AMD Radeon HD 8690M vs AMD Radeon R5 M435 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8690M and the AMD Radeon R5 M435 are two mobile graphics processors from the same family, both built on the GCN 1.0 architecture and the 28 nm process node. They share identical core configurations, yet the benchmark data reveals a clear performance gap, with the older HD 8690M taking the lead. The data shows a single Geekbench OpenCL result where the HD 8690M scores 6137 against the R5 M435's 5859, a 4.7% difference that defines their relative standing in the database.

The Verdict

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the AMD Radeon HD 8690M wins the only head-to-head test, and it wins decisively. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 6137 versus 5859 gives the HD 8690M a 4.7% advantage. This is not a marginal victory; it places the HD 8690M in the 36th percentile of all GPUs, while the R5 M435 sits lower at the 33rd percentile. For any user choosing between these two purely on compute performance, the HD 8690M is the superior option, despite being released earlier.

The R5 M435, however, is not without its own context. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R7 M465, scores 5841, which is 0.3% behind the M435. This suggests the M435 holds its own within its immediate peer group. The HD 8690M, meanwhile, edges out the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 by 0.3% and the NVIDIA GeForce MX230 by 1%. The data implies that the HD 8690M is a slightly more potent chip in raw OpenCL workloads.

Who should pick which? If the priority is maximum raw compute performance in a legacy mobile GPU, the HD 8690M is the clear choice. The 4.7% lead in the sole benchmark is the only measurable performance metric, and it favors the older part. The R5 M435, with its lower score, is a fallback option that still delivers GCN 1.0 features but with less headroom. There is no scenario in the data where the R5 M435 outperforms the HD 8690M, so the verdict rests entirely on the HD 8690M's favor.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same foundational architecture, GCN 1.0, and are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. They share the same transistor count of 690 million and the same die size of 56 mm², resulting in an identical transistor density of 12.3M / mm². The core configurations are also identical: 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 raster operation pipelines. The memory subsystems match in size and type, with both featuring 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus.

The key architectural differences lie in the chip design and clock speeds. The HD 8690M uses the "Sun" chip from the Solar System generation, while the R5 M435 uses the "Jet" chip from the Gem System generation. Despite the generational naming difference, the core counts are the same. The clocks tell a more nuanced story: the HD 8690M has a base clock of 925 MHz and a boost clock of 975 MHz, whereas the R5 M435 has a lower base clock of 780 MHz but a higher boost clock of 1030 MHz. This suggests the R5 M435 has a wider clock range, potentially allowing it to scale higher under load, but the HD 8690M starts from a higher baseline.

Memory clocks also differ. The HD 8690M runs its memory at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective, while the R5 M435 runs at 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective. This gives the R5 M435 a memory bandwidth advantage of 36.00 GB/s over the HD 8690M's 32.00 GB/s. The R5 M435 also posts higher theoretical pixel and texture rates: 8.240 GPixel/s and 20.60 GTexel/s, respectively, versus 7.800 GPixel/s and 19.50 GTexel/s for the HD 8690M. The FP32 compute is similarly higher on the R5 M435 at 659.2 GFLOPS versus 624.0 GFLOPS. Yet, despite these raw throughput advantages, the R5 M435 loses the OpenCL benchmark.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it favors the AMD Radeon HD 8690M. The HD 8690M scores 6137, while the R5 M435 scores 5859, resulting in a 4.7% win for the HD 8690M. This is a significant result because it contradicts the theoretical specifications. The R5 M435 has higher memory bandwidth, higher boost clock, and higher texture and pixel rates, yet it falls behind in the actual compute test.

The delta is clear: 4.7% is not a rounding error. It represents a real performance gap in OpenCL workloads. The HD 8690M's nearest rival, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200, scores 6117, just 0.3% behind. The NVIDIA RTX A400 scores 6078, 1% behind, and the GeForce MX230 scores 6077, also 1% behind. This places the HD 8690M in a tight cluster of competitive parts. The R5 M435, by contrast, is slightly ahead of the Radeon R7 M465 by 0.3% but trails the Intel UHD Graphics 730 by 1.2% and the AMD Radeon HD 8730M by 1.6%.

