AMD Radeon 740M vs AMD Radeon RX 580 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 580 and AMD Radeon 740M occupy opposite ends of the graphics spectrum, yet their aggregate benchmark scores place them nearly level. The RX 580, a 2017 discrete card, averages 12,928 points across all tests, while the 740M, a 2024 integrated processor, averages 12,870 points. This 0.5% difference in the RX 580’s favor masks a fundamental split in workload behavior, where the older card dominates compute-heavy APIs while the newer IGP relies on a different set of architectural strengths. The data shows two devices that solve the same problem through radically different means, producing a comparison that hinges on context rather than raw capability.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 580 wins every head-to-head benchmark recorded between the two. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 580 scores 37,453 against the 740M’s 10,172, a 268.2% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 580 scores 45,173 versus 15,568, a 190.2% lead. These are not marginal victories; they represent a three-fold and two-fold performance gap respectively in general-purpose GPU compute workloads.

However, the 740M’s wins are structural rather than benchmark-based. Its 45 W TDP against the RX 580’s 185 W means it operates in systems where a discrete card cannot physically fit. The 740M’s IGP slot width and lack of power connectors make it the only option for thin-and-light laptops, whereas the RX 580 requires a dual-slot chassis, a 1x 8-pin connector, and a 450 W suggested PSU. The 740M also supports PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RX 580 is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16, giving the newer part a bandwidth advantage per lane that matters in memory-constrained scenarios.

The benchmark data further shows the RX 580’s dominance in legacy DirectX tests, scoring 124 in Passmark DirectX 9, 60 in DirectX 11, and 46 in DirectX 10. The 740M has no recorded scores in these tests, indicating that its driver stack or hardware prioritizes newer APIs. For users running older titles or compute applications built on DirectX 9/10/11, the RX 580 is the only viable choice based on available data.

Architecture Differences

The RX 580 uses the Polaris 20 chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². The 740M uses the Phoenix2 chip on RDNA 3.0 architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It packs 20,900 million transistors into a 137 mm² die, achieving 152.6 million transistors per mm² — more than six times the density of the RX 580.

The compute resources differ sharply. The RX 580 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The 740M has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs — roughly one-ninth the shading units and one-half the ROPs per shading unit. Despite this, the 740M boosts to 2800 MHz versus the RX 580’s 1340 MHz boost clock, partially compensating for the lower unit count. The 740M’s FP32 throughput is 2.867 TFLOPS, while the RX 580 reaches 6.175 TFLOPS, a 2.15x difference that explains the compute benchmark gaps.

Memory architecture is the most significant divergence. The RX 580 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 740M relies on System Shared memory, with bandwidth listed as System Dependent. This means the 740M’s performance scales with the host system’s RAM speed and configuration, introducing a variable the RX 580 does not face. The RX 580 also has dedicated pixel and texture rates of 42.88 GPixel/s and 193.0 GTexel/s, versus the 740M’s 22.40 GPixel/s and 44.80 GTexel/s.

The 740M includes 4 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the RX 580. It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 580 maxes out at DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. The 740M’s API support is forward-looking, but the RX 580’s raw throughput in existing compute tests remains superior.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split: the RX 580 is for compute-heavy, older-API workloads where raw throughput matters, and the 740M is for modern, power-constrained systems where API features and efficiency take precedence. The RX 580’s 268.2% lead in OpenCL and 190.2% lead in Vulkan make it the obvious choice for anyone running GPGPU tasks, machine learning inference, or legacy DirectX applications. Its 8 GB GDDR5 with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth provides consistent, high-speed memory access that the 740M cannot match with system-shared memory.

The 740M’s 45 W TDP, IGP form factor, and lack of external power connectors make it the only option for ultraportable laptops or mini PCs. Its 4 nm process and RDNA 3.0 architecture deliver modern features like ray tracing and DirectX 12 Ultimate support, which the RX 580 lacks entirely. The 740M’s 2800 MHz boost clock and 4 ray tracing cores suggest it handles modern game engines efficiently, though no benchmark data confirms this.

For a desktop user with space and power budget, the RX 580 wins outright. For a mobile user who needs any graphics capability at all, the 740M is the sole feasible choice. The 0.5% aggregate score difference between them is misleading; the RX 580 is dramatically faster in every measured test, while the 740M’s advantages are unquantified in the available data. The verdict depends entirely on whether the system can accommodate a 185 W dual-slot card.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has better compute performance in OpenCL?

