AMD Radeon R5 M330 vs AMD Radeon R7 Graphics Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark data splits cleanly between two very different compute workloads. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon R5 M330 takes the win with a score of 4302 against 4015 for the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, a delta of -6.7% from the R7's perspective. That means the R5 M330 leads by roughly 7% in this OpenCL test, a meaningful margin for general-purpose GPU compute tasks that rely on raw shader throughput.

The picture reverses dramatically in Geekbench Vulkan. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics posts 5980, while the AMD Radeon R5 M330 manages only 4037. That is a 48.1% advantage for the R7, an enormous gap that indicates the R7's architectural generation handles Vulkan workloads far more efficiently. This is not a marginal difference; it is a near-50% performance swing in favor of the integrated part.

So the use-case split is clear. For OpenCL-based applications, the discrete R5 M330 is the stronger choice, though the margin is modest. For Vulkan-based gaming or compute, the R7 Graphics is decisively ahead. The average benchmark scores reflect this split: the R7 averages 4998 across both tests, while the R5 M330 averages 4170. The R7's average is higher because its Vulkan dominance outweighs its OpenCL deficit.

The percentile data reinforces this. The R7 sits at the 29th percentile among all GPUs, while the R5 M330 sits at the 25th percentile. Neither part is a performance leader, but the R7's overall standing is slightly better. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 at an average score of 4979 (delta 0.4%), the AMD Radeon R5 M430 at 5018 (delta -0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB at 4970 (delta 0.6%), and the AMD FirePro W4170M at 5034 (delta -0.7%). The R5 M330's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M at 4151 (delta 0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti at 4193 (delta -0.5%), the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M at 4241 (delta -1.7%), and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB at 4093 (delta 1.9%).

The R7's average score sits nearly in the middle of its immediate rivals, within 0.7% of all four. The R5 M330 is similarly clustered, within 1.9% of its nearest competition. Both parts occupy the same performance tier in aggregate, but their workload-specific behavior could not be more different.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next architecture. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics uses GCN 2.0, built on the Spectre Lite chip, and belongs to the Kaveri integrated graphics generation. The AMD Radeon R5 M330 uses GCN 1.0, built on the Exo chip, and belongs to the Gem System generation within the R5 M300 family. This generational gap explains the Vulkan performance disparity, as GCN 2.0 includes architectural refinements that improve API-level efficiency.

Both parts are fabricated on a 28 nm process, but they use different foundries. The R7 comes from GlobalFoundries, while the R5 M330 comes from TSMC. The transistor counts differ substantially: the R7 packs 2,410 million transistors on a 245 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 9.8M per mm². The R5 M330 uses only 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, yielding a higher density of 12.3M per mm². The R7 is the larger, more complex chip by far, but the R5 M330 achieves better packing density.

Core configurations follow the transistor budget. The R7 has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The R5 M330 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The R7 holds a 20% advantage in shading units and TMUs, while ROP counts are identical. Raw pixel throughput tells a different story: the R7 manages 5.760 GPixel/s, while the R5 M330 reaches 8.240 GPixel/s. The R5 M330's higher clock speeds compensate for its narrower core layout. Texture rates are closer: 17.28 GTexel/s for the R7 versus 20.60 GTexel/s for the R5 M330. Floating-point performance favors the R5 M330 at 659.2 GFLOPS against 553.0 GFLOPS for the R7.

Clock behavior diverges sharply. The R7's clocks are listed as null for base and boost, with memory speed described as "System Shared." The R5 M330 has a base clock of 955 MHz, a boost clock of 1030 MHz, and memory clocked at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective. The R5 M330 is a discrete part with its own memory, while the R7 is an integrated graphics processor that shares system memory.

Memory configurations reflect their different roles. The R7 uses "System Shared" memory with a "System Shared" bus width and "System Dependent" bandwidth. The R5 M330 has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. This gives the R5 M330 predictable, dedicated memory resources, whereas the R7's performance depends entirely on the host system's memory subsystem.

Power and interface also differ. The R7 has a TDP of 25 W and uses an IGP bus interface. The R5 M330 has a lower TDP of 18 W, a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, and no power connectors. Both are end-of-life products. The R7 launched on 2014-02-16 and its predecessor is TeraScale 3 IGP, with a successor of GCN 3.0 IGP. The R5 M330 launched on 2015-05-04, with the Solar System as its predecessor and Polaris Mobile as its successor. API support is similar: both support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, though the R7 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) while the R5 M330 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1).

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion for different workloads. If the primary use case involves Vulkan-based rendering or modern gaming APIs, the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics is the clear choice. Its 48.1% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is overwhelming and reflects a generational advantage in API efficiency. The R7 also has a higher average benchmark score (4998 versus 4170) and a higher percentile ranking (29th versus 25th).