The data suggests that the HD 8690M's higher base clock of 925 MHz provides a more consistent performance floor, whereas the R5 M435's lower base clock of 780 MHz may hamper sustained workloads. The R5 M435's boost clock of 1030 MHz is higher, but if thermal or power constraints prevent it from sustaining that boost, the lower base clock becomes a liability. The benchmark result implies that the HD 8690M's architecture is better tuned for the OpenCL test, despite the R5 M435's theoretical advantages.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8690M scores 6137, which is 4.7% higher than the AMD Radeon R5 M435's score of 5859.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same number of shading units?

A: Yes, both the HD 8690M and the R5 M435 feature 320 shading units, along with 20 TMUs and 8 ROPs.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M435 has a memory bandwidth of 36.00 GB/s, compared to the HD 8690M's 32.00 GB/s, due to its faster 4.5 Gbps effective memory clock versus 4 Gbps.

Q: What is the process node for both GPUs?

A: Both the HD 8690M and the R5 M435 are built on the 28 nm process node at TSMC, with 690 million transistors and a 56 mm² die size.

Q: How does the HD 8690M compare to the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200?

A: The HD 8690M scores 6137, which is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200's score of 6117.

Q: What is the percentile ranking difference between the two?

A: The HD 8690M ranks in the 36th percentile of all GPUs, while the R5 M435 ranks in the 33rd percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 8690M wins the only benchmark test, so it is the outright winner in compute performance. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 6137 gives it a 4.7% edge over the R5 M435. This makes the HD 8690M the better choice for any application that relies on OpenCL compute, such as general-purpose GPU tasks or certain rendering workloads. Its higher base clock of 925 MHz likely contributes to a more stable performance profile.

The AMD Radeon R5 M435, while losing the compute benchmark, has theoretical advantages in other areas. Its memory bandwidth of 36.00 GB/s is higher than the HD 8690M's 32.00 GB/s, which could benefit memory-bound tasks that are not captured in the OpenCL test. Its boost clock of 1030 MHz is also higher, allowing for potential short bursts of faster performance. The R5 M435's pixel rate of 8.240 GPixel/s and texture rate of 20.60 GTexel/s are both higher than the HD 8690M's corresponding 7.800 GPixel/s and 19.50 GTexel/s. These metrics suggest the R5 M435 could be faster in fill-rate-limited scenarios, even if the benchmark data does not confirm this.

The HD 8690M also holds a positional advantage in the broader market. Its nearest rival, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200, is only 0.3% behind, placing the HD 8690M in a tight competitive cluster. The R5 M435, however, is 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8730M, indicating it sits slightly lower in its own peer group. For users who prioritize raw compute, the HD 8690M is the clear winner. For those who might value higher memory bandwidth or fill rates, the R5 M435 offers a theoretical edge, but the data does not support a real-world win.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specification fields, even though they share the same core architecture. The chip designations are different: the HD 8690M uses the "Sun" chip, while the R5 M435 uses the "Jet" chip. This corresponds to different generations, with the HD 8690M belonging to the Solar System (HD 8600M) generation and the R5 M435 belonging to the Gem System (R5 M400) generation.

Clock speeds diverge significantly. The HD 8690M has a base clock of 925 MHz and a boost clock of 975 MHz. The R5 M435 has a lower base clock of 780 MHz but a higher boost clock of 1030 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the HD 8690M runs at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective, while the R5 M435 runs at 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective. This leads to a memory bandwidth difference of 32.00 GB/s for the HD 8690M versus 36.00 GB/s for the R5 M435.

Theoretical throughput rates are higher on the R5 M435. Its pixel rate is 8.240 GPixel/s versus 7.800 GPixel/s for the HD 8690M, and its texture rate is 20.60 GTexel/s versus 19.50 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is also higher on the R5 M435 at 659.2 GFLOPS, compared to 624.0 GFLOPS for the HD 8690M. The R5 M435 is classified as an IGP and has display outputs that are "Portable Device Dependent," whereas the HD 8690M does not list these fields. Release dates differ, with the HD 8690M launching on 2013-02-28 and the R5 M435 launching on 2016-05-14. The production status is end-of-life for both, with the HD 8690M having "London" as a predecessor and "Gem System" as a successor, while the R5 M435 has "Solar System" as a predecessor and "Polaris Mobile" as a successor. Neither GPU has a listed launch MSRP.