AMD Radeon R5 M430 vs AMD Radeon R7 M445 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 and AMD Radeon R5 M430 are both legacy integrated-class mobile GPUs from AMD’s Gem System generation, but they are built on fundamentally different architectures. The R7 M445, based on the Meso chip and GCN 3.0, holds a clear performance edge in the sole available benchmark, scoring 4% higher in Geekbench OpenCL. The R5 M430, using the smaller Jet chip and older GCN 1.0, trails slightly but remains competitive in raw compute, though it lacks the newer feature set and memory bandwidth of its sibling.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is straightforward: the AMD Radeon R7 M445 is the faster part. In the only head-to-head test available, Geekbench OpenCL, the R7 M445 scores 5358 against the R5 M430’s 5152, a 4% advantage. This margin is modest but consistent with the R7 M445’s higher boost clock, superior memory type, and more modern architecture. For any workload relying on OpenCL compute—such as GPU-accelerated video encoding or physics simulation—the R7 M445 is the better choice.

The R5 M430, however, is not without merit. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 4884 shows it can handle modern graphics APIs, and its average benchmark score of 5018 places it at the 30th percentile of all GPUs, just one point below the R7 M445’s 31st percentile. In real-world terms, the performance gap is narrow enough that most users would not notice a difference in everyday tasks. The R5 M430 sits within 0.9% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon R7 M340 (score 5063, delta -0.9%) and the AMD FirePro W4170M (score 5034, delta -0.3%), making it a solid baseline for light gaming or office work.

Pick the R7 M445 if your priority is maximum compute throughput and you value the newer GCN 3.0 feature set, including DirectX 12 (12_0) support. Pick the R5 M430 if you are constrained by system integration—its smaller die (56 mm² versus 125 mm²) and lower transistor count (690 million versus 1,550 million) may make it easier to cool in ultra-thin laptops. The data shows that the R7 M445 wins the only direct comparison, but the R5 M430 is a viable alternative for those who do not need the extra 4% performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs share a 28 nm TSMC process and identical core counts—320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs—but diverge significantly in silicon design. The R7 M445 uses the Meso chip, a 125 mm² die with 1,550 million transistors and a transistor density of 12.4M per mm². The R5 M430 uses the Jet chip, a much smaller 56 mm² die with 690 million transistors and a density of 12.3M per mm². This 2.2x difference in die size and transistor count is the root of the performance disparity.

Architecturally, the R7 M445 is built on GCN 3.0, while the R5 M430 uses GCN 1.0. This generational leap brings several advantages to the R7 M445. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), whereas the R5 M430 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1), meaning the newer part can fully utilize DX12 features like explicit multi-adapter and asynchronous compute. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170, but the R7 M445’s compute units are more efficient per clock.

The memory subsystem is another critical difference. The R7 M445 pairs its 4 GB frame buffer with GDDR5 memory running at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), delivering 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth over a 64-bit bus. The R5 M430 uses DDR3 at the same 1000 MHz base clock but only 2 Gbps effective, halving bandwidth to 16.00 GB/s. This is a 100% bandwidth advantage for the R7 M445, which directly impacts fill-rate-bound workloads. The R7 M445’s pixel rate is 7.360 GPixel/s versus 6.840 GPixel/s for the R5 M430, and its texture rate is 18.40 GTexel/s versus 17.10 GTexel/s.

Clock speeds also favor the R7 M445. Both have a 780 MHz base clock, but the R7 M445 boosts to 920 MHz, while the R5 M430 only reaches 855 MHz. This 65 MHz boost advantage, combined with the faster memory, yields a peak FP32 throughput of 588.8 GFLOPS for the R7 M445 versus 547.2 GFLOPS for the R5 M430. Notably, the R7 M445 lists FP16 performance at 588.8 GFLOPS (1:1), while the R5 M430 has no FP16 capability listed, indicating a lack of half-precision support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the R7 M445 scores 5358 and the R5 M430 scores 5152. This 4% delta (206 points) is the R7 M445’s sole win, and it is the only win either GPU records. The margin is consistent with the R7 M445’s 7.6% higher boost clock and 100% higher memory bandwidth, though the compute cores are identical in count.