If the primary use case involves OpenCL compute, the AMD Radeon R5 M330 holds a modest edge at 6.7% in that specific test. It also offers dedicated 2 GB DDR3 memory with a fixed 14.40 GB/s bandwidth, which provides more predictable performance than the R7's system-dependent memory. The R5 M330 achieves higher raw pixel and texture rates (8.240 GPixel/s and 20.60 GTexel/s) and higher FP32 throughput (659.2 GFLOPS), driven by its higher clocks.

For general-purpose use, the R7's higher average score and better Vulkan showing make it the more capable overall part. The R5 M330's advantages are narrower and confined to OpenCL-style workloads. Neither part is competitive with modern GPUs; both sit near the bottom quartile of all GPUs, and their nearest rivals include a mix of old workstation parts and much newer mainstream cards. The R7's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB, scores 4970, which is essentially identical to the R7's 4998 average. That comparison is misleading, though, because the RTX 5060 Ti's score comes from a single test vector, not a full gaming workload.

The verdict is conditional on the application. Vulkan users should pick the R7. OpenCL users who need dedicated memory should pick the R5 M330. Users who want the higher overall benchmark average should pick the R7. Those who need low power consumption should pick the R5 M330, which draws 18 W versus 25 W.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two parts:

• Chip: Spectre Lite (R7) versus Exo (R5 M330)
• Architecture: GCN 2.0 (R7) versus GCN 1.0 (R5 M330)
• Generation: GCN 2.0 IGP (Kaveri) (R7) versus Gem System (R5 M300) (R5 M330)
• Foundry: GlobalFoundries (R7) versus TSMC (R5 M330)
• Transistors: 2,410 million (R7) versus 690 million (R5 M330)
• Die Size: 245 mm² (R7) versus 56 mm² (R5 M330)
• Transistor Density: 9.8M / mm² (R7) versus 12.3M / mm² (R5 M330)
• Base Clock: null (R7) versus 955 MHz (R5 M330)
• Boost Clock: null (R7) versus 1030 MHz (R5 M330)
• Memory Clock: System Shared (R7) versus 900 MHz, 1800 Mbps effective (R5 M330)
• Memory Size: System Shared (R7) versus 2 GB (R5 M330)
• Memory Type: System Shared (R7) versus DDR3 (R5 M330)
• Memory Bus Width: System Shared (R7) versus 64 bit (R5 M330)
• Memory Bandwidth: System Dependent (R7) versus 14.40 GB/s (R5 M330)
• Shading Units: 384 (R7) versus 320 (R5 M330)
• TMUs: 24 (R7) versus 20 (R5 M330)
• Pixel Rate: 5.760 GPixel/s (R7) versus 8.240 GPixel/s (R5 M330)
• Texture Rate: 17.28 GTexel/s (R7) versus 20.60 GTexel/s (R5 M330)
• FP32: 553.0 GFLOPS (R7) versus 659.2 GFLOPS (R5 M330)
• TDP: 25 W (R7) versus 18 W (R5 M330)
• Power Connectors: null (R7) versus None (R5 M330)
• Bus Interface: IGP (R7) versus PCIe 3.0 x8 (R5 M330)
• Display Outputs: Motherboard Dependent (R7) versus Portable Device Dependent (R5 M330)
• DirectX: 12 (12_0) (R7) versus 12 (11_1) (R5 M330)
• Release Date: 2014-02-16 (R7) versus 2015-05-04 (R5 M330)
• Predecessor: TeraScale 3 IGP (R7) versus Solar System (R5 M330)
• Successor: GCN 3.0 IGP (R7) versus Polaris Mobile (R5 M330)
• Geekbench OpenCL: 4015 (R7) versus 4302 (R5 M330)
• Geekbench Vulkan: 5980 (R7) versus 4037 (R5 M330)
• Average Benchmark Score: 4998 (R7) versus 4170 (R5 M330)
• Percentile vs All GPUs: 29 (R7) versus 25 (R5 M330)

Fields that are identical include the process node (28 nm), ROP count (8), FP16 support (null for both), slot width (IGP for both), suggested PSU (null for both), OpenGL version (4.6), Vulkan version (1.2.170), dimensions (all null), production status (End-of-life for both), and launch MSRP (null for both).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics wins with a score of 5980, compared to 4037 for the AMD Radeon R5 M330. This represents a 48.1% advantage for the R7.

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M330 wins with a score of 4302, while the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics scores 4015. The R5 M330 leads by 6.7%.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics has an average benchmark score of 4998 across its two tests. The AMD Radeon R5 M330 has an average benchmark score of 4170.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics has 384 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R5 M330 has 320 shading units. The R7 also has 24 TMUs versus 20 for the R5 M330, but both have 8 ROPs.

Q: What memory configurations do the two GPUs use?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics uses system-shared memory with bandwidth that is system dependent. The AMD Radeon R5 M330 has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What are the TDP values for these GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics has a TDP of 25 W. The AMD Radeon R5 M330 has a lower TDP of 18 W.

Q: Which GPU has the higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics ranks at the 29th percentile, while the AMD Radeon R5 M330 ranks at the 25th percentile.