AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs AMD Radeon R9 M380 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark record splits cleanly between these two AMD parts, but not in the way the raw scores might suggest. The AMD Radeon R9 M380 holds the only direct head-to-head victory, winning the sole recorded comparison test. The AMD Radeon HD 7790, however, posts a higher percentile ranking against all GPUs tracked in the database, sitting at the 61st percentile compared to the R9 M380's 58th. That divergence tells an interesting story: the HD 7790 is positioned higher in the overall distribution, yet the R9 M380 wins the specific test where both are measured.

The R9 M380's advantage appears in the Geekbench Metal test, where it scores 18476 against the HD 7790's 17666. That is a 4.4% margin, which is meaningful for a single benchmark but not a generational leap. The HD 7790, despite losing that test, shows a higher average benchmark score when considering all recorded results in the database: its average sits at 17666, while the R9 M380's average across both its Metal and OpenCL results is 15521. That gap comes from the R9 M380's OpenCL score of 12565 dragging its average down significantly.

For use-case splitting, the data suggests the R9 M380 is the better choice for Metal-accelerated workloads, which typically include macOS graphics tasks and certain compute APIs. The HD 7790, while scoring lower on Metal, has the advantage of a higher percentile placement, meaning it outperforms a larger fraction of the GPU population in the database's overall rankings. Users prioritizing broad compatibility with the full GPU landscape would look at the HD 7790 differently than those focused specifically on Metal performance.

The wins tally is straightforward: the R9 M380 records one win, the HD 7790 records zero. No other benchmark categories show a recorded comparison between the two. This makes the use-case split somewhat narrow, but the existing data points to the R9 M380 as the Metal-focused pick and the HD 7790 as the part with better overall standing among all GPUs.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture, GCN 2.0, and both are fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process. The transistor counts are identical at 2,080 million, and the die size matches at 160 mm². The transistor density is likewise the same at 13.0 million transistors per square millimeter. The foundry is TSMC for both, and both use the Bonaire and Strato chips respectively, though those are different silicon implementations within the same architectural family.

The HD 7790 belongs to the Southern Islands generation under the HD 7700 umbrella, while the R9 M380 belongs to the Gem System generation under the R9 M300 series. The HD 7790 arrived earlier, with a release date in March 2013, while the R9 M380 came later in May 2015. The predecessor and successor lineage differs: the HD 7790 follows Northern Islands and precedes Sea Islands, whereas the R9 M380 follows Solar System and precedes Polaris Mobile.

The shading unit count differs notably: the HD 7790 has 896 shading units, while the R9 M380 has 768. Texture mapping units also differ, with the HD 7790 carrying 56 TMUs against the R9 M380's 48. The render output units are identical at 16 for both. These differences in compute resources suggest the HD 7790 has a higher theoretical throughput in certain workloads, though the clock speeds may compensate in the R9 M380's favor.

The R9 M380 explicitly lists a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 1000 MHz, while the HD 7790's base and boost clocks are not recorded in the database. The memory clock is identical at 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective for both. Both use GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The R9 M380 has 4 GB of memory, four times the HD 7790's 1 GB, which is a substantial difference for texture-heavy workloads and larger frame buffers.

The pixel rate is identical at 16.00 GPixel/s for both, but the texture rate differs: the HD 7790 achieves 56.00 GTexel/s while the R9 M380 manages 48.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute rates reflect the shading unit counts: the HD 7790 delivers 1.792 TFLOPS while the R9 M380 delivers 1.536 TFLOPS. The HD 7790 has a recorded TDP of 85 W, while the R9 M380's TDP is not listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark between these two parts is the Geekbench Metal test. The R9 M380 scores 18476, while the HD 7790 scores 17666. The winner is the R9 M380, with a delta of 4.4% over the HD 7790. That margin is not trivial, but it is also not overwhelming, suggesting the two GPUs are closer in raw Metal performance than their different memory sizes and shading unit counts might imply.

The R9 M380's Metal score of 18476 places it ahead of the HD 7790's 17666 by 810 points. In percentage terms, the HD 7790 trails by 4.4%. For context, the HD 7790's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17639, the AMD Radeon 780M at 17588, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17551. The HD 7790 beats the RTX 4060 by 0.2%, the Radeon 780M by 0.4%, and the Radeon Pro 560 by 0.7%. It trails the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000, which scores 17789, by 0.7%. This places the HD 7790 in a tight cluster where 0.7% separates it from both beating and losing to its nearest competitors.

The R9 M380's average benchmark score of 15521 derives from its two recorded results: the Metal score of 18476 and the OpenCL score of 12565. The OpenCL result is notably lower, pulling the average down substantially. The R9 M380's nearest rivals by average score include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti at 15548, which beats the R9 M380 by 0.2%, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 at 15679, which leads by 1%. The R9 M380 beats the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 at 15290 by 1.5% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 at 15283 by 1.6%.

