M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon 860M

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.

M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon 860M 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.

M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon 860M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

M1 8-Core GPU

2020

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Radeon 860M is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
❌100% higher power demand at 30W vs 15W.

Radeon 860M

2025

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 15W instead of 30W, a 15W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

M1 8-Core GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.3% in PassMark G3D (5,000 vs 4,838), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

Radeon 860M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 4nm process instead of 5nm, 8 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2020. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

M1 8-Core GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, M1 8-Core GPU is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 860M has the stronger long-term case.

M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon 860M Technical Specifications

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

M1 8-Core GPU

The M1 8-Core GPU is manufactured by Apple. It was released in November 10 2020. The core clock speed is 1278 MHz. It has 8 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,000 points.

Radeon 860M

The Radeon 860M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Marchar 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 600 MHz to 3000 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 8 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,838 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The M1 8-Core GPU scores 5,000 and the Radeon 860M reaches 4,838 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. Shader units: 8 (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 512 (Radeon 860M).

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
G3D Mark Score	5,000+3%	4,838
Process Node	5 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	8	512+6300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
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)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of Shared. Memory bus width is Unified on the M1 8-Core GPU and System on the Radeon 860M.

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	Shared	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	68 GB/s	System
Bus Width	Unified	System

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The M1 8-Core GPU draws 30W versus the Radeon 860M's 15W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon 860M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 350W (Radeon 860M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
TDP	30W	15W-50%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Slots	0	—
Perf/Watt	166.7	322.5+93%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon 860M (2025 vs 2020).

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
MSRP	$0	—
Codename	—	Krackan Point
Release	November 10 2020	Marchar 2025
Ranking	#428	#449

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