AMD Radeon R5 M430 vs NVIDIA Quadro M500M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear overall winner in the direct comparison between the NVIDIA Quadro M500M and the AMD Radeon R5 M430. Across the two benchmark tests in the database, the Quadro M500M takes both wins, with no tests going to the Radeon R5 M430.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the Quadro M500M scores 5986, while the Radeon R5 M430 scores 5152. That gives the NVIDIA part a 16.2% lead in this compute-oriented workload. The margin is substantial enough that it represents more than just a small architectural edge; it suggests the Quadro is handling the parallel compute workload with noticeably higher efficiency.

The Vulkan test narrows the gap somewhat. The Quadro M500M scores 5222, and the Radeon R5 M430 scores 4884, a 6.9% difference. This is still a win for NVIDIA, but the smaller delta suggests that the AMD part is comparatively closer in graphics-driven API workloads than in raw OpenCL compute. Still, a win is a win, and the Quadro takes both categories.

Looking at average benchmark scores across all tests in the database, the Quadro M500M sits at 5604, while the Radeon R5 M430 sits at 5018. That is a meaningful gap for two mobile-class parts aimed at similar laptop segments.

The percentile rankings reinforce the same story. The Quadro M500M lands at the 32nd percentile among all GPUs, while the Radeon R5 M430 lands at the 30th. Neither part is a high-flyer in the broader GPU landscape, but the Quadro sits slightly higher in the distribution.

When placed against their nearest rivals, both parts are tightly clustered. The Quadro M500M's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M, which has an average score of 5501, putting the Quadro 1.9% ahead. The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 scores 5508, which is 1.7% behind the Quadro. The AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537, a 1.2% gap, and the AMD Radeon HD 8790M scores 5691, which actually puts that part 1.5% ahead of the Quadro. So the Quadro is competitive with its immediate peers but not dominant.

The Radeon R5 M430's nearest rivals are similarly close. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 scores 5063, placing it 0.9% ahead of the R5 M430. The AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034, which is 0.3% ahead. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics scores 4998, putting the R5 M430 0.4% ahead of that integrated part. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 scores 4979, and the R5 M430 sits 0.8% ahead. In short, the R5 M430 is right in the middle of its own competitive set, neither clearly above nor below the pack.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages. The NVIDIA Quadro M500M uses the GM108S chip, built on the Maxwell architecture, and belongs to the Quadro Maxwell-M (Mx000M) generation. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 uses the Jet chip, built on GCN 1.0, and belongs to the Gem System (R5 M400) generation.

Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, so there is no node advantage for either side. The transistor counts differ, though. The Quadro M500M packs 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². The Radeon R5 M430 has 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, with a density of 12.3M per mm². The NVIDIA chip is both larger and denser, which helps explain its higher compute throughput.

The shader configurations differ as well. The Quadro M500M has 384 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The Radeon R5 M430 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The Quadro has more shaders, while the AMD part has more texture units. The ROP count is identical at 8.

Clock speeds tell a significant part of the story. The Quadro M500M runs at a base clock of 1029 MHz and boosts to 1124 MHz. The Radeon R5 M430 runs at 780 MHz base and 855 MHz boost. That is a substantial clock advantage for NVIDIA, and it compounds with the higher shader count to produce a much higher peak compute figure. The Quadro delivers 863.2 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the Radeon manages 547.2 GFLOPS.

Memory configurations also differ. The Quadro M500M comes with 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, running at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective, producing 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon R5 M430 comes with 4 GB of DDR3, also on a 64-bit bus, but running at 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective, producing 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. So the AMD part has double the capacity and slightly higher bandwidth, but the NVIDIA part is faster at everything else.

Pixel and texture rates follow the clock and shader pattern. The Quadro M500M outputs 8.992 GPixel/s and 17.98 GTexel/s. The Radeon R5 M430 outputs 6.840 GPixel/s and 17.10 GTexel/s. The Quadro leads in both.

The form factor and interface differ too. The Quadro M500M uses an MXM Module with an MXM-A (3.0) bus interface, while the Radeon R5 M430 is an IGP with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The Quadro has a listed TDP of 30 W; the Radeon's TDP is not recorded in the database.

API support is broadly similar. Both support DirectX 12, though the Quadro lists it as 12 (11_0) while the Radeon lists 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6. Vulkan support differs: the Quadro lists Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon lists Vulkan 1.2.170.

The production status is end-of-life for both parts. The Quadro M500M was released in 2016, and its predecessor is the Quadro Kepler-M, with the Quadro Pascal-M as successor. The Radeon R5 M430 has no recorded release date, with the Solar System as predecessor and Polaris Mobile as successor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M500M scores 5986 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R5 M430 scores 5152. That is a 16.2% lead for the Quadro.

Q: Is the Radeon R5 M430 closer in Vulkan performance?

A: Yes. In Geekbench Vulkan, the Quadro M500M scores 5222 and the Radeon R5 M430 scores 4884, a 6.9% gap. That is less than half the margin seen in OpenCL.

Q: Does the Radeon R5 M430 have more memory bandwidth?

A: Yes. The Radeon R5 M430 has 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Quadro M500M has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their immediate rivals?

