AMD Radeon HD 8870M vs NVIDIA Quadro P2200 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro P2200 and AMD Radeon HD 8870M represent two very different eras of mobile and workstation graphics, separated by six years of architectural evolution. The data available for direct comparison is limited to a single shared benchmark, but that result tells a decisive story about generational performance gaps.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only common benchmark between the two cards is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are starkly one-sided. The NVIDIA Quadro P2200 delivers a score of 32344, while the AMD Radeon HD 8870M manages just 8462. That translates to a delta of 282.2%, meaning the Quadro P2200 is nearly four times faster in this compute-oriented workload. This is not a marginal victory; it is a complete rout that reflects the fundamental technological gap between a 2019 workstation GPU and a 2013 mobile part.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the Quadro P2200 has nine recorded benchmark scores across DirectX 9 through 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and 2D/3D tests. Its strongest showing comes in Passmark G3D with 9364 points, while its weakest is a mere 33 points in Passmark DirectX 12. The Radeon HD 8870M, by contrast, has only the single Geekbench OpenCL result, making cross-test comparisons impossible beyond that one data point.

The average benchmark score for the Quadro P2200 sits at 8686, which places it at the 44th percentile of all GPUs. The Radeon HD 8870M’s average score of 8462 puts it at the 43rd percentile. Despite the massive OpenCL gap, the percentile standings are surprisingly close — a reminder that the Radeon’s single data point is not necessarily representative of its full capability profile. The Quadro P2200’s nearest rivals by average score include the GeForce GTX 460 v2 at 8743 (0.7% higher), the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile at 8746 (0.7% higher), the FirePro W5170M at 8595 (1.1% lower), and the Arc A380 at 8558 (1.5% lower). The Radeon HD 8870M’s nearest rivals are the GeForce MX330 at 8458 (0.1% higher), the Radeon 880M at 8436 (0.3% higher), the GeForce GTX 675MX at 8427 (0.4% higher), and the same Arc A380 at 8558 (1.1% higher).

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro P2200 wins the only direct head-to-head comparison, and it does so decisively. In compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, the Quadro’s advantage is overwhelming. This suggests it is better suited for professional applications that leverage GPU compute, such as rendering, simulation, and data processing. The card’s additional benchmark results — while not directly comparable to the Radeon — show a well-rounded profile with strong 2D performance (881 in Passmark G2D) and solid DirectX 11 capability (70 in Passmark DirectX 11).

The Radeon HD 8870M’s single recorded benchmark gives it no clear victory in any category. However, its percentile ranking at 43 versus the Quadro’s 44 indicates that, in the broader GPU landscape, these cards are not as far apart as the raw OpenCL score might suggest. The Radeon’s 8462 average score is within 2.6% of the Quadro’s 8686 average, which implies that in some unmeasured workloads, the Radeon could be competitive. Without additional data points, those potential wins remain speculative.

For users prioritizing raw compute throughput, the Quadro P2200 is the obvious choice. For scenarios where the Radeon’s lower power footprint or older driver ecosystem might matter, the data does not provide enough evidence to recommend it. The benchmark record shows one clear winner and one clear loser.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is vast. The Quadro P2200 uses NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture on the GP106 chip, built on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It packs 4,400 million transistors into a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.0 million per square millimeter. The Radeon HD 8870M uses AMD’s GCN 1.0 architecture on the Venus chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains just 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, with a density of 12.2 million per square millimeter.

These differences manifest in raw compute resources. The Quadro P2200 has 1280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 40 render output units. The Radeon HD 8870M has roughly half the shading units at 640, 40 TMUs, and just 16 ROPs. The Quadro’s pixel rate is 59.72 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 119.4 GTexel/s. The Radeon’s pixel rate is 12.40 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 31.00 GTexel/s. In floating-point performance, the Quadro delivers 3.822 TFLOPS of FP32, while the Radeon manages 992.0 GFLOPS — a difference of roughly 3.85 times. The Quadro also supports FP16 at 59.72 GFLOPS (with a 1:64 ratio), while the Radeon has no listed FP16 capability.

The memory subsystems are equally divergent. The Quadro P2200 uses 5 GB of GDDR5X on a 160-bit bus, achieving 200.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon HD 8870M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with just 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Quadro’s memory clock is 1251 MHz (10 Gbps effective), while the Radeon’s is 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective). These differences compound the compute gap, giving the Quadro nearly three times the memory bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every measurable specification. The Quadro P2200 has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1493 MHz, while the Radeon HD 8870M runs at 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost. The Quadro’s process node is 16 nm versus the Radeon’s 28 nm. Transistor counts are 4,400 million versus 1,500 million, and die sizes are 200 mm² versus 123 mm².

Memory configurations are entirely different: 5 GB of GDDR5X on a 160-bit bus versus 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. Bandwidth is 200.2 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s. The Quadro has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 40 ROPs, while the Radeon has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel and texture rates are 59.72 GPixel/s and 119.4 GTexel/s versus 12.40 GPixel/s and 31.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 3.822 TFLOPS versus 992.0 GFLOPS.

The Quadro P2200 has a TDP of 75 W, a single-slot form factor, no power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 250 W. It measures 201 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The Radeon HD 8870M has no listed TDP, slot width, power connectors, or dimensions. The Quadro supports four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs; the Radeon has no display outputs listed. API support also differs: the Quadro offers DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon offers DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both use PCIe 3.0 x16. The Quadro’s generation is Quadro Pascal (Px200), while the Radeon’s is Solar System (HD 8800M). The Quadro’s predecessor is Quadro Maxwell and its successor is Quadro Volta; the Radeon’s predecessor is London and its successor is Gem System. Both are end-of-life products, with the Quadro released in June 2019 and the Radeon in March 2013.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro P2200 scores 32344 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 282.2% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8870M’s 8462. This is the only shared benchmark between the two cards.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Quadro P2200 has an average benchmark score of 8686 across nine tests, while the Radeon HD 8870M has an average of 8462 from a single test. The Quadro sits at the 44th percentile of all GPUs; the Radeon sits at the 43rd.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each card?

A: The Quadro P2200’s nearest rivals include the GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8743, 0.7% higher) and the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746, 0.7% higher). The Radeon HD 8870M’s nearest rivals include the GeForce MX330 (8458, 0.1% higher) and the Radeon 880M (8436, 0.3% higher).

Q: How much memory bandwidth does each card provide?

A: The Quadro P2200 provides 200.2 GB/s from 5 GB of GDDR5X on a 160-bit bus. The Radeon HD 8870M provides 72.00 GB/s from 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: What are the shading unit counts?

A: The Quadro P2200 has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. The Radeon HD 8870M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The Quadro P2200 boosts to 1493 MHz, while the Radeon HD 8870M boosts to 775 MHz. The Quadro also has a higher base clock at 1000 MHz versus 725 MHz.