AMD Radeon 610M vs AMD Radeon R7 M445 Comparison

The AMD Radeon 610M and AMD Radeon R7 M445 are two end-of-life mobile graphics solutions that, despite their similar performance class, represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The 610M is a modern integrated processor from 2022 built on a 6 nm process, while the R7 M445 is a dedicated-class part from 2016 on a 28 nm node. Benchmark data shows the R7 M445 holds a lead in the only shared test, but the architectural gulf between them tells a more nuanced story about efficiency and feature support.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark data is limited to a single test: Geekbench OpenCL. In this specific workload, the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5358, while the AMD Radeon 610M scores 4535. This gives the R7 M445 a 15.4% advantage over the 610M, and it is the sole benchmark win for the older part. The 610M does not win any of the recorded head-to-head comparisons, meaning that in the available data, the R7 M445 is the outright performance leader.

However, the 610M shows competitive standing in broader benchmark aggregates. Its average benchmark score is 5444, which is slightly higher than the R7 M445’s average of 5358. This discrepancy arises because the 610M has two recorded benchmarks — Geekbench OpenCL (4535) and Geekbench Vulkan (6353) — while the R7 M445 only has the OpenCL result. The 610M’s Vulkan score is substantially higher than its OpenCL score, indicating that the newer architecture performs better in modern, low-level graphics APIs.

The percentile rankings are nearly identical, with the 610M at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs and the R7 M445 at the 31st. This places both parts in the lower-midrange of the graphics landscape, suitable for light gaming and general productivity rather than demanding 3D workloads. The 610M’s additional Vulkan capability makes it the better choice for users running applications that leverage DirectX 12 Ultimate or Vulkan 1.4, while the R7 M445’s higher raw compute in OpenCL gives it an edge in legacy or compute-heavy OpenCL tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on entirely different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Radeon 610M uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 6 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 100 mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon R7 M445 uses the older GCN 3.0 architecture on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC, with a die size of 125 mm² and a transistor count of 1,550 million. The 610M’s die is smaller and denser, reflecting the massive process advantage.

The shader configurations are starkly different. The 610M has 128 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 render output units. The R7 M445 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. This means the R7 M445 has 2.5 times the shader count, 2.5 times the TMUs, and double the ROPs. Despite this, the 610M’s higher clocks (1500 MHz base, 1900 MHz boost) versus the R7 M445’s (780 MHz base, 920 MHz boost) close much of the raw compute gap.

The R7 M445 also features dedicated memory: 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 32.00 GB/s bandwidth. The 610M uses system shared memory, with bandwidth that is system dependent. This is a critical difference for memory-intensive workloads, as the dedicated VRAM of the R7 M445 avoids contention with the CPU.

Feature support heavily favors the 610M. The 610M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the R7 M445 only supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The 610M also has 2 ray tracing cores, which the R7 M445 lacks entirely. Vulkan support is newer on the 610M (version 1.4 versus 1.2.170), and the 610M supports half-precision FP16 at 972.8 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio), whereas the R7 M445 is limited to 588.8 GFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. The 610M also uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the R7 M445 is limited to PCIe 3.0 x8.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split: the AMD Radeon R7 M445 wins in raw OpenCL compute, but the AMD Radeon 610M offers a more modern feature set and better efficiency. For users who rely on OpenCL applications, the R7 M445’s 15.4% lead in that specific benchmark makes it the stronger choice. Its 320 shading units and dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 memory provide a tangible advantage in compute-heavy tasks that utilize the OpenCL API.

However, the 610M is the more future-proof option. Its RDNA 2.0 architecture with ray tracing cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility means it can handle modern gaming and graphics workloads that the R7 M445 cannot. The 610M’s Vulkan score of 6353 is significantly higher than its OpenCL score, suggesting the architecture is optimized for contemporary APIs. Additionally, the 610M’s 6 nm process and 15 W TDP make it far more power-efficient, though the R7 M445’s TDP is not listed in the data.

