Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon HD 5850

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.

Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon HD 5850 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon HD 5850: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Iris Xe MAX Graphics

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $244 less on MSRP ($55 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 448.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 35.9 vs 6.5 G3D/$ ($55 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 151W, a 126W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2020 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 5850

2009

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
✅Iris Xe MAX Graphics is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 5850 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
443.6% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$55 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.5 vs 35.9 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $55 MSRP).
❌504% higher power demand at 151W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Iris Xe MAX Graphics is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (1,972 vs 1,955), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon HD 5850 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM and the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Iris Xe MAX Graphics makes the most sense to buy today. It is $244 cheaper on MSRP at $55 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 448.4% (35.9 vs 6.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Iris Xe MAX Graphics is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 5850 has the stronger long-term case.

Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon HD 5850 Technical Specifications

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

Iris Xe MAX Graphics

The Iris Xe MAX Graphics is manufactured by Intel. It was released in October 31 2020. It features the Generation 12.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1650 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,972 points.

Radeon HD 5850

The Radeon HD 5850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $299.

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Graphics Performance

The Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 1,972 and the Radeon HD 5850 reaches 1,955 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Iris Xe MAX Graphics is built on Generation 12.1 while the Radeon HD 5850 uses TeraScale 2, both on 10 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850). Raw compute: 2.534 TFLOPS (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850).

Feature	Iris Xe MAX Graphics	Radeon HD 5850
G3D Mark Score	1,972	1,955
Architecture	Generation 12.1	TeraScale 2
Process Node	10 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	768	1440+88%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.534 TFLOPS+21%	2.088 TFLOPS
ROPs	24	32+33%
TMUs	48	72+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Iris Xe MAX Graphics	Radeon HD 5850
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Iris Xe MAX Graphics has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5850 carries 2 GB. Radeon HD 5850 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 Iris Xe MAX Graphics and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 5850. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5850) — the Iris Xe MAX Graphics has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Iris Xe MAX Graphics	Radeon HD 5850
VRAM Capacity	Shared System RAM	2 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	128 GB/s
Bus Width	System	256-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 5850).

Feature	Iris Xe MAX Graphics	Radeon HD 5850
Encoder	QuickSync	—
Decoder	QuickSync	—
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264

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Power & Dimensions

The Iris Xe MAX Graphics draws 25W versus the Radeon HD 5850's 151W — a 143.2% difference. The Iris Xe MAX Graphics is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 500W (Radeon HD 5850). Power connectors: Integrated vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Iris Xe MAX Graphics	Radeon HD 5850
TDP	25W-83%	151W
Recommended PSU	1W-100%	500W
Power Connector	Integrated	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	78.9+512%	12.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Iris Xe MAX Graphics came in at $55, while the Radeon HD 5850 launched at $299. On MSRP, Iris Xe MAX Graphics was 81.6% cheaper ($244 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 35.9 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 6.5 (Radeon HD 5850) — the Iris Xe MAX Graphics offers 452.3% better value. The newer card here is Iris Xe MAX Graphics (2020 vs 2009).

Feature	Iris Xe MAX Graphics	Radeon HD 5850
MSRP	$55-82%	$299
Performance per Dollar	35.9+452%	6.5
Codename	DG1	Cypress
Release	October 31 2020	September 30 2009
Ranking	#686	#682

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