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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

M1 8-Core GPU

2020

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon 860M is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌100% higher power demand at 30W vs 15W.

Radeon 860M

2025

Why buy it

✅More future proof: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform 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.

M1 8-Core GPU

2020

Radeon 860M

2025

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅More future proof: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform 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

❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon 860M is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌100% higher power demand at 30W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is M1 8-Core GPU better than Radeon 860M?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 5,000 vs 4,838 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer M1 8-Core GPU is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon 860M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2020, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 4nm process instead of 5nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

M1 8-Core GPU can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around Unknown MSRP. M1 8-Core GPU is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. M1 8-Core GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 3.3% higher G3D Mark. Radeon 860M is the newer 2025 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (15W vs 30W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon 860M make more sense than M1 8-Core GPU?

Yes. Radeon 860M is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (15W vs 30W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of M1 8-Core GPU. The trade-off is that M1 8-Core GPU currently gives you 3.3% higher G3D Mark. G3D-per-dollar is basically tied between them.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

M1 8-Core GPU Benchmark Check

Radeon 860M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
1080p
low	91 FPS	46 FPS
medium	81 FPS	30 FPS
high	56 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	11 FPS
1440p
low	74 FPS	35 FPS
medium	63 FPS	20 FPS
high	42 FPS	11 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	6 FPS
4K
low	35 FPS	12 FPS
medium	33 FPS	8 FPS
high	20 FPS	5 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	4 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon 860M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
1080p
low	123 FPS	97 FPS
medium	92 FPS	63 FPS
high	66 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	30 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	63 FPS
medium	56 FPS	32 FPS
high	41 FPS	24 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	18 FPS
4K
low	37 FPS	25 FPS
medium	27 FPS	14 FPS
high	21 FPS	12 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	9 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon 860M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
1080p
low	225 FPS	218 FPS
medium	180 FPS	174 FPS
high	150 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	163 FPS
medium	135 FPS	131 FPS
high	112 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	109 FPS
medium	90 FPS	87 FPS
high	75 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	54 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon 860M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 860M
1080p
low	184 FPS	182 FPS
medium	139 FPS	145 FPS
high	125 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	121 FPS
medium	109 FPS	99 FPS
high	89 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	78 FPS	72 FPS
medium	58 FPS	59 FPS
high	51 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	33 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon 860M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M1 8-Core GPU and Radeon 860M

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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of Shared. Bus width: Unified vs System.

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

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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.