AMD Radeon R7 240 vs AMD Radeon R7 M445 Comparison

# FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5,358 points, while the AMD Radeon R7 240 scores 5,063 points. The M445 leads by 5.8% in this head-to-head benchmark.

Q: How do these two GPUs compare in terms of their percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The Radeon R7 M445 sits in the 31st percentile, placing it just above the Radeon R7 240, which sits in the 30th percentile. The 1-percentile gap reflects their close overall performance.

Q: What are the closest rivals for each GPU based on average benchmark scores?

A: For the Radeon R7 M445, the nearest rival is the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (5,370, -0.2% difference), followed by the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5,322, +0.7%), NVIDIA GeForce 930A (5,317, +0.8%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M (5,308, +0.9%). For the Radeon R7 240, the closest is the AMD Radeon R7 M340 (5,063, 0% difference), then the AMD FirePro W4170M (5,034, +0.6%), AMD Radeon R5 M430 (5,018, +0.9%), and AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (4,998, +1.3%).

Q: What is the difference in memory type and capacity between the two cards?

A: The Radeon R7 M445 comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus, while the Radeon R7 240 has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus. Despite the narrower bus, the M445's GDDR5 memory delivers higher bandwidth.

Q: Which card was released earlier, and what is the release date?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 240 was released on October 8, 2013, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 came later on May 15, 2016. Both products are now end-of-life.

Q: What is the DirectX support level for each GPU?

A: The Radeon R7 M445 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), whereas the Radeon R7 240 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). Both cards offer OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The Radeon R7 M445 is built on GCN 3.0, using the Meso chip, while the Radeon R7 240 uses the older GCN 1.0 with the Oland chip. This architectural gap is significant: GCN 3.0 introduces refinements in compute efficiency, memory handling, and feature support that GCN 1.0 lacks.

The manufacturing process is identical — both are fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm node. However, the transistor counts differ substantially. The Radeon R7 M445 packs 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, while the Radeon R7 240 has 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die. The transistor density is nearly the same (12.4M per mm² for the M445 versus 12.3M per mm² for the R7 240), meaning the M445's larger die is primarily used for additional hardware resources rather than density improvements.

The M445's GCN 3.0 architecture supports DirectX 12 (12_0) fully, whereas the R7 240 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). This means the newer card can take advantage of more advanced DX12 features in modern titles. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. The Radeon R7 M445 uses GDDR5 memory clocked at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) on a 64-bit bus, yielding 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The R7 240 uses DDR3 memory at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) on a 128-bit bus, producing 28.80 GB/s. Despite the halved bus width, the M445 achieves higher bandwidth due to the faster memory type.

The Radeon R7 M445 is designed as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) for portable devices, with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." The Radeon R7 240 is a discrete single-slot card measuring 168 mm (6.6 inches) in length and 69 mm (2.7 inches) in height, with outputs including 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x VGA. The R7 240 carries a 30 W TDP and requires no power connectors, with a suggested PSU of 200 W.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a single head-to-head test, and the AMD Radeon R7 M445 wins it. In Geekbench OpenCL, the M445 scores 5,358 against the R7 240's 5,063, a 5.8% advantage. This makes the M445 the better choice for OpenCL compute workloads, which include general-purpose GPU computing tasks such as video encoding, image processing, and scientific calculations that leverage the GPU's parallel processing capabilities.

The Radeon R7 M445's win stems from its higher clock speeds and greater raw compute throughput. Its base clock is 780 MHz with a boost of 920 MHz, compared to the R7 240's 730 MHz base and 780 MHz boost. This translates into higher pixel and texture rates: the M445 achieves 7.360 GPixel/s and 18.40 GTexel/s, while the R7 240 manages 6.240 GPixel/s and 15.60 GTexel/s. The M445 also delivers 588.8 GFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 499.2 GFLOPS for the R7 240.

