AMD Radeon R6 M255DX vs NVIDIA Quadro M4000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single direct head-to-head comparison between the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 and the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX: the Geekbench Vulkan test. The results are decisively one-sided. The Quadro M4000 scores 24,640 points, while the Radeon R6 M255DX manages 4,867 points. This gives the NVIDIA card a commanding 406.3% advantage, meaning it outperforms the AMD part by a factor of roughly five in this API workload.

This is not a close contest by any measure. The delta between the two is so large that it places them in entirely different performance strata. The Quadro M4000's Vulkan score alone is higher than the Radeon R6 M255DX's average benchmark score across all tests.

Looking at overall average benchmark scores, the gap persists. The Quadro M4000 holds an average score of 5,467 across its ten recorded tests, while the Radeon R6 M255DX averages 4,867 from its single benchmark entry. That translates to a roughly 12% advantage for the NVIDIA part in aggregate, though this comparison is skewed by the fact that the AMD card only has one data point.

The nearest rival data for each card further contextualizes their standing. The Quadro M4000 sits at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs, with its closest competitors being the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (average score 5,483, a 0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon 610M (5,444, 0.4% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5,501, 0.6% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5,508, 0.7% delta). These rivals are all within roughly one percentage point of the Quadro M4000, indicating it is firmly entrenched in a crowded mid-range performance band.

The Radeon R6 M255DX, by contrast, sits at the 28th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (4,855, a 0.2% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4,844, a 0.5% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4,893, a 0.5% delta), and, interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (4,901, a 0.7% delta). The inclusion of a modern flagship-class card in that list is notable; it suggests that the R6 M255DX's single benchmark score places it in a performance neighborhood that spans very different generations and market segments.

Where Each One Wins

The database records only one head-to-head win for the NVIDIA Quadro M4000, and zero for the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX. In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the Quadro M4000 is the clear victor. This is a compute-oriented workload that stresses GPU parallelism, and the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with its 1,664 shading units is able to leverage that hardware far more effectively than the GCN 1.0 part with only 320 shading units.

For the Radeon R6 M255DX, there is no recorded benchmark where it surpasses the Quadro M4000. Its only benchmark result is the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it loses by a substantial margin. The data provides no evidence of any workload where the AMD part comes out ahead.

It is worth noting the context of these two products. The Quadro M4000 is a professional workstation GPU with 8 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory, a 256-bit memory bus, and 192.3 GB/s of bandwidth. It is designed for tasks like CAD, simulation, and content creation. The Radeon R6 M255DX is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with system-shared memory, meaning its bandwidth and capacity are "System Dependent" rather than fixed specifications. It is built for basic portable computing tasks, not heavy graphics workloads.

The practical implication is that the Quadro M4000 will handle GPU-accelerated applications with far greater headroom. The Vulkan delta of 406.3% suggests that any modern API-based workload, whether gaming, rendering, or compute, will be dramatically smoother on the NVIDIA part. The Radeon R6 M255DX, by contrast, is limited to lighter duties where its lower absolute performance is sufficient.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 is the superior product. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 406.3%, holds a higher average benchmark score (5,467 versus 4,867), and achieves a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs (32nd versus 28th). For any user who needs a discrete graphics solution with dedicated memory and professional-grade compute capability, the Quadro M4000 is the clear choice.

The Radeon R6 M255DX, however, serves a different purpose. As an integrated part with system-shared memory, it is not designed to compete with a discrete workstation card. Its single benchmark score of 4,867 places it within 0.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB in the nearest rival list, but that is a statistical artifact of the limited data, not an indication of comparable real-world performance. The R6 M255DX is best suited for portable devices where power efficiency and compactness matter more than raw throughput.

Users should pick the Quadro M4000 if they require a dedicated GPU with 8 GB of VRAM, a 256-bit memory bus, and the ability to drive multiple 4K displays through its four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. It also supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it compatible with modern software stacks. The Radeon R6 M255DX supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, which is functional but slightly behind in API version support.

There is no scenario in the recorded data where the Radeon R6 M255DX outperforms the Quadro M4000. The verdict is straightforward: the NVIDIA card wins on every measurable axis.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench Vulkan score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 scores 24,640 points, which is 406.3% higher than the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX's 4,867 points.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Quadro M4000 has an average benchmark score of 5,467 across ten tests, while the Radeon R6 M255DX has an average of 4,867 from a single test.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU?

A: For the Quadro M4000, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5,483, 0.3% delta), AMD Radeon 610M (5,444, 0.4% delta), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5,501, 0.6% delta), and NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5,508, 0.7% delta). For the Radeon R6 M255DX, they are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (4,855, 0.2% delta), NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4,844, 0.5% delta), NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4,893, 0.5% delta), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (4,901, 0.7% delta).

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The Quadro M4000 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 192.3 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon R6 M255DX uses system-shared memory, with size, bus width, and bandwidth listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent."

Q: What is the process node for each chip?

A: Both GPUs are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The Quadro M4000 uses the GM204 chip with 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, while the Radeon R6 M255DX uses the Jet chip with 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die.

Q: Which GPU supports the newer Vulkan version?

A: The Quadro M4000 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon R6 M255DX supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA part also supports DirectX 12 (12_1) versus DirectX 12 (11_1) for the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies and market segments.

The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 is built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture using the GM204 chip. It was released on June 28, 2015, as part of the Quadro Maxwell (Mx000) generation. The chip contains 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This yields a transistor density of 13.1 million transistors per square millimeter. The GPU is equipped with 1,664 shading units, 104 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. Its pixel rate is 49.47 GPixel/s, texture rate is 80.39 GTexel/s, and it delivers 2.573 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 192.3 GB/s of bandwidth at an effective speed of 6 Gbps. The card has a TDP of 120 W, requires a single 6-pin power connector, and fits in a single-slot form factor. It connects via PCIe 3.0 x16 and outputs video through four DisplayPort 1.2 connections. The card measures 241 mm in length and 111 mm in height.

The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX is based on the GCN 1.0 architecture using the Jet chip. Released on January 6, 2014, as part of the Gem System Hybrid (Rx M200) generation, it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) rather than a discrete card. The chip contains 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, also on a 28 nm TSMC process, giving a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. It has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 render 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 base clock is 780 MHz with a boost clock of 855 MHz. Memory is entirely system-shared, meaning capacity, bus width, and bandwidth are dependent on the host system. There is no dedicated TDP listed, no power connectors, and the bus interface is IGP rather than PCIe. Display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its integration into laptops and compact systems.

The API support differs meaningfully. The Quadro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Radeon R6 M255DX supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both are end-of-life products, but the Quadro M4000 has a defined predecessor (Quadro Kepler) and successor (Quadro Pascal), while the Radeon R6 M255DX lists neither.

The transistor counts and die sizes tell a clear story. The Quadro M4000 packs over 7.5 times more transistors onto a die that is over 7 times larger. This directly translates into its massive performance lead in the Vulkan benchmark. The Radeon R6 M255DX is a small, power-efficient part designed for integration, whereas the Quadro M4000 is a full-sized workstation GPU with dedicated VRAM and professional display outputs. The architectural gap between Maxwell 2.0 and GCN 1.0 is significant, and the recorded benchmark data reflects that gap in practice.