AMD Radeon R6 M255DX vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data presents a single shared benchmark result between the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, and it is a decisive victory for NVIDIA. In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the GTX 970M scores 18,292 points, while the R6 M255DX manages only 4,867 points. That is a delta of -73.4% for the AMD part, meaning the NVIDIA GPU delivers roughly 3.8 times the raw Vulkan performance. This is not a close contest; the gap is overwhelming and consistent with the architectural disparity between the two.

The R6 M255DX’s single benchmark score places it in the 28th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 970M’s average benchmark score across multiple tests places it in the 27th percentile. Despite the GTX 970M’s lower percentile ranking, its average score of 4,628 across all its benchmarks is actually lower than its Vulkan score alone (18,292) because the average pulls in results from less demanding legacy tests like Passmark DirectX 9 (99 points) and Passmark G2D (381 points). The R6 M255DX has no such additional data points, so its average equals its Vulkan score of 4,867.

The per-test disparity is stark. In Vulkan, the GTX 970M’s 18,292 dwarfs the R6 M255DX’s 4,867. However, the R6 M255DX’s nearest rivals—the GTX 560M (4,855, +0.2%), GeForce 940MX (4,844, +0.5%), and GTS 450 (4,893, -0.5%)—all cluster within a fraction of a percent of its score. This suggests the AMD part is competitive with older entry-level discrete GPUs, but the GTX 970M sits in a different performance class entirely. The GTX 970M’s nearest rivals include the Quadro M3000M (4,621, +0.2%) and the Radeon R5 M320 (4,657, -0.6%), which are far lower than the NVIDIA part’s Vulkan result, indicating that its average is dragged down by older API tests.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark by a massive margin. The GTX 970M’s Vulkan score of 18,292 is 13,425 points higher than the R6 M255DX’s 4,867, a 73.4% deficit for the AMD part. Anyone seeking raw graphics performance in modern APIs should choose the NVIDIA GPU without hesitation.

The R6 M255DX, however, is not without merit. Its single Vulkan score of 4,867 places it just above the GTX 970M’s average benchmark score of 4,628 across all tests. But that comparison is misleading—the GTX 970M’s average includes legacy DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests where scores range from 24 to 99 points, while its Vulkan performance is nearly four times higher. The AMD part’s nearest rivals are all within 0.7% of its score, meaning it delivers performance on par with a GeForce GTX 560M or 940MX. For a user targeting modern workloads, the GTX 970M is the clear choice.

The verdict also reflects the production status: both are end-of-life, but the GTX 970M was released on 2014-10-06, nine months after the R6 M255DX’s 2014-01-06 launch. The NVIDIA chip uses a larger and more powerful design, which is reflected in every measurable metric. The R6 M255DX is an integrated part (IGP slot width), while the GTX 970M is a discrete MXM module—a fundamental difference that explains the performance gulf.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M wins the only benchmark where both are tested, so it wins in every directly comparable scenario. For Vulkan-based applications, the GTX 970M’s 18,292 score is in a different league. It also has a broader benchmark profile, with scores across DirectX 9 (99), DirectX 10 (28), DirectX 11 (42), DirectX 12 (24), OpenCL (18,946), G2D (381), G3D (5,704), and GPU compute (2,289). This versatility suggests it handles legacy and modern APIs alike, though its DirectX 12 Passmark score of 24 is notably low.

The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX wins only in the sense that it has a higher percentile ranking (28th vs. 27th) and a higher single Vulkan score (4,867) than the GTX 970M’s average (4,628). However, the GTX 970M’s Vulkan result is 18,292, so this is a statistical artifact, not a real advantage. The R6 M255DX’s nearest rivals—GTX 560M, 940MX, GTS 450—all score within 0.7% of it, meaning it is competitive with entry-level discrete GPUs from 2011-2016 era. For users running lightweight or older titles, the R6 M255DX may suffice, but there is no benchmark in the data where it outperforms the GTX 970M.

The use-case split is clear: the GTX 970M is for demanding applications, while the R6 M255DX is for systems where an integrated GPU is the only option. The GTX 970M’s 6 GB GDDR5 memory, 192-bit bus, and 120.3 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for texture-heavy workloads. The R6 M255DX’s system-shared memory is dependent on the host platform, which is a fundamental limitation.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Vulkan benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M scores 18,292 in the Geekbench Vulkan test, while the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX scores 4,867. The NVIDIA part leads by 73.4%.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX compare to its nearest rivals?

A: Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (4,855, +0.2%), GeForce 940MX (4,844, +0.5%), and GTS 450 (4,893, -0.5%). All scores are within 0.7% of the R6 M255DX’s 4,867.

Q: What is the GTX 970M’s average benchmark score across all tests?

A: The GTX 970M has an average benchmark score of 4,628 across 10 tests, which includes scores ranging from 24 (Passmark DirectX 12) to 18,946 (Geekbench OpenCL).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M has 1,280 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX has 320 shading units.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each GPU?

A: The GTX 970M has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 120.3 GB/s bandwidth. The R6 M255DX uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bus width and bandwidth.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are end-of-life. The R6 M255DX was released on 2014-01-06, and the GTX 970M was released on 2014-10-06.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is fundamental. The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX uses the GCN 1.0 architecture on a chip codenamed Jet, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.3 million per mm². The chip features 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. Its pixel rate is 6.840 GPixel/s, texture rate is 17.10 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 547.2 GFLOPS. The R6 M255DX supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture on a chip codenamed GM204, also on a 28 nm TSMC process. It has 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, with a density of 13.1 million per mm². The GPU has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 49.82 GPixel/s, texture rate is 83.04 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 2.657 TFLOPS—nearly five times the AMD part. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The transistor count difference is enormous: the GTX 970M has 7.5 times more transistors, and its die is 7.1 times larger. However, the transistor densities are similar (12.3M vs. 13.1M per mm²), indicating both use comparable manufacturing efficiency. The R6 M255DX is an integrated GPU (IGP slot width and bus interface), while the GTX 970M is a discrete MXM module with an MXM-B (3.0) interface. The R6 M255DX’s memory is system-shared and system-dependent, whereas the GTX 970M has dedicated 6 GB GDDR5.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification. The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX has a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 855 MHz, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M runs at 924 MHz base and 1,038 MHz boost. The memory clocks are system-shared for the AMD part and 1,253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the NVIDIA part.

Memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all differ: the R6 M255DX uses system-shared memory with no fixed bus width or bandwidth, while the GTX 970M has 6 GB GDDR5, a 192-bit bus, and 120.3 GB/s bandwidth. The shading unit counts are 320 vs. 1,280, TMUs are 20 vs. 80, and ROPs are 8 vs. 48. Pixel rate is 6.840 GPixel/s vs. 49.82 GPixel/s, texture rate is 17.10 GTexel/s vs. 83.04 GTexel/s, and FP32 is 547.2 GFLOPS vs. 2.657 TFLOPS.

The slot width is IGP for the AMD part and MXM Module for the NVIDIA part. Power connectors are absent for both (the GTX 970M lists “None”), and display outputs are portable-device-dependent for both. The R6 M255DX’s generation is “Gem System Hybrid (Rx M200),” while the GTX 970M’s is “GeForce 900M.” The GTX 970M’s predecessor is the GeForce 800M and its successor is GeForce 10 Mobile; the R6 M255DX has no listed predecessor or successor. The release dates differ by nine months, and both are end-of-life. The GTX 970M has a higher process node density (13.1M vs. 12.3M per mm²), a larger die (398 mm² vs. 56 mm²), and a higher transistor count (5,200M vs. 690M).