AMD Radeon 890M vs NVIDIA Quadro K4100M Comparison

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Radeon 890M compare to the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M in overall benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9210, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M sits at 7906. The 890M also ranks higher in the database, at the 45th percentile of all GPUs compared to the 41st percentile for the Quadro K4100M.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units, and does that translate into a performance advantage?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M has 1152 shading units versus 1024 on the AMD Radeon 890M. However, the 890M still wins decisively in compute workloads; in Geekbench OpenCL, the 890M scores 37254 versus 9149 for the Quadro, a 307.2% advantage.

Q: What are the architectural generations of these two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M is built on RDNA 3.5 architecture, using the Strix Point chip, and belongs to the Navi III IGP generation. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M uses the older Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip, part of the Quadro Kepler-M (Kx100M) generation.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M has a TDP of 15 W and is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M has a 100 W TDP and comes as an MXM Module, also without power connectors.

Q: Which GPU supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, so the AMD part is ahead on both DirectX and Vulkan versions.

Q: Is the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M still in production?

A: No, the Quadro K4100M is marked as end-of-life in the database, with its successor being the Quadro Maxwell-M. The AMD Radeon 890M is currently listed as active production.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 890M is the clear winner in raw compute performance. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, the 890M delivers 37254 points against 9149 for the Quadro K4100M, a 307.2% margin. This makes the 890M suitable for GPU-accelerated tasks like OpenCL workloads, content creation filters, and general compute offload. It also supports newer API feature sets, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, which matters for modern gaming and applications that leverage ray tracing or mesh shaders.

The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M, despite being outmatched in compute, has its own niche. It offers 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. For a mobile workstation, having dedicated VRAM can be advantageous in scenarios where system memory bandwidth is shared with the CPU. The Quadro also has more shading units (1152 vs 1024) and more texture mapping units (96 vs 64), which historically helps in certain geometry-heavy or texture-bound workloads. Its 32 ROPs match the 890M's 32 ROPs, so pixel fill rate capability is not a differentiator in terms of raw ROP count.

In practical terms, the 890M wins for anyone needing modern feature support, high compute throughput, and low power draw. The Quadro K4100M wins only in legacy compatibility scenarios or where dedicated VRAM is a strict requirement. The database shows the 890M has 10 benchmark entries spanning DirectX 9 through 12, OpenCL, and compute tests; the Quadro has only two entries, both compute-oriented. This suggests the 890M is far more versatile across a range of workloads.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon 890M is built on RDNA 3.5, a modern architecture fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It packs 34,000 million transistors into a 233 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 145.9 million per mm². This is an integrated GPU, part of the Strix Point chip, and it operates with a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. The architecture includes 16 ray tracing cores, a feature completely absent from the older NVIDIA part. Memory is system shared, meaning bandwidth depends on the host platform.

The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M uses the Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, giving a much lower transistor density of 12.0 million per mm². It has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. Its base and boost clocks are both fixed at 706 MHz. Memory is dedicated GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The chip is GK104, a classic Kepler design from the Quadro Kepler-M generation.

The process node difference is enormous: 4 nm versus 28 nm. This explains the massive disparity in transistor density and power efficiency. The 890M achieves 5.939 TFLOPS FP32 with a 15 W TDP; the Quadro manages only 1.627 TFLOPS FP32 with a 100 W TDP. The RDNA 3.5 architecture also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (5.939 TFLOPS), while the Kepler part has no listed FP16 capability. The 890M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4; the Quadro is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Another key difference is the form factor. The 890M is an IGP with a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface. The Quadro K4100M is an MXM Module using MXM-B (3.0). The 890M has no power connectors and relies on the host system's power delivery; the Quadro also has no external power connectors but draws up to 100 W through the MXM slot.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The AMD Radeon 890M uses a 4 nm process; the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M uses 28 nm. Transistor count is 34,000 million versus 3,540 million. Die size is 233 mm² versus 294 mm². Transistor density is 145.9M per mm² versus 12.0M per mm². Base clock is 400 MHz versus 706 MHz; boost clock is 2900 MHz versus 706 MHz (the Quadro has no boost above base). Memory is system shared on the 890M versus 4 GB GDDR5 on the Quadro. Memory bus width is system shared versus 256 bit. Bandwidth is system dependent versus 102.4 GB/s.

Shading units: 1024 versus 1152. TMUs: 64 versus 96. ROPs: 32 versus 32. Ray tracing cores: 16 versus none. Pixel rate: 92.80 GPixel/s versus 16.94 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 185.6 GTexel/s versus 67.78 GTexel/s. FP32: 5.939 TFLOPS versus 1.627 TFLOPS. FP16: 5.939 TFLOPS (1:1) versus not listed. TDP: 15 W versus 100 W. Slot width: IGP versus MXM Module. Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 versus MXM-B (3.0). DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (11_0). Vulkan: 1.4 versus 1.2.175. Production status: Active versus End-of-life. Release date: 2024-07-14 versus 2013-07-22.

The only fields where they match are ROP count (32 each), OpenGL version (4.6 each), and display outputs (both portable device dependent). The Quadro has a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD, while the 890M has no listed MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains only one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon 890M scores 37254, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M scores 9149. The delta is 307.2% in favor of the AMD part. This is not a marginal lead; it is a multi-generational gap in compute throughput.

Looking at the broader benchmark suite, the 890M has results across many tests. Its PassMark G3D score is 8076, and its PassMark GPU Compute score is 4157. It also scores 979 in PassMark G2D, 97 in DirectX 9, 73 in DirectX 11, 37 in DirectX 12, and 33 in DirectX 10. In Geekbench Vulkan, it hits 40808. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 590.

The Quadro K4100M has only two recorded benchmarks: Geekbench OpenCL at 9149 and Geekbench Metal at 6662. The Metal score is not comparable to the 890M, which has no Metal entry. But the OpenCL comparison is stark. The 890M is roughly four times faster in OpenCL compute.

The nearest rivals for the 890M in the database are the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (average 9221, delta -0.1%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9273, -0.7%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (9294, -0.9%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (9302, -1%). This places the 890M just below a desktop GTX 960 in average score. The Quadro K4100M's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 (7925, -0.2%), NVIDIA Quadro P5000 (8039, -1.7%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (8040, -1.7%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti (8053, -1.8%). The Quadro sits in a much lower performance tier.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon 890M is the superior GPU in nearly every measurable way. It has a 16.5% higher average benchmark score (9210 versus 7906). It is 307.2% faster in OpenCL compute. It supports newer DirectX and Vulkan feature sets. It draws 85 W less power. It is built on a vastly more efficient process node. It is still in active production. The only advantages the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M holds are dedicated memory (4 GB GDDR5 versus system shared) and a higher shading unit count (1152 versus 1024), but those do not translate into any benchmark win.

For a modern system, the 890M is the obvious pick. It delivers desktop-class compute performance in a 15 W integrated package, making it ideal for thin-and-light laptops that still need GPU acceleration. The Quadro K4100M, with its 100 W TDP and 2013-era Kepler architecture, is only relevant for legacy mobile workstations where MXM form factor and dedicated VRAM are mandatory. Given that the Quadro is end-of-life and its successor (Quadro Maxwell-M) has already been released, there is little reason to choose it over the 890M for any new build.

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon 890M wins the only head-to-head test by a 307.2% margin, ranks higher in the overall percentile distribution, and offers modern API support. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is a relic of a previous era, and the benchmark results confirm that. Anyone building a new system should take the 890M. Anyone maintaining an old Quadro K4100M workstation should consider it a legacy part, not a performance component.