AMD Radeon 610M vs AMD Radeon R7 M440 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 and AMD Radeon 610M are both end-of-life integrated graphics processors, but they represent vastly different eras of AMD’s mobile GPU design. The R7 M440, built on the older GCN 3.0 architecture, and the 610M, using modern RDNA 2.0, end up with nearly identical average benchmark scores—5483 versus 5444, respectively. That places both at the 32nd percentile among all GPUs, meaning the data shows them trading blows rather than one dominating the other, with the R7 M440 holding a slim 0.7% edge in average score.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GPUs split their two head-to-head benchmark wins exactly, each taking one test by a significant margin. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon R7 M440 scores 5214 against the Radeon 610M’s 4535, a decisive 15% victory. This is the older card’s strongest showing, and it aligns with its hardware advantage in raw compute resources: the R7 M440 packs 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 raster operation pipelines, compared to the 610M’s 128 shading units, 8 TMUs, and 4 ROPs. The R7 M440’s FP32 throughput of 570.2 GFLOPS also exceeds the 610M’s 486.4 GFLOPS, which explains why it excels in this compute-heavy workload.

However, the story flips in the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the AMD Radeon 610M scores 6353, beating the R7 M440’s 5751 by 9.5%. This is a substantial reversal, and the data suggests the newer architecture’s feature set is the differentiator. The 610M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R7 M440 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Furthermore, the 610M includes 2 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the R7 M440, which likely contributes to its superior performance in modern graphics API workloads.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape, both GPUs sit in a tight cluster. The R7 M440’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (5467, +0.3% for the R7), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501, -0.3% against the R7), and the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508, -0.5% against the R7). The 610M’s rivals include the Quadro M4000 (5467, -0.4% against the 610M), the AMD Radeon R7 M365X (5416, +0.5% for the 610M), and the GTX 765M (5501, -1% against the 610M). The direct matchup between the two is close: the R7 M440 leads by 0.7% in average score, a margin that is nearly negligible in real-world terms but still puts the older chip slightly ahead in overall aggregate performance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 is the clear winner in OpenCL compute performance. Its 15% lead in that benchmark is the largest delta between the two cards in any test. This advantage stems from its higher raw shader count and FP32 throughput. The data indicates this GPU is better suited for tasks that leverage general-purpose compute, such as older API workloads or applications that do not heavily utilize modern graphics features. Its memory configuration—4 GB of dedicated DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth—provides a fixed pool of video memory, which can be beneficial for traditional graphics workloads that expect a dedicated frame buffer.

The AMD Radeon 610M, conversely, dominates in Vulkan performance, a 9.5% advantage that is nearly as large as the R7 M440’s OpenCL win. This is where the modern RDNA 2.0 architecture shines. The 610M’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, coupled with its ray tracing cores, makes it the better choice for modern gaming titles and applications built around contemporary graphics APIs. Its system-shared memory architecture, while dependent on system RAM bandwidth, allows for flexible memory allocation. The 610M also has a higher pixel rate (7.600 GPixel/s versus 7.128 GPixel/s for the R7 M440), suggesting better fill-rate performance in certain rendering scenarios, even though its texture rate (15.20 GTexel/s) is lower than the R7 M440’s 17.82 GTexel/s.

The process node difference is stark. The 610M is built on a 6 nm process at TSMC, while the R7 M440 uses a 28 nm process. This is a massive generational leap, and it shows in the specifications: the 610M has a 15 W TDP, whereas the R7 M440’s TDP is not specified in the data. The 610M also features a much higher boost clock of 1900 MHz, compared to the R7 M440’s unspecified boost clock, though the R7 M440’s memory runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The 610M’s PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is also twice as fast as the R7 M440’s PCIe 3.0 x8, though the practical impact on an integrated GPU is limited.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear split decision for potential users. The AMD Radeon R7 M440 is the choice for compute-heavy, OpenCL-based tasks where raw shader throughput matters. Its 15% lead in that benchmark is the single biggest performance gap between the two, and its 320 shading units provide a substantial advantage in parallel processing workloads. Users running legacy applications or those that rely on older compute APIs will find the R7 M440 to be the stronger performer.

The AMD Radeon 610M is the better pick for modern graphics workloads, especially those using Vulkan or DirectX 12 Ultimate. Its 9.5% lead in the Vulkan benchmark, combined with its support for the latest APIs and ray tracing hardware, makes it the more future-proof option. The 610M’s higher boost clock and modern architecture also suggest better efficiency, as evidenced by its 15 W TDP. For gaming or any application that leverages contemporary graphics features, the 610M is the superior choice.

In aggregate, the two are nearly inseparable. The R7 M440’s average score of 5483 is only 0.7% higher than the 610M’s 5444. Both sit at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs, and both are end-of-life products. If the workload is known, the choice is clear. If the workload is mixed or unknown, the data shows either GPU will deliver similar overall performance, with the 610M offering better modern API support and the R7 M440 offering better raw compute.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 5483, compared to the AMD Radeon 610M’s 5444, a difference of 0.7%.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in Geekbench OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 scores 5214 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 15% higher than the AMD Radeon 610M’s score of 4535.

Q: Which GPU performs better in Vulkan benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon 610M performs better in Vulkan, scoring 6353 versus the AMD Radeon R7 M440’s 5751, a 9.5% advantage for the 610M.

Q: What are the key architectural differences between the two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 uses the GCN 3.0 architecture on a 28 nm process, while the AMD Radeon 610M uses RDNA 2.0 on a 6 nm process. The 610M also has 2 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, whereas the R7 M440 supports only DirectX 12 (12_0).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 has 320 shading units, significantly more than the AMD Radeon 610M, which has 128 shading units.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 has 4 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 610M uses system-shared memory, with its bandwidth being system dependent.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are separated by two full architecture generations and a massive process node shrink. The AMD Radeon R7 M440 is built on GCN 3.0, using the Meso chip, and fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon 610M, in contrast, uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Mendocino chip, built on a 6 nm process, also at TSMC. This process difference is the most fundamental distinction, enabling the 610M to operate at a 15 W TDP while offering modern features.

The compute resources are heavily skewed toward the older card. The R7 M440 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, while the 610M has 128 shading units, 8 TMUs, and 4 ROPs. This gives the R7 M440 a higher texture rate (17.82 GTexel/s versus 15.20 GTexel/s) and higher FP32 throughput (570.2 GFLOPS versus 486.4 GFLOPS). However, the 610M has a slight edge in pixel rate (7.600 GPixel/s versus 7.128 GPixel/s). The 610M also includes 2 ray tracing cores, a feature the R7 M440 lacks entirely.

The memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The R7 M440 uses 4 GB of dedicated DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, providing 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The 610M uses system-shared memory, with its bandwidth dependent on the host system’s RAM. The 610M’s clocks are explicitly listed as a 1500 MHz base and 1900 MHz boost, while the R7 M440’s base and boost clocks are not specified, though its memory runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).

API support is another major differentiator. The 610M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R7 M440 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The 610M also uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, compared to the R7 M440’s PCIe 3.0 x8. The 610M’s transistor count and density are not provided, but the R7 M440 has 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, yielding a density of 12.4M / mm². The 610M’s die size is 100 mm². The R7 M440 was released in 2016 as part of the Gem System (R7 M400) generation, while the 610M was released in 2022 as part of the Navi II IGP (Mendocino Mobile) generation.