Radeon HD 8790M vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

AMD

Radeon HD 8790M

2013Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
VS
Intel

UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

2019Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz

Radeon HD 8790M vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) 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.

Radeon HD 8790M vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU): Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon HD 8790M

2013

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
  • UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 8790M is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB 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.

UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

2019

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 50W, a 35W reduction.
  • More future proof: Gen. 11 Ice Lake (2019−2022) on 10nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2019 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8790M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.5% in PassMark G3D (1,306 vs 1,300), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 8790M 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?
Radeon HD 8790M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD 8790M vs UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 8790M

The Radeon HD 8790M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,306 points.

Intel

UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)

The UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) is manufactured by Intel. It was released in May 28 2019. It features the Gen. 11 Ice Lake architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 32 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,300 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8790M scores 1,306 and the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) reaches 1,300 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8790M is built on GCN 1.0 while the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) uses Gen. 11 Ice Lake, both on 28 nm vs 10 nm. Shader units: 384 (Radeon HD 8790M) vs 32 (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MUHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
G3D Mark Score
1,306
1,300
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Gen. 11 Ice Lake
Process Node
28 nm
10 nm
Shading Units
384+1100%
32
Boost Clock
900 MHz
1100 MHz+22%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MUHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8790M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 8790M 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 Radeon HD 8790M and System on the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU).

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MUHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
Shared
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
System
System
Bus Width
System
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (11_1) (Radeon HD 8790M) vs 12 (12_1) (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 3.

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MUHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
DirectX
11.1 (11_1)
12 (12_1)+8%
Vulkan
1.2
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
0
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8790M) vs Quick Sync Video (Gen 11) (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs Quick Sync Video (Gen 11). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 8790M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)).

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MUHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
Encoder
VCE 1.0
Quick Sync Video (Gen 11)
Decoder
UVD 3.0
Quick Sync Video (Gen 11)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8790M draws 50W versus the UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)'s 15W — a 107.7% difference. The UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8790M) vs 0W (UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80.

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MUHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
TDP
50W
15W-70%
Recommended PSU
350W
0W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
None
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
75-6%
80
Perf/Watt
26.1
86.7+232%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) (2019 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MUHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
MSRP
$0
Codename
Mars
Ice Lake G1 Gen. 11
Release
April 1 2013
May 28 2019
Ranking
#797
#820

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