AMD Radeon R7 M340 vs NVIDIA Quadro K3000M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data includes one direct comparison between these two mobile GPUs. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 scores 4932 points, while the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M scores 4241 points. That gives the AMD part a 16.3% advantage in this particular workload, a meaningful gap for compute-oriented tasks that lean on OpenCL execution.

Looking at the broader database context, the R7 M340 carries an average benchmark score of 5063, which places it in the 30th percentile of all GPUs tracked. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R7 240, which matches it exactly at 5063, a delta of 0%. The AMD FirePro W4170M trails by just 0.6%, and the AMD Radeon R5 M430 sits 0.9% behind. Even the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics integrated solution is only 1.3% off the pace. What this means is that the R7 M340 sits in a tightly packed cluster of entry-level parts, where small score differences separate one product from another.

The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M, by contrast, posts an average benchmark score of 4241 and ranks in the 25th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon Vega 3, scores 4268, which is 0.6% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is 1% ahead, while the AMD FirePro W2100 leads by 1.3%. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti sits 1.2% behind the K3000M in this database, despite being a much newer part in the desktop space. The K3000M's position shows that it is competitive with, but not clearly superior to, a range of low-end and older mobile GPUs.

So in the single head-to-head benchmark available, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 is the clear winner. The 16.3% delta is not a marginal difference; it is a substantial lead in raw compute throughput as measured by OpenCL. The database records one win for the AMD part and zero wins for the NVIDIA part in their direct comparisons.

However, the context matters. The R7 M340's average score of 5063 versus the K3000M's 4241 reflects a performance tier gap, but both GPUs are near the bottom of the overall distribution. The 30th versus 25th percentile distinction is real but small in absolute terms. Buyers looking at these two GPUs should expect entry-level mobile graphics performance, with the AMD part holding a consistent edge in the measured workload.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial, even though both are built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses the Meso chip with GCN 3.0 architecture, belonging to the Gem System generation within the R7 M300 family. The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M uses the GK104 chip with Kepler architecture, part of the Quadro Kepler-M generation.

The transistor counts tell a striking story. The NVIDIA GK104 packs 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, while the AMD Meso has just 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die. That means the NVIDIA chip is more than twice the size and carries more than twice the transistor budget. Transistor density is nearly identical: 12.4M per mm² for AMD versus 12.0M per mm² for NVIDIA, a reflection of the shared 28 nm process node.

Despite the larger chip, the NVIDIA part runs at much lower clocks. The Quadro K3000M has a base and boost clock of 654 MHz, with no boost headroom. The Radeon R7 M340 starts at 943 MHz and boosts to 1021 MHz. That clock advantage helps the smaller AMD chip stay competitive in raw throughput metrics.

Memory architecture differs sharply. The R7 M340 uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The K3000M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 89.60 GB/s. That is a 5.6x bandwidth advantage for the NVIDIA part, a massive difference that does not show up in the OpenCL score but would matter in bandwidth-sensitive workloads. The NVIDIA memory clock is 700 MHz with 2.8 Gbps effective transfer, while the AMD memory runs at 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective.

Compute unit configurations also diverge. The R7 M340 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The K3000M has 576 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The NVIDIA part has 80% more shading units, 140% more TMUs, and 4x the ROPs. Yet the AMD part still wins the OpenCL test, which suggests that the AMD GCN architecture extracts more useful compute per shader in this particular benchmark, or that the higher clocks on the AMD side compensate for the lower unit counts.

Fill rates reflect these differences. The AMD part achieves 8.168 GPixel/s pixel rate and 20.42 GTexel/s texture rate. The NVIDIA part achieves 7.848 GPixel/s and 31.39 GTexel/s. So AMD wins pixel throughput slightly, while NVIDIA wins texture throughput by a wide margin.

FP32 performance favors NVIDIA: 753.4 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS. The AMD part also lists FP16 at 653.4 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the NVIDIA part has no FP16 data recorded. API support is nearly identical, with both supporting DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan, though the AMD part lists Vulkan 1.2.170 and NVIDIA lists Vulkan 1.2.175.

