AMD Radeon R5 M230 vs AMD Radeon R8 M445DX Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX and AMD Radeon R5 M230 are both end-of-life integrated graphics parts, but the benchmark data shows a clear, if narrow, winner. In the single available Geekbench OpenCL test, the R8 M445DX scores 4727 points against the R5 M230's 4577 points. That is a 3.3% advantage for the R8 M445DX, a margin that is meaningful but hardly transformative. The R8 M445DX wins the head-to-head 1-0.

Context from the nearest rivals list puts these scores in perspective. The R8 M445DX sits 0.5% below the AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4752) and 0.9% above the NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4684). It trails the AMD Radeon R5 M255 (4788) by 1.3% and matches the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB (4791) within 1.3% — an amusing data point that shows how a low-end integrated part can occasionally brush against a high-end discrete card in a single synthetic workload. The R5 M230, meanwhile, is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 560 (4569) and 0.4% above the Intel HD Graphics P530 (4560). It lags the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M (4621) by 0.9% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (4628) by 1.1%.

What the numbers tell us is that both GPUs occupy the same performance stratum. The R8 M445DX's 4727-point score places it at the 27th percentile of all GPUs, and the R5 M230's 4577-point result lands at the identical 27th percentile. Both are entry-level parts, but the R8 M445DX has the edge in raw compute output. The delta is small — 150 points — yet it is consistent across the board, as the R8 M445DX's higher clocks and newer architecture deliver a measurable uplift in every metric that feeds the OpenCL score.

# Where Each One Wins

The R8 M445DX wins the only benchmark head-to-head, and its victory is rooted in superior throughput. Its pixel rate is 8.168 GPixel/s versus 4.880 GPixel/s for the R5 M230 — a 67% advantage in fill-rate-bound tasks. Texture rate follows the same pattern: 20.42 GTexel/s against 12.20 GTexel/s, a 67% lead. FP32 compute is 653.4 GFLOPS versus 390.4 GFLOPS, a 67% gap as well. The R8 M445DX also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (653.4 GFLOPS), while the R5 M230 has no listed FP16 capability. For any workload that relies on raw shader throughput — pixel shading, texture filtering, or general-purpose compute — the R8 M445DX is the clear pick.

The R5 M230, however, has its own strengths. It is the only one of the two with dedicated video memory: 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The R8 M445DX uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent" — meaning its performance scales with the host laptop's memory configuration. In a system with slow or single-channel RAM, the R5 M230's fixed memory architecture could actually close the gap or even overtake the R8 M445DX in memory-sensitive scenarios. The R5 M230 also has a defined bus interface (PCIe 3.0 x8), whereas the R8 M445DX is listed as IGP, tying it more tightly to the motherboard's capabilities.

For users, the split is simple: the R8 M445DX wins on compute and fill-rate metrics; the R5 M230 wins on having a predictable, dedicated memory pool. If you are running a laptop with ample system RAM, the R8 M445DX is the better performer. If the system memory is a bottleneck, the R5 M230's dedicated DDR3 could be more consistent.

# Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) design. The R8 M445DX uses GCN 3.0 on the Meso chip, while the R5 M230 uses GCN 1.0 on the Jet chip. This generational gap explains much of the performance difference. GCN 3.0 brought refined instruction scheduling and better power management, though both parts are built on the same 28 nm process at TSMC.

The transistor budgets differ dramatically. The R8 M445DX packs 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, giving a density of 12.4 million transistors per mm². The R5 M230 has 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, with a density of 12.3M / mm². The density is nearly identical — a reflection of the same process node — but the R8 M445DX has more than double the silicon area and transistor count. That extra hardware translates directly into the 67% performance lead in pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32.

Both parts share the same core configuration: 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The R8 M445DX's advantage comes from its clocks, not its core count. It runs at a base of 780 MHz and boosts to 1021 MHz. The R5 M230 has no listed base or boost clock — the only clock given is 1000 MHz for memory (2 Gbps effective) — but the R8 M445DX's boost clock of 1021 MHz, combined with the more efficient GCN 3.0 architecture, is what pushes its throughput higher.

Memory architecture is a stark differentiator. The R8 M445DX uses System Shared memory entirely — no dedicated VRAM, no fixed bus width, no listed bandwidth. The R5 M230 has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus at 16.00 GB/s. The R8 M445DX's bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning it relies on the host's RAM speed and configuration, whereas the R5 M230's is fixed. API support also differs: the R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the R5 M230 only manages DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

# FAQ

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

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727 versus 4577 for the AMD Radeon R5 M230, a 3.3% advantage for the R8 M445DX.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same number of shading units?

A: Yes, both have 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The performance difference comes from clocks and architecture, not core counts.

Q: Does the R5 M230 have dedicated video memory?

A: Yes, it has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. The R8 M445DX uses System Shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

Q: What is the pixel rate difference between the two?

A: The R8 M445DX achieves 8.168 GPixel/s, while the R5 M230 manages 4.880 GPixel/s — a 67% lead for the R8 M445DX.

Q: Which GPU has a newer architecture?

A: The R8 M445DX uses GCN 3.0 on the Meso chip, while the R5 M230 uses GCN 1.0 on the Jet chip. Both are built on TSMC's 28 nm process.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are marked as End-of-life. The R8 M445DX was released in May 2016, and the R5 M230 in January 2014.

# Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R8 M445DX | AMD Radeon R5 M230 |

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

| Chip | Meso | Jet |

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Generation | Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400) | Gem System (R5 M200) |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 690 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 56 mm² |

| Base Clock | 780 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 1021 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | System Shared | 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 16.00 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 8.168 GPixel/s | 4.880 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 20.42 GTexel/s | 12.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 653.4 GFLOPS | 390.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not listed |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

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

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2014-01-06 |

| Predecessor | Not listed | Solar System |

| Successor | Not listed | Polaris Mobile |

# The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX is the stronger GPU. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark with a 3.3% margin, and its architectural advantages are consistent across every compute metric. The 67% lead in pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput is a decisive edge for any graphics workload. The R8 M445DX also brings a newer architecture (GCN 3.0 versus GCN 1.0), higher clocks (1021 MHz boost versus no listed clocks), and full DirectX 12_0 support. It has twice the transistor count (1,550 million versus 690 million) and more than double the die area (125 mm² versus 56 mm²), all of which feeds its superior output.

The R5 M230's counterargument is its dedicated memory. Having 2 GB of DDR3 at 16.00 GB/s means predictable bandwidth, whereas the R8 M445DX's performance hinges on system RAM. In a laptop with slow memory, the R5 M230 could close the gap. But that is a conditional scenario, not a general one. The R8 M445DX's "System Dependent" bandwidth is a risk, but the raw compute advantage is large enough to overcome it in most configurations.

The percentile rankings are identical — both sit at the 27th percentile of all GPUs — which tells you these are both entry-level parts. Neither will run demanding games at high settings. But within this class, the R8 M445DX is the better choice. The R5 M230, released over two years earlier in January 2014, is a step behind in architecture and throughput. The R8 M445DX, from May 2016, is the more modern and capable part.

Users should pick the R8 M445DX if they want the best compute performance and are confident their system has adequate RAM. Users should pick the R5 M230 only if they prioritize fixed memory bandwidth over raw speed, or if they are working with a system that has limited shared memory. The verdict is clear: the R8 M445DX wins on performance, and the R5 M230 wins only on memory predictability.