AMD Radeon R5 M430 vs NVIDIA GeForce 840M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce 840M and AMD Radeon R5 M430 are both end-of-life mobile graphics processors aimed at the entry-level segment, but the benchmark data reveals a nuanced picture. While the GeForce 840M holds a clear lead in OpenCL compute performance, the Radeon R5 M430 counters with a marginal victory in Vulkan, making this a closer contest than the raw specifications might suggest.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive data point comes from the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the NVIDIA GeForce 840M scores 5764 against the AMD Radeon R5 M430's 5152. That is an 11.9% advantage for the NVIDIA part, a substantial gap that indicates a significant difference in raw compute throughput when using this particular API. This win aligns with the NVIDIA chip's higher FP32 performance of 863.2 GFLOPS compared to the AMD chip's 547.2 GFLOPS, a difference of roughly 58% in theoretical peak compute. The OpenCL result suggests that for workloads that leverage this API, the GeForce 840M is the more capable processor by a wide margin.

However, the story flips when looking at the Vulkan benchmark, albeit by a razor-thin margin. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 scores 4884, edging out the NVIDIA GeForce 840M's 4880 by a mere 0.1%. This is effectively a statistical tie, but it is still a win for the AMD part. The near-identical scores in Vulkan are intriguing, especially given the large difference in OpenCL results. It suggests that the architectural differences between Maxwell and GCN 1.0 lead to varying efficiencies depending on the graphics API. The AMD chip's support for DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the NVIDIA chip's DirectX 12 (11_0) might play a role here, but the Vulkan scores themselves are too close to draw any firm conclusions about API superiority.

Looking at the aggregate numbers, the GeForce 840M has an average benchmark score of 5322, while the Radeon R5 M430 sits at 5018. This puts the NVIDIA part 6.1% ahead overall. In terms of global standing, the GeForce 840M ranks in the 31st percentile of all GPUs, with the Radeon R5 M430 just one point behind at the 30th percentile. The nearest rivals for the GeForce 840M include the NVIDIA GeForce 930A (avg score 5317, deltaPct 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M (avg score 5308, deltaPct 0.3%), and the AMD Radeon R7 M445 (avg score 5358, deltaPct -0.7%). This clustering shows that the 840M is positioned in a very tight performance band. For the Radeon R5 M430, its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W4170M (avg score 5034, deltaPct -0.3%), the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (avg score 4998, deltaPct 0.4%), and the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 (avg score 4979, deltaPct 0.8%). The small deltas here reinforce that the R5 M430 is also in a crowded field of similar-performance parts.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce 840M is built on the Maxwell architecture, using the GM108S chip, while the AMD Radeon R5 M430 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture with the Jet chip. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the similarities end there. The NVIDIA chip packs 1,020 million transistors into a 77 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 13.2 million per mm². The AMD chip is smaller and simpler, with 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, giving a density of 12.3 million per mm². This means the GeForce 840M has a 47.8% transistor count advantage and a 37.5% larger die area, which typically correlates with more complex execution resources.

Clock speeds also differ significantly. The GeForce 840M runs at a base clock of 1029 MHz with a boost up to 1124 MHz. The Radeon R5 M430 is clocked much lower, with a base of 780 MHz and a boost of 855 MHz. This 249 MHz difference at base and 269 MHz at boost is substantial. The NVIDIA chip compensates for its narrower memory bus (64-bit) with higher clocks, while the AMD chip relies on a lower clock but a different compute layout.

The compute unit configurations highlight divergent strategies. The GeForce 840M has 384 shading units, 16 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 raster output units (ROPs). The Radeon R5 M430 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Interestingly, the AMD chip has more TMUs (20 vs 16), giving it a texture fillrate of 17.10 GTexel/s, which is very close to the NVIDIA chip's 17.98 GTexel/s. However, the NVIDIA chip's higher clocks give it a significant edge in pixel rate (8.992 GPixel/s vs 6.840 GPixel/s) and a massive lead in FP32 compute (863.2 GFLOPS vs 547.2 GFLOPS).

Memory configurations also differ, though both use DDR3. The GeForce 840M comes with 2 GB, while the Radeon R5 M430 doubles that to 4 GB. Both use a 64-bit bus, leading to nearly identical bandwidth figures: 16.02 GB/s for the NVIDIA part and 16.00 GB/s for the AMD part. The memory clock is effectively the same at 1001 MHz / 1000 MHz with a 2 Gbps effective rate. The extra VRAM on the AMD side could be beneficial for higher-resolution textures, but the bandwidth bottleneck is identical.

