AMD Radeon HD 8730M vs AMD Radeon R5 M435 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8730M and AMD Radeon R5 M435 are two end-of-life mobile GPUs that share the same GCN 1.0 architecture and 28 nm TSMC process, but they target different performance profiles. Benchmark data shows the HD 8730M edges out the R5 M435 by a narrow margin, yet the R5 M435 counters with a much higher boost clock and faster memory technology. The comparison is close enough that the right choice depends entirely on workload and platform constraints.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU scores higher in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8730M scores 5955, while the AMD Radeon R5 M435 scores 5859. The HD 8730M wins by 1.6% in this head-to-head test.

Q: How do these GPUs rank against all other GPUs in the database?

A: The HD 8730M sits at the 34th percentile, while the R5 M435 sits at the 33rd percentile. Both are near the lower-middle range of the overall GPU performance distribution.

Q: What memory types and bus widths do these cards use?

A: The HD 8730M uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The R5 M435 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has higher clock speeds?

A: The R5 M435 has a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 1030 MHz. The HD 8730M has a base clock of 650 MHz and a boost clock of 700 MHz. The R5 M435 boosts 47.1% higher.

Q: Are there differences in compute unit counts?

A: Yes. The HD 8730M packs 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The R5 M435 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The HD 8730M has 20% more shading units.

Q: What is the form factor of each GPU?

A: The R5 M435 is listed as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." The HD 8730M has no slot width or display output data listed, indicating it was designed for discrete mobile use.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 8730M wins in raw compute throughput and texture processing. Its 384 shading units deliver 537.6 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, compared to 659.2 GFLOPS for the R5 M435 — wait, that is actually higher for the R5 M435. Let the data speak clearly: the HD 8730M wins the only head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 5955 versus 5859. That 1.6% advantage suggests its wider 128-bit memory bus and higher shading unit count compensate for lower clocks in real-world OpenCL workloads.

The R5 M435 wins in memory bandwidth per clock and raw clock speed. Its GDDR5 memory operates at 4.5 Gbps effective, yielding 36.00 GB/s across a 64-bit bus. That is 25% more bandwidth than the HD 8730M’s 28.80 GB/s, despite the narrower bus. The R5 M435 also has a significantly higher pixel rate (8.240 GPixel/s vs 5.600 GPixel/s) and texture rate (20.60 GTexel/s vs 16.80 GTexel/s), driven by its 1030 MHz boost clock.

For fill-rate-bound tasks like pixel shading or simple 3D rendering, the R5 M435’s higher clocks give it an edge. For compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, the HD 8730M’s extra shading units and wider memory interface make it the stronger choice. The benchmark result confirms this split: the HD 8730M wins the single available test, but the R5 M435 has structural advantages that could favor it in specific scenarios not captured by that one test.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use the GCN 1.0 architecture built on TSMC’s 28 nm process, and both have a transistor density of 12.3M per mm². The dies differ: the HD 8730M uses the Mars chip with 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, while the R5 M435 uses the Jet chip with 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die. This makes the HD 8730M the larger and more complex chip.

The HD 8730M belongs to the Solar System generation (HD 8700M series), released in 2013, while the R5 M435 belongs to the Gem System generation (R5 M400 series), released in 2016. Both are end-of-life. The HD 8730M’s predecessor is London and its successor is Gem System. The R5 M435’s predecessor is Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile.

The API support is identical: both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both use the PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface. The R5 M435 is explicitly an IGP, while the HD 8730M has no such designation, suggesting it was a discrete mobile part. The R5 M435’s display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they vary by laptop implementation.

Memory architecture differs significantly. The HD 8730M has a 128-bit bus with 2 GB DDR3 at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The R5 M435 has a 64-bit bus with 2 GB GDDR5 at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective). The R5 M435’s bandwidth advantage (36.00 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s) comes from faster memory, not a wider bus.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every major specification except for ROP count (8 each), API support, process node, foundry, transistor density, and bus interface.

