AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA Quadro M5000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a clear overall winner in the NVIDIA Quadro M5000, which takes both benchmark tests against the AMD Radeon 860M. The most decisive margin comes in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the Quadro M5000 scores 29,481 against the Radeon 860M's 22,759, a 29.5% advantage. This is a substantial gap that indicates the older professional card delivers markedly higher compute throughput in this particular workload.

In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the margin narrows considerably but still favors the NVIDIA part. The Quadro M5000 posts 32,931, while the Radeon 860M achieves 30,043, resulting in a 9.6% lead for the Quadro. This smaller delta suggests that the AMD integrated graphics solution is comparatively stronger in Vulkan-based workloads than it is in OpenCL, though it still trails the discrete workstation card in absolute terms.

Looking at the broader context through the database's average benchmark scores, the Quadro M5000 holds an aggregate of 31,206, placing it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q at 31,220 (a 0% delta), the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER at 31,087 (0.4% behind), the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell at 31,532 (1% ahead), and the TITAN RTX at 31,676 (1.5% ahead). This positions the Quadro M5000 as a mid-to-high performer that sits within a tight cluster of modern and legacy cards.

The AMD Radeon 860M, by contrast, records an average benchmark score of 26,401, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the GeForce MX550 at 26,421 (0.1% ahead), the GeForce RTX 5060 at 26,331 (0.3% behind), the Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26,553 (0.6% ahead), and the RTX A4000 at 26,683 (1.1% ahead). The Radeon 860M therefore clusters with entry-level discrete GPUs and some older mid-range cards, despite being an integrated solution.

The head-to-head results are unambiguous: the Quadro M5000 wins both tests, with a total of 2 wins to 0 for the Radeon 860M. The OpenCL result is particularly lopsided, while the Vulkan result is competitive enough that the Radeon 860M could be considered viable for applications that favor that API, but the overall verdict remains firmly in NVIDIA's favor.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 is the stronger GPU in raw benchmark performance. It leads in both OpenCL and Vulkan, with the OpenCL margin being especially large at 29.5%. Users who prioritize compute-heavy tasks such as rendering, simulation, or data processing would find the Quadro M5000 to be the more capable option based on these measurements.

The AMD Radeon 860M, while trailing in both tests, is not without merit. Its Vulkan score of 30,043 is only 9.6% behind the Quadro's 32,931, which is a respectable showing for an integrated graphics processor. The Radeon 860M also has the advantage of being a current, active product, whereas the Quadro M5000 is end-of-life. However, the benchmark data does not show any scenario where the Radeon 860M overtakes the Quadro M5000.

For professional workstation use, the Quadro M5000's higher scores and its 76th percentile ranking make it the default choice. For those who require an integrated solution with no add-in card, the Radeon 860M is the only option between the two, but it will deliver lower performance in both tested APIs. The data does not support a recommendation for the Radeon 860M based on performance alone; its appeal would rest on factors outside the benchmark results, such as system form factor or power constraints.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA Quadro M5000 is built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, specifically using the GM204 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The chip contains 5,200 million transistors on a die size of 398 mm², yielding a transistor density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. This is a mature, discrete workstation design that was released in the Quadro Maxwell generation.

The AMD Radeon 860M uses the RDNA 3.5 architecture with the Krackan Point chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process, also at TSMC. The transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database, so no direct density comparison is possible. It belongs to the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile, and it is an integrated graphics processor rather than a discrete card.

A key architectural difference is the presence of ray tracing cores. The Radeon 860M includes 8 RT cores, while the Quadro M5000 has no RT cores listed. This gives the AMD part a feature advantage for ray-traced workloads, even though its overall benchmark scores are lower. The Radeon 860M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Quadro M5000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), indicating the AMD part is more modern in API capabilities.

Both GPUs support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, so they are on par for those APIs. The Quadro M5000 uses a 256-bit memory bus with GDDR5, while the Radeon 860M uses system shared memory with a system-dependent bus width and bandwidth. This fundamental memory architecture difference affects how each GPU accesses data, with the Quadro having dedicated VRAM and the Radeon relying on the host system's memory.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The process node is a major differentiator: the Quadro M5000 uses 28 nm, while the Radeon 860M uses 4 nm, a significant generational leap in manufacturing technology.

