AMD Radeon 880M vs NVIDIA GeForce 945M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The AMD Radeon 880M scores 31,285, while the NVIDIA GeForce 945M scores 8,099. That is a 286.3% delta, with the 880M taking the win outright. To put that in perspective, the 945M's score of 8,099 places it in the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, while the 880M sits at the 43rd percentile — yet the raw compute advantage of the 880M is massive in this workload.

Looking at the broader benchmark picture, the 880M's average benchmark score is 8,436, which lands it right next to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (8,427, 0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (8,458, 0.3% behind). The 945M's average score of 8,099 puts it in a slightly lower tier, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon R9 M360 (8,129, 0.4% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M (8,135, 0.4% ahead). So while the 880M is only marginally ahead of the 945M in overall average score, the Geekbench OpenCL result shows a much larger gap in a specific compute-heavy test.

The 880M also has a broader suite of benchmark results to draw from. It scores 535 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 40,006 in Geekbench Vulkan, and 7,615 in Passmark G3D. The 945M has only the one Geekbench OpenCL score in this data set, which makes direct comparisons in other tests impossible. Still, the one head-to-head result is unambiguous: the 880M is nearly four times faster in OpenCL compute, a delta that dwarfs the differences seen in their nearest-rival comparisons.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 880M wins the only direct benchmark head-to-head, and it does so across a wide range of its own test results. Its Passmark scores show a balanced profile: 31 in DirectX 10, 73 in DirectX 11, 32 in DirectX 12, 97 in DirectX 9, 969 in G2D, and 3,719 in GPU Compute. The DirectX 11 score is notably the highest of its Passmark compute results, suggesting that this IGP handles older API workloads well. Its Vulkan score of 40,006 is also strong, indicating good low-level API performance.

The NVIDIA GeForce 945M, with only a single benchmark result, does not demonstrate a specific strength in this data set. Its architecture supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but without benchmark scores for those APIs, the data cannot show where it excels. The 945M's 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory with a 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth is a clear specification advantage over the 880M's system-shared memory, which is "System Dependent" in bandwidth. In scenarios where dedicated VRAM matters — such as texture-heavy workloads or games that require stable memory allocation — the 945M could theoretically hold an edge, but the benchmark data does not confirm this.

The 880M wins on compute throughput, as shown by the Geekbench OpenCL result. It also wins on API support, with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus the 945M's DirectX 12 (11_0). For modern workloads that leverage DX12 Ultimate features, the 880M is the only one of the two that can claim that capability.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is generational. The AMD Radeon 880M is built on TSMC's 4 nm process, packing 34,000 million transistors into a 233 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 145.9 million per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce 945M uses TSMC's 28 nm process, with 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, for a density of just 12.6 million per mm². The 880M's process node is dramatically smaller, which directly contributes to its higher transistor count and lower power draw.

The 880M is based on RDNA 3.5 architecture, part of the Navi III IGP generation, with the Strix Point chip. The 945M uses Maxwell architecture, from the GeForce 900M generation, with the GM107 chip. The 880M has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 16 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. The 945M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores at all. The 880M's clock speeds are 400 MHz base and 2900 MHz boost, while the 945M runs at 928 MHz base and 1020 MHz boost. Despite the 945M's higher base clock, the 880M's much higher boost clock and architectural efficiency deliver far greater throughput.

Memory configurations differ fundamentally. The 880M uses system-shared memory, with size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." The 945M has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The 880M's memory clock is also system-shared, while the 945M runs at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective. The 880M's pixel rate is 46.40 GPixel/s versus the 945M's 16.32 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 139.2 GTexel/s versus 40.80 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 4.454 TFLOPS for the 880M and 1,305.6 GFLOPS for the 945M.

Power and interface also differ. The 880M is a 15 W IGP with PCIe 4.0 x8, while the 945M is a 75 W MXM Module with MXM-B (3.0) interface. The 880M is an integrated part with no power connectors, as is the 945M, but the 945M's module form factor is a discrete solution. The 880M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; the 945M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 880M has 12 ray tracing cores; the 945M has none. The 880M also supports FP16 at 4.454 TFLOPS (1:1), while the 945M has no FP16 data listed.

The Verdict

The data is clear: the AMD Radeon 880M is the superior performer in compute workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 31,285 versus the 945M's 8,099 — a 286.3% advantage — is the defining metric in this comparison. The 880M also benefits from a modern 4 nm process, RDNA 3.5 architecture, ray tracing support, and DirectX 12 Ultimate, all of which the 945M lacks. The 945M's only advantages are its dedicated 2 GB VRAM and higher base clock, but those do not translate into competitive benchmark results.

Who should pick the 880M? Anyone running modern games or compute tasks that leverage DX12 Ultimate, ray tracing, or Vulkan. The 880M's 12 ray tracing cores and Vulkan score of 40,006 make it the obvious choice for current-generation workloads. Its 15 W TDP also makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where power efficiency is paramount.

Who should pick the 945M? The data does not support it for performance. Its only benchmark result is far below the 880M's, and its nearest rivals (GTX 950M, R9 M360) are all within 0.4% of its score — meaning it is not even a standout in its own generation. The 945M is end-of-life, with a predecessor in GeForce 800M and a successor in GeForce 10 Mobile. Its 75 W TDP and MXM form factor suggest it was designed for larger laptops, but the performance it delivers does not justify that power draw in this comparison.

The verdict is straightforward: choose the 880M for compute performance, modern API support, and efficiency. The 945M's only niche would be legacy systems where dedicated VRAM is a requirement and the MXM form factor is needed for replacement — but even then, the benchmark data shows the 880M is the better overall performer.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon 880M than the NVIDIA GeForce 945M in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The 880M scores 31,285, while the 945M scores 8,099, giving the 880M a 286.3% lead in that specific benchmark.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce 945M have any ray tracing capability?

A: No. The 945M has no ray tracing cores listed, while the AMD Radeon 880M features 12 ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two?

A: The 880M uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the 945M has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Only the AMD Radeon 880M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The NVIDIA GeForce 945M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), which is a lower feature level.

Q: What are the TDP differences?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M has a 15 W TDP, while the NVIDIA GeForce 945M has a 75 W TDP. The 880M is an IGP, while the 945M is an MXM module.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The 880M has an average benchmark score of 8,436, and the 945M has an average benchmark score of 8,099. The 880M's nearest rival is the GTX 675MX (0.1% ahead), while the 945M's nearest rival is the R9 M360 (0.4% behind).

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 880M | NVIDIA GeForce 945M |

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

| Process Node | 4 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 34,000 million | 1,870 million |

| Die Size | 233 mm² | 148 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 145.9M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Architecture | RDNA 3.5 | Maxwell |

| Generation | Navi III IGP (Strix Point Mobile) | GeForce 900M |

| Chip | Strix Point | GM107 |

| Base Clock | 400 MHz | 928 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2900 MHz | 1020 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 28.80 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 768 | 640 |

| TMUs | 48 | 40 |

| ROPs | 16 | 16 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 12 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 46.40 GPixel/s | 16.32 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 139.2 GTexel/s | 40.80 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 4.454 TFLOPS | 1,305.6 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 4.454 TFLOPS (1:1) | None listed |

| TDP | 15 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | MXM-B (3.0) |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.4 |

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

| Release Date | 2024-07-14 | 2015-10-26 |

| Predecessor | Navi II IGP | GeForce 800M |

| Successor | None listed | GeForce 10 Mobile |

| GPU Compute (Passmark) | 3,719 | Not listed |

| Geekbench OpenCL | 31,285 | 8,099 |