A: The Quadro M500M is 1.9% ahead of the GeForce GTX 765M, 1.7% ahead of the GeForce MX130, and 1.2% ahead of the AMD FirePro M4000, but 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8790M. The Radeon R5 M430 is 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, but 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon R7 M340 and 0.3% behind the AMD FirePro W4170M.

Q: What is the core clock difference?

A: The Quadro M500M runs at 1029 MHz base and 1124 MHz boost. The Radeon R5 M430 runs at 780 MHz base and 855 MHz boost.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Quadro M500M has 384 shading units. The Radeon R5 M430 has 320 shading units. The Radeon does have more texture units, 20 versus 16, and both have 8 ROPs.

The Verdict

The data does not leave much room for debate. The NVIDIA Quadro M500M wins both recorded benchmark tests, has a higher average benchmark score, a higher percentile ranking, more shading units, higher clocks, higher pixel and texture rates, and higher FP32 compute. The only areas where the Radeon R5 M430 leads are memory capacity, memory bandwidth, and texture unit count.

For workloads that depend on raw compute throughput, OpenCL performance, or Vulkan performance, the Quadro M500M is the stronger choice. The 16.2% OpenCL lead and the 6.9% Vulkan lead are consistent with the hardware differences in shader count and clock speed.

For workloads that are memory-bound or require more frame buffer capacity, the Radeon R5 M430 has a theoretical edge. Its 4 GB frame buffer is double the Quadro's 2 GB, and its 16.00 GB/s bandwidth is higher than the Quadro's 14.40 GB/s. That could matter in scenarios where textures or datasets exceed 2 GB, though the Quadro's raw compute advantage may compensate in many real-world tasks.

The Radeon R5 M430 also has the texture unit advantage, 20 versus 16, which could help in certain graphics workloads where texture fetch throughput is the limiting factor. But the Quadro's texture rate is still higher at 17.98 GTexel/s versus 17.10 GTexel/s, thanks to its much higher clocks.

Considering the percentile data, both parts are low-end mobile solutions. The Quadro sits at the 32nd percentile, the Radeon at the 30th. Neither will satisfy demanding gaming or professional 3D workloads. But for a laptop GPU used in light productivity, older games, or basic compute tasks, the Quadro M500M is the better performer according to every compute benchmark in the database.

The architectural comparison reinforces the benchmark results. The Maxwell-based Quadro uses a denser, more efficient design with higher clocks and more shaders. The GCN 1.0 Radeon is older in design philosophy and cannot match the compute output despite its larger memory allocation.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in the following recorded specifications:

• Chip: NVIDIA GM108S versus AMD Jet
• Architecture: Maxwell versus GCN 1.0
• Generation: Quadro Maxwell-M (Mx000M) versus Gem System (R5 M400)
• Transistors: 1,020 million versus 690 million
• Die size: 77 mm² versus 56 mm²
• Transistor density: 13.2M per mm² versus 12.3M per mm²
• Base clock: 1029 MHz versus 780 MHz
• Boost clock: 1124 MHz versus 855 MHz
• Memory clock: 900 MHz / 1800 Mbps effective versus 1000 MHz / 2 Gbps effective
• Memory size: 2 GB versus 4 GB
• Memory bandwidth: 14.40 GB/s versus 16.00 GB/s
• Shading units: 384 versus 320
• Texture mapping units: 16 versus 20
• Pixel rate: 8.992 GPixel/s versus 6.840 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 17.98 GTexel/s versus 17.10 GTexel/s
• FP32 compute: 863.2 GFLOPS versus 547.2 GFLOPS
• TDP: 30 W versus not recorded
• Slot width: MXM Module versus IGP
• Bus interface: MXM-A (3.0) versus PCIe 3.0 x8
• DirectX support: 12 (11_0) versus 12 (11_1)
• Vulkan support: 1.4 versus 1.2.170
• Release date: 2016-04-26 versus not recorded
• Predecessor: Quadro Kepler-M versus Solar System
• Successor: Quadro Pascal-M versus Polaris Mobile

Identical specifications include the 28 nm process node, TSMC foundry, DDR3 memory type, 64-bit memory bus, 8 ROPs, OpenGL 4.6 support, and end-of-life production status.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro M500M wins in compute performance. It leads in OpenCL by 16.2%, in Vulkan by 6.9%, and in average benchmark score by 586 points. It has higher FP32 compute at 863.2 GFLOPS versus 547.2 GFLOPS. It wins in pixel rate and texture rate. For any task that leans on shader throughput, general compute, or graphics rendering speed, the Quadro is the pick.

The AMD Radeon R5 M430 wins in memory capacity and bandwidth. It offers 4 GB of VRAM against the Quadro's 2 GB, and its 16.00 GB/s bandwidth edges out the Quadro's 14.40 GB/s. It also has more texture units, 20 versus 16, though its overall texture rate is lower. For workloads that require a larger frame buffer, such as running textures or datasets that exceed 2 GB, the Radeon has an advantage.

In the broader context of their nearest rivals, the Quadro M500M holds its own better than the Radeon R5 M430 does. The Quadro's closest competitors are all within 1.9% of its score, with only one rival ahead of it. The Radeon's closest competitors are also tightly packed, but it sits below two of its four nearest rivals.

For a builder choosing between these two for a laptop, the decision comes down to workload. Compute and rendering favor the Quadro M500M. Memory-heavy tasks favor the Radeon R5 M430. For most general-purpose use, the benchmark data points toward the Quadro.