AMD Radeon R5 M255 vs AMD Radeon R7 M440 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data places the AMD Radeon R7 M440 ahead of the AMD Radeon R5 M255 in both recorded tests. The R7 M440 achieves an average benchmark score of 5483, while the R5 M255 trails at 4788. This is a difference of 695 points, roughly 14.5% higher for the R7 M440. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the R7 M440 scores 5214 against 4650 for the R5 M255, a 12.1% lead. In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap widens to 16.8%, with scores of 5751 and 4925 respectively.

The R7 M440 sits in the 32nd percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the R5 M255 sits in the 28th percentile. This means the R7 M440 outperforms a slightly larger share of the overall GPU landscape. Looking at nearest rivals, the R7 M440 is nearly tied with the NVIDIA Quadro M4000, which averages 5467, a delta of only 0.3%. It also edges out the AMD Radeon 610M by 0.7%. The R5 M255, by contrast, sits close to the AMD Radeon R5 M335, which averages 4752, a delta of 0.8% in favor of the R5 M255, and is 1.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX.

For users choosing between these two, the data is clear: the R7 M440 is the stronger part in every measured category. The R5 M255 offers a wider memory bus and higher clock speeds on paper, but the benchmark results favor the R7 M440 regardless. The R7 M440 should be selected when maximum performance in both OpenCL and Vulkan workloads is the priority. The R5 M255 might be considered only if the system configuration requires its specific 128-bit memory interface, though the recorded scores do not show any benefit from that wider bus.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 has an average benchmark score of 5483, compared to 4788 for the AMD Radeon R5 M255. This represents a roughly 14.5% advantage for the R7 M440.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The R7 M440 scores 5751, while the R5 M255 scores 4925. The R7 M440 wins by 16.8%, its largest margin over the R5 M255 in any recorded test.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two?

A: The R7 M440 has 4 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, yielding 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The R5 M255 has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 32.00 GB/s bandwidth. Despite having half the memory and half the bus width, the R7 M440 still wins all benchmarks.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The R5 M255 has 384 shading units, while the R7 M440 has 320. The R5 M255 also has 24 texture mapping units versus 20 on the R7 M440. Both have 8 ROPs.

Q: Are these GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The R7 M440 was released on May 14, 2016, while the R5 M255 was released earlier, on October 11, 2014.

Q: How does the R7 M440 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce MX130?

A: The R7 M440 averages 5483, while the GeForce MX130 averages 5508. The MX130 is 0.5% ahead, making them effectively comparable in the database rankings.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same GCN 3.0 architecture, use a 28 nm process node from TSMC, and share identical transistor counts of 1,550 million on a 125 mm² die. The transistor density is also identical at 12.4M per mm². Both belong to AMD's Gem System generation, though the R7 M440 is part of the R7 M400 sub-generation and the R5 M255 is part of the R5 M200 sub-generation. Both have the same predecessor, Solar System, and the same successor, Polaris Mobile.

The underlying chips differ. The R7 M440 uses the Meso chip, while the R5 M255 uses the Topaz chip. Despite the different chip names, the architecture, process, and die specifications are identical. The API support is also the same: both support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The bus interface is identical as well, PCIe 3.0 x8 for both.

The R7 M440 is listed with a slot width of IGP, meaning it is intended as an integrated graphics solution, while the R5 M255 has no slot width listed. The R7 M440 has portable device dependent display outputs, while the R5 M255 has no display output information recorded. Neither GPU has ray tracing cores or tensor cores listed in the database.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specifications. The R5 M255 has a base clock of 925 MHz and a boost clock of 940 MHz, while the R7 M440 has no base or boost clock recorded. The memory clock also differs: the R7 M440 runs at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective, while the R5 M255 runs at 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity differs significantly. The R7 M440 has 4 GB of DDR3, while the R5 M255 has 2 GB. The memory bus width is 64 bits on the R7 M440 and 128 bits on the R5 M255. This leads to a bandwidth difference: the R7 M440 delivers 14.40 GB/s, while the R5 M255 delivers 32.00 GB/s, more than double.

The compute resources also differ. The R5 M255 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The R7 M440 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The R5 M255 has higher pixel rate at 7.520 GPixel/s versus 7.128 GPixel/s, and higher texture rate at 22.56 GTexel/s versus 17.82 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 721.9 GFLOPS for the R5 M255 and 570.2 GFLOPS for the R7 M440. Both have identical FP16 performance ratios at 1:1.

The release dates differ, with the R5 M255 launching on October 11, 2014, and the R7 M440 on May 14, 2016. Both are end-of-life. Neither has a launch MSRP recorded in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two head-to-head benchmark comparisons between these GPUs. In both cases, the AMD Radeon R7 M440 emerges as the winner. The R5 M255 does not win any of the two recorded comparisons.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the R7 M440 scores 5214 against 4650 for the R5 M255. This is a delta of 12.1% in favor of the R7 M440. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the R7 M440 handles OpenCL compute workloads notably better despite having fewer shading units and lower theoretical FP32 performance. The R5 M255's theoretical FP32 of 721.9 GFLOPS does not translate into a benchmark win.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the R7 M440 scores 5751 against 4925 for the R5 M255. The delta here is 16.8%, an even larger margin. This is the biggest win for the R7 M440 in any recorded test. The Vulkan result suggests the R7 M440 has better driver optimization or architectural efficiency for this API, even though the hardware specifications would seem to favor the R5 M255.

The average of these two scores gives the R7 M440 a 5483 average, placing it at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs. The R5 M255 averages 4788, placing it at the 28th percentile. The nearest rival for the R7 M440 is the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 at 5467, a delta of 0.3%, and the GeForce GTX 765M at 5501, a delta of -0.3%. The nearest rival for the R5 M255 is the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX at 4727, a delta of 1.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX at 4844, a delta of -1.2%.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 wins in both benchmark categories recorded in the database. Its largest advantage is in Vulkan, where it leads by 16.8%. It also leads in OpenCL by 12.1%. The R7 M440 has a higher average benchmark score and a higher percentile ranking. It also has double the memory capacity at 4 GB versus 2 GB. For users running Vulkan-based applications, the R7 M440 is the clear choice based on the 5751 score.

The AMD Radeon R5 M255 does not win any recorded benchmark. However, it does have specification advantages that could matter in certain contexts. It has a 128-bit memory bus, providing 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than double the R7 M440's 14.40 GB/s. It also has higher clock speeds, more shading units, more TMUs, higher pixel rate, higher texture rate, and higher FP32 performance. These specifications suggest the R5 M255 might handle memory-bandwidth-sensitive workloads better in theory, but the recorded benchmark data does not confirm this.

In terms of use cases based on the data, the R7 M440 is the pick for anyone prioritizing OpenCL or Vulkan performance. The R5 M255 could be considered in systems where the wider memory bus is required for compatibility or where the higher theoretical compute throughput is relevant, but the database shows no benchmark where the R5 M255 outperforms the R7 M440. The R7 M440 also benefits from a later release date, which may correlate with better software support, though the database does not explicitly record driver maturity. Both GPUs are end-of-life, so neither is a forward-looking choice. The data simply shows that the R7 M440 is the faster part in every measured scenario.