AMD Radeon HD 8850M vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single head-to-head benchmark result for this pairing, and it is decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 scores 6698 points. That yields a delta of 11.2% in favor of the AMD part. This is not a marginal victory; an 11.2% lead in a compute-centric workload places the HD 8850M clearly ahead in raw OpenCL throughput.

Looking at the broader context from the database, the AMD Radeon HD 8850M sits at the 40th percentile among all GPUs, while the GeForce GT 1010 sits at the 38th percentile. The two-point percentile gap is modest, but the score difference is consistent with that ordering. The AMD card's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel UHD Graphics 750 at 7441 points (a 0.1% difference) and the AMD Radeon R7 350 at 7425 points (0.3% difference). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7472 points, which is 0.3% higher than the HD 8850M. This places the HD 8850M in a tight cluster where a few points separate it from newer integrated graphics and a much newer discrete card.

The GeForce GT 1010, by contrast, is grouped with a slower set of rivals. Its nearest neighbor is the AMD Radeon R7 M370 at 6764 points, which is 1% faster than the GT 1010. The AMD Radeon R7 M460 trails it by 1.3%, and the AMD Radeon HD 7730M is 1.8% behind. The fastest rival in this cluster is the AMD FirePro M5100 at 6830 points, 1.9% ahead of the GT 1010. So while the GT 1010 is competitive within its immediate peer group, that peer group sits roughly 700 points below the AMD HD 8850M's cluster.

The single head-to-head result is the only direct measurement available, but it aligns with the percentile rankings and the rival clusters. The AMD card wins the one recorded benchmark with an 11.2% margin, and no test in the database shows the NVIDIA part ahead. This is a straightforward outcome: the AMD Radeon HD 8850M is the faster GPU in OpenCL compute performance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 8850M wins the only benchmark recorded in the database. That is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where it posts 7447 points versus the GeForce GT 1010's 6698 points. The 11.2% advantage indicates that for compute-oriented tasks, particularly those that leverage OpenCL, the older AMD architecture holds a real edge. The HD 8850M also has a higher transistor density in its immediate rival group, but more importantly, its raw score is simply higher.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 does not win any recorded benchmark in this comparison. Its wins are limited to architectural and feature differences rather than measured performance. It has a higher pixel rate (11.74 GPixel/s versus 10.00 GPixel/s) and a higher boost clock (1468 MHz versus 625 MHz), but these do not translate into a benchmark victory in the available data. The GT 1010 also supports DirectX 12 (12_1) versus the HD 8850M's DirectX 12 (11_1), and it has a newer Vulkan version (1.4 versus 1.2.170). For applications that depend on those newer API features, the NVIDIA card may be more capable, but no benchmark in the database confirms this.

The GT 1010 also has a much more efficient process node: 14 nm Samsung versus 28 nm TSMC. It packs 1,800 million transistors into a 74 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.3M per mm², versus the HD 8850M's 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die at 12.2M per mm². This efficiency advantage is real, but it does not show up in the compute benchmark. The GT 1010's power draw is listed at 30 W with no power connectors required and a suggested PSU of 200 W, while the HD 8850M has no TDP listed. For low-power or compact systems, the GT 1010 is clearly the more practical choice, but that is a system integration consideration, not a performance win.

In terms of use cases, the data supports the AMD card for OpenCL compute workloads. The NVIDIA card is preferable for scenarios where its newer API support or lower power envelope matters, but the database does not contain a benchmark that demonstrates a performance advantage for the GT 1010.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous on raw performance: the AMD Radeon HD 8850M wins the only head-to-head benchmark, with an 11.2% higher Geekbench OpenCL score (7447 versus 6698). It also holds a higher percentile ranking (40th versus 38th). Anyone prioritizing measured compute performance should choose the AMD card.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is the better option for a different set of criteria. Its 30 W TDP, single-slot design, no power connectors, and 200 W suggested PSU make it far easier to integrate into small or low-power systems. Its PCIe 3.0 x4 interface is narrower than the HD 8850M's PCIe 3.0 x16, but that is offset by the lower power requirements. It also supports newer API versions: DirectX 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_1), and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.2.170. For software that requires those newer features, the GT 1010 is the safer pick.

