AMD Radeon R5 M430 vs AMD Radeon Vega 3 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R5 M430 wins both recorded head-to-head benchmark comparisons. In Geekbench OpenCL, it posts a score of 5152 against the Vega 3's 3963, a 30% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the R5 M430 scores 4884 versus 3961, a 23.3% lead. The recorded data shows no benchmark category where the Vega 3 overtakes the R5 M430.

The R5 M430's wins come from its dedicated memory setup. It has 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 3 relies on system shared memory, where bandwidth is system dependent. In practice, the R5 M430's fixed memory allocation avoids contention with the CPU, which helps in sustained compute workloads. Its average benchmark score of 5018 places it at the 30th percentile among all GPUs, while the Vega 3's average of 4268 sits at the 25th percentile.

The Vega 3, despite losing both direct comparisons, has one notable edge in API support. It reaches DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the R5 M430 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. For software that uses newer Vulkan features, the Vega 3 may behave differently even if raw scores are lower. The Vega 3 also supports FP16 at 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio), which the R5 M430 does not list. That matters for applications that can use half-precision math.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The R5 M430 uses GCN 1.0 on a 28 nm process from TSMC. Its chip is named Jet, and it belongs to the Gem System (R5 M400) generation. The Vega 3 uses GCN 5.0 on a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries, with the Picasso chip from the Vega IGP (Picasso) generation.

Process node differences are stark. The R5 M430 packs 690 million transistors into a 56 mm² die, giving a density of 12.3M per mm². The Vega 3 integrates 4,940 million transistors across a 210 mm² die, reaching 23.5M per mm². The Vega 3's die is nearly four times larger in transistor count, but it is an integrated part of a larger processor, not a standalone GPU.

The compute configurations differ meaningfully. The R5 M430 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The Vega 3 has 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 4 ROPs. Despite fewer units, the Vega 3 boosts to 1100 MHz versus the R5 M430's 855 MHz boost clock. The base clocks are even more divergent: 300 MHz for Vega 3 versus 780 MHz for the R5 M430. Higher boost helps the Vega 3 close some of the gap, but not enough to win either benchmark.

Memory architecture is the biggest functional difference. The R5 M430 uses dedicated DDR3 with fixed bandwidth, while the Vega 3 shares system memory entirely. The R5 M430's pixel rate is 6.840 GPixel/s and texture rate is 17.10 GTexel/s. The Vega 3's rates are 4.400 GPixel/s and 13.20 GTexel/s, respectively. The Vega 3 also has a rated TDP of 15 W with no power connectors, being an IGP, while the R5 M430 lists no TDP but is also an IGP with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The Vega 3 connects via the IGP bus, not PCIe.

The Verdict

The data points clearly to the AMD Radeon R5 M430 as the faster GPU in both recorded workloads. Its 30% OpenCL lead and 23.3% Vulkan lead are substantial. Anyone comparing these two for compute tasks such as OpenCL acceleration should pick the R5 M430 without hesitation. It also has a higher percentile ranking (30th versus 25th) and a higher average benchmark score (5018 versus 4268).

The Vega 3 is not without merit. Its newer GCN 5.0 architecture supports more recent API levels, including DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. It also offers FP16 compute at 844.8 GFLOPS. For developers targeting the latest Vulkan extensions or needing half-precision throughput, the Vega 3 has a feature advantage that raw benchmark scores do not capture. Its 15 W TDP also makes it suitable for power-constrained designs.

However, for pure performance in the recorded tests, the R5 M430 wins. The Vega 3's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (4282 average, 0.3% higher) and the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295 average, 0.6% higher). The R5 M430's nearest rivals are clustered closely around it: the AMD FirePro W4170M at 5034 (0.3% lower), the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics at 4998 (0.4% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 at 4979 (0.8% higher). This shows the R5 M430 sits in a slightly higher performance tier than the Vega 3, even when compared against other products in the database.

The choice comes down to workload. For maximum compute throughput in OpenCL or Vulkan, the R5 M430 is the clear winner. For newer API compatibility and FP16 support, the Vega 3 offers features the older chip lacks.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M430 has an average benchmark score of 5018, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 averages 4268.