Clock speeds also differ. The Quadro M5000 has a base clock of 861 MHz and a boost clock of 1038 MHz, with a memory clock of 1653 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective). The Radeon 860M has a much lower base clock of 600 MHz but a substantially higher boost clock of 3000 MHz, with memory clock listed as system shared. The Radeon's boost clock is nearly three times the Quadro's, which reflects the different design philosophy between the two architectures.

Memory configuration shows a stark contrast. The Quadro M5000 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 211.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 860M uses system shared memory with a system-dependent bus width and bandwidth. The Quadro's dedicated VRAM is a clear advantage for memory-intensive workloads.

Compute resources differ as well. The Quadro M5000 has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The Radeon 860M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite this, the Radeon 860M includes 8 RT cores, which the Quadro lacks entirely.

Pixel and texture rates reflect the resource disparity. The Quadro M5000 achieves 66.43 GPixel/s and 132.9 GTexel/s, while the Radeon 860M reaches 48.00 GPixel/s and 96.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 4.252 TFLOPS for the Quadro versus 3.072 TFLOPS for the Radeon. The Radeon 860M also lists FP16 at 3.072 TFLOPS (1:1), while the Quadro M5000 has no FP16 figure.

Power and physical specifications are entirely different. The Quadro M5000 has a TDP of 150 W, is dual-slot, requires a 1x 6-pin power connector, and suggests a 450 W PSU. It measures 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The Radeon 860M has a TDP of 15 W, is an IGP, uses no power connectors, and has no listed dimensions or suggested PSU. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the Quadro, PCIe 4.0 x8 for the Radeon.

Display outputs are another point of divergence. The Quadro M5000 provides 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.2, while the Radeon 860M's outputs are listed as portable device dependent. Release dates show the Quadro from 2015 and the Radeon from 2025, a full decade apart. The Quadro's production status is end-of-life, while the Radeon is active.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M5000 has an average benchmark score of 31,206, compared to the AMD Radeon 860M's 26,401.

Q: How large is the OpenCL performance gap between the two?

A: The Quadro M5000 scores 29,481 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Radeon 860M scores 22,759, giving the NVIDIA part a 29.5% lead.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 860M have any ray tracing capability?

A: Yes, the Radeon 860M includes 8 RT cores, while the Quadro M5000 has no RT cores listed.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The Quadro M5000 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 211.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 860M uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Radeon 860M has a boost clock of 3000 MHz, while the Quadro M5000 boosts to 1038 MHz.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The Quadro M5000 has a TDP of 150 W, while the Radeon 860M has a TDP of 15 W.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro M5000 wins in every benchmark category recorded in the database. Its OpenCL advantage of 29.5% is the most pronounced, making it the clear choice for applications that rely heavily on OpenCL compute. The Vulkan win of 9.6% is smaller but still decisive. The Quadro also holds advantages in shading units (2048 vs 512), TMUs (128 vs 32), ROPs (64 vs 16), and FP32 throughput (4.252 TFLOPS vs 3.072 TFLOPS). Its dedicated 8 GB GDDR5 memory with 211.6 GB/s bandwidth provides a stable foundation for large datasets and texture-heavy workloads. The Quadro's 76th percentile ranking versus the Radeon's 72nd percentile further confirms its higher standing in the overall GPU landscape.

The AMD Radeon 860M wins in areas that are not directly measured by the benchmark scores but are visible in the specification data. Its 4 nm process node is far more advanced than the Quadro's 28 nm, which contributes to its dramatically lower TDP of 15 W versus 150 W. This makes the Radeon 860M suitable for compact, power-constrained systems where the Quadro's dual-slot, 267 mm length form factor would be impractical. The Radeon also has 8 RT cores, enabling hardware ray tracing that the Quadro cannot perform. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support offers newer API features, and its boost clock of 3000 MHz is substantially higher than the Quadro's 1038 MHz. The Radeon's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is newer than the Quadro's PCIe 3.0 x16.

For workstation users who need maximum compute performance in OpenCL and Vulkan, the data points squarely to the Quadro M5000. For users who need an integrated GPU with ray tracing support, modern API features, and minimal power draw, the Radeon 860M is the only option between the two, despite its lower benchmark scores. The Quadro M5000 remains the performance leader, but the Radeon 860M offers architectural modernity that the older NVIDIA part cannot match.