Contextualizing the R7 M445’s score, it falls within 0.9% of its nearest rivals. The Intel UHD Graphics P630 scores 5370 (delta -0.2%, meaning the R7 M445 is 0.2% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 840M scores 5322 (delta 0.7%, R7 M445 is 0.7% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce 930A scores 5317 (delta 0.8% faster). Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, a high-end part, scores only 5308 in this test, 0.9% below the R7 M445, suggesting that OpenCL scores do not always align with gaming hierarchy.

For the R5 M430, its Geekbench OpenCL score of 5152 places it just behind its rivals. The AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034 (delta -0.3%, meaning the R5 M430 is 0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics scores 4998 (delta 0.4%), and the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 scores 4979 (delta 0.8%). The closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R7 M340 at 5063, which the R5 M430 beats by 1.8%. The R5 M430 also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 4884, which is not directly comparable to the R7 M445 since no Vulkan score is listed for the latter.

The data shows a clear but narrow victory for the R7 M445. The 4% delta is within run-to-run variance for many workloads, but the architectural advantages—GCN 3.0, GDDR5, higher boost—suggest the R7 M445 will scale better in sustained loads. The R5 M430’s Vulkan score, however, proves it is not obsolete, offering modern API support that keeps it relevant for casual use.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights only the fields where the two GPUs differ, omitting identical specs like 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, 8 ROPs, 4 GB memory, 64-bit bus, PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, and 28 nm process.

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M445 | AMD Radeon R5 M430 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Meso | Jet |

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 690 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 56 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 12.3M / mm² |

| Boost Clock | 920 MHz | 855 MHz |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective) |

| Bandwidth | 32.00 GB/s | 16.00 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 7.360 GPixel/s | 6.840 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 18.40 GTexel/s | 17.10 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 588.8 GFLOPS | 547.2 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 588.8 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not listed |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | Not listed |

| Geekbench OpenCL Score | 5358 | 5152 |

| Geekbench Vulkan Score | Not listed | 4884 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 5358 | 5018 |

| Percentile | 31 | 30 |

The R7 M445 is a larger, more capable chip with double the memory bandwidth and a newer architecture. The R5 M430’s only listed advantage is the Vulkan benchmark score, but that is an additional data point, not a head-to-head win. Both are IGP-class parts with portable-device-dependent display outputs and no launch MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5358 in Geekbench OpenCL, beating the AMD Radeon R5 M430’s 5152 by 4%. This is the only direct benchmark comparison in the data.

Q: Does the R5 M430 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the R5 M430 has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 4884, and both GPUs support Vulkan 1.2.170. The R7 M445 does not have a Vulkan benchmark score listed.

Q: What is the main architectural difference?

A: The R7 M445 uses the Meso chip on GCN 3.0, while the R5 M430 uses the Jet chip on GCN 1.0. This gives the R7 M445 DirectX 12 (12_0) support versus the R5 M430’s DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: Why is the R7 M445’s memory bandwidth twice the R5 M430’s?

A: The R7 M445 uses GDDR5 memory at 4 Gbps effective, delivering 32.00 GB/s, while the R5 M430 uses DDR3 at 2 Gbps effective, delivering 16.00 GB/s. Both have a 64-bit bus and 4 GB capacity.

Q: Are the core counts the same?

A: Yes, both GPUs have 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The performance difference comes from clock speeds (920 MHz vs 855 MHz boost) and memory architecture.

Q: Which GPU has better relative standing among its rivals?

A: The R7 M445 sits at the 31st percentile of all GPUs, one point above the R5 M430’s 30th percentile. Its closest rival, the Intel UHD Graphics P630, scores 5370, just 0.2% higher, while the R5 M430’s closest rival, the AMD FirePro W4170M, scores 5034, which is 0.3% lower.