HD Graphics 520 vs Radeon R5 M435

HD Graphics 520

2015Core: 300 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R5 M435

2016Core: 780 MHzBoost: 1030 MHz

HD Graphics 520 vs Radeon R5 M435 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 R5 M435: 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

  • Costs $50 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Delivers 50.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.6 vs 5.7 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Draws 15W instead of 75W, a 60W 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.

Radeon R5 M435

2016

Why buy it

  • 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 R5 M435 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 50% HIGHER MSRP
    $150 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.7 vs 8.6 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • 400% higher power demand at 75W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
HD Graphics 520 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.1% in PassMark G3D (861 vs 860), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R5 M435 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 2016 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
HD Graphics 520 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 50.2% (8.6 vs 5.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, HD Graphics 520 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R5 M435 has the stronger long-term case.

HD Graphics 520 vs Radeon R5 M435 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 R5 M435

The Radeon R5 M435 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 780 MHz to 1030 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 860 points.

Graphics Performance

The HD Graphics 520 scores 861 and the Radeon R5 M435 reaches 860 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The HD Graphics 520 is built on Generation 9.0 while the Radeon R5 M435 uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm+ vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (HD Graphics 520) vs 320 (Radeon R5 M435). Raw compute: 0.3456 TFLOPS (HD Graphics 520) vs 0.6592 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 M435). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1030 MHz.

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon R5 M435
G3D Mark Score
861
860
Architecture
Generation 9.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
14 nm+
28 nm
Shading Units
192
320+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.3456 TFLOPS
0.6592 TFLOPS+91%
Boost Clock
900 MHz
1030 MHz+14%
ROPs
3
8+167%
TMUs
24+20%
20

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon R5 M435
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 R5 M435 carries 512 MB. Radeon R5 M435 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 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M435.

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon R5 M435
VRAM Capacity
Shared System RAM
0.5 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
System
Unknown
Bus Width
System
128-bit
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The HD Graphics 520 draws 15W versus the Radeon R5 M435's 75W — a 133.3% difference. The HD Graphics 520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (HD Graphics 520) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M435). Power connectors: Integrated vs Mobile.

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon R5 M435
TDP
15W-80%
75W
Recommended PSU
1W-100%
350W
Power Connector
Integrated
Mobile
Perf/Watt
57.4+399%
11.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the HD Graphics 520 came in at $100, while the Radeon R5 M435 launched at $150. On MSRP, HD Graphics 520 was 33.3% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.6 (HD Graphics 520) vs 5.7 (Radeon R5 M435) — the HD Graphics 520 offers 50.9% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 M435 (2016 vs 2015).

FeatureHD Graphics 520Radeon R5 M435
MSRP
$100-33%
$150
Performance per Dollar
8.6+51%
5.7
Codename
Skylake GT2
Jet
Release
September 1 2015
May 15 2016
Ranking
#929
#922

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