Does iGPU Beat dGPU? Ryzen Max+ 395 vs RTX 4060 in 25 Games

Does iGPU Beat dGPU? Ryzen Max+ 395 vs RTX 4060 in 25 Games

The big question here is simple: can AMD’s new super-charged integrated graphics (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) actually beat Nvidia’s trusty dedicated GPU, the RTX 4060? Sounds almost ridiculous, right? For years, “integrated graphics” was basically a polite way of saying, “this laptop can maybe handle Solitaire.” But AMD has decided to crash the party with a chip that claims to run modern AAA games smoothly inside a thin 13-inch tablet, no less. The video I watched dives into 25 games tested at both 1080p and 1440p to see if AMD’s iGPU can truly hold its own against a mid-tier dGPU like the 4060. I have always known NVIDIA for their excellent graphics (I'm on team NVIDIA, which is the RTX 4060).

📝 Video Summary

• Setup: AMD’s Ryzen Max+ 395 (inside ASUS Flow Z13) vs Nvidia RTX 4060 (inside Lenovo Legion Slim 5).
• CPU edge: The Z13’s Zen 5 CPU is way ahead of the Legion’s older Zen 4, 60% better multicore, 10% better single core.
• Power limits: RTX 4060 tested at 100W, Z13’s GPU at 75–93W. Jarrod kept it realistic, no “fake fairness.”
• VRAM allocation: AMD’s iGPU can borrow system RAM as VRAM. Testing at 8GB vs 16GB VRAM showed little difference.
  
  VRAM (Video RAM) is basically the graphics card’s own memory space, dedicated to handling visuals. Unlike your computer’s normal RAM that’s shared across everything, VRAM is reserved only for storing images, textures, and details needed to render what you see on screen. In simple terms, it’s like giving your graphics card its own private desk, bigger desks (more VRAM) mean it can handle more detail at once, while smaller desks (less VRAM) mean it has to shuffle things around, which can slow things down.

Game Performances

• Alan Wake 2: AMD sneaks ahead (6 to 8% faster) at 1080p/1440p, though margins are tiny (around 3 FPS). Ray tracing flips the script. Nvidia wins at 1080p, AMD reclaims a narrow win at 1440p.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Dead even at 1080p, AMD has smoother lows at 1440p. But with RT Ultra, 4060 crushes with a 31% lead.
• Spider-Man 2: Biggest surprise — AMD wins in average FPS, but Nvidia feels smoother and looks better thanks to DLSS.
• Stalker 2 & Black Myth: Wukong: Nvidia dominates here, with gaps as wide as 29% at 1080p. Ray tracing especially widens the lead.

💡 Takeaway

In plain English, this means Nvidia’s 4060 is still the more reliable choice for smooth, consistent gaming, especially when fancy graphics like ray tracing are turned on (as I predicted that NVIDIA would win). AMD’s chip, though surprisingly strong for something built into a laptop, only really wins a few niche battles and often falls short in heavy, graphics demanding games.

💭 My Thoughts

Honestly, I didn’t expect AMD’s iGPU to hold its ground this well. For years, integrated graphics were like those inflatable arm-flailing tube men, fun to watch, but not useful for serious gaming. Yet here we are, with a chip that can push Cyberpunk 2077 and Spider-Man 2 at respectable settings. That’s wild.

Of course, the RTX 4060 still flexes harder, especially when ray tracing enters the chat. Nvidia’s DLSS also makes a big difference, delivering smoother frames and better visuals. But credit where it’s due. AMD has raised the bar for what an “iGPU” can do. For portable gaming, or for folks who want power in a slim device without lugging a bulky laptop, this is exciting.

💬 Final Thoughts

If you’re looking purely at performance per dollar, the RTX 4060 laptop is the obvious choice you could literally buy two or three of them for the cost of one Z13. But if you value portability and want to see what the future of integrated graphics looks like, the Ryzen Max+ 395 is seriously impressive. This feels less like AMD trying to replace dGPUs outright and more like them saying, “Hey, don’t underestimate us anymore.”