AMD Radeon 740M vs AMD Radeon R9 M275X Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a split decision between the AMD Radeon 740M and the AMD Radeon R9 M275X. Each card claims one victory across the two recorded tests, but the magnitude of those wins is anything but symmetrical.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the older Radeon R9 M275X comes out ahead with a score of 11,200 against the Radeon 740M's 10,172. That is a 9.2% deficit for the integrated part. The R9 M275X, despite its age, holds a clear advantage in this compute workload. The data shows that this is not a marginal difference; it is a meaningful gap that would be noticeable in OpenCL-accelerated applications.

The Vulkan result tells a completely different story. The Radeon 740M delivers a score of 15,568, while the R9 M275X manages only 9,964. That is a 56.2% advantage for the 740M. This is a dominant performance gap, one of the largest swings seen in this comparison. The integrated RDNA 3.0 part crushes the older discrete GPU in modern graphics API workloads.

Looking at the aggregate average benchmark scores, the Radeon 740M posts 12,870 across both tests, while the R9 M275X averages 10,582. That puts the 740M roughly 21.6% ahead on the combined metric. The database's percentile rankings reflect this: the 740M sits at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, while the R9 M275X lands at the 49th percentile.

Nearest rival data adds context to each card's standing. The Radeon 740M sits within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 580's average score of 12,928, and it edges out the AMD FirePro W5100 by 0.2% (12,847), the AMD Radeon Pro 455 by 0.3% (12,831), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 by 0.3% (12,830). The R9 M275X, meanwhile, trails the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 by 1.7% (10,761), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti by 1% (10,690), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600S by 0.4% (10,629), while leading the AMD Radeon RX 550X by 1% (10,481).

The pattern is clear. In legacy compute APIs, the discrete R9 M275X holds its ground thanks to its dedicated memory and older architecture. In modern graphics APIs, the Radeon 740M is in a different class entirely. The Vulkan delta of 56.2% is the defining statistic of this matchup.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is vast, reflecting a decade of semiconductor progress. The Radeon 740M is built on TSMC's 4 nm process, while the R9 M275X uses TSMC's 28 nm node. That process difference alone explains much of the performance and efficiency divide.

The 740M uses the Phoenix2 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, part of the Navi III IGP generation. The R9 M275X uses the Venus chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, from the Gem System (R9 M200) generation. Transistor counts tell the story of integration: the 740M packs 20,900 million transistors on a 137 mm² die, yielding a density of 152.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The R9 M275X has just 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, with a density of 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The 740M crams nearly 14 times more transistors into a slightly larger package.

Core configurations differ sharply. The Radeon 740M has 256 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The R9 M275X has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The older card has more raw shader hardware, which helps explain its OpenCL advantage. However, the 740M adds 4 ray tracing cores, a feature the R9 M275X lacks entirely. The RDNA 3.0 part also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GCN 1.0 card is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Vulkan support also differs: 1.4 on the 740M versus 1.2.170 on the R9 M275X. OpenGL support is identical at 4.6.

Clock speeds favor the newer part. The 740M runs at a base of 800 MHz and boosts to 2,800 MHz. The R9 M275X has a base of 900 MHz and a boost of 925 MHz. The 740M's boost clock is triple that of its rival, a direct consequence of the efficient 4 nm process. Memory clocks also differ: the 740M uses system shared memory with the clock tied to the host system, while the R9 M275X runs its GDDR5 at 1,125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective).

Raw throughput numbers reflect the architectural split. The 740M achieves 2.867 TFLOPS FP32 performance, while the R9 M275X delivers 1,184.0 GFLOPS (1.184 TFLOPS). The 740M is roughly 2.4 times faster in raw floating-point throughput. Pixel rates tell a different story: the 740M hits 22.40 GPixel/s, the R9 M275X manages 14.80 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 44.80 GTexel/s versus 37.00 GTexel/s. The R9 M275X's larger ROP count (16 versus 8) narrows the pixel throughput gap, but the 740M still leads across the board.

Memory configurations are fundamentally different. The Radeon 740M uses system shared memory, with size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all tied to the host platform. The R9 M275X has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. For the 740M, memory bandwidth is system dependent, so real-world performance varies with the host's memory configuration.

The interface also differs: the 740M connects via PCIe 4.0 x8, while the R9 M275X uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The 740M is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors and a 45 W TDP. The R9 M275X has no recorded TDP or power connector data in the database. Production status separates them further: the 740M is active, the R9 M275X is end-of-life. Release dates are a decade apart: the 740M launched on January 30, 2024, while the R9 M275X shipped on January 27, 2014.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear generational divide with workload-dependent outcomes. The AMD Radeon 740M is the better overall GPU for modern applications. Its average benchmark score of 12,870 versus 10,582 for the R9 M275X represents a substantial aggregate lead. The Vulkan result, where the 740M leads by 56.2%, is the strongest single piece of evidence. Modern games and applications increasingly rely on Vulkan or DirectX 12, and the 740M's RDNA 3.0 architecture with ray tracing cores is built for that future.

The Radeon R9 M275X retains one niche: OpenCL compute. Its 9.2% lead in that specific test shows that raw shader count (640 units versus 256) still matters in legacy compute workloads. Users running OpenCL-accelerated applications that do not leverage modern APIs might see better results on the older discrete card. However, this advantage comes with significant caveats: the R9 M275X is end-of-life, lacks ray tracing support, and cannot handle DirectX 12 Ultimate features.

For gaming and modern graphics workloads, the Radeon 740M is the clear choice. The 56.2% Vulkan advantage is decisive, and the 53rd percentile ranking versus the 49th percentile confirms its broader competitiveness. The 740M also benefits from being an active product with modern driver support, while the R9 M275X is legacy hardware.

For compute-focused users who specifically need OpenCL performance, the R9 M275X has a measurable edge. That 9.2% gap is not trivial in professional compute scenarios. But for anyone building a system today, the Radeon 740M's architectural advantages, including ray tracing, DirectX 12 Ultimate, and Vulkan 1.4 support, make it the more future-proof option. The data supports the 740M as the recommended pick for the vast majority of use cases, with the R9 M275X serving only specialized legacy compute needs.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 740M | AMD Radeon R9 M275X |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 20,900 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 137 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Base Clock | 800 MHz | 900 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2,800 MHz | 925 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 72.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 256 | 640 |

| TMUs | 16 | 40 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 4 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 22.40 GPixel/s | 14.80 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 44.80 GTexel/s | 37.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 2.867 TFLOPS | 1,184.0 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 45 W | Not recorded |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2024-01-30 | 2014-01-27 |

| Slot Width | IGP | Not recorded |

| Power Connectors | None | Not recorded |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M has an average benchmark score of 12,870, while the AMD Radeon R9 M275X averages 10,582.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap between the two cards?

A: The Radeon 740M scores 15,568 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 56.2% higher than the R9 M275X's 9,964.

Q: Does the older R9 M275X win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the R9 M275X wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with 11,200 versus 10,172 for the 740M, a 9.2% advantage.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Only the AMD Radeon 740M has ray tracing cores, with 4 dedicated cores. The R9 M275X has no ray tracing support.

Q: What are the DirectX version differences?

A: The Radeon 740M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the R9 M275X is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The R9 M275X has 640 shading units, compared to 256 on the Radeon 740M, despite the 740M's higher overall performance in modern APIs.