• Chip: Mars (HD 8730M) vs Jet (R5 M435)
• Transistors: 950 million vs 690 million
• Die size: 77 mm² vs 56 mm²
• Base clock: 650 MHz vs 780 MHz
• Boost clock: 700 MHz vs 1030 MHz
• Memory clock: 900 MHz / 1800 Mbps effective vs 1125 MHz / 4.5 Gbps effective
• Memory type: DDR3 vs GDDR5
• Memory bus width: 128 bit vs 64 bit
• Memory bandwidth: 28.80 GB/s vs 36.00 GB/s
• Shading units: 384 vs 320
• TMUs: 24 vs 20
• Pixel rate: 5.600 GPixel/s vs 8.240 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 16.80 GTexel/s vs 20.60 GTexel/s
• FP32 performance: 537.6 GFLOPS vs 659.2 GFLOPS
• Slot width: Not listed vs IGP
• Display outputs: Not listed vs Portable Device Dependent
• Generation: Solar System (HD 8700M) vs Gem System (R5 M400)
• Release date: 2013-03-31 vs 2016-05-14
• Predecessor: London vs Solar System
• Successor: Gem System vs Polaris Mobile

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only available head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M scores 5955, and the AMD Radeon R5 M435 scores 5859. The HD 8730M wins with a 1.6% delta. This is a narrow victory, and the rival data puts it in context.

The HD 8730M’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K620M (5957, 0% delta), the AMD Radeon HD 8750M (5970, -0.3%), the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (5929, 0.4%), and the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 (5982, -0.5%). This places the HD 8730M in a tight cluster where the best and worst scores differ by less than 1%.

The R5 M435’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R7 M465 (5841, 0.3%), the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (5929, -1.2%), the AMD Radeon HD 8730M (5955, -1.6%), and the NVIDIA Quadro K620M (5957, -1.6%). The R5 M435 is slightly behind this same cluster, trailing the HD 8730M by the same 1.6% margin seen in the head-to-head.

The biggest structural win for the R5 M435 is its FP32 compute: 659.2 GFLOPS versus 537.6 GFLOPS for the HD 8730M. That is a 22.6% advantage in raw floating-point throughput. Similarly, the R5 M435’s texture rate of 20.60 GTexel/s beats the HD 8730M’s 16.80 GTexel/s by 22.6%, and its pixel rate of 8.240 GPixel/s beats 5.600 GPixel/s by 47.1%. These are substantial wins on paper.

Yet the OpenCL benchmark shows the HD 8730M ahead. This suggests that the HD 8730M’s 128-bit memory bus and 384 shading units provide a more balanced execution profile for the actual workload, despite lower clock speeds. The R5 M435’s higher theoretical rates do not translate into a benchmark win.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon HD 8730M is the winner in the only direct benchmark comparison, scoring 5955 versus 5859 in Geekbench OpenCL. That 1.6% margin places it just ahead of the R5 M435, and it also holds a higher percentile rank (34th vs 33rd). For users running OpenCL-based compute tasks, the HD 8730M is the safer pick based on measured data.

The AMD Radeon R5 M435, however, offers compelling theoretical advantages. Its boost clock of 1030 MHz is 47.1% higher than the HD 8730M’s 700 MHz boost, and its GDDR5 memory delivers 36.00 GB/s of bandwidth compared to 28.80 GB/s. Its FP32 throughput of 659.2 GFLOPS is 22.6% higher, and its pixel rate of 8.240 GPixel/s is 47.1% faster. These numbers suggest that the R5 M435 could outperform the HD 8730M in graphics-bound scenarios like pixel-heavy rendering or simple game workloads.

The choice comes down to workload type. If the priority is measured OpenCL compute performance, the HD 8730M wins. If the priority is raw clock speed, memory bandwidth per pin, and fill-rate efficiency, the R5 M435 has the stronger specification sheet. The R5 M435’s IGP form factor also makes it suitable for compact portable devices, while the HD 8730M appears to be a more traditional discrete mobile GPU.

Both GPUs are end-of-life, so neither is a future-proof investment. The HD 8730M’s larger die (77 mm² vs 56 mm²) and higher transistor count (950 million vs 690 million) suggest it was the more ambitious design, while the R5 M435’s later release date (2016 vs 2013) reflects a more efficient memory implementation. The verdict: pick the HD 8730M for compute reliability, pick the R5 M435 for higher theoretical graphics throughput. Benchmark data currently favors the HD 8730M by a slim but real 1.6%.