AMD Radeon R5 M430 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M Comparison

AMD Radeon R5 M430 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but the benchmark data shows they serve distinctly different workloads. The AMD part wins both recorded head-to-head tests, yet the NVIDIA card holds its own in specific API environments. The R5 M430 captures 2 wins against 0 for the GT 645M, with its OpenCL advantage being particularly pronounced. However, the GT 645M posts a higher standalone Metal score, a test the R5 M430 did not record. This split suggests that the choice between these two hinges on which applications and APIs the user prioritizes, rather than a blanket superiority for either part.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R5 M430 is the clear winner in OpenCL compute workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 5152 versus the GT 645M’s 2680 represents a massive 92.2% advantage, the largest delta in the entire head-to-head dataset. This makes the R5 M430 the stronger option for general-purpose GPU compute tasks that leverage OpenCL, such as certain video encoding, physics simulations, or data processing routines. The R5 M430 also edges out the GT 645M in Vulkan, scoring 4884 versus 4875, a narrow 0.2% margin. While this difference is nearly negligible in practical terms, it does mean the AMD part wins the only two directly comparable benchmark tests recorded.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M, by contrast, finds its strongest showing in the Metal API, where it scores 5679. This is the highest single benchmark score between the two cards, and it exceeds the R5 M430’s best result (5152 in OpenCL) by over 10%. For users running Metal-accelerated applications, typically found in Apple ecosystem software, the GT 645M offers a meaningful performance edge. The GT 645M also has a higher average benchmark score than its own nearest rival cluster suggests, though its overall average of 4411 trails the R5 M430’s 5018. The data indicates the GT 645M is the better choice for Metal-centric workloads, while the R5 M430 dominates in OpenCL and marginally wins in Vulkan.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture on a chip codenamed Jet, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 690 million transistors onto a 56 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M employs the Kepler architecture with the GK107 chip, also fabricated on a 28 nm TSMC process. However, the NVIDIA die is substantially larger at 118 mm² and contains 1,270 million transistors, resulting in a lower density of 10.8 million per square millimeter. This means NVIDIA spent more silicon area but achieved a lower packing efficiency.

The compute resources differ significantly. The R5 M430 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The GT 645M counters with 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, giving it a 20% advantage in shader count, 60% more TMUs, and double the ROPs. Despite this, the R5 M430 achieves a higher pixel rate of 6.840 GPixel/s against the GT 645M’s 6.240 GPixel/s, thanks to its higher base clock of 780 MHz versus 709 MHz. The GT 645M does win in texture rate, posting 24.96 GTexel/s versus 17.10 GTexel/s, and in raw FP32 throughput at 599.0 GFLOPS versus 547.2 GFLOPS.

Memory configurations also diverge strongly. The R5 M430 comes with 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GT 645M has only 2 GB of DDR3 but on a 128-bit bus, yielding 28.80 GB/s, an 80% bandwidth advantage. The GT 645M’s memory clock is 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) versus the R5 M430’s 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective), but the wider bus compensates. The GT 645M also features a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface versus the R5 M430’s x8, and carries a 32 W TDP, while the R5 M430 has no recorded TDP. Both support DirectX 12, with the R5 M430 at 12 (11_1) and the GT 645M at 12 (11_0), and both run OpenGL 4.6. Vulkan support is present on both, with the GT 645M at version 1.2.175 and the R5 M430 at 1.2.170.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data contains two tests, and the AMD Radeon R5 M430 wins both. The first is Geekbench OpenCL, where the R5 M430 scores 5152 against the GT 645M’s 2680. The delta is 92.2%, meaning the AMD part nearly doubles the NVIDIA card’s score. This is the single largest performance gap in the comparison and dominates the overall average. The R5 M430’s average benchmark score of 5018 sits close to its OpenCL result, while the GT 645M’s average of 4411 is pulled down by its weak OpenCL showing.

The second head-to-head test is Geekbench Vulkan, where the R5 M430 scores 4884 and the GT 645M scores 4875. The delta is only 0.2%, making this effectively a tie. Both cards are within nine points of each other, well within run-to-run variance. This near-identical Vulkan performance suggests that for Vulkan-based games or applications, users would see no practical difference between the two. However, the GT 645M has a separate Geekbench Metal score of 5679, which is not part of the head-to-head set but is recorded in its benchmark list. This Metal result is the highest single score between the two GPUs, exceeding the R5 M430’s best OpenCL number by 527 points.