In terms of API support, the Radeon R5 M430 is slightly ahead with DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the GeForce 840M's DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the NVIDIA chip supports Vulkan 1.4 while the AMD chip only reaches Vulkan 1.2.170. The power draw is also different, with the GeForce 840M rated at a 33 W TDP, while the Radeon R5 M430 has no listed TDP in the data. Both are IGP (integrated graphics processor) form factors with no external power connectors, using a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 840M has an average benchmark score of 5322, which is 6.1% higher than the AMD Radeon R5 M430's 5018. This places the NVIDIA part at the 31st percentile of all GPUs, versus the AMD part's 30th percentile.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 840M wins the OpenCL test decisively, scoring 5764 against the AMD Radeon R5 M430's 5152. This represents an 11.9% advantage for the NVIDIA part, consistent with its higher FP32 compute throughput.

Q: Is there any test where the AMD Radeon R5 M430 wins?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon R5 M430 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test by a very narrow margin, scoring 4884 versus the NVIDIA GeForce 840M's 4880. The delta is only 0.1%, making it essentially a tie.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 840M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 16.02 GB/s. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 has 4 GB of DDR3 memory, also on a 64-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 16.00 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count and die size?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 840M has 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 has 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die. This gives the NVIDIA part a 47.8% higher transistor count and a 37.5% larger die area.

Q: What are the architectural generations of these two GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 840M is based on the Maxwell architecture, part of the GeForce 800M generation. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 is based on the GCN 1.0 architecture, part of the Gem System (R5 M400) generation.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for compute-oriented workloads: the NVIDIA GeForce 840M is the stronger performer. Its 11.9% lead in OpenCL and 6.1% lead in average benchmark score are decisive. The higher clock speeds (1029 MHz base vs 780 MHz base) and greater FP32 throughput (863.2 GFLOPS vs 547.2 GFLOPS) make it the obvious choice for tasks that leverage general-purpose compute. The 840M also offers a higher pixel rate (8.992 GPixel/s vs 6.840 GPixel/s), which could benefit certain rendering scenarios.

However, the AMD Radeon R5 M430 should not be dismissed entirely. Its win in Vulkan, while marginal, demonstrates that it can hold its own in certain API contexts. The 4 GB of VRAM is double that of the NVIDIA part, which could be a deciding factor for users who need more memory for texture-heavy applications, even if the bandwidth is identical. The AMD chip also has more TMUs (20 vs 16), giving it a slightly different balance of texture processing capabilities.

For users prioritizing raw compute performance and higher clock speeds, the GeForce 840M is the data-backed winner. For users who need the extra VRAM and are willing to sacrifice some compute performance, the Radeon R5 M430 offers a compelling alternative. The benchmark results indicate that the 840M is the better all-around GPU, but the R5 M430's specific strengths make it a valid choice in niche scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The NVIDIA GeForce 840M uses the GM108S chip with the Maxwell architecture, while the AMD Radeon R5 M430 uses the Jet chip with GCN 1.0. The transistor counts are 1,020 million versus 690 million, and the die sizes are 77 mm² versus 56 mm². Clock speeds favor the NVIDIA part: base clocks are 1029 MHz versus 780 MHz, and boost clocks are 1124 MHz versus 855 MHz.

Memory configurations differ in capacity, with the GeForce 840M offering 2 GB and the Radeon R5 M430 offering 4 GB, though both use DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with nearly identical bandwidth (16.02 GB/s vs 16.00 GB/s). The shading unit counts are 384 versus 320, and TMU counts are 16 versus 20, while both have 8 ROPs. Pixel rates are 8.992 GPixel/s versus 6.840 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 17.98 GTexel/s versus 17.10 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 863.2 GFLOPS versus 547.2 GFLOPS. The TDP is listed at 33 W for the NVIDIA part, with no TDP listed for the AMD part. API support differs slightly, with DirectX 12 (11_0) versus DirectX 12 (11_1), and Vulkan 1.4 versus Vulkan 1.2.170. The production status for both is end-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce 840M wins in scenarios that demand raw compute power. Its 11.9% OpenCL advantage and higher FP32 throughput make it the better choice for applications that use OpenCL for general-purpose GPU computing, such as video encoding, physics simulations, or certain scientific workloads. The higher clock speeds also suggest better performance in latency-sensitive tasks. Its pixel rate advantage (8.992 GPixel/s vs 6.840 GPixel/s) means it can fill the framebuffer faster, which could translate to better performance in games or applications that are fill-rate limited.

The AMD Radeon R5 M430 wins in scenarios where VRAM capacity is paramount. With 4 GB versus 2 GB, it can hold larger textures and datasets in memory, potentially reducing the need for data swapping in memory-intensive applications. Its Vulkan win, while narrow, indicates that it can match the NVIDIA part in Vulkan-based games or workloads. The higher TMU count (20 vs 16) gives it a slight edge in texture-heavy operations, although the overall texture rate is nearly identical (17.10 GTexel/s vs 17.98 GTexel/s). For users who prioritize API compatibility with Vulkan 1.2.170 over 1.4, the AMD part holds its own. Ultimately, the GeForce 840M is the winner for compute and fill-rate-bound tasks, while the Radeon R5 M430 is the winner for memory capacity and Vulkan-specific scenarios.