AMD Radeon R7 Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce 930A Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear but narrow picture. In the sole head-to-head benchmark available, the GeForce 930A wins decisively, yet the broader benchmark averages tell a more nuanced story about positioning. The NVIDIA GeForce 930A is the choice for users who need a discrete mobile GPU with a specific performance edge in OpenCL workloads. Its 5,317 Geekbench OpenCL score is 32.4% higher than the 4,015 posted by the Radeon R7 Graphics, a substantial lead in a compute-oriented test. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, conversely, is an integrated solution whose primary advantage is its architectural feature set and API support, not raw performance. Given its 29th-percentile rank versus the 930A’s 31st-percentile rank, the AMD part sits just slightly lower in the overall GPU hierarchy. For a system builder constrained to an IGP, the Radeon R7 Graphics offers a DirectX 12 (12_0) feature level and a Vulkan 1.2.170 implementation that the older Maxwell part cannot match. The verdict is straightforward: pick the GeForce 930A for higher compute throughput in OpenCL; pick the Radeon R7 Graphics for a more modern API feature set within an integrated package. The GeForce 930A wins 1 benchmark to 0, but the Radeon R7 Graphics counters with a superior API profile.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two parts is fundamental. The NVIDIA GeForce 930A is built on the GM108 chip using the Maxwell architecture on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,020 million transistors into a 77 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics uses the Spectre Lite chip based on GCN 2.0 architecture, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on the same 28 nm node. AMD’s solution is physically much larger: 2,410 million transistors spread across a 245 mm² die, with a lower density of 9.8M per mm². This size difference reflects the IGP’s integration into a larger APU package, the Kaveri generation, rather than a standalone graphics processor.

Core counts are identical on paper, which makes the performance gap notable. Both GPUs feature 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The clock speeds, however, favor NVIDIA. The GeForce 930A runs at a base clock of 928 MHz with a boost of 941 MHz, while the Radeon R7 Graphics has no listed base or boost clocks, instead relying on system-dependent memory timing. The memory subsystems diverge sharply. The GeForce 930A has a dedicated 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 16.02 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon R7 Graphics uses System Shared memory, with its bus width and bandwidth listed as System Shared and System Dependent, respectively. This means the AMD part’s memory performance is entirely contingent on the host system’s RAM, a significant variable that the discrete NVIDIA GPU avoids.

Feature-level differences are also prominent. The GeForce 930A supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon R7 Graphics supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD part’s higher DirectX feature level (12_0 vs 11_0) is a clear architectural advantage in API capability. Power consumption is close: the GeForce 930A is rated at 33 W TDP, while the Radeon R7 Graphics draws 25 W, making the AMD IGP more power-efficient on paper. Both are slot-width IGP designs, but the NVIDIA part uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, whereas the AMD part’s bus interface is simply listed as IGP.

Where Each One Wins

The GeForce 930A wins in raw compute performance. Its 5,317 Geekbench OpenCL score and 32.4% lead over the Radeon R7 Graphics in the head-to-head test is the defining metric. The NVIDIA part also posts higher theoretical throughput rates: 7.528 GPixel/s pixel rate versus 5.760 GPixel/s for AMD, and 22.58 GTexel/s texture rate versus 17.28 GTexel/s. In floating-point performance, the GeForce 930A delivers 722.7 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, compared to 553.0 GFLOPS for the Radeon R7 Graphics, a 30.7% advantage in favor of NVIDIA. These numbers indicate that the GeForce 930A is the better choice for tasks that stress raw shading and texture throughput, such as OpenCL compute workloads or older DirectX 11 titles.

The Radeon R7 Graphics wins in API modernity and integration. Its DirectX 12 (12_0) support is a generation ahead of the GeForce 930A’s DirectX 12 (11_0), which means it can theoretically expose more advanced rendering features in compatible software. The AMD part also has a Vulkan score of 5,980 in Geekbench, a test the NVIDIA part does not have a listed result for, indicating a functional advantage in that API. As an IGP, the Radeon R7 Graphics requires no dedicated memory and draws only 25 W, making it suitable for compact, low-power systems where a discrete GPU like the GeForce 930A would be an unnecessary addition. The AMD part’s predecessor is TeraScale 3 IGP, and its successor is GCN 3.0 IGP, showing a clear lineage of integrated graphics evolution, while the GeForce 930A’s predecessor is the GeForce 800A.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 930A is significantly faster, scoring 5,317 versus 4,015 for the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, a 32.4% delta in its favor.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics have better DirectX support?

A: Yes. The Radeon R7 Graphics supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GeForce 930A supports DirectX 12 (11_0), giving AMD a higher feature level.

Q: Are the core counts identical between these two GPUs?

A: Yes, both have 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs, though clock speeds and memory configurations differ substantially.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The GeForce 930A has 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 16.02 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon R7 Graphics uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The GeForce 930A has a pixel rate of 7.528 GPixel/s, compared to 5.760 GPixel/s for the Radeon R7 Graphics.

Q: How do their overall benchmark percentiles compare?

A: The GeForce 930A sits in the 31st percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon R7 Graphics sits in the 29th percentile, indicating a slight overall edge for NVIDIA.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is a decisive win for the NVIDIA GeForce 930A. The NVIDIA part scores 5,317, while the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics scores 4,015. This represents a 32.4% delta in favor of the GeForce 930A, a substantial margin that underscores the discrete GPU’s compute advantage. To contextualize this, the GeForce 930A’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce 840M with an average score of 5,322 (a delta of -0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M at 5,308 (delta of +0.2%), and the AMD Radeon R7 M445 at 5,358 (delta of -0.8%). This places the GeForce 930A in a tight cluster of mid-range mobile GPUs, all within 0.8% of each other, meaning its OpenCL performance is highly competitive with those parts.

The Radeon R7 Graphics, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 4,998 across its two tests (OpenCL and Vulkan). Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 at 4,979 (delta of +0.4%), the AMD Radeon R5 M430 at 5,018 (delta of -0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB at 4,970 (delta of +0.6%), and the AMD FirePro W4170M at 5,034 (delta of -0.7%). The RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB’s presence in this list is notable, showing that the Radeon R7 Graphics’ average score is within 0.6% of a much newer part, though this is likely due to the IGP’s Vulkan score of 5,980 pulling its average up. The GeForce 930A’s average score is 5,317, which is exactly its OpenCL score, as that is its only listed benchmark. The AMD part’s Vulkan score of 5,980 is higher than its OpenCL score of 4,015, indicating a stronger performance under that API, whereas the NVIDIA part has no Vulkan result to compare.

The theoretical rates reinforce the OpenCL result. The GeForce 930A’s texture rate of 22.58 GTexel/s is 30.7% higher than the Radeon R7 Graphics’ 17.28 GTexel/s, and its pixel rate of 7.528 GPixel/s beats the AMD part’s 5.760 GPixel/s by a similar margin. FP32 compute also favors NVIDIA: 722.7 GFLOPS versus 553.0 GFLOPS, a 30.7% difference that mirrors the texture rate delta. These consistent gaps across compute, texture, and pixel throughput suggest the GeForce 930A’s higher clock speeds (928 MHz base, 941 MHz boost versus no listed clocks for AMD) are the primary driver of its performance advantage. The Radeon R7 Graphics’ only counterpoint is its Vulkan capability, where it scores 5,980, a number the GeForce 930A cannot contest due to the absence of a comparable test result.