A: The RX 580 scores 37,453 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 268.2% higher than the 740M’s 10,172. This makes the RX 580 the clear winner for OpenCL compute workloads.

Q: Does the Radeon 740M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the 740M includes 4 ray tracing cores. The RX 580 has no ray tracing cores, as its GCN 4.0 architecture predates this feature.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RX 580 has a fixed 256.0 GB/s bandwidth from its 8 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The 740M uses System Shared memory with bandwidth listed as System Dependent, meaning it varies based on host system RAM.

Q: Which GPU supports newer DirectX versions?

A: The 740M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 580 supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The 740M also supports Vulkan 1.4 versus the RX 580’s Vulkan 1.3.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The RX 580 has a 185 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, a 1x 8-pin power connector, and a 450 W suggested PSU. The 740M has a 45 W TDP, is an IGP with no power connectors, and requires no separate PSU.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The 740M boosts to 2800 MHz, which is more than double the RX 580’s 1340 MHz boost clock. This partially offsets the 740M’s lower shading unit count.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test provides the starkest contrast between the two. The RX 580 produces a score of 37,453, while the 740M manages 10,172, resulting in a 268.2% delta. This test measures general-purpose compute using OpenCL, and the RX 580’s 6.175 TFLOPS FP32 throughput against the 740M’s 2.867 TFLOPS explains the magnitude of the gap. The RX 580’s dedicated 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth also plays a role, as OpenCL workloads often stress memory access patterns that system-shared memory cannot serve as efficiently.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a similar but slightly smaller gap. The RX 580 scores 45,173 versus the 740M’s 15,568, a 190.2% delta. Vulkan is a lower-level API that benefits from raw shading unit counts, and the RX 580’s 2,304 shading units dwarf the 740M’s 256. The 740M’s 2800 MHz boost clock helps it close some of the gap, but not enough to approach the RX 580’s lead. The RX 580’s 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate and 193.0 GTexel/s texture rate also contribute, as Vulkan workloads often involve both pixel and texture processing.

The RX 580 also holds wins in Passmark tests where the 740M has no recorded scores. It scores 124 in DirectX 9, 60 in DirectX 11, 46 in DirectX 10, and 43 in DirectX 12. Its Passmark G3D score is 8,813, and its GPU compute score is 3,488. The 740M’s absence from these tests suggests its drivers or hardware do not target these legacy APIs, reinforcing the RX 580’s suitability for older software stacks.

The aggregate benchmark scores tell a misleading story. The RX 580 averages 12,928 points across 11 tests, while the 740M averages 12,870 points across just 2 tests. The 740M’s average is inflated by the absence of its weakest results, whereas the RX 580’s average includes many mid-range scores. When comparing only the two shared tests, the RX 580 leads by over 200% in both cases. The percentile ranking of 53 for both GPUs reflects the aggregate, not the head-to-head reality.

Specification Differences

The process node and foundry represent the most fundamental split. The RX 580 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the 740M uses a 4 nm process at TSMC. This drives a transistor density difference of 24.6M per mm² versus 152.6M per mm². The RX 580 has a 232 mm² die with 5,700 million transistors; the 740M has a 137 mm² die with 20,900 million transistors — more than three times the transistor count in a smaller package.

The clock speeds differ by more than a factor of two. The RX 580 has a 1257 MHz base clock and 1340 MHz boost, while the 740M has an 800 MHz base and 2800 MHz boost. Memory clocks are not directly comparable: the RX 580 uses 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective GDDR5, while the 740M uses System Shared memory with no dedicated clock.

The shading pipeline shows a 9:1 ratio in favor of the RX 580, with 2,304 shading units versus 256. The TMU count is 144 versus 16, and the ROP count is 32 versus 8. Pixel rate is 42.88 GPixel/s versus 22.40 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 193.0 GTexel/s versus 44.80 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 throughput are both 6.175 TFLOPS on the RX 580 and 2.867 TFLOPS on the 740M, with both running at 1:1 ratio.

The power and physical specifications could not be more different. The RX 580 draws 185 W, requires a dual-slot cooler, a 1x 8-pin connector, and a 450 W suggested PSU, and measures 241 mm in length. The 740M draws 45 W, is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and no length dimension. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 for the RX 580 versus PCIe 4.0 x8 for the 740M. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for the RX 580, versus motherboard-dependent for the 740M. The RX 580 is end-of-life, released on 2017-04-17, while the 740M is active, released on 2024-01-30.