AMD Radeon R5 M420 vs NVIDIA Quadro K2000D Comparison

The AMD Radeon R5 M420 and NVIDIA Quadro K2000D represent two very different approaches to the GPU market, one a mobile integrated part and the other a desktop workstation card. Both are end-of-life products built on a 28 nm process, yet their architectural philosophies and intended use cases diverge sharply. The data shows that while they land in the same performance percentile, their underlying specifications and feature sets tell a more complex story than a simple benchmark score suggests.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data positions these two GPUs as near-identical in raw compute output, but their design targets could not be more different. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 wins the only head-to-head benchmark recorded, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 3956 against the Quadro K2000D’s 3919, a delta of 0.9%. This victory is narrow, but it establishes the AMD part as the stronger choice for general-purpose compute workloads that leverage OpenCL.

However, the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D wins in nearly every other category that matters for professional use. Its 128-bit memory bus and GDDR5 memory provide 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth, exactly four times the 16.00 GB/s available to the Radeon R5 M420. This makes the Quadro the clear winner for memory-intensive tasks like large texture loads, high-resolution framebuffers, or CAD-style visualization where bandwidth is the bottleneck. The Quadro also offers a single-slot form factor, a 202 mm length, and 2x DVI plus 1x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, making it a practical drop-in solution for a workstation. The Radeon, by contrast, is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs, meaning it is tied to a specific laptop or mobile platform.

For gaming or consumer applications, the Radeon’s higher shading unit count per its architecture and its 4 GB of DDR3 memory might seem appealing, but the memory type and 64-bit bus severely limit its effective throughput. The Quadro, despite having half the memory capacity, offers a superior memory subsystem. The wins are split: the AMD chip takes the compute benchmark, while the NVIDIA part wins on memory bandwidth, connectivity, and workstation integration.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is generational and philosophical. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 is built on the Graphics Core Next (GCN) 1.0 architecture, using the "Jet" chip, and is part of the "Gem System (R5 M400)" generation. It packs 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.3M per mm². The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D uses the Kepler architecture with the GK107 chip, belonging to the "Quadro Kepler (Kx000)" generation. It is a substantially larger chip, with 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, but its transistor density is lower at 10.8M per mm². Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process.

The core configurations differ significantly. The Radeon has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 raster operation units (ROPs). The Quadro has more of everything: 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This gives the NVIDIA part a theoretical pixel rate of 7.632 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 30.53 GTexel/s, compared to the AMD’s 6.800 GPixel/s and 17.00 GTexel/s respectively. In floating-point performance, the Quadro delivers 732.7 GFLOPS versus the Radeon’s 544.0 GFLOPS, a 34.7% advantage in raw FP32 compute capacity.

Memory architecture is where the gap becomes a chasm. The Radeon uses 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, while the Quadro uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. This explains the massive bandwidth difference: 16.00 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s. The Quadro also has a defined TDP of 51 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W, whereas the Radeon has no listed TDP due to its integrated nature. The Quadro supports PCIe 2.0 x16, while the Radeon uses PCIe 3.0 x8. In terms of API support, the Radeon claims DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Quadro lists DirectX 12 (11_0) and a slightly newer Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded benchmark is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are remarkably close. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 scores 3956, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D scores 3919. This yields a delta of 0.9% in favor of the AMD part. This is a marginal victory, well within the margin of error for most benchmarking tools, but it is consistent with the pattern seen in their nearest rivals.

Looking at the Radeon’s nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce 830M scores 3957, just one point higher, with a delta of 0%. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M scores 3953, and the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 scores 3964, which is 0.2% higher than the Radeon. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 scores 3977, 0.5% higher. This places the R5 M420 in a tight cluster around the 3950-3980 mark.

For the Quadro K2000D, its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro 2000D at 3930, which is 0.3% higher, and the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 at 3898, which is 0.5% lower. The GeForce GT 745M scores 3953, 0.9% higher, and the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics scores 3883, 0.9% lower. The Quadro K2000D sits slightly below the Radeon M420 in this specific test, but its position among workstation cards is consistent.

What the benchmark does not show is the qualitative difference in memory performance. The Quadro’s 64.00 GB/s bandwidth is a 300% advantage over the Radeon’s 16.00 GB/s. In real-world workstation applications, such as rendering large scenes or processing high-resolution textures, this bandwidth advantage would likely overwhelm the 0.9% compute deficit. The Radeon’s win is in raw OpenCL compute throughput, but the Quadro’s memory subsystem is in a different league.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs reveal fundamental differences in design philosophy and target market.

• Chip and Architecture: AMD uses "Jet" with GCN 1.0; NVIDIA uses "GK107" with Kepler.
• Transistors: AMD has 690 million; NVIDIA has 1,270 million.
• Die Size: AMD is 56 mm²; NVIDIA is 118 mm².
• Transistor Density: AMD is 12.3M per mm²; NVIDIA is 10.8M per mm².
• Base Clock: AMD lists 780 MHz; NVIDIA has no listed base clock.
• Boost Clock: AMD lists 850 MHz; NVIDIA has no listed boost clock.
• Memory Clock: AMD is 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective; NVIDIA is 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective.
• Memory Size: AMD has 4 GB; NVIDIA has 2 GB.
• Memory Type: AMD uses DDR3; NVIDIA uses GDDR5.
• Memory Bus: AMD is 64-bit; NVIDIA is 128-bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: AMD is 16.00 GB/s; NVIDIA is 64.00 GB/s.
• Shading Units: AMD has 320; NVIDIA has 384.
• TMUs: AMD has 20; NVIDIA has 32.
• ROPs: AMD has 8; NVIDIA has 16.
• Pixel Rate: AMD is 6.800 GPixel/s; NVIDIA is 7.632 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: AMD is 17.00 GTexel/s; NVIDIA is 30.53 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: AMD is 544.0 GFLOPS; NVIDIA is 732.7 GFLOPS.
• TDP: AMD has none listed; NVIDIA is 51 W.
• Slot Width: AMD is IGP; NVIDIA is Single-slot.
• Power Connectors: AMD has none; NVIDIA has "None".
• Suggested PSU: AMD has none; NVIDIA is 250 W.
• Bus Interface: AMD is PCIe 3.0 x8; NVIDIA is PCIe 2.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: AMD is "Portable Device Dependent"; NVIDIA is 2x DVI and 1x mini-DisplayPort 1.2.
• DirectX Support: AMD is 12 (11_1); NVIDIA is 12 (11_0).
• Vulkan Support: AMD is 1.2.170; NVIDIA is 1.2.175.
• Dimensions: AMD has none; NVIDIA is 202 mm long and 111 mm high.
• Release Date: AMD is 2016-05-14; NVIDIA is 2013-02-28.
• Predecessor: AMD is "Solar System"; NVIDIA is "Quadro Fermi".
• Successor: AMD is "Polaris Mobile"; NVIDIA is "Quadro Maxwell".
• Launch MSRP: AMD has none; NVIDIA is 599 USD.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D has a higher FP32 performance of 732.7 GFLOPS compared to the AMD Radeon R5 M420’s 544.0 GFLOPS.

Q: How do they compare in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M420 scores 3956, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D scores 3919, giving the AMD part a 0.9% lead.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D has 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which is four times the 16.00 GB/s offered by the AMD Radeon R5 M420.

Q: What are the memory capacities and types?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M420 has 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU is designed for mobile use?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M420 is an IGP with "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs, indicating it is for laptops. The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D is a single-slot desktop card with fixed display outputs.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D?

A: The launch MSRP is 599 USD. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 has no listed launch MSRP.