The HD 8850M, meanwhile, offers more memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s versus 48.06 GB/s) despite the same 2 GB GDDR5 capacity. It also has a wider 128-bit memory bus versus the GT 1010's 64-bit bus. Its shading unit count is higher (640 versus 256), as are its TMUs (40 versus 16) and ROPs (16 versus 8). These architectural advantages likely explain the OpenCL score gap, even though the GT 1010 has higher clocks.

The verdict from the database: the AMD Radeon HD 8850M is the faster GPU in compute workloads. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is the more efficient, more modern-featured GPU for constrained builds. If the choice hinges on benchmark scores, pick AMD. If it hinges on power, size, or API compatibility, pick NVIDIA.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 scores 6698 points. The AMD card is 11.2% ahead.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M is at the 40th percentile among all GPUs, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is at the 38th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M has 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010's 48.06 GB/s. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: What are the architectural differences in DirectX and Vulkan support?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD Radeon HD 8850M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 has a 30 W TDP, requires no power connectors, and suggests a 200 W PSU. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M has no TDP listed in the database.

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

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M's closest rival is the Intel UHD Graphics 750 at 7441 points (0.1% slower). The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010's closest rival is the AMD Radeon R7 M370 at 6764 points (1% faster).

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different eras and different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M uses the Venus chip on GCN 1.0 architecture, belonging to the Solar System generation (HD 8800M series). It was built on TSMC's 28 nm process and contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 uses the GP108 chip on Pascal architecture, part of the GeForce 10 generation. It is built on Samsung's 14 nm process and contains 1,800 million transistors on a much smaller 74 mm² die, giving a density of 24.3M per mm².

Clock speeds differ significantly. The AMD card runs at a base clock of 575 MHz with a boost of 625 MHz. The NVIDIA card runs at a base of 1228 MHz and a boost of 1468 MHz. Despite the higher clocks, the GT 1010 falls behind in compute performance, which points to the AMD card's wider execution resources.

The memory subsystems are also different. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5, but the HD 8850M uses a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the GT 1010 uses a 64-bit bus with 48.06 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD card's memory runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the NVIDIA card's memory runs at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The NVIDIA part compensates with faster memory clocks, but not enough to overcome the narrower bus.

Compute resources heavily favor AMD. The HD 8850M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GT 1010 has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The AMD card's pixel rate is 10.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 25.00 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA card's pixel rate is 11.74 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 23.49 GTexel/s. So the GT 1010 has a slightly higher pixel fill rate, but the AMD card has a higher texture fill rate and more than double the shading units. FP32 performance is 800.0 GFLOPS for the AMD card versus 751.6 GFLOPS for the NVIDIA card, a 6.4% advantage for AMD that aligns with the OpenCL benchmark result.

The bus interface differs as well: the HD 8850M uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GT 1010 uses PCIe 3.0 x4. The GT 1010 is a single-slot card with no power connectors, a 30 W TDP, and a suggested PSU of 200 W. It measures 147 mm or 5.8 inches in length. The AMD card has no dimensions, power, or slot width listed. The GT 1010's display outputs are 1x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 2.0; the HD 8850M has no display outputs listed.

The release timeline is also notable. The HD 8850M was released on 2013-03-31, while the GT 1010 was released on 2021-01-12. The AMD card is from the Solar System generation, with the predecessor London and successor Gem System. The NVIDIA card's predecessor is GeForce 900 and its successor is GeForce 20. Both are end-of-life products. The GT 1010's newer release date and process node give it a power efficiency advantage, but the HD 8850M's older, wider architecture still wins the compute benchmark.