AMD Radeon R5 M335 vs NVIDIA GeForce 940M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce 940M and AMD Radeon R5 M335 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions aimed at the same segment of the laptop market, yet the benchmark data shows they are not interchangeable. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M decisively wins the OpenCL workload with a score of 6018 against 4745, a 26.8% advantage, while the AMD Radeon R5 M335 counters with a narrower 4.4% lead in Vulkan, scoring 4758 versus 4549. The average benchmark scores tell the broader story: the GeForce 940M sits at 5284, placing it in the 31st percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon R5 M335 averages 4752, landing in the 28th percentile. For users prioritizing general compute performance, the GeForce 940M is the stronger choice. For those working specifically with Vulkan-based applications, the Radeon R5 M335 offers a measurable edge, though the margin is small. The GeForce 940M also brings a larger transistor count and die size, which correlates with its higher shading unit count and fill rates, but the Radeon counters with a newer API feature set for DirectX 12.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split decision. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is the pick for users who need raw compute throughput in OpenCL environments. Its 6018 OpenCL score versus the Radeon R5 M335's 4745 represents a 26.8% delta, a substantial gap in favor of the NVIDIA part. This advantage is reinforced by the GeForce 940M's hardware specifications: it packs 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs, compared to the Radeon's 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The GeForce 940M also achieves a pixel rate of 17.57 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 35.14 GTexel/s, more than double the Radeon's 8.24 GPixel/s and 20.60 GTexel/s. In the average benchmark score comparison, the GeForce 940M leads with 5284 versus 4752, a 532-point difference that places it three percentile points higher in the global distribution.

The AMD Radeon R5 M335, however, wins the Vulkan benchmark outright. Its 4758 score tops the GeForce 940M's 4549, a 4.4% margin. This result is notable because the GeForce 940M otherwise dominates in raw compute metrics. The Radeon's Vulkan advantage may stem from its GCN 1.0 architecture and its DirectX 12 feature level of 12 (11_1), which is one revision higher than the GeForce 940M's DirectX 12 (11_0). For users running Vulkan titles or workloads, the Radeon R5 M335 is the safer bet, albeit by a slim margin. Its nearest rival data reinforces this: the Radeon R5 M335 sits close to the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, which scores 4727, and the AMD Radeon R5 M255 at 4788, indicating it is firmly in the mid-range mobile segment. The GeForce 940M, by contrast, sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, which averages 5308, a 0.4% difference, and the NVIDIA GeForce 840M at 5322. The overall verdict is that the GeForce 940M is the higher-performing card on average, but the Radeon R5 M335 is not without merit for Vulkan-specific scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural lineages. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is built on the Maxwell architecture, using the GM107 chip, and is part of the GeForce 900M generation. The AMD Radeon R5 M335 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture with the Exo chip, belonging to the Gem System (R5 M300) generation. Both are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, so the node is identical, but the die designs diverge sharply. The GeForce 940M integrates 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The Radeon R5 M335 is much smaller, with 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, giving a density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. This size difference translates directly into compute resources: the GeForce 940M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, while the Radeon R5 M335 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The GeForce 940M's higher pixel rate of 17.57 GPixel/s and texture rate of 35.14 GTexel/s reflect these additional units.

Memory configurations are identical in capacity, type, and bandwidth. Both cards feature 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is also the same at 900 MHz, with 1800 Mbps effective. Clock speeds differ, however, in that the GeForce 940M has documented base and boost clocks of 1020 MHz and 1098 MHz, respectively, while the Radeon R5 M335 has no listed base or boost clock. The GeForce 940M also has a defined TDP of 75 W and uses an MXM Module slot width, whereas the Radeon R5 M335 has no TDP or slot width listed. Both use no power connectors and are portable device dependent for display outputs. The GeForce 940M connects via MXM-B (3.0), while the Radeon R5 M335 uses PCIe 3.0 x8.

API support is another differentiator. The GeForce 940M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Radeon R5 M335 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Radeon's higher DirectX feature level (11_1 versus 11_0) is a notable advantage for compatibility with certain modern titles. The GeForce 940M's Vulkan 1.4 support is more recent than the Radeon's Vulkan 1.2.170, but the benchmark results show the Radeon winning the Vulkan test anyway. The GeForce 940M was released on 2015-03-12, while the Radeon R5 M335 came later on 2015-10-20. Both are end-of-life, with the GeForce 940M succeeding the GeForce 800M and preceding GeForce 10 Mobile, and the Radeon R5 M335 succeeding the Solar System generation and preceding Polaris Mobile.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M has an average benchmark score of 5284, compared to the AMD Radeon R5 M335's 4752, a difference of 532 points.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R5 M335 win any benchmark against the GeForce 940M?

