AMD Radeon HD 8730M vs AMD Radeon R7 M440 Comparison

# AMD Radeon R7 M440 vs AMD Radeon HD 8730M

The benchmark data places these two end-of-life AMD mobile GPUs in adjacent performance tiers, but the older HD 8730M holds a clear edge in the one head-to-head test available. With the R7 M440 scoring 5,214 and the HD 8730M scoring 5,955 in Geekbench OpenCL, the HD 8730M wins by 12.4% — a decisive margin for users comparing these on the used market or in legacy laptops. Both cards sit near the 32nd to 34th percentile of all GPUs, meaning they are entry-level performers by modern standards, but the HD 8730M's higher average benchmark score of 5,955 versus the R7 M440's 5,483 shows it is the more capable part overall.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is not close. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M posts 5,955 points, while the AMD Radeon R7 M440 manages 5,214 points — a 12.4% deficit for the newer card. This is a substantial gap for two GPUs that occupy similar positions in the overall performance distribution. The HD 8730M's win is consistent with its higher percentile ranking: 34th percentile versus the R7 M440's 32nd percentile. In practical terms, the HD 8730M should feel noticeably faster in OpenCL-accelerated workloads such as video encoding or compute tasks, though neither card is suited to heavy lifting.

Looking at the R7 M440's nearest rivals provides context. Its average score of 5,483 places it within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5,508) and 0.3% of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (5,467). It also edges out the AMD Radeon 610M by 0.7% (5,444). These are tight margins — the R7 M440 is effectively a peer of those three GPUs. However, the HD 8730M's 5,955 average puts it in a slightly higher league, matching the NVIDIA Quadro K620M (5,957) exactly and trailing the AMD Radeon HD 8750M (5,970) by just 0.3%. The HD 8730M also beats the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (5,929) by 0.4%. The takeaway: the HD 8730M is a step above the R7 M440 and lands in a performance class that includes mid-range mobile workstation and integrated graphics from later generations.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is significant despite both using a 28 nm TSMC process. The R7 M440 is built on GCN 3.0 with the Meso chip, while the HD 8730M uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Mars chip. This generational split matters: GCN 3.0 brings features like improved geometry processing and better power management, but the HD 8730M compensates with a wider memory bus and more compute units. The R7 M440 belongs to the Gem System (R7 M400) generation, while the HD 8730M is from the Solar System (HD 8700M) family — the predecessor line. The R7 M440's successor is listed as Polaris Mobile, while the HD 8730M's successor is Gem System, placing the R7 M440 one full architecture generation ahead in AMD's mobile roadmap.

Transistor counts tell a story of density. The R7 M440 packs 1,550 million transistors into a 125 mm² die (12.4M per mm²), while the HD 8730M uses 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die (12.3M per mm²). The R7 M440 has nearly 63% more transistors and a 62% larger die, but that extra hardware does not translate into higher performance. The HD 8730M counters with a 128-bit memory bus versus the R7 M440's 64-bit bus, giving it exactly double the memory bandwidth: 28.80 GB/s versus 14.40 GB/s. Both use DDR3 memory at 900 MHz (1,800 Mbps effective), but the wider bus is the deciding factor.

Compute resources are mixed. The HD 8730M has more shading units (384 versus 320), more texture mapping units (24 versus 20), and the same number of ROPs (8). The R7 M440 has a higher pixel rate at 7.128 GPixel/s versus 5.600 GPixel/s, and a higher texture rate at 17.82 GTexel/s versus 16.80 GTexel/s. However, the HD 8730M's higher FP32 throughput of 537.6 GFLOPS slightly exceeds the R7 M440's 570.2 GFLOPS? No — the R7 M440 actually leads in FP32 at 570.2 GFLOPS, but the HD 8730M's memory bandwidth advantage likely explains its benchmark victory. The R7 M440 also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (570.2 GFLOPS), while the HD 8730M lists no FP16 capability.