The Head-to-Head comparison shows only the Metal test, meaning the OpenCL result has no direct counterpart for the HD 7790. The HD 7790's only recorded benchmark is the Metal test, so its average equals its Metal score. The R9 M380's OpenCL score is substantially lower than its Metal score, a 33% drop from 18476 to 12565. That discrepancy suggests the R9 M380's Metal performance is its strong suit, while its OpenCL performance is comparatively weaker.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specification fields. The shading unit count is the most prominent: the HD 7790 has 896 shading units, while the R9 M380 has 768, a difference of 128 units. The texture mapping units follow the same pattern: 56 for the HD 7790 against 48 for the R9 M380. The render output units are the same at 16 for both, so the pixel rate matches at 16.00 GPixel/s.

The texture rate differs because of the TMU count: the HD 7790 achieves 56.00 GTexel/s, while the R9 M380 achieves 48.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute rate also differs, with the HD 7790 at 1.792 TFLOPS and the R9 M380 at 1.536 TFLOPS. These figures indicate the HD 7790 has a higher theoretical compute ceiling, though the R9 M380's higher clock speeds partially offset this.

Memory capacity is another clear difference: the HD 7790 has 1024 MB while the R9 M380 has 4 GB. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are identical, with both using GDDR5 across a 128-bit bus at 96.00 GB/s. The memory clock is also the same at 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective.

Clock specifications differ in that the R9 M380 has recorded base and boost clocks of 900 MHz and 1000 MHz respectively, while the HD 7790's base and boost clocks are not listed in the database. The TDP differs: the HD 7790 is rated at 85 W, while the R9 M380 has no TDP recorded. The HD 7790 has a dual-slot width and a 1x 6-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 250 W, while none of those fields are recorded for the R9 M380.

The HD 7790 lists display outputs as 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the R9 M380 has no display outputs recorded. The HD 7790 has dimensions of 183 mm or 7.2 inches in length, while the R9 M380 has no dimensions recorded. Both share the same PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface, the same DirectX 12 (12_0) support, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The release dates differ: the HD 7790 launched in March 2013, the R9 M380 in May 2015. The HD 7790 has a recorded launch MSRP of 149 USD, while the R9 M380 has no launch MSRP in the database. The production status is end-of-life for both.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher benchmark score in the Metal test?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M380 scores 18476 in Geekbench Metal, while the AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666. The R9 M380 wins by 4.4%.

Q: How does the HD 7790 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The HD 7790's average benchmark score of 17666 is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M, and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560. It is 0.7% behind the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000.

Q: What is the R9 M380's average benchmark score and how does it rank?

A: The R9 M380 has an average benchmark score of 15521, which comes from its Metal score of 18476 and its OpenCL score of 12565. It sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Do the two GPUs share the same memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, both have a 128-bit bus with GDDR5 memory and 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clock is also identical at 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7790 has 896 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R9 M380 has 768. The HD 7790 also has 56 texture mapping units versus 48 on the R9 M380.

Q: How does the R9 M380 compare to its nearest rivals by average score?

A: The R9 M380's average score of 15521 is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and 1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5500. It is 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 and 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear but narrow conclusion: the AMD Radeon R9 M380 is the better performer in the recorded Metal test, while the AMD Radeon HD 7790 holds a higher percentile ranking across all GPUs. The R9 M380 wins the only head-to-head comparison, and it does so with 4.4% more Metal score. The HD 7790 counters with a higher percentile placement, 61st versus 58th, and a higher average benchmark score when considering the R9 M380's weaker OpenCL result.

For workloads that rely on Metal, the R9 M380 is the pick. Its 18476 Metal score beats the HD 7790's 17666, and its 4 GB memory capacity provides more headroom for larger textures and frame buffers. The HD 7790's 1 GB memory is a limitation for modern content, but its higher shading unit count and texture rate give it a theoretical advantage in compute-heavy tasks that are not captured by the Metal test.

The R9 M380's OpenCL score of 12565 is a notable weak point, pulling its average down to 15521 and placing it in the same range as much older or less capable GPUs. The HD 7790, with only a Metal score recorded, avoids that penalty and maintains a higher average. Users who need OpenCL performance should note the R9 M380's lower result, but the database does not record an OpenCL score for the HD 7790, so no direct comparison is possible.

The HD 7790's 85 W TDP and compact 183 mm length make it a more power-conscious choice, while the R9 M380's TDP is not recorded. The HD 7790 also has a lower launch MSRP of 149 USD, though the R9 M380's pricing is not listed. For pure Metal performance, the R9 M380 is ahead. For overall GPU standing and theoretical compute throughput, the HD 7790 holds its ground. The data favors the R9 M380 in the recorded comparison, but the HD 7790 remains a competitive part in the broader database context.