Tom's Hardware: Intel/AMD iGPUs vs R7 250 (1080p)

[Sweepr]

From Tom's Hardware.de's A10-7890K's review, new iGPU results. Both Intel and AMD systems tested with the latest drivers (take a note GameGPU). Faster memory used in the AMD system.

HD Graphics 530 (Gen 9, Core i7) did great in their tests. Unfortunately missing data from the A8-7600, Pentium and Core i3s with HD Graphics 530 and Broadwell-K's Iris Pro 6200.

Athlon X4 + R7 250 remains faster than all iGPUs.

AMD
A10-7890K, AMD A10-7870K, AMD A10-7850K
Wraith Cooler
Asus A88X-Pro
2x 8 GByte Radeon Memory DDR3-2400
1x Crucial BX200, 240-GByte-SSD
Kolink KL 400 80+ Bronze
Aerocool GT-RS ATX Cube
Windows 10 Pro (all Updates)

Intell:
Core i7-6700K auf MSI Z170A Gaming M7
Core i3-4160 auf MSI Z97A Gaming 6
Intel Boxed Cooler
2x 8 GByte Corsair Dominator DDR3-2133
Treiber:
AMD: Radeon Software 15.301 B35 (February 2016)
Intel: Beta 15.40.18.4380 from 09.02.2016

www.tomshardware.de/amd-a10-7890k-gaming-performance-benchmark-budget-pc,testberichte-242059.html

 

[Erenhardt]

I guess that r7 250 is a GDDR5 384 shader part? Not really sure because sometimes it is very close to the APU(shader bottleneck), but sometimes it is a lot faster (memory bandwidth bottleneck).

 

[TheELF]

I guess that r7 250 is a GDDR5 384 shader part? Not really sure because sometimes it is very close to the APU(shader bottleneck), but sometimes it is a lot faster (memory bandwidth bottleneck).

It's the APU downclocking the CPU every time the iGPU needs power...

Damn...
They even comment on it on every bench that they notice it happening.

Der Rückstand zur Kombination mit dem Athlon X4 760K und der eigentlich gleich schnellen Radeon R7 250 resultiert aus der CPU-Taktverringerung, die wir ja schon auf der vorigen Seite dokumentiert hatten.

Bei Dota 2 fällt dieser Taktnachteil noch ein wenig stärker aus, denn je nach Map wird die CPU recht ordentlich gefordert, so dass jedes MHz weniger negativ ins Gewicht fällt.

Betrachtet man nun GTA V, dann merkt man am deutlichsten, dass es hier an CPU-Power fehlt.

 

[Erenhardt]

It's the APU downclocking the CPU every time the iGPU needs power...

Damn...
They even comment on it on every bench that they notice it happening.

Strange. 7850k did this only when stress testing with things like furmark etc. I was testing on Asrock motherboard, so that could make a difference. There are also bios settings like Advanced Power Management and some others that change clock behavior. But it is very strange to see throthling when the system power consumption is lower than 90W

 

[monstercameron]

Still don't know why they do that crappie. Worse yet there is no way to disable it with a freaking unlocked apu!

 

[The Stilt]

By design all Steamroller APUs clock down to 3.0GHz* when the iGPU utilization is >= 95%. It has nothing to do with thermal protection or reaching power limits (throttling). The feature is called GeApm and I have released special bioses which disable it. There are no official solutions from any motherboard manufacturer to disable it, since the information is not available to public or even to AMD partners.

* 2.4 - 3.0GHz, depending on model

http://www.overclock.net/t/1588994/...ed-cpu-throttling-geapm-steamroller-apus/0_50

 

[Erenhardt]

Still don't know why they do that crappie. Worse yet there is no way to disable it with a freaking unlocked apu!

My 7850 system used 220 Watts under load after OCing, but that was with crazy CPU volts.
Regular OC APU+Mobo+2x4GB+HDD+3x120 fans= around 200Watts

 

[poofyhairguy]

Wow, that is kinda sad that modern integrated Intel GPUs can't keep CS: Go at 60fps.

My 750 ti murders CS: Go.

 

[monstercameron]

By design all Steamroller APUs clock down to 3.0GHz* when the iGPU utilization is >= 95%. It has nothing to do with thermal protection or reaching power limits (throttling). The feature is called GeApm and I have released special bioses which disable it. There are no official solutions from any motherboard manufacturer to disable it, since the information is not available to public or even to AMD partners.

* 2.4 - 3.0GHz, depending on model

http://www.overclock.net/t/1588994/...ed-cpu-throttling-geapm-steamroller-apus/0_50

I was looking for a solution to this before I retired my apu. Do you have an idea why they made such a limiter?

 

[LTC8K6]

Wow, that is kinda sad that modern integrated Intel GPUs can't keep CS: Go at 60fps.

My 750 ti murders CS: Go.

A little faster ram would probably bring it up some.

Plus, that's not the fastest Intel igp by a long shot. Iris Pro 6200 is quite a bit faster.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i7-5775c-i5-5675c-broadwell,4169-6.html

 

[SPBHM]

is it a GDDR5 or DDR3 250?

 

[VirtualLarry]

If they are going to compare AMD X4 + dGPU, why not also Intel i3 + dGPU?

 

[LTC8K6]

So, if you are going to game with Steamroller, you have a 2.4-3.0 ghz cpu, instead of what you bought?

 

[frozentundra123456]

Yea, but that is still the problem with intel. Very limited availability of iris pro. It also shows how poor a solution even the best APU is for the desktop. The only semi-demanding game they tested was barely playable on the best APU.