Where Each One Wins

The HD 8730M wins the only benchmark test, so the data is one-sided. Its 12.4% lead in Geekbench OpenCL suggests it is the better choice for compute-oriented tasks that rely on OpenCL acceleration. The 128-bit memory bus provides 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for memory-bound workloads like image processing or data manipulation. The HD 8730M's higher shading unit count (384) also helps in parallel compute scenarios where more cores can be utilized effectively.

The R7 M440's advantages are more theoretical. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0) while the HD 8730M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) — a meaningful difference for modern game compatibility. The R7 M440 also has a higher FP32 throughput (570.2 GFLOPS versus 537.6 GFLOPS) and faster pixel fill rate (7.128 GPixel/s versus 5.600 GPixel/s), which could matter in lighter rendering tasks. Its 4 GB memory capacity is double the HD 8730M's 2 GB, which helps with larger textures or datasets, even if the bandwidth is halved. The R7 M440's newer GCN 3.0 architecture may also offer better driver optimization for newer applications, though the benchmark data does not confirm this.

For gaming, the HD 8730M's superior benchmark score and bandwidth make it the likely winner in most titles, especially at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck. The R7 M440's DirectX 12_0 support gives it a theoretical edge in newer games that use DX12 features, but the 32nd percentile ranking suggests neither card will run demanding modern titles smoothly. For productivity tasks, the HD 8730M's raw compute lead is the safer bet.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8730M has an average benchmark score of 5,955, compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M440's 5,483. The HD 8730M also ranks higher at the 34th percentile versus the R7 M440's 32nd percentile.

Q: How much faster is the HD 8730M in the head-to-head test?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the HD 8730M scores 5,955 against the R7 M440's 5,214, giving the HD 8730M a 12.4% lead.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The R7 M440 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the HD 8730M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The R7 M440 has 4 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 8730M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. Both run at 900 MHz (1,800 Mbps effective).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The HD 8730M has 384 shading units, while the R7 M440 has 320. The HD 8730M also has 24 texture mapping units versus the R7 M440's 20, but both have 8 ROPs.

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

A: The R7 M440 is within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 and 0.3% of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000. The HD 8730M matches the NVIDIA Quadro K620M and trails the AMD Radeon HD 8750M by 0.3%.

Specification Differences

The table below highlights only the fields where the two GPUs differ. Both are 28 nm TSMC parts with PCIe 3.0 x8 interfaces and end-of-life production status.

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M440 | AMD Radeon HD 8730M |

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

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Chip | Meso | Mars |

| Generation | Gem System (R7 M400) | Solar System (HD 8700M) |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 950 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 77 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 12.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | null | 650 MHz |

| Boost Clock | null | 700 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 14.40 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 320 | 384 |

| TMUs | 20 | 24 |

| Pixel Rate | 7.128 GPixel/s | 5.600 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 17.82 GTexel/s | 16.80 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 570.2 GFLOPS | 537.6 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 570.2 GFLOPS (1:1) | null |

| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2013-03-31 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | London |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | Gem System |

| Geekbench OpenCL | 5,214 | 5,955 |

| Avg Benchmark Score | 5,483 | 5,955 |

| Percentile | 32 | 34 |

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion: the AMD Radeon HD 8730M is the faster GPU despite being three years older. Its 12.4% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and higher average score of 5,955 versus 5,483 make it the better choice for raw compute performance. The 128-bit memory bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth is the key differentiator, offering double the memory throughput of the R7 M440's 64-bit bus. If your workload is memory-bandwidth-sensitive, the HD 8730M is the obvious pick.

The R7 M440 is not without merit, however. Its 4 GB memory capacity, newer GCN 3.0 architecture, and DirectX 12_0 support give it advantages in scenarios where VRAM capacity or modern API features matter. The higher FP32 throughput (570.2 GFLOPS) and pixel rate (7.128 GPixel/s) also suggest it could edge out the HD 8730M in specific fill-rate-bound tasks. But the benchmark data does not show a single test where the R7 M440 wins. Buyers should select based on workload: the HD 8730M for compute-heavy or bandwidth-intensive use, the R7 M440 for better API support and double the VRAM. For most users, the HD 8730M's superior benchmark performance makes it the safer recommendation.