AMD Radeon 880M vs AMD Radeon R9 M375X Comparison

The AMD Radeon 880M and the AMD Radeon R9 M375X occupy vastly different eras of mobile graphics, and the benchmark data reflects a generational chasm. The 880M, a modern integrated GPU from the Strix Point lineup, decisively outperforms the older R9 M375X discrete part in every shared test, with the gap ranging from nearly threefold to almost fivefold. The R9 M375X, an end-of-life part from 2015, simply cannot keep pace with the 880M’s modern architecture and raw compute throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data available for direct comparison is limited to two compute-oriented tests, but the results are unambiguous. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon 880M scores 31,285, while the R9 M375X manages only 8,273. This translates to a 278.2% advantage for the 880M, meaning it delivers roughly 3.8 times the OpenCL performance of its older counterpart. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a complete overhaul in compute capability.

The Vulkan result is even more lopsided. The 880M posts a score of 40,006, compared to the R9 M375X’s 8,377, yielding a 377.6% delta. This near-fivefold advantage in Vulkan compute suggests that the 880M is not just faster, but is operating in a different performance class altogether. For context, the 880M’s average benchmark score of 8,436 places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, while the R9 M375X’s average of 8,325 also lands in the 43rd percentile, despite being 1.3% slower per the nearestRivals data.

Looking at the broader benchmark picture, the 880M shows strength across multiple APIs. It scores 7,615 in Passmark G3D, 3,719 in Passmark GPU Compute, and 969 in Passmark G2D. The R9 M375X has no comparable data for these tests, so a direct comparison is impossible, but the 880M’s figures indicate a well-rounded part. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (avg score 8,427, delta 0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (avg score 8,458, delta -0.3%), showing it trades blows with those older discrete solutions. The R9 M375X, meanwhile, sits near the NVIDIA Quadro K1200 (avg score 8,265, delta 0.7%) and is 1.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX330, confirming its position in the lower tier of the 43rd percentile.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs explains the benchmark results entirely. The AMD Radeon 880M is built on TSMC’s 4 nm process, packing 34,000 million transistors into a 233 mm² die. It uses the RDNA 3.5 architecture, which is a modern design optimized for efficiency and feature support. In contrast, the R9 M375X uses the ancient GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm process, with just 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The transistor density difference is stark: 145.9 million per mm² for the 880M versus 12.2 million per mm² for the R9 M375X. This is a 12-fold density advantage, enabling the 880M to pack far more logic into a smaller area.

The 880M features 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operations pipelines (ROPs), along with 12 dedicated ray tracing cores. The R9 M375X has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, but lacks any ray tracing hardware. This core configuration gives the 880M a higher theoretical throughput, with 4.454 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus 1,299.2 GFLOPS (or roughly 1.3 TFLOPS) for the R9 M375X. The pixel rate is also significantly higher on the 880M at 46.40 GPixel/s versus 16.24 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 139.2 GTexel/s versus 40.60 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally as well. The 880M uses system-shared memory, meaning its performance is dependent on the host system’s RAM and bandwidth. The R9 M375X has a dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. While the 880M’s memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," its high FP32 and texture rates suggest it can leverage modern system memory effectively. The R9 M375X’s fixed 72 GB/s is a hard ceiling that the 880M does not have.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 880M faster than the R9 M375X in all shared benchmarks?

A: Yes. The 880M wins both shared tests: Geekbench OpenCL (31,285 vs 8,273, a 278.2% delta) and Geekbench Vulkan (40,006 vs 8,377, a 377.6% delta).

Q: What does the percentile ranking mean for these GPUs?

A: Both GPUs sit in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, meaning they are roughly in the middle of the performance distribution. However, the 880M’s average score of 8,436 is 1.3% higher than the R9 M375X’s 8,325, per the nearestRivals data.

Q: Does the R9 M375X have any architectural advantage over the 880M?

A: The R9 M375X has a dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the 880M relies on system-shared memory. This gives the older card a fixed memory pool, but it does not compensate for the 880M’s massive compute advantage.

Q: Which GPU supports newer APIs?

A: The 880M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R9 M375X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The 880M’s newer API support enables features like ray tracing and mesh shaders.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M is listed as "Active," while the AMD Radeon R9 M375X is "End-of-life." This means the 880M is a current product, whereas the R9 M375X is discontinued.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The 880M is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX330. The R9 M375X is 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K1200 and 1.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX330.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 880M | AMD Radeon R9 M375X |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 3.5 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 34,000 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 233 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 145.9M / mm² | 12.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 400 MHz | 925 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2900 MHz | 1015 MHz |

| Shading Units | 768 | 640 |

| TMUs | 48 | 40 |

| ROPs | 16 | 16 |

| RT Cores | 12 | None |

| FP32 Performance | 4.454 TFLOPS | 1,299.2 GFLOPS |

| Pixel Rate | 46.40 GPixel/s | 16.24 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 139.2 GTexel/s | 40.60 GTexel/s |

| 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 |

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

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2024-07-14 | 2015-05-04 |

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

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal: the AMD Radeon 880M is the superior GPU by every measurable metric. In the two shared benchmarks, it leads by 278.2% and 377.6%, respectively, which is a generational leap rather than an incremental improvement. The 880M’s modern RDNA 3.5 architecture, 4 nm process, and 12 ray tracing cores provide a feature set and performance level that the R9 M375X cannot approach. The R9 M375X’s only nominal advantages are its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory and higher base clock (925 MHz vs 400 MHz), but these do not translate into real-world wins. The 880M’s boost clock of 2900 MHz and vastly higher core counts render those figures irrelevant.

For anyone choosing between these two, the 880M is the only sensible pick. It is an active product with modern API support, while the R9 M375X is end-of-life and based on a decade-old architecture. The 880M’s average benchmark score of 8,436 versus the R9 M375X’s 8,325 confirms its edge, even if both sit in the 43rd percentile. The R9 M375X might be acceptable for legacy systems or very basic tasks, but it cannot handle modern workloads with any efficiency.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 880M wins in every scenario where performance matters. Its 278.2% lead in OpenCL and 377.6% lead in Vulkan make it the clear choice for compute workloads, modern gaming, or any task that leverages DirectX 12 Ultimate features. The presence of 12 ray tracing cores means it can handle ray-traced effects, something the R9 M375X cannot do at all. Its higher FP32 throughput (4.454 TFLOPS vs 1.3 TFLOPS) also makes it suitable for content creation and GPU-accelerated applications.

The AMD Radeon R9 M375X has no wins in the shared benchmark data. Its only theoretical advantage is its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory, which provides a fixed 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. This could be beneficial in systems with slow or insufficient system RAM, as the 880M’s memory performance is "System Dependent." However, this is a narrow edge case and does not overcome the 880M’s substantial compute superiority. The R9 M375X also has a higher base clock, but its lower boost clock and older architecture negate any benefit. In short, the R9 M375X is a relic suited only for very old systems or low-demand tasks, while the 880M is a capable modern IGP that outperforms many older discrete GPUs, including its nearest rivals like the GTX 675MX and MX330.