Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon R9 M385X

Intel

Iris Xe MAX Graphics

2020Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1650 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M385X

2015Core: 1000 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
Similar parts
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Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon R9 M385X 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.

Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon R9 M385X: 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 $245 less on MSRP ($55 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • Delivers 439.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 35.9 vs 6.6 G3D/$ ($55 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • Draws 25W instead of 75W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB 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 R9 M385X

2015

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).
  • Iris Xe MAX Graphics is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R9 M385X is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 445.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $300 MSRPvs$55 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.6 vs 35.9 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $55 MSRP).
  • 200% higher power demand at 75W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 M385X is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.1% in PassMark G3D (1,994 vs 1,972), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R9 M385X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB 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 $245 cheaper on MSRP at $55 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 439.4% (35.9 vs 6.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. 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 R9 M385X has the stronger long-term case.

Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs Radeon R9 M385X Technical Specifications

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

Intel

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.

AMD

Radeon R9 M385X

The Radeon R9 M385X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,994 points.

Graphics Performance

The Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 1,972 and the Radeon R9 M385X reaches 1,994 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Iris Xe MAX Graphics is built on Generation 12.1 while the Radeon R9 M385X uses GCN 2.0, both on 10 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 896 (Radeon R9 M385X). Raw compute: 2.534 TFLOPS (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M385X). Boost clocks: 1650 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureIris Xe MAX GraphicsRadeon R9 M385X
G3D Mark Score
1,972
1,994+1%
Architecture
Generation 12.1
GCN 2.0
Process Node
10 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
896+17%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.534 TFLOPS+29%
1.971 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1650 MHz+50%
1100 MHz
ROPs
24+50%
16
TMUs
48
56+17%
L2 Cache
1 MB+300%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureIris Xe MAX GraphicsRadeon R9 M385X
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 Iris Xe MAX Graphics has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M385X carries 512 MB. Radeon R9 M385X 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 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M385X. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon R9 M385X) — the Iris Xe MAX Graphics has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureIris Xe MAX GraphicsRadeon R9 M385X
VRAM Capacity
Shared System RAM
0.5 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
System
Unknown
Bus Width
System
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB+300%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 M385X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureIris Xe MAX GraphicsRadeon R9 M385X
DirectX
12.1
12 (12_0)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: QuickSync (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 M385X). Decoder: QuickSync vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R9 M385X).

FeatureIris Xe MAX GraphicsRadeon R9 M385X
Encoder
QuickSync
VCE 2.0
Decoder
QuickSync
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Iris Xe MAX Graphics draws 25W versus the Radeon R9 M385X's 75W — a 100% difference. The Iris Xe MAX Graphics is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M385X). Power connectors: Integrated vs Mobile. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 85.

FeatureIris Xe MAX GraphicsRadeon R9 M385X
TDP
25W-67%
75W
Recommended PSU
1W-100%
350W
Power Connector
Integrated
Mobile
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
80-6%
85
Perf/Watt
78.9+197%
26.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Iris Xe MAX Graphics came in at $55, while the Radeon R9 M385X launched at $300. On MSRP, Iris Xe MAX Graphics was 81.7% cheaper ($245 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 35.9 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) vs 6.6 (Radeon R9 M385X) — the Iris Xe MAX Graphics offers 443.9% better value. The newer card here is Iris Xe MAX Graphics (2020 vs 2015).

FeatureIris Xe MAX GraphicsRadeon R9 M385X
MSRP
$55-82%
$300
Performance per Dollar
35.9+444%
6.6
Codename
DG1
Strato
Release
October 31 2020
May 5 2015
Ranking
#686
#681

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