AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 vs AMD Radeon R8 M445DX Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly in favor of the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX. In the single recorded head-to-head test, Geekbench OpenCL, the R8 M445DX scores 4727 against the HD 6850 X2's 3977, a decisive 18.9% advantage. The R8 M445DX wins the only comparative benchmark, giving it a 1-0 win record in this matchup.

However, context matters. The R8 M445DX sits at the 27th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the HD 6850 X2 lands at the 24th percentile. Both parts occupy the lower-middle range of recorded performance, meaning neither is a high-flying part by modern standards. The R8 M445DX is simply the better performer of the two in compute workloads.

The HD 6850 X2 does not win any benchmark in this comparison. Its architecture and configuration, which were advanced for its era, do not translate into a win against the newer integrated part. The data shows a consistent edge for the R8 M445DX in the only measurable test, though the margin is not overwhelming given the architectural generation gap.

For use-case thinking, the R8 M445DX is the option that delivers higher raw compute throughput in OpenCL. The HD 6850 X2, despite its dual-chip heritage, falls behind in this specific workload. If the task is general-purpose compute or OpenCL acceleration, the R8 M445DX is the stronger choice. The HD 6850 X2's strengths, if any, are not captured by the recorded benchmark data.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different eras of AMD design. The R8 M445DX uses the Meso chip built on GCN 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It belongs to the Gem System Hybrid generation under the Rx M400 family. The HD 6850 X2 uses the Barts chip with TeraScale 2 architecture, built on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC, and belongs to the Northern Islands generation under the HD 6800 family.

Process technology separates them clearly. The R8 M445DX packs 1,550 million transistors into a 125 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter. The HD 6850 X2 holds 1,700 million transistors across a 255 mm² die, for a density of just 6.7 million per square millimeter. The newer 28 nm node gives the R8 M445DX roughly double the transistor density despite fewer total transistors.

The memory subsystem is where the differences become stark. The R8 M445DX uses system shared memory, with shared size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all dependent on the host system. The HD 6850 X2 carries 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 134.4 GB/s of bandwidth, with memory clocked at 1050 MHz or 4.2 Gbps effective. The HD 6850 X2's dedicated memory and wide bus are a clear architectural advantage, though the benchmark results show this does not translate into a compute win.

Compute resources also differ. The R8 M445DX has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The HD 6850 X2 has 960 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, triple the shading units and six times the ROPs of the R8 M445DX. The HD 6850 X2's raw hardware counts are far higher, yet the OpenCL score tells a different story.

API support favors the newer part. The R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The HD 6850 X2 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support listed. The R8 M445DX also carries a 1:1 FP16 ratio with FP32 at 653.4 GFLOPS, while the HD 6850 X2 lists no FP16 capability and reaches 1.536 TFLOPS FP32.

Power and physical configuration diverge completely. The R8 M445DX is an integrated graphics processor with IGP bus interface, no TDP listed, no power connectors, and portable device dependent display outputs. The HD 6850 X2 is a dual-slot add-in card with a 254 W TDP, two 8-pin power connectors, a suggested 600 W power supply, PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, and outputs including 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.1.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL. The R8 M445DX scores 4727, while the HD 6850 X2 scores 3977. The R8 M445DX wins by 18.9%. This is the sole comparative data point, and it consistently favors the integrated part.

Examining the R8 M445DX's nearest rivals puts its score in perspective. The AMD Radeon R5 M335 scores 4752, which is 0.5% above the R8 M445DX. The NVIDIA Quadro P400 scores 4684, 0.9% below. The AMD Radeon R5 M255 scores 4788, 1.3% above. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB scores 4791, 1.3% above. The R8 M445DX sits in a tight cluster where the spread from its nearest competitors is within roughly a point or two either way. This indicates the R8 M445DX performs at parity with a wide range of GPUs, including the RTX 3080 12 GB, at least in this OpenCL test.

For the HD 6850 X2, its nearest rivals tell a similar story. The NVIDIA Quadro K2000 scores 3964, 0.3% above. The NVIDIA GeForce 830M scores 3957, 0.5% above. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 scores 3956, 0.5% above. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M scores 3953, 0.6% above. The HD 6850 X2 sits in a cluster where its nearest rivals are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating it performs at parity with low-end parts from several generations.

The 18.9% gap between the two reviewed GPUs is therefore not a small difference. It places the R8 M445DX in a performance tier that is roughly one cluster higher than the HD 6850 X2's cluster. The R8 M445DX's score of 4727 aligns with parts like the R5 M255 and RTX 3080 12 GB, while the HD 6850 X2's 3977 aligns with parts like the Quadro K2000 and GeForce 830M.

The pixel and texture rates reinforce this. The R8 M445DX records 8.168 GPixel/s and 20.42 GTexel/s. The HD 6850 X2 records 25.60 GPixel/s and 38.40 GTexel/s. These figures favor the HD 6850 X2 in raw rasterization throughput, yet the OpenCL compute benchmark favors the R8 M445DX. This suggests the two parts have different strengths, but the only recorded benchmark measures compute, and there the R8 M445DX wins.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 18.9% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2's score of 3977.

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

A: The R8 M445DX sits between the Radeon R5 M335 (0.5% higher) and the NVIDIA Quadro P400 (0.9% lower), with the Radeon R5 M255 and GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB both about 1.3% higher. The HD 6850 X2 sits with the Quadro K2000 (0.3% higher), GeForce 830M (0.5% higher), Radeon R5 M420 (0.5% higher), and GeForce GT 745M (0.6% higher).

Q: What memory configurations do these cards use?

A: The R8 M445DX uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth. The HD 6850 X2 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 134.4 GB/s bandwidth.

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

A: The R8 M445DX uses GCN 3.0 architecture on a 28 nm process with the Meso chip. The HD 6850 X2 uses TeraScale 2 architecture on a 40 nm process with the Barts chip.

Q: Which GPU supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The HD 6850 X2 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support.

Q: What is the power requirement difference?

A: The R8 M445DX is an integrated GPU with no listed TDP or power connectors. The HD 6850 X2 has a 254 W TDP, requires two 8-pin power connectors, and needs a suggested 600 W power supply.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R8 M445DX | AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 |

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

| Chip | Meso | Barts |

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | TeraScale 2 |

| Generation | Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400) | Northern Islands (HD 6800) |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | TSMC |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 1,700 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 255 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 6.7M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 780 MHz | null |

| Boost Clock | 1021 MHz | null |

| Memory Clock | System Shared | 1050 MHz, 4.2 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 134.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 320 | 960 |

| TMUs | 20 | 48 |

| ROPs | 8 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 8.168 GPixel/s | 25.60 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 20.42 GTexel/s | 38.40 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 653.4 GFLOPS | 1.536 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | null |

| TDP | null | 254 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | null | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | null | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, 1x DisplayPort 1.1 |

| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 11.2 (11_0) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.4 |

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | null |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2011-09-18 |

| Predecessor | null | Evergreen |

| Successor | null | Southern Islands |

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

| Geekbench OpenCL Score | 4727 | 3977 |

| Percentile | 27 | 24 |