HD Graphics 520 vs Radeon 520

HD Graphics 520

2015Core: 300 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon 520

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 MHz
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HD Graphics 520 vs Radeon 520 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

HD Graphics 520 vs Radeon 520: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

HD Graphics 520

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 50W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 28.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $100 MSRPvs$78 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.6 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $78 MSRP).

Radeon 520

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $22 less on MSRP ($78 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • Delivers 30.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.2 vs 8.6 G3D/$ ($78 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).
  • HD Graphics 520 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon 520 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 233.3% higher power demand at 50W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon 520 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (874 vs 861), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon 520 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs Unknown of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon 520 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $22 cheaper on MSRP at $78 vs $100, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 30.1% (11.2 vs 8.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

HD Graphics 520 vs Radeon 520 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Intel

HD Graphics 520

The HD Graphics 520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in September 1 2015. It features the Generation 9.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm+ process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 861 points.

AMD

Radeon 520

The Radeon 520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 874 points. Launch price was $79.

Graphics Performance

The HD Graphics 520 scores 861 and the Radeon 520 reaches 874 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The HD Graphics 520 is built on Generation 9.0 while the Radeon 520 uses GCN 4.0, both on 14 nm+ vs 14 nm. Shader units: 192 (HD Graphics 520) vs 512 (Radeon 520). Raw compute: 0.3456 TFLOPS (HD Graphics 520) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (Radeon 520). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1183 MHz.

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon 520
G3D Mark Score
861
874+2%
Architecture
Generation 9.0
GCN 4.0
Process Node
14 nm+
14 nm
Shading Units
192
512+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.3456 TFLOPS
1.211 TFLOPS+250%
Boost Clock
900 MHz
1183 MHz+31%
ROPs
3
16+433%
TMUs
24
32+33%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon 520
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The HD Graphics 520 has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon 520 carries 512 MB. Radeon 520 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the HD Graphics 520 and 64-bit on the Radeon 520.

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon 520
VRAM Capacity
Shared System RAM
0.5 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Bus Width
System
64-bit
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The HD Graphics 520 draws 15W versus the Radeon 520's 50W — a 107.7% difference. The HD Graphics 520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (HD Graphics 520) vs 250W (Radeon 520). Power connectors: Integrated vs None.

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon 520
TDP
15W-70%
50W
Recommended PSU
1W-100%
250W
Power Connector
Integrated
None
Perf/Watt
57.4+228%
17.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the HD Graphics 520 came in at $100, while the Radeon 520 launched at $78. On MSRP, Radeon 520 was 22% cheaper ($22 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.6 (HD Graphics 520) vs 11.2 (Radeon 520) — the Radeon 520 offers 30.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon 520 (2017 vs 2015).

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon 520
MSRP
$100
$78-22%
Performance per Dollar
8.6
11.2+30%
Codename
Skylake GT2
Lexa
Release
September 1 2015
April 20 2017
Ranking
#929
#668

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