Q: How much faster is the R5 M430 in OpenCL?

A: The R5 M430 scores 5152 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 3963 for the Vega 3, a 30% advantage.

Q: Does the Vega 3 support any features the R5 M430 does not?

A: Yes, the Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the R5 M430 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega 3 also supports FP16 compute at 844.8 GFLOPS.

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The R5 M430 has 4 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 3 uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

Q: What process nodes are used by these two GPUs?

A: The R5 M430 uses a 28 nm process from TSMC, while the Vega 3 uses a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries.

Q: Who wins the Vulkan benchmark?

A: The R5 M430 wins with a score of 4884 versus the Vega 3's 3961, a delta of 23.3%.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the largest gap between the two. The R5 M430 scores 5152, and the Vega 3 scores 3963. That is a 30% difference, the biggest win in either direction. This makes sense given the R5 M430's dedicated 16.00 GB/s bandwidth versus the Vega 3's system shared memory. OpenCL workloads often stress memory throughput, and the R5 M430's fixed allocation avoids sharing penalties.

The Geekbench Vulkan test narrows the gap slightly but still favors the R5 M430. It scores 4884 against 3961, a 23.3% lead. Vulkan tends to be more efficient with draw calls and driver overhead. The Vega 3's newer architecture supports Vulkan 1.3, which might explain why it performs relatively better here than in OpenCL, though it still loses.

Looking at the rivals in the database, the R5 M430's OpenCL result of 5152 is close to the AMD FirePro W4170M's 5034 average and the AMD Radeon R7 M340's 5063. The Vega 3's OpenCL score of 3963 is below its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M at 4282. The Vega 3's Vulkan score of 3961 is also lower than its average of 4268, meaning Vulkan is not its strongest API. The R5 M430's Vulkan score of 4884 is close to its OpenCL result, showing consistent performance across both APIs.

The R5 M430 wins 2 out of 2 recorded benchmarks. The Vega 3 wins none. The delta percentages are consistent: 30% in OpenCL and 23.3% in Vulkan. These are not marginal differences; they represent a clear performance tier separation.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field.

• Process node: R5 M430 uses 28 nm from TSMC, Vega 3 uses 12 nm from GlobalFoundries.
• Transistors: R5 M430 has 690 million, Vega 3 has 4,940 million.
• Die size: R5 M430 is 56 mm², Vega 3 is 210 mm².
• Transistor density: R5 M430 is 12.3M per mm², Vega 3 is 23.5M per mm².
• Base clock: R5 M430 runs at 780 MHz, Vega 3 at 300 MHz.
• Boost clock: R5 M430 reaches 855 MHz, Vega 3 reaches 1100 MHz.
• Memory: R5 M430 has 4 GB DDR3 with 64-bit bus and 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. Vega 3 uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.
• Shading units: R5 M430 has 320, Vega 3 has 192.
• TMUs: R5 M430 has 20, Vega 3 has 12.
• ROPs: R5 M430 has 8, Vega 3 has 4.
• Pixel rate: R5 M430 is 6.840 GPixel/s, Vega 3 is 4.400 GPixel/s.
• Texture rate: R5 M430 is 17.10 GTexel/s, Vega 3 is 13.20 GTexel/s.
• FP32: R5 M430 is 547.2 GFLOPS, Vega 3 is 422.4 GFLOPS.
• FP16: R5 M430 lists none, Vega 3 lists 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1).
• TDP: R5 M430 lists none, Vega 3 lists 15 W.
• Bus interface: R5 M430 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, Vega 3 uses IGP.
• DirectX: R5 M430 supports 12 (11_1), Vega 3 supports 12 (12_1).
• Vulkan: R5 M430 supports 1.2.170, Vega 3 supports 1.3.
• Release date: R5 M430 lists none, Vega 3 lists 2019-11-19.
• Predecessor: R5 M430's predecessor is Solar System, Vega 3's is GCN 3.0 IGP.
• Successor: R5 M430's successor is Polaris Mobile, Vega 3's is Vega II IGP.
• Display outputs: R5 M430 is portable device dependent, Vega 3 is motherboard dependent.