What To Know
- The power consumption of the Radeon HD 7400M series varies depending on the specific model and usage scenario, while the Intel HD Graphics 3000 has a lower and more consistent power consumption.
- However, if power consumption and affordability are your main concerns, the Intel HD Graphics 3000 is a more suitable option, providing decent graphics performance at a lower cost and power consumption.
- Both the AMD Radeon HD 7400M series and the Intel HD Graphics 3000 are no longer widely available for purchase, but can be found in used and refurbished devices.
In the realm of mobile computing, graphics performance plays a pivotal role in delivering immersive visual experiences. Two prominent contenders in this arena are the AMD Radeon HD 7400M series and the Intel HD Graphics 3000. This comprehensive comparison delves into their key features, performance benchmarks, and overall capabilities to help you make an informed decision when choosing your next mobile graphics card.
Architectural Overview
AMD Radeon HD 7400M Series
The AMD Radeon HD 7400M series is based on the TeraScale 2 microarchitecture, featuring a unified shader architecture (GPGPU) that combines both vertex and pixel shaders into a single stream processor. This design allows for more efficient resource utilization and improved performance in graphics-intensive applications.
Intel HD Graphics 3000
The Intel HD Graphics 3000 is an integrated graphics processor built into Intel’s Sandy Bridge microarchitecture. It utilizes the Intel HD Graphics engine, which leverages the processor’s shared memory system for enhanced performance.
Performance Benchmarks
3DMark Vantage
In the 3DMark Vantage benchmark, the AMD Radeon HD 7400M series consistently outperforms the Intel HD Graphics 3000. The 7400M series achieves an average score of around 10,000, while the HD Graphics 3000 scores approximately 5,000.
Unigine Heaven
The Unigine Heaven benchmark further highlights the performance gap between these two graphics cards. The Radeon HD 7400M series delivers an average framerate of 20 FPS, while the Intel HD Graphics 3000 struggles to maintain a playable framerate of 10 FPS.
Feature Comparison
DirectX Support
The AMD Radeon HD 7400M series supports DirectX 11.1, while the Intel HD Graphics 3000 supports DirectX 10.1. DirectX 11 brings significant advancements in graphics technology, such as tessellation, shader model 5.0, and compute shaders.
OpenCL Support
Both the Radeon HD 7400M series and the Intel HD Graphics 3000 support OpenCL, a cross-platform programming framework for parallel computing. This allows applications to harness the power of the graphics card for non-graphics tasks, such as image processing and scientific simulations.
Video Acceleration
The Radeon HD 7400M series features UVD3 (Unified Video Decoder 3) technology, which provides hardware-accelerated decoding of high-definition video formats, including H.264, VC-1, and MPEG-4. The Intel HD Graphics 3000 also supports hardware-accelerated video decoding but lacks dedicated video decoding blocks.
Power Consumption
The AMD Radeon HD 7400M series typically consumes more power than the Intel HD Graphics 3000. This is due to its higher performance capabilities and dedicated video decoding hardware. The power consumption of the Radeon HD 7400M series varies depending on the specific model and usage scenario, while the Intel HD Graphics 3000 has a lower and more consistent power consumption.
Price and Availability
The AMD Radeon HD 7400M series and the Intel HD Graphics 3000 were both released several years ago and are no longer widely available for purchase. However, they can still be found in used and refurbished devices, with prices varying depending on the specific model and condition.
Takeaways: Choosing the Right Graphics Card for Your Needs
The choice between the AMD Radeon HD 7400M series and the Intel HD Graphics 3000 ultimately depends on your specific needs and budget. If high-performance graphics are your priority, the Radeon HD 7400M series is the clear winner, offering superior performance in both 3D gaming and graphics-intensive applications. However, if power consumption and affordability are your main concerns, the Intel HD Graphics 3000 is a more suitable option, providing decent graphics performance at a lower cost and power consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which graphics card is better for gaming?
A: The AMD Radeon HD 7400M series offers significantly better gaming performance than the Intel HD Graphics 3000.
Q: Which graphics card consumes less power?
A: The Intel HD Graphics 3000 consumes less power than the AMD Radeon HD 7400M series.
Q: Which graphics card supports newer technologies?
A: The AMD Radeon HD 7400M series supports DirectX 11.1 and OpenCL 1.2, while the Intel HD Graphics 3000 supports DirectX 10.1 and OpenCL 1.1.
Q: Which graphics card is more widely available?
A: Both the AMD Radeon HD 7400M series and the Intel HD Graphics 3000 are no longer widely available for purchase, but can be found in used and refurbished devices.
Q: Which graphics card is more affordable?
A: The Intel HD Graphics 3000 is generally more affordable than the AMD Radeon HD 7400M series, both in terms of new and used prices.
