If you're shopping for a laptop, getting a discrete GPU probably isn't in your plan. But that doesn't mean you should settle for any CPU with an integrated GPU.

After all, with all the advances in chip technology, we're getting relatively powerful GPUs in processors. Furthermore, CPUs are now integrated with GPU chips with the same technology as their discrete counterparts.

So, how does Intel's Iris Xe fare against AMD's RDNA-powered integrated GPU?

Intel Iris Xe vs. AMD Radeon: Which Processors Have Them?

Intel introduced the Iris Xe integrated GPU on some 11th-Gen Intel Core mobile processors. Since then, it has appeared across the laptop processor line in the 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're mobile processors. So, we'll list all CPUs that sport it.

Intel Core 11th-Generation (Tiger Lake)

Intel Core 12th-Generation (Alder Lake)

Intel Core 13th-Generation (Raptor Lake)

Intel Core i9

12900HK

13900HK

12900H

13905H

13900H

Intel Core i7

11390H

12800H

13800H

11375H

12700H

13705H

11370H

12650H

13700H

11320H

1280P

13620H

1195G7

1270P

1370P

1185G7 vPro

1260P

1360P

1180G7 vPro

1265U

1365U

1165G7

1260U

1355U

1160G7

1255U

1250U

Intel Core i5

11300H

12600H

13600H

1155G7

12500H

13505H

1145G7 vPro

12450H

13500H

1140G7

1250P

13420H

1135G7

1240P

1350P

1130G7

1245U

1340P

1240U

1345U

1235U

1335U

1230U

1334U

Intel Core i3

1220P

1315U

1215U

1305U

1210U

This significant variation of Iris Xe-equipped CPUs means that Intel also adjusted the capability of the GPU inside. It did so by changing the number of execution units (EUs) to ensure the processor consumes power within its allotted budget.

The most powerful processors, usually the Core i9 and i7 chips, use 96 EUs, while Intel's mid-range variants only have 80. And for low-powered CPUs, Intel further lowered the EUs to 64 and 48.

Unlike Intel which changed the number of EUs to adjust to a processor's power draw, AMD used five different AMD Radeon Integrated Graphics chips in three different configurations: Mendocino, Rembrandt, and Phoenix.

AMD Radeon 610M (RDNA 2.0 | Mendocino)

AMD Radeon 660M (RDNA 2.0 | Rembrandt)

AMD Radeon 680M (RDNA 2.0 | Rembrandt)

AMD Radeon 760M (RDNA 3.0 | Phoenix)

AMD Radeon 780M (RDNA 3.0 | Phoenix)

Ryzen 9

6900HX

7940HS

6980HX

Ryzen 7

PRO 6850HS

7840HS

PRO 6850H

PRO 6850U

6800HS

6800H

6800U

Ryzen 5

7520U

6600H

7640HS

6600U

Ryzen 3

7220U

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

Intel Iris Xe vs. AMD Radeon: Specifications

Given that there are numerous integrated GPUs, we'll only compare the two of the most powerful from each maker. So, let's compare the Intel Iris Xe 96 EU, Iris Xe 80 EU, AMD Radeon 780M, and AMD Radeon 760M.

First, we'll check their physical specifications:

Intel Iris Xe 96 EU

Intel Iris Xe 80 EU

AMD Radeon 780M

AMD Radeon 760M

GPU Name

Alder Lake GT1

Alder Lake GT1

Phoenix

Phoenix

Architecture

Generation 12.2

Generation 12.2

RDNA 3.0

RDNA 3.0

Foundry

Intel

Intel

TSMC

TSMC

Process Node

10nm

10nm

4nm

4nm

Shading Units

768

640

768

384

TMUs

48

40

48

24

ROPs

24

20

32

16

RT Cores

-

-

12

6

Looking at these numbers, it seems AMD has the advantage over Iris Xe.

Intel Iris Xe vs. AMD Radeon: Theoretical Performance Comparison

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

Intel Iris Xe 96 EU (TechPowerUp)

Intel Iris Xe 80 EU (TechPowerUp)

AMD Radeon 780M (TechPowerUp)

AMD Radeon 760M (TechPowerUp)

Pixel Rate (GPixel/s)

33.60

24.00

92.80

44.80

Texture Rate (GTexel/s)

67.20

48.00

139.20

67.20

FP16 (half) (TFLOPS)

4.301

3.072

17.82

8.602

FP32 (float) (TFLOPS)

2.150

1.536

8.909

4.301

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

Intel Iris Xe vs. AMD Radeon: Gaming Benchmarks

Because these are all laptop chips, finding a computer with the exact specifications except for the integrated GPU is nearly impossible. So, to help even the playing field as much as possible, we will only get the best results from each test run.

Intel Iris Xe 96 EU (Notebookcheck)

Intel Iris Xe 80 EU (Notebookcheck)

AMD Radeon 780M (Notebookcheck)

AMD Radeon 760M (Notebookcheck)

F1 2021 (1280 x 720 | Low)

119.4

101.1

182.4

-

Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p | Low)

25.9

14.3

39.3

-

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1280 x 720 | Low)

63.0

45.0

100.0

-

GTA V (1024x768 | Low)

157.0

134.7

160.8

-

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022) (1080p | Low)

24.0

23.0

49.0

-

Average FPS

77.86

63.62

106.3

-

Unfortunately, the AMD Radeon 760M hasn't finished gaming benchmarks, so we don't have average FPS results for that integrated GPU. But as for the rest of the results, we see a clear winner with the AMD Radeon 780M.

Many games are playable on all three integrated GPUs except for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Cyberpunk 2077, which had a terrible below 30 FPS average on both Intel Iris Xes. Just note that the games are set to minimum quality and the lowest possible resolution to give the hardware the best chance at running them.

How the Integrated GPU Will Affect Your Processor Choice

If you're a hardcore gamer, you need a gaming laptop or a desktop computer with a dedicated graphics card. But if you still want to game occasionally but are unwilling to shell out extra for GPU, then you should look at the CPUs or APUs we discussed today.

Of course, most laptop buyers have to stick to a budget, so we suggest you pick three to five laptop options that fit in it. From there, look at the fine print of their specifications and check out what kind of integrated GPU they sport.

Once you have that information, it's easy to look through here to see what games it could play. From there, pick the best CPU that will deliver your needs.

Alienware gaming laptop

What Is the Better CPU/GPU Package?

According to the results above, the best CPU/GPU package is the AMD Radeon 780M-equipped Ryzen 9 7940HS and Ryzen 7 7840HS. If that's unavailable, go for the Ryzen 5 7640HS with a 760M integrated GPU.

With these APUs, you can play some titles even without a dedicated GPU, as long as you're willing to deal with low-quality visuals.

You Need a Dedicated GPU

While AMD-integrated GPUs deliver excellent performance, especially for older gamers, they still can't deliver the power required to appreciate the advancements in in-game graphics. While it's good to have a powerful APU as the beating heart of your laptop, you still cannot forgo getting a dedicated GPU.