which scores 14,277 (a 0.3% delta in Intel's favor).

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics has a TDP of 25 W, while the AMD Radeon RX 570X has a TDP of 150 W.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each GPU?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics has 4 GB of LPDDR4X memory on a 128 bit bus with 68.26 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially across nearly every specification. The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is a low-power integrated-style part, while the AMD Radeon RX 570X is a traditional, high-power discrete card.

• Process Node: Intel uses 10 nm, while AMD uses 14 nm.
• Die Size: Intel's die is 95 mm², while AMD's is 232 mm².
• Transistors: Intel's count is not listed, while AMD has 5,700 million (with a density of 24.6M / mm²).
• Base Clock: Intel runs at 300 MHz, while AMD runs at 1168 MHz.
• Boost Clock: Intel boosts to 1650 MHz, while AMD boosts to 1244 MHz.
• Memory Clock: Intel uses 2133 MHz (4.3 Gbps effective), while AMD uses 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective).
• Memory: Intel has 4 GB LPDDR4X, AMD has 8 GB GDDR5.
• Memory Bus: Intel has 128 bit, AMD has 256 bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: Intel has 68.26 GB/s, AMD has 224.0 GB/s.
• Shading Units: Intel has 768, AMD has 2048.
• TMUs: Intel has 48, AMD has 128.
• ROPs: Intel has 24, AMD has 32.
• Pixel Rate: Intel is 39.60 GPixel/s, AMD is 39.81 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: Intel is 79.20 GTexel/s, AMD is 159.2 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: Intel is 2.534 TFLOPS, AMD is 5.095 TFLOPS.
• TDP: Intel is 25 W, AMD is 150 W.
• Slot Width: Intel is IGP, AMD is Dual-slot.
• Power Connectors: Intel has none, AMD requires 1x 6-pin.
• Suggested PSU: Intel suggests 200 W, AMD suggests 450 W.
• Bus Interface: Intel uses PCIe 4.0 x8, AMD uses PCIe 3.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: Intel has No outputs, AMD has 1x DVI1x HDMI 2.0b3x DisplayPort 1.4a.
• Dimensions: Intel has no listed length, AMD is 241 mm (9.5 inches).
• Release Date: Intel was released 2020-10-30, AMD was released 2018-04-10.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is as wide as the performance gap. The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is built on the Generation 12.1 architecture, specifically the DG1 chip, which is part of Intel's Xe Graphics generation. It is fabricated on a 10 nm process by Intel itself. The AMD Radeon RX 570X, in contrast, is built on the older GCN 4.0 architecture using the Polaris 20 chip, part of the Polaris (RX 500X) generation, and is manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process.

The compute capabilities differ significantly. Intel offers 768 shading units and supports FP16 at a 2:1 ratio, delivering 5.069 TFLOPS of half-precision performance. AMD offers 2048 shading units and supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, meaning its FP16 performance equals its FP32 performance at 5.095 TFLOPS. The AMD card also has more than double the texture units (128 vs 48) and a wider memory bus (256 bit vs 128 bit).

In terms of API support, Intel supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. AMD supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Intel part has a higher feature level for DirectX. Neither card features dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores. The Intel part has no display outputs, making it a pure compute accelerator, while the AMD card has a full suite of outputs including HDMI and DisplayPort. The Intel part's predecessor is listed as "Graphics" and successor as "Alchemist," while AMD's predecessor is "Polaris" and successor is "Vega."

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 570X is the definitive winner in raw compute performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 38,939 is more than double the Intel's, and it also leads in texture rate (159.2 GTexel/s vs 79.20 GTexel/s), FP32 throughput (5.095 TFLOPS vs 2.534 TFLOPS), and memory bandwidth (224.0 GB/s vs 68.26 GB/s). This makes it the clear choice for any compute-heavy task, such as rendering, simulations, or machine learning workloads that leverage OpenCL.

The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics wins in efficiency and form factor. With a TDP of only 25 W compared to the AMD's 150 W, and a suggested PSU of 200 W versus 450 W, it is designed for systems with strict power budgets. Its 10 nm process node is more advanced than AMD's 14 nm, contributing to this efficiency. As an IGP slot-width part with No outputs, it is clearly intended as a secondary compute accelerator in a compact system, not a primary graphics card. Its performance is also respectable in its own tier, matching the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti and coming within 0.5% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11. The Intel part's advantage is its ability to deliver a moderate level of compute performance in a tiny, low-power package. The AMD card wins every performance metric that matters for raw speed.