AMD Radeon HD 8750M vs AMD Radeon R5 M435 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8750M and AMD Radeon R5 M435 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions built on the same GCN 1.0 architecture, but they target different eras of the laptop market. The data shows a single, narrow benchmark victory for the older HD 8750M, yet the specifications reveal a more complex trade-off between memory capacity, bandwidth, and raw compute throughput that dictates which GPU is better suited for specific tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, which measures general-purpose compute performance. In this test, the AMD Radeon HD 8750M scores 5970, while the AMD Radeon R5 M435 scores 5859. This gives the HD 8750M a 1.9% lead, a margin that is statistically minor but consistent with its higher shading unit count. The HD 8750M wins the sole head-to-head benchmark, but the practical difference in real-world applications would be negligible.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape, both GPUs sit in the lower third of all GPUs, with the HD 8750M at the 34th percentile and the R5 M435 at the 33rd percentile. The HD 8750M’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K4000, which scores 5982, a -0.2% delta, meaning the HD 8750M is essentially tied with it. It also edges out the AMD Radeon HD 8730M (score 5955) by 0.3% and the NVIDIA Quadro K620M (score 5957) by 0.2%. The R5 M435, by contrast, trails the same AMD Radeon HD 8730M by -1.6% and the NVIDIA Quadro K620M by -1.6%. It does lead the AMD Radeon R7 M465 (score 5841) by 0.3%, but falls behind the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (score 5929) by -1.2%. These deltas place the R5 M435 in a slightly weaker position relative to its immediate competitors than the HD 8750M enjoys.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture: GCN 1.0, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This results in an identical transistor density of 12.3M / mm² for both chips. However, the physical implementations diverge significantly. The HD 8750M uses the Mars chip, which contains 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die. The R5 M435 uses the smaller Jet chip, packing 690 million transistors into 56 mm². This makes the Jet chip physically smaller and less complex, but it also means fewer compute resources.

The most critical architectural difference is in the compute units. The HD 8750M is equipped with 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 raster operation units (ROPs). The R5 M435 reduces this to 320 shading units and 20 TMUs, while keeping the same 8 ROPs. This 64-shading-unit deficit directly explains the R5 M435’s lower raw compute throughput, despite its higher clock speeds. The memory subsystems also differ fundamentally. The HD 8750M uses 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, while the R5 M435 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus. The R5 M435’s GDDR5 memory runs at a much higher effective speed of 4.5 Gbps compared to the HD 8750M’s 1800 Mbps effective, leading to a higher memory bandwidth of 36.00 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s.

Both GPUs support the same API set: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Clock speeds differ, with the R5 M435 having a higher base clock of 780 MHz and a significantly higher boost clock of 1030 MHz, compared to the HD 8750M’s 775 MHz base and 825 MHz boost. The R5 M435 also has a higher pixel rate of 8.240 GPixel/s versus 6.600 GPixel/s, and a higher texture rate of 20.60 GTexel/s versus 19.80 GTexel/s. However, due to its larger number of shading units, the HD 8750M achieves a higher FP32 (single-precision floating point) performance of 633.6 GFLOPS versus the R5 M435’s 659.2 GFLOPS — wait, that is incorrect. The data shows the R5 M435 has a higher FP32 of 659.2 GFLOPS compared to 633.6 GFLOPS for the HD 8750M, a result of its more aggressive boost clock. Both units use a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface.

The Verdict

From a pure performance standpoint, the data is clear: the AMD Radeon HD 8750M is the faster GPU, winning the only benchmark and achieving a higher overall percentile rank. Its 1.9% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is small, but it is backed by a superior shading unit count that gives it an edge in compute-heavy workloads. For users who prioritize raw processing power and are working with applications that leverage OpenCL, the HD 8750M is the better choice.

However, the AMD Radeon R5 M435 is not without merit. Its key advantages are its 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and higher bandwidth of 36.00 GB/s. This configuration is significantly better for tasks that require large amounts of memory, such as holding larger textures or datasets in VRAM. The R5 M435’s higher boost clock of 1030 MHz also contributes to its superior pixel rate and texture rate, which can benefit certain graphics workloads. If you are dealing with scenarios where memory capacity is the bottleneck, the R5 M435 will be the more practical option despite lower compute scores.

Strictly from the data, the HD 8750M is the pick for general compute performance, while the R5 M435 is the pick for memory-intensive tasks or when a newer, more efficient chip design is preferred. The HD 8750M is from 2013, while the R5 M435 is from 2016, but the older card’s raw compute power still holds up.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8750M scores 5970, which is 1.9% higher than the AMD Radeon R5 M435’s score of 5859.

Q: Does the Radeon R5 M435 have more memory than the HD 8750M?

A: Yes. The R5 M435 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the HD 8750M has 1024 MB of DDR3 memory.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two?

A: The R5 M435 has a higher memory bandwidth of 36.00 GB/s due to its faster GDDR5 memory, whereas the HD 8750M offers 28.80 GB/s over a wider 128-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8750M has 384 shading units, which is more than the 320 shading units found on the AMD Radeon R5 M435.

Q: How does the R5 M435 compare to the Intel UHD Graphics 730?

A: The R5 M435 scores 5859, which is -1.2% lower than the Intel UHD Graphics 730’s score of 5929.

Q: Are both GPUs based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both the HD 8750M and the R5 M435 are built on the GCN 1.0 architecture and use a 28 nm manufacturing process at TSMC.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon HD 8750M Wins:

• Compute Performance: The HD 8750M wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and its 384 shading units provide more raw parallel processing power for OpenCL workloads.
• Relative Standing: It sits at the 34th percentile and holds a positive delta against its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA Quadro K620M and AMD Radeon HD 8730M.
• Shading Capacity: With 24 TMUs and 384 shading units, it has more texture and compute resources than the R5 M435.

AMD Radeon R5 M435 Wins:

• Memory Capacity: The 2 GB frame buffer is double that of the HD 8750M, making it better suited for workloads that need to store large datasets.
• Memory Bandwidth: Its 36.00 GB/s bandwidth is 25% higher than the HD 8750M’s 28.80 GB/s, despite a narrower 64-bit bus, thanks to faster GDDR5.
• Fill Rates: Higher pixel rate of 8.240 GPixel/s and texture rate of 20.60 GTexel/s give it an edge in rasterization-heavy tasks.
• Clock Speeds: A higher boost clock of 1030 MHz allows it to execute instructions faster per core than the HD 8750M’s 825 MHz boost.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 8750M | AMD Radeon R5 M435 |

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

| Chip | Mars | Jet |

| Generation | Solar System (HD 8700M) | Gem System (R5 M400) |

| Transistors | 950 million | 690 million |

| Die Size | 77 mm² | 56 mm² |

| Base Clock | 775 MHz | 780 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 825 MHz | 1030 MHz |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | DDR3 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Speed | 1800 Mbps effective | 4.5 Gbps effective |

| Memory Bandwidth | 28.80 GB/s | 36.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 320 |

| TMUs | 24 | 20 |

| Pixel Rate | 6.600 GPixel/s | 8.240 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 19.80 GTexel/s | 20.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 633.6 GFLOPS | 659.2 GFLOPS |

| Slot Width | N/A | IGP |

| Display Outputs | N/A | Portable Device Dependent |

| Release Date | 2013-02-25 | 2016-05-14 |

| Predecessor | London | Solar System |

| Successor | Gem System | Polaris Mobile |