Notebook graphics in the test: Renoir-Radeon overtakes Ice-Iris

With the Ryzen Mobile 4000 aka Renoir and its integrated Radeon graphics units, AMD wants to have developed by far the fastest processor iGPU. We grabbed the top model, the Ryzen 9 4900HS including the Radeon Vega 8, and checked how the graphics unit compares to Intel’s current Iris Plus Graphics Ice LakeGeneration beats.

First of all it should be said that we have not been able to make a direct comparison: The Ryzen 9 4900HS has a thermal power loss of 35 watts – which we have reduced to 15 watts – and only uses DDR4-3200 memory for the graphics unit, the Ultrabook models on the other hand, are designed for 15 watts and faster LPDDR4X-4266. Conversely, Intel’s Ice Lake is only available with 15 watts, even if the permanent Power Target (PL1) can be raised to 25 watts. For this LPDDR4X-3733 is given, which gives the Iris Plus graphics unit a slightly higher bandwidth (+17 percent).

Despite the different requirements of the two devices used – one Asus Zephyrus G14 (test) and a Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (test) – the results obtained are revealing. In three out of six games, the Radeon Vega 8 (at 15 watts) calculates more fps, in two of them the frame rate is significantly higher. Titles like CSGO, Dota 2 and Halo 1 MCC can be played smoothly in 1080p with high details. In Dawn of Man, Rocket League and Skyrim SE, however, Iris Plus Graphics tied.

Asus Zephyrus G14, Microsoft Surface Laptop 3-15 (Image: Golem.de)

It remains open for the time being how a Renoir chip with 15 watts to 25 watts performs, whose Radeon Vega graphics unit is connected to LPDDR4X-4266 instead of to DDR4-3200. Because lower thermal power loss for CPU cores and iGPU reduces their clock speed, but the faster memory has a higher data transfer rate and could compensate for the TDP disadvantage. At least for the next few months, the Ryzen Mobile 4000 with the Radeon Vega will have the fastest iGPU either way Tiger Lake U can reach or exceed this level of performance.