For legacy software and compute tasks, the R7 M445 is the winner. For modern graphics, feature support, and efficiency, the 610M is superior. The choice depends entirely on the user’s workload, but given the 610M’s higher average benchmark score and broader API support, it is the more versatile part for current and future applications.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 610M has a higher average benchmark score of 5444, compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M445’s 5358.

Q: How much faster is the R7 M445 in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The R7 M445 scores 5358 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 15.4% higher than the 610M’s score of 4535.

Q: Does the 610M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon 610M has 2 ray tracing cores, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The R7 M445 has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus with 32.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the 610M uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports a newer version of DirectX?

A: The AMD Radeon 610M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 supports DirectX 12 (12_0).

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The 610M is built on a 6 nm process, while the R7 M445 is built on a 28 nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the AMD Radeon R7 M445 decisively beats the AMD Radeon 610M. The R7 M445 scores 5358, while the 610M scores 4535, yielding a delta of -15.4% for the 610M. This is a significant margin, indicating that the R7 M445’s higher shader count and dedicated memory provide a real advantage in OpenCL compute tasks.

However, this single result does not tell the whole story. The 610M also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6353, which is not directly comparable to the R7 M445 since the latter has no Vulkan benchmark recorded. If we consider the 610M’s Vulkan score as a proxy for its modern API performance, it would likely outperform the R7 M445 in DirectX 12 or Vulkan games, given the latter’s older GCN 3.0 architecture and lower API support.

The R7 M445’s win is thus confined to the OpenCL domain. In that test, the 15.4% lead is substantial and reflects the physical hardware differences: 320 shading units versus 128, 20 TMUs versus 8, and 8 ROPs versus 4. The 610M’s higher clock speeds (1900 MHz boost versus 920 MHz) and newer architecture cannot fully compensate for this hardware deficit in OpenCL, which often scales well with raw shader count. The R7 M445 also benefits from its dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 memory with 32.00 GB/s bandwidth, which avoids the system memory bottleneck that the 610M may face.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field.

• Architecture: The 610M uses RDNA 2.0, while the R7 M445 uses GCN 3.0.
• Process Node: The 610M is on 6 nm, the R7 M445 on 28 nm.
• Die Size: The 610M is 100 mm², the R7 M445 is 125 mm².
• Transistors: The R7 M445 has 1,550 million transistors; the 610M has no listed transistor count.
• Transistor Density: The R7 M445 has 12.4M / mm²; the 610M has no listed density.
• Base Clock: 1500 MHz (610M) versus 780 MHz (R7 M445).
• Boost Clock: 1900 MHz (610M) versus 920 MHz (R7 M445).
• Memory: The 610M uses system shared memory, while the R7 M445 has 4 GB GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 32.00 GB/s bandwidth.
• Memory Clock: The 610M’s memory clock is system shared; the R7 M445 runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).
• Shading Units: 128 (610M) versus 320 (R7 M445).
• TMUs: 8 (610M) versus 20 (R7 M445).
• ROPs: 4 (610M) versus 8 (R7 M445).
• Ray Tracing Cores: 2 (610M) versus none (R7 M445).
• Pixel Rate: 7.600 GPixel/s (610M) versus 7.360 GPixel/s (R7 M445).
• Texture Rate: 15.20 GTexel/s (610M) versus 18.40 GTexel/s (R7 M445).
• FP32 Performance: 486.4 GFLOPS (610M) versus 588.8 GFLOPS (R7 M445).
• FP16 Performance: 972.8 GFLOPS (610M) versus 588.8 GFLOPS (R7 M445).
• TDP: 15 W (610M) versus no listed TDP (R7 M445).
• Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 (610M) versus PCIe 3.0 x8 (R7 M445).
• DirectX Support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (610M) versus 12 (12_0) (R7 M445).
• Vulkan Support: 1.4 (610M) versus 1.2.170 (R7 M445).
• Release Date: 2022-09-19 (610M) versus 2016-05-14 (R7 M445).