
Recent benchmarks have shed light on the performance of AMD's RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics, particularly focusing on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 equipped with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 SoC. This analysis compares the performance of Windows 11 and Ubuntu 25.04, highlighting the advancements in both operating systems' graphics capabilities.
Hardware Overview
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 processor, featuring the Radeon 880M integrated GPU based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture. This configuration is complemented by 32GB of LPDDR5-7500 memory, ensuring efficient multitasking and performance across various applications. The device is certified for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, indicating robust support for Linux environments. (ubuntu.com)
Benchmarking Methodology
The performance comparison was conducted using native graphics workloads to provide an unadulterated view of driver efficiency. Both operating systems were updated to their latest versions:
- Windows 11 Pro: Utilizing the latest AMD Radeon Software drivers.
- Ubuntu 25.04: Featuring the Mesa 25.0 drivers and the Linux 6.14 kernel.
This setup ensured that both platforms leveraged their respective graphics stacks without the influence of translation layers or emulation.
Performance Analysis
The benchmarks focused on native graphics workloads, including 3D rendering and compute tasks, to assess the raw performance of the integrated GPU under both operating systems. The results revealed that:
- Windows 11: Demonstrated robust performance, benefiting from AMD's proprietary driver optimizations tailored for the RDNA 3.5 architecture.
- Ubuntu 25.04: Showed significant improvements, with the open-source Mesa drivers closing the performance gap in many scenarios.
Notably, in CPU-intensive tasks like rendering and file compression, Ubuntu 25.04 exhibited a performance advantage, often outperforming Windows 11 by 5-10%. (windowsforum.com)
Implications and Impact
The findings underscore the maturation of Linux graphics drivers, particularly with the advancements in Mesa and the Linux kernel. Users can expect enhanced performance and stability on Ubuntu 25.04, making it a viable option for those seeking to leverage AMD's RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics. However, for applications that rely heavily on proprietary driver optimizations, Windows 11 may still hold a slight edge.
Conclusion
The comparative analysis between Windows 11 and Ubuntu 25.04 on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 highlights the evolving landscape of integrated graphics performance. Both operating systems have made significant strides, and the choice between them may ultimately depend on specific application requirements and user preferences.
Reference Links
- Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 certified with Ubuntu
- Windows 11 vs. Ubuntu 25.04: Which OS Gets the Most from the Latest CPUs?
- Windows 11 vs. Ubuntu 23.10 Performance On The Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 4
- Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Radeon 880M underperforms by up to 25 percent
- Windows 11 vs. Ubuntu 23.10 performance on the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 4