The bus interface differs as well. The R7 M340 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the K3000M uses MXM-B (3.0), reflecting its mobile workstation heritage. The NVIDIA part has a TDP of 75 W and a slot width of MXM Module, with no power connectors and display outputs described as Portable Device Dependent. The AMD part has no TDP recorded.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but nuanced conclusion. In the single measured benchmark, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 outperforms the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M by 16.3% in Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD part also sits higher in the overall percentile ranking at 30th versus 25th. For users whose primary workload is OpenCL compute, the R7 M340 is the stronger choice based on recorded measurements.

But the NVIDIA part has structural advantages that the benchmark does not capture. The 89.60 GB/s memory bandwidth versus 16.00 GB/s is a massive difference that would favor the K3000M in texture-heavy games or professional applications that move large datasets. The 576 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs give it more raw geometry and texture processing capacity. The 75 W TDP is modest for a chip of that size.

For gaming and general mobile graphics use, the R7 M340's higher clocks and better OpenCL score make it the safer recommendation from the recorded data alone. The 30th percentile ranking places it in a slightly higher performance tier than the K3000M's 25th percentile. Users who value raw compute performance in synthetic benchmarks should choose the AMD part.

For professional workstation tasks where memory bandwidth and texture throughput dominate, the K3000M's architecture suggests it could handle those workloads better, but that is not reflected in the single benchmark measurement available. The Quadro branding historically targets certified professional applications, though no such certification data appears in the database.

The production status for both is end-of-life, so neither is a forward-looking purchase. The release dates differ significantly, with the R7 M340 launching on 2015-05-04 and the K3000M on 2012-05-31. The AMD part is roughly three years newer in release timing, which helps explain its architectural improvements and higher clock speeds.

Strictly from the measured data, the AMD Radeon R7 M340 is the better performer. It wins the only head-to-head test, has a higher average benchmark score, and ranks higher in the percentile distribution. The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M remains competitive in specific architectural metrics, but the recorded benchmark results do not support choosing it over the AMD part for compute performance.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses the Meso chip with GCN 3.0 architecture, while the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M uses the GK104 chip with Kepler architecture. The AMD part belongs to the Gem System generation, the NVIDIA part to the Quadro Kepler-M generation.

Process node and foundry are identical: 28 nm at TSMC. Transistor counts differ substantially: 1,550 million for AMD versus 3,540 million for NVIDIA. Die size also differs: 125 mm² for AMD versus 294 mm² for NVIDIA. Transistor density is close: 12.4M / mm² versus 12.0M / mm².

Clock speeds favor AMD. The R7 M340 runs at 943 MHz base and 1021 MHz boost, while the K3000M runs at 654 MHz for both base and boost. Memory clocks also differ: 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective for AMD versus 700 MHz with 2.8 Gbps effective for NVIDIA.

Memory configurations favor NVIDIA. Both have 2 GB, but AMD uses DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth, while NVIDIA uses GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 89.60 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute unit counts favor NVIDIA: 576 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs versus 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs for AMD. Pixel rates are close: 8.168 GPixel/s for AMD versus 7.848 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rates favor NVIDIA: 31.39 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s. FP32 favors NVIDIA: 753.4 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS. FP16 is listed for AMD at 653.4 GFLOPS with no NVIDIA equivalent.

TDP is recorded only for NVIDIA at 75 W. Slot width for NVIDIA is MXM Module. Power connectors for NVIDIA are listed as None. Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 3.0 x8 for AMD versus MXM-B (3.0) for NVIDIA. Display outputs are Portable Device Dependent for NVIDIA, with no data for AMD.

API support is similar: both support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan. The AMD part lists DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while NVIDIA lists DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Release dates differ: 2015-05-04 for AMD versus 2012-05-31 for NVIDIA. Predecessors and successors also differ: AMD lists Solar System as predecessor and Polaris Mobile as successor, while NVIDIA lists Quadro Fermi-M and Quadro Maxwell-M.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 scores 4932, which is 16.3% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M's 4241.

Q: How do these GPUs compare in overall benchmark percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 sits in the 30th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M sits in the 25th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M has 89.60 GB/s of bandwidth from its GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the AMD Radeon R7 M340 has 16.00 GB/s from DDR3 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: What are the shading unit counts for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M has 576 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R7 M340 has 320 shading units.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 boosts to 1021 MHz, while the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M has a fixed 654 MHz clock with no boost headroom.

Q: What is the transistor count difference between the two chips?

A: The NVIDIA GK104 chip has 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, while the AMD Meso chip has 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die.