Looking at the nearest rival data provides context. The R5 M430’s closest competitors include the AMD FirePro W4170M (average 5034, delta -0.3%), the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (4998, delta 0.4%), and the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 (4979, delta 0.8%). The GT 645M sits near the NVIDIA GeForce 930M (4388, delta 0.5%), the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 (4360, delta 1.2%), and the AMD Radeon R7 M260 (4499, delta -1.9%). The R5 M430’s 30th percentile versus all GPUs is higher than the GT 645M’s 26th percentile, and its average score of 5018 exceeds the GT 645M’s 4411 by 13.8%.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split recommendation. For users who prioritize OpenCL compute performance, the AMD Radeon R5 M430 is the definitive choice. Its 92.2% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is decisive, and this is the workload where the card clearly outperforms. The R5 M430 also holds a tiny edge in Vulkan, making it the safer pick for cross-platform graphics APIs. Its higher average benchmark score of 5018 versus 4411, combined with a 30th percentile ranking against all GPUs versus 26th for the GT 645M, reinforces that the AMD part is the stronger all-around performer in the recorded tests.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M is the better option specifically for Metal-accelerated workloads. Its Geekbench Metal score of 5679 is the highest single result between the two cards, and no comparable Metal test exists for the R5 M430. Users working within Apple’s Metal ecosystem would see better performance from the GT 645M. The GT 645M also offers double the memory bandwidth (28.80 GB/s versus 16.00 GB/s) and a wider 128-bit bus, which could benefit memory-intensive applications, though this is not directly reflected in the benchmark scores. Its lower transistor density and larger die suggest a less efficient design, but the higher texture rate and FP32 throughput give it raw compute advantages in certain workloads.

In practical terms, the R5 M430 wins on OpenCL and Vulkan, while the GT 645M wins on Metal and memory bandwidth. The R5 M430’s overall average score is 13.8% higher, and it holds a higher percentile rank. For most users running general-purpose benchmarks, the R5 M430 is the superior choice. For those specifically targeting Metal or needing higher memory bandwidth, the GT 645M has a legitimate claim.

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 NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M averages 4411. The AMD part is ahead by 13.8%.

Q: How large is the OpenCL performance gap between the two?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the R5 M430 scores 5152 versus the GT 645M’s 2680, giving the AMD card a 92.2% advantage.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the NVIDIA card wins?

A: The GT 645M records a Geekbench Metal score of 5679, which is higher than any score the R5 M430 achieved. However, the R5 M430 has no recorded Metal test, so this is not a direct head-to-head comparison.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M has a memory bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s on a 128-bit bus, while the AMD Radeon R5 M430 has 16.00 GB/s on a 64-bit bus. The NVIDIA card offers 80% more bandwidth.

Q: How do the two compare in Vulkan performance?

A: In Geekbench Vulkan, the R5 M430 scores 4884 and the GT 645M scores 4875. The difference is 0.2%, meaning they perform virtually identically.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M430 ranks in the 30th percentile, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M ranks in the 26th percentile.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture with a Jet chip, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M uses Kepler with a GK107 chip. Both are built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the AMD die is 56 mm² with 690 million transistors, while the NVIDIA die is 118 mm² with 1,270 million transistors. Transistor density favors AMD at 12.3 million per mm² versus 10.8 million for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds differ: the R5 M430 runs at 780 MHz base and 855 MHz boost, while the GT 645M runs at 709 MHz base and 780 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective) for AMD and 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) for NVIDIA. Memory size is 4 GB for the R5 M430 versus 2 GB for the GT 645M, but the GT 645M has a 128-bit bus versus 64-bit, giving it 28.80 GB/s bandwidth against 16.00 GB/s.

Compute units differ: the R5 M430 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, while the GT 645M has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rates are close, with the R5 M430 at 6.840 GPixel/s and the GT 645M at 6.240 GPixel/s. Texture rates favor NVIDIA at 24.96 GTexel/s versus 17.10 GTexel/s, as does FP32 at 599.0 GFLOPS versus 547.2 GFLOPS.

The GT 645M has a recorded TDP of 32 W, while the R5 M430 has none. Both are IGP slot width with portable device dependent display outputs. The R5 M430 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the GT 645M uses PCIe 3.0 x16. DirectX support is 12 (11_1) for AMD and 12 (11_0) for NVIDIA. OpenGL is 4.6 for both, and Vulkan is 1.2.170 for AMD versus 1.2.175 for NVIDIA. The GT 645M has a release date of September 2012, while the R5 M430 has none recorded.