A: Yes, the Radeon R5 M335 wins the geekbench_vulkan test with a score of 4758, while the GeForce 940M scores 4549, giving the AMD card a 4.4% advantage.

Q: How much faster is the GeForce 940M in OpenCL?

A: The GeForce 940M scores 6018 in geekbench_opencl, which is 26.8% higher than the Radeon R5 M335's 4745 score.

Q: What are the shading unit counts for each GPU?

A: The GeForce 940M has 512 shading units, while the Radeon R5 M335 has 320 shading units.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, both have 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with a bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a higher DirectX feature level?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M335 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M supports DirectX 12 (11_0).

Specification Differences

The recorded data shows several key specification differences between the two GPUs. The most significant is the shading unit count: the NVIDIA GeForce 940M has 512, while the AMD Radeon R5 M335 has 320. This is accompanied by a TMU difference of 32 versus 20, and an ROP difference of 16 versus 8. The pixel rate reflects this, with the GeForce 940M at 17.57 GPixel/s and the Radeon at 8.24 GPixel/s. The texture rate follows suit: 35.14 GTexel/s for the GeForce, 20.60 GTexel/s for the Radeon. FP32 compute performance is listed at 1,124.4 GFLOPS for the GeForce 940M and 659.2 GFLOPS for the Radeon R5 M335. The transistor count is 1,870 million for the GeForce versus 690 million for the Radeon, and the die size is 148 mm² versus 56 mm².

Clock speeds differ, with the GeForce 940M having a base clock of 1020 MHz and a boost clock of 1098 MHz, while the Radeon R5 M335 has no base or boost clock listed. The GeForce 940M has a TDP of 75 W, while the Radeon R5 M335 has no TDP listed. The bus interface also differs: the GeForce 940M uses MXM-B (3.0), and the Radeon R5 M335 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The slot width is listed as MXM Module for the GeForce, with no slot width for the Radeon. API support shows the Radeon with DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the GeForce's DirectX 12 (11_0), and Vulkan versions differ: 1.4 for the GeForce and 1.2.170 for the Radeon. The production status is end-of-life for both, but the release dates differ: 2015-03-12 for the GeForce and 2015-10-20 for the Radeon.

The memory subsystem is identical: 2 GB DDR3, 64-bit bus, 14.40 GB/s bandwidth, and 900 MHz memory clock with 1800 Mbps effective. Both have no power connectors and portable device dependent display outputs. The process node and foundry are the same: 28 nm at TSMC. The transistor density is nearly identical, at 12.6M / mm² for the GeForce and 12.3M / mm² for the Radeon. Neither GPU lists a launch MSRP in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains two benchmark results, and each GPU takes one win. The first test, geekbench_opencl, is a decisive victory for the NVIDIA GeForce 940M. It scores 6018, while the AMD Radeon R5 M335 scores 4745. This 26.8% delta is the largest performance gap recorded between the two cards in any metric. The GeForce 940M's advantage here aligns with its spec sheet, which shows nearly double the FP32 compute (1,124.4 GFLOPS versus 659.2 GFLOPS) and significantly higher texture and pixel rates. The Radeon R5 M335's nearest rivals in this range, such as the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX at 4727 and the AMD Radeon R5 M255 at 4788, are all close to its 4752 average, confirming that the Radeon is competitive within its own tier but cannot match the GeForce's raw OpenCL throughput.

The second test, geekbench_vulkan, flips the script. The AMD Radeon R5 M335 wins with a score of 4758, beating the NVIDIA GeForce 940M's 4549. The delta is only 4.4%, a much narrower margin than the OpenCL gap. This result is notable because the GeForce 940M has newer Vulkan API support (1.4 versus 1.2.170) and higher raw compute specifications. The Radeon's Vulkan win may be attributable to its GCN 1.0 architecture, which has historically been well-optimized for asynchronous compute, or to driver maturity in Vulkan workloads. The GeForce 940M's nearest rival data in this context is less relevant, but its average score of 5284 is buoyed by the strong OpenCL result. The Radeon R5 M335, despite losing the average comparison, demonstrates in the Vulkan test that it is not a pushover in every API environment.

The wins are split one apiece, with the GeForce 940M taking the OpenCL test and the Radeon R5 M335 taking the Vulkan test. The overall average benchmark score, however, favors the GeForce 940M at 5284 versus 4752, a 532-point gap that places it in the 31st percentile of all GPUs, three points higher than the Radeon's 28th percentile. For users who rely on OpenCL for compute tasks, the GeForce 940M is the clear winner. For Vulkan-based gaming or applications, the Radeon R5 M335 offers a modest but real advantage. The data shows a tie in head-to-head wins, but the magnitude of the GeForce's OpenCL victory outweighs the Radeon's slim Vulkan margin in overall performance assessments.