 

[frozentundra123456]

If they are going to compare AMD X4 + dGPU, why not also Intel i3 + dGPU?

Well, the i3 is more expensive, plus the x4 gives a closer approximation of the cpu in an AMD apu.

 

[Sweepr]

A little faster ram would probably bring it up some.

Plus, that's not the fastest Intel igp by a long shot. Iris Pro 6200 is quite a bit faster.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i7-5775c-i5-5675c-broadwell,4169-6.html

Indeed. HD 530 doing so well with only 24 EUs (relative to Kaveri) and slower memory is a breath of fresh air considering the significant advantage AMD had in previous generations. Nevertheless, Iris Pro 6200 is still faster, and Iris Pro 580 should be quite a beast with 72 EUs + eDRAM, really curious about its performance inside the Skull Canyon NUC.

 

[Sweepr]

is it a gddr5 or ddr3 250?

...while the separate r7 250 can access exclusively on their one gigabyte of gddr5 memory.

It's 1GB GDDR5.

 

[Abwx]

If they are going to compare AMD X4 + dGPU, why not also Intel i3 + dGPU?

Well, the AMD CPU + GPU set up is irrelevant anyway, the 760K is a Richland and it is 2 years that it s no more manufactured, the IGP results are the only interesting thing here assuming they didnt mess something...

As for the missing Intel set up that s an annoying lack but the X4 (if its a Kaveri) does as well when paired with a R250.

I guess that that they deemed an i3 + dGPU too expensive to compete with the tested solutions if we except the 6700K, but this latter is here only for info, actualy they should had used i3s and i5s IGPs for the Intel/AMD comparison to make sense.

 

[SPBHM]

Indeed. HD 530 doing so well with only 24 EUs (relative to Kaveri) and slower memory is a breath of fresh air considering the significant advantage AMD had in previous generations. Nevertheless, Iris Pro 6200 is still faster, and Iris Pro 580 should be quite a beast with 72 EUs + eDRAM, really curious about its performance inside the Skull Canyon NUC.

yes the HD 530 is a 440GFLOPS IGP and the Kaveri one is 740 at the stock clocks.
but I guess the Intel IGP would use more space if it was built on the same process?

memory/cache performance and CPU speed must be helping skylake here quite a bit

It's 1GB GDDR5.

thanks that makes sense

 

[USER8000]

Wait a £280 Core i7 6700K can barely match an A10 7850K with a much slower CPU section which was launched nearly two and a quarter years ago??

The CPU is starting to be phased out now in the UK and it used to be around £100 to £110 but now is starting to drop under £90 now.

I still don't understand why they don't just use a Core i3 6100 as its the same IGP but slightly lower clocked and more in line with the AMD chips in price.

In fact I am more surprised that the A10 7890K has a noticeable performannce uplift over the A10 7850K. Sure,the IGP is around 14% higher clocked but it is severely bottlenecked with memory bandwidth on the A10 7850K as shown by previous reviews,so it makes me wonder if the better cooler and use of solder on the A10 7890K might be helping some how,as the performance uplift in some of the games is near 20% it appears.

Would that indicate the A10 7850K IGP was also throttling??

Kind of weird TBH!!

Anyway,with Bristol Ridge launching in a few months,it is probably a last hurrah now for FM2+ I suppose.

I guess that r7 250 is a GDDR5 384 shader part? Not really sure because sometimes it is very close to the APU(shader bottleneck), but sometimes it is a lot faster (memory bandwidth bottleneck).

Probably the GDDR5 version - they don't say which one it is,but it is very easy to spot. Look at the GTAV results,as it is the most graphical intensive game in the test suit.

But an R7 250 GDDR5 should wipe out the Kaveri IGP as it has massively more bandwidth.

 

[JDG1980]

Why is it that everyone compares the iGPUs to the Oland cards, which are low-end OEM trash that virtually nobody buys, instead of comparing them to Pitcairn and GM107 cards that actually do get purchased?

 

[LTC8K6]

Why is it that everyone compares the iGPUs to the Oland cards, which are low-end OEM trash that virtually nobody buys, instead of comparing them to Pitcairn and GM107 cards that actually do get purchased?

Low end should be compared to low end.

BTW, AMD released 4 OEM Oland cards in mid-2015.

Also 2 consumer Bonaire cards.

Pitcairn is pretty old, too.

 

[Zodiark1593]

Why is it that everyone compares the iGPUs to the Oland cards, which are low-end OEM trash that virtually nobody buys, instead of comparing them to Pitcairn and GM107 cards that actually do get purchased?

As of right now, all iGPUs are low end solutions, thus no need to compare to anything beyond Oland.

Though I see your point in comparing performance/dollar.

 

[Sweepr]

Wait a £280 Core i7 6700K can barely match an A10 7850K with a much slower CPU section which was launched nearly two and a quarter years ago??

Actually mainstream HD 530 is much more competitive here than in older reviews (relative to AMD APUs). If you want Intel CPU cores + best in class iGPU there's Broadwell-K. Still, any dGPU above R7 250/GT740 GDDR5 provides better performance than iGPUs.

I still don't understand why they don't just use a Core i3 6100 as its the same IGP but slightly lower clocked and more in line with the AMD chips in price.

Both Core i3 and A8 7600 should have been included, similar graphics performance for a fraction of the price. Improved Gen 9 iGPU, faster x86 cores, better platform and lower power make the Core i3-6100 look tempting right now.

But an R7 250 GDDR5 should wipe out the Kaveri IGP as it has massively more bandwidth.

It did in the most demanding game tested, GTA V - 70% faster than OCed A10-7890K!