AMD Radeon iGPU or Intel Iris Xe is the best integrated graphics?

If you're looking to buy a laptop, buying a discrete GPU may not be in your plans. But that doesn't mean you should just pick any CPU with an integrated GPU.

After all, with all the advances in chip technology, we are getting relatively powerful GPUs in our processors. Furthermore, CPUs today have integrated GPU chips with the same technology as discrete graphics cards.

So how does Intel's Iris Xe compete with AMD's RDNA-powered integrated GPUs?

Which processors have Intel Iris Xe and AMD Radeon?

Intel introduced the Iris Xe integrated GPU on some 11th Gen Intel Core mobile processors. It has since appeared on the laptop processor line in 12th and 13th Gen Intel Core chips.

Not all 11th, 12th, and 13th Gen Intel Core chips have Iris XE integrated GPUs, even if they are mobile processors, so this article will list all CPUs that support Iris XE.

This significant change to the Iris Xe-equipped CPU means that Intel has also tweaked the capabilities of the GPU inside. It has done so by changing the number of execution units (EUs) to ensure the processor consumes power within its allocated range.

The most powerful processors, typically the Core i9 and i7 chips, use 96 EUs, while Intel's mid-range variants have just 80. And for low-power CPUs, Intel drops the EUs to 64 and 48.

Unlike Intel, which varied the number of EUs to adjust the processor's power consumption, AMD used five AMD Radeon integrated graphics chips in three different configurations: Mendocino, Rembrandt, and Phoenix.

Note that all of these chips are laptop processors called APUs , or accelerated processing units. AMD uses different integrated GPUs for its desktop chips. Also, not all AMD laptop CPUs use these GPUs.

Intel Iris Xe and AMD Radeon Specifications

Since there are so many integrated GPUs, we will only compare the two most powerful GPUs from each manufacturer. So let's compare the Intel Iris Xe 96 EU, Iris Xe 80 EU, AMD Radeon 780M, and AMD Radeon 760M.

First, let's check their physical specifications:

Looking at these numbers, it looks like AMD has the edge over Iris Xe.

Comparing theoretical performance of Intel Iris Xe and AMD Radeon

So let's confirm that on-paper advantage with the theoretical performance of these integrated GPUs.

These results confirm that the top AMD chips outperform the integrated Intel Iris Xe cards. But do they affect real-world performance?

Intel Iris Xe vs AMD Radeon Gaming Benchmarks

Since these are all laptop chips, finding a computer with the exact specs other than the integrated GPU is nearly impossible. The best results after each test run were recorded as follows:

Unfortunately, the AMD Radeon 760M hasn't completed a gaming benchmark yet, so there are no average FPS results for that integrated GPU. For the rest, the clear winner is the AMD Radeon 780M.

Many games are playable on all three integrated GPUs, with the exception of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Cyberpunk 2077, which averaged abysmal sub-30 FPS on both Intel Iris Xes. Just note that the games are set to the minimum quality and lowest possible resolution to give the hardware the best chance of running them.

How will the integrated GPU affect the choice of processor?

If you are a serious gamer, you need a gaming laptop or desktop with a dedicated graphics card. But if you still want to play games occasionally but are not willing to spend extra on a GPU, then you should consider the CPUs or APUs discussed in today's article.

Of course, most laptop buyers are budget-conscious, so you should pick 3 to 5 options that fit within that budget. From there, look at their specs and check what kind of integrated GPU they use.

Once you have that information, you can easily look here to see what games it can play. From there, choose the best CPU for your needs.

What is the best CPU/GPU combo?

Based on the results above, the best CPU/GPU combo is the Ryzen 9 7940HS and Ryzen 7 7840HS equipped with AMD Radeon 780M. If that doesn't work, go for the Ryzen 5 7640HS with the integrated 760M GPU.

With these APUs, you can play some games even without a dedicated GPU, as long as you can accept low-quality visuals.

While AMD's integrated GPUs offer great performance, especially for gamers, they still can't provide the power needed to appreciate the graphical advancements in games. While it's nice to have a powerful APU in your laptop, you can't go wrong with a dedicated GPU.