AMD Radeon HD 8850M vs AMD Radeon R9 M360 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M360 and AMD Radeon HD 8850M are both end-of-life mobile GPUs built on the same 28 nm process and GCN 1.0 architecture, but they target different performance tiers within their respective generations. Benchmark data shows the R9 M360 is the clear winner in raw compute, but the HD 8850M offers a different balance of specifications that may appeal in specific use cases. This analysis breaks down where each card excels and who should consider which, based strictly on the available data.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon R9 M360 is the straightforward performance pick. Its average benchmark score of 8129 places it at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, while the HD 8850M sits at 7447 and the 40th percentile. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, the R9 M360 scores 8211 versus 7447 for the HD 8850M — a decisive 10.3% advantage. For any workload that relies on OpenCL compute, the R9 M360 is the superior choice.

However, the HD 8850M is not without merit. It carries 640 shading units and 40 texture mapping units, compared to 512 and 32 respectively on the R9 M360. This means the HD 8850M has a higher theoretical shader count, even though its lower clocks (575 MHz base / 625 MHz boost versus 900 MHz / 925 MHz) drag its real-world performance down. The R9 M360 compensates with much higher clocks and a significantly higher pixel rate of 14.80 GPixel/s versus 10.00 GPixel/s.

For buyers, the verdict is simple: pick the R9 M360 for better compute performance and higher memory capacity (4 GB vs 2 GB). The HD 8850M only makes sense if the specific workload is heavily shader-bound and benefits from the extra shading units, but the data suggests that advantage is theoretical rather than practical. The R9 M360 wins the only direct comparison, and its nearest rivals — the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M (8135, -0.1%) and GTX 980 (8167, -0.5%) — show it is competitive with much more recent hardware.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture: GCN 1.0, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. They both use 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding an identical transistor density of 12.2M per mm². The manufacturing foundation is identical, which means any performance differences come down to configuration and clock speeds.

The chips themselves are different. The R9 M360 uses the Tropo chip, part of the Gem System (R9 M300) generation, while the HD 8850M uses the Venus chip from the Solar System (HD 8800M) generation. The R9 M360 was released on May 4, 2015, while the HD 8850M came earlier, on March 31, 2013. The R9 M360's predecessor is the Solar System, and its successor is Polaris Mobile; the HD 8850M's predecessor is London, and its successor is the Gem System — which is the R9 M360's generation.

The core configurations differ significantly. The HD 8850M has more shading units (640 vs 512) and more TMUs (40 vs 32), but both have the same 16 ROPs. The R9 M360 more than compensates with higher clocks: 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost versus 575 MHz and 625 MHz on the HD 8850M. This clock advantage drives the R9 M360's higher fill rates: 14.80 GPixel/s pixel rate and 29.60 GTexel/s texture rate, versus 10.00 GPixel/s and 25.00 GTexel/s for the HD 8850M.

Memory is another key differentiator. The R9 M360 offers 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, running at 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective speed, yielding 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 8850M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus, but at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective, resulting in 64.00 GB/s. Both support the same API set: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, and both use PCIe 3.0 x16.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M360, with an average score of 8129, is 9.2% higher than the HD 8850M's 7447. The R9 M360 also sits at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, two points above the HD 8850M's 40th percentile.

Q: Does the HD 8850M have any specification advantage over the R9 M360?

A: Yes. The HD 8850M has 640 shading units and 40 texture mapping units, compared to 512 and 32 on the R9 M360. This gives it a higher shader count, but its significantly lower clocks (625 MHz boost vs 925 MHz boost) negate this advantage in practice.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The R9 M360 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 8850M has 2 GB with 64.00 GB/s. Both use a 128-bit bus, but the R9 M360's memory runs at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) versus 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) on the HD 8850M.

Q: How do the nearest rivals compare to each GPU?

A: The R9 M360's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M at 8135 (-0.1%), while the HD 8850M's closest is the Intel UHD Graphics 750 at 7441 (0.1%). The R9 M360 also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (8167, -0.5%), a much higher-tier card.

Q: Are both GPUs the same age and production status?

A: Both are end-of-life, but the R9 M360 was released on May 4, 2015, while the HD 8850M was released on March 31, 2013 — over two years earlier. The R9 M360 belongs to the Gem System generation, while the HD 8850M belongs to the Solar System generation.

Q: Do they support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. There is no difference in API support between the two.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

| Specification | AMD Radeon R9 M360 | AMD Radeon HD 8850M |

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

| Chip | Tropo | Venus |

| Generation | Gem System (R9 M300) | Solar System (HD 8800M) |

| Release Date | May 4, 2015 | March 31, 2013 |

| Base Clock | 900 MHz | 575 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 925 MHz | 625 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 72.00 GB/s | 64.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 512 | 640 |

| TMUs | 32 | 40 |

| Pixel Rate | 14.80 GPixel/s | 10.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 29.60 GTexel/s | 25.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 947.2 GFLOPS | 800.0 GFLOPS |

| Predecessor | Solar System | London |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | Gem System |

| Average Benchmark Score | 8129 | 7447 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 42 | 40 |

Identical specifications include: manufacturer (AMD), architecture (GCN 1.0), process node (28 nm), foundry (TSMC), transistors (1,500 million), die size (123 mm²), transistor density (12.2M / mm²), ROPs (16), memory type (GDDR5), memory bus width (128 bit), bus interface (PCIe 3.0 x16), DirectX version (12 (11_1)), OpenGL version (4.6), Vulkan version (1.2.170), and production status (end-of-life). Neither has a launch MSRP listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD Radeon R9 M360 scores 8211 against 7447 for the AMD Radeon HD 8850M. That is a 10.3% delta in favor of the R9 M360, making it the winner of the single head-to-head test. The R9 M360 wins 1 out of 1 benchmarks; the HD 8850M wins none.

This OpenCL result aligns with the theoretical compute figures. The R9 M360 delivers 947.2 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the HD 8850M manages 800.0 GFLOPS. The R9 M360's higher clocks (925 MHz boost vs 625 MHz boost) more than offset the HD 8850M's extra shading units, resulting in a 18.4% FP32 advantage. The R9 M360 also leads in pixel rate (14.80 vs 10.00 GPixel/s, a 48% advantage) and texture rate (29.60 vs 25.00 GTexel/s, an 18.4% advantage).

The R9 M360's nearest rival comparison reinforces its position. It is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M (8135, -0.1%) and slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 945M (8099, 0.4%). Notably, it trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (8167) by only 0.5%, a desktop flagship. The HD 8850M, by contrast, sits in much humbler company: its nearest rivals include the Intel UHD Graphics 750 (7441, 0.1%), AMD Radeon R7 350 (7425, 0.3%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (7472, -0.3%), and Intel Arc A310 (7550, -1.4%). The data shows the R9 M360 competes with dedicated gaming GPUs, while the HD 8850M is closer to integrated graphics territory.