AMD Radeon R5 M240 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 and the AMD Radeon R5 M240 is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisively one-sided. The GTX 980 scores 34,676 points, while the R5 M240 manages 6,975 points. That is a 397.1% advantage for the NVIDIA part, meaning the GTX 980 delivers roughly five times the compute performance in this workload. For context, the R5 M240’s score places it within 0.4% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (6,946) and 0.7% below the GTX 680M (7,023), so it is firmly in the mobile-class range of the early-to-mid 2010s. The GTX 980, by contrast, sits near the top of the desktop GPU hierarchy for its generation, with an average benchmark score of 8,167 across all recorded tests.

The delta is so large that it is not a close contest in any sense. The R5 M240’s single recorded benchmark score of 6,975 is less than one-fifth of the GTX 980’s OpenCL output. Even when comparing the GTX 980’s average benchmark score of 8,167 to the R5 M240’s 6,975, the NVIDIA card holds a 17.1% lead, though that comparison is skewed because the GTX 980 has multiple benchmarks while the R5 M240 has only one. The head-to-head data shows exactly one test, one winner, and zero wins for the AMD part.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 980 wins the sole head-to-head benchmark, and it also dominates across its broader benchmark suite. The database records scores for the GTX 980 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (474), Geekbench Metal (15,163), Geekbench OpenCL (34,676), Geekbench Vulkan (22,543), PassMark DirectX 10 (53), DirectX 11 (83), DirectX 12 (46), DirectX 9 (164), G2D (792), G3D (11,095), and GPU Compute (4,753). These results cover a wide range of API and workload types, from legacy DirectX 9 to modern Vulkan and Metal. The R5 M240, in contrast, has only the OpenCL result, so there is no recorded data for DirectX, Metal, Vulkan, or compute-focused PassMark tests.

In terms of use cases, the GTX 980 is the clear choice for any workload that stresses raw compute, modern APIs, or high-resolution rendering. Its G3D score of 11,095 and GPU Compute score of 4,753 indicate strong performance in 3D graphics and general-purpose compute, respectively. The R5 M240’s 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs are a fraction of the GTX 980’s 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 980 also offers 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the R5 M240 has 1 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. For gaming, content creation, or compute tasks, the GTX 980 is categorically superior. The R5 M240, with its 659.2 GFLOPS FP32 throughput, is suited only to light or legacy workloads, and the database shows no scenario where it outperforms the GTX 980.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and design philosophies. The GTX 980 uses NVIDIA’s Maxwell 2.0 architecture on the GM204 chip, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 5,200 million transistors into a 398 mm² die, for a transistor density of 13.1 million per mm². The R5 M240 uses AMD’s GCN 1.0 architecture on the Jet chip, also fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but with just 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, yielding 12.3 million per mm². The GTX 980 is a large, high-power desktop part with a 165 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, and two 6-pin power connectors. The R5 M240 is a low-power mobile chip with no recorded TDP, slot width, or power connector requirements, and it connects via PCIe 3.0 x8 rather than the GTX 980’s PCIe 3.0 x16.

Memory configurations differ drastically. The GTX 980 has 4 GB of GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 224.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the R5 M240 has 1 GB of DDR3 with a 64-bit bus and 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. Clock speeds also favor the GTX 980: it runs at 1,127 MHz base and 1,216 MHz boost, with memory at 1,753 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The R5 M240 runs at 1,000 MHz base and 1,030 MHz boost, with memory at 900 MHz (1,800 Mbps effective). Compute throughput reflects the scale difference: the GTX 980 delivers 4.981 TFLOPS FP32, 77.82 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 155.6 GTexel/s texture rate, versus the R5 M240’s 659.2 GFLOPS, 8.24 GPixel/s, and 20.6 GTexel/s.

API support also differs. The GTX 980 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R5 M240 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 980’s higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version give it an edge in modern titles and applications. Both cards are end-of-life products, but the GTX 980 launched one day earlier, on 2014-09-18, versus the R5 M240’s 2014-09-17. The GTX 980’s predecessor is the GeForce 700 series and its successor is the GeForce 10 series; the R5 M240’s predecessor is the Solar System family and its successor is Polaris Mobile.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 than the AMD Radeon R5 M240 in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 980 scores 34,676 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the R5 M240 scores 6,975. That is a 397.1% higher score for the GTX 980.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GTX 980 has 2,048 shading units, compared to 320 on the R5 M240.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The GTX 980 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth. The R5 M240 uses 1 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Are both GPUs built on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. However, the GTX 980 has 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, while the R5 M240 has 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die.

Q: What is the release date difference between the two cards?

A: The R5 M240 was released on 2014-09-17, and the GTX 980 was released one day later on 2014-09-18.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The GTX 980 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R5 M240 supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 980’s higher feature level and newer Vulkan version are more capable for modern software.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 outperforms the AMD Radeon R5 M240 by a massive margin in the only shared benchmark, and its broader benchmark suite shows strength across DirectX, Metal, Vulkan, and compute workloads. The GTX 980’s average benchmark score of 8,167 places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, while the R5 M240’s 6,975 average places it in the 39th percentile. In terms of nearest rivals, the GTX 980 sits within 0.4% of the GeForce GTX 950M (8,135) and 0.5% of the Radeon R9 M360 (8,129), while the R5 M240 is within 0.4% of the GeForce GTX 675M (6,946) and 2.1% above the FirePro M5100 (6,830). The GTX 980 is clearly a high-end desktop part, whereas the R5 M240 is a low-end mobile part.

For anyone choosing between these two, the GTX 980 is the only sensible option for gaming, 3D rendering, or compute tasks. Its 4 GB GDDR5 memory, 224.4 GB/s bandwidth, and 4.981 TFLOPS FP32 performance are in a different class from the R5 M240’s 1 GB DDR3, 14.40 GB/s bandwidth, and 659.2 GFLOPS. The R5 M240 might suffice for basic display output or very light 2D workloads, but the database shows no benchmark where it beats the GTX 980. The GTX 980 also has a higher transistor count, larger die, and more advanced architecture, all of which contribute to its decisive lead. The R5 M240, with its single OpenCL score, simply cannot compete, and the recorded data supports no other conclusion.