The Radeon R7 M445 also wins on memory capacity. With 4 GB of GDDR5, it offers twice the frame buffer of the R7 240's 2 GB of DDR3. This is particularly relevant for modern workloads that require larger textures or data sets. The M445's higher memory bandwidth (32.00 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s) further strengthens its position in memory-bound scenarios.

However, the Radeon R7 240 is not without its own advantages. As a discrete card with a 128-bit memory bus, it has a wider interface that can be beneficial in certain access patterns. Its lower transistor count and smaller die suggest a more power-efficient design per unit of silicon, though the M445's TDP is not listed in the available data. The R7 240's DDR3 memory, while slower, is generally more affordable and widely available, though pricing is not discussed here.

For use cases, the M445 is suited for portable devices where integrated graphics are required, making it a choice for thin-and-light laptops. The R7 240, being a single-slot discrete card with VGA and DVI outputs, is more appropriate for desktop systems requiring legacy display connectivity. Neither card is positioned for high-end gaming; both sit in the 30th percentile of all GPUs, indicating entry-level performance.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M445 | AMD Radeon R7 240 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 950 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 77 mm² |

| Base Clock | 780 MHz | 730 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 920 MHz | 780 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 32.00 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 7.360 GPixel/s | 6.240 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 18.40 GTexel/s | 15.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 588.8 GFLOPS | 499.2 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 588.8 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not listed |

| TDP | Not listed | 30 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | Not listed | None |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 200 W |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x VGA |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Release Date | May 15, 2016 | October 8, 2013 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 69 USD |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, which measures compute performance across a variety of workloads including integer, floating-point, and memory operations. The results are decisive: the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5,358, while the AMD Radeon R7 240 scores 5,063. This yields a 5.8% victory for the M445, a meaningful margin given how closely matched these two GPUs are in other respects.

Breaking down why the M445 wins, the clock speed differential is the most obvious factor. The M445's boost clock of 920 MHz is 17.9% higher than the R7 240's 780 MHz boost. Even at base clocks, the M445 runs 6.8% faster (780 MHz versus 730 MHz). Since both cards have identical shading unit counts (320), TMUs (20), and ROPs (8), the raw throughput scales directly with clock speed. The M445's FP32 output of 588.8 GFLOPS is 17.9% higher than the R7 240's 499.2 GFLOPS, matching the boost clock advantage precisely.

Memory performance also favors the M445. Its GDDR5 memory delivers 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 11.1% higher than the R7 240's 28.80 GB/s from DDR3. This is notable because the M445 achieves this with a 64-bit bus, half the width of the R7 240's 128-bit bus. The faster memory more than compensates for the narrower interface. The M445 also has twice the memory capacity (4 GB versus 2 GB), which can help avoid performance cliffs in memory-hungry workloads.

The Radeon R7 240's only structural advantages are its wider memory bus and lower power consumption (30 W TDP). The wider bus could theoretically help in access patterns with high spatial locality, but the benchmark data does not show this translating into a win. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the M445's higher clocks and faster memory dominate.

Contextualizing these results, the M445's 5,358 score places it in the 31st percentile of all GPUs, while the R7 240's 5,063 sits in the 30th percentile. The M445's nearest rivals are the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (5,370, within 0.2%) and the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5,322, 0.7% behind). The R7 240's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R7 M340 at exactly the same score (5,063, 0% difference), followed by the AMD FirePro W4170M (5,034, 0.6% behind). This indicates that both cards occupy a tightly contested performance band where small clock or memory improvements can shift rankings.

The win count is 1-0 in favor of the Radeon R7 M445. While a single benchmark does not capture the full range of gaming, rendering, or compute scenarios, the OpenCL result is a strong indicator of general compute capability. Given the architectural differences — GCN 3.0 versus GCN 1.0 — the M445 also carries forward feature improvements that the R7 240 cannot access, particularly in DirectX 12 (12_0 versus 11_1). For users choosing between these two end-of-life products, the data points clearly to the Radeon R7 M445 as the higher-performing option.