AMD Radeon R7 M350 vs AMD Radeon R7 M445 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M350 and AMD Radeon R7 M445 are both end-of-life mobile GPUs built on the same 28 nm Meso chip with GCN 3.0 architecture, but the benchmark data clearly separates them. The R7 M350 wins the only recorded head-to-head test, the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, by a substantial 30.5% margin (6991 vs. 5358). This result is reinforced by their overall percentile ranks: the R7 M350 sits at the 36th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the R7 M445 sits at the 31st percentile. The R7 M350 is the faster part in raw compute, but the R7 M445 counters with superior memory bandwidth and a more efficient graphics memory standard. The choice between them depends on whether the workload favors raw shader throughput or memory speed.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon R7 M350 as the stronger performer for general compute tasks. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 6991 is 30.5% higher than the R7 M445’s 5358, and its average benchmark score of 6327 is significantly ahead of the R7 M445’s 5358. The R7 M350 also holds a higher position in the database, ranking at the 36th percentile versus the R7 M445’s 31st percentile. For users running OpenCL-accelerated applications, the R7 M350 is the clear pick.

However, the AMD Radeon R7 M445 is not without its merits. It uses GDDR5 memory with a 32.00 GB/s bandwidth, which is exactly double the 16.00 GB/s of the R7 M350’s DDR3 memory. In memory-bound scenarios, such as high-resolution texture streaming or certain gaming workloads, this bandwidth advantage can offset some of the compute deficit. The R7 M445 also operates with a lower base clock of 780 MHz compared to the R7 M350’s 1000 MHz, which likely contributes to lower power draw, though no TDP figures are recorded in the database.

For a laptop user who prioritizes consistent compute performance, the AMD Radeon R7 M350 is the safer choice based on the recorded benchmarks. For a user who values memory throughput and potentially lower power consumption, the AMD Radeon R7 M445 offers a different trade-off. The R7 M445’s nearest rivals in the database include the Intel UHD Graphics P630, which scores an average of 5370, and the NVIDIA GeForce 840M at 5322. These figures place the R7 M445 in a competitive range for entry-level mobile graphics, while the R7 M350’s rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 at 6330 and the NVIDIA Quadro K620 at 6282, show it operates in a slightly higher tier.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M350 scores 6991, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5358, giving the R7 M350 a 30.5% advantage in this test.

Q: How do the memory subsystems differ between the two?

A: The R7 M350 uses 4 GB of DDR3 memory with a 64-bit bus and 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. The R7 M445 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with the same 64-bit bus but doubles the bandwidth to 32.00 GB/s.

Q: Are both GPUs based on the same underlying chip?

A: Yes, both use the Meso chip with GCN 3.0 architecture, a 28 nm process node from TSMC, 1,550 million transistors, and a die size of 125 mm².

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The R7 M350 has 384 shading units, while the R7 M445 has 320 shading units. The R7 M350 also has 24 texture mapping units versus 20 on the R7 M445.

Q: What is the release date difference between the two?

A: The R7 M350 was released on May 4, 2015, while the R7 M445 was released on May 14, 2016, a difference of slightly over one year.

Q: How does the R7 M445 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel UHD Graphics P630?

A: The R7 M445 has an average benchmark score of 5358, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel UHD Graphics P630’s average score of 5370.

Architecture Differences

Both the AMD Radeon R7 M350 and the AMD Radeon R7 M445 share the same fundamental architecture: GCN 3.0 on the Meso chip, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. Both have identical transistor counts of 1,550 million and a die size of 125 mm², resulting in the same transistor density of 12.4M per mm². The core design is therefore the same, but the implementations differ in several key ways.

The most significant architectural difference lies in the compute resources. The R7 M350 is equipped with 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The R7 M445, in contrast, has 320 shading units and 20 texture mapping units, while retaining the same 8 raster output units. This reduction of 64 shading units and 4 TMUs directly impacts the theoretical peak throughput. The R7 M350 achieves 779.5 GFLOPS of FP32 compute and 24.36 GTexel/s of texture fill rate. The R7 M445 falls to 588.8 GFLOPS FP32 and 18.40 GTexel/s. The pixel rate also differs: the R7 M350 manages 8.120 GPixel/s, while the R7 M445 manages 7.360 GPixel/s.

Memory architecture is another major point of divergence. Both GPUs use a 64-bit memory bus, but the R7 M350 pairs it with DDR3 memory running at an effective 2 Gbps, yielding 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The R7 M445 uses GDDR5 memory at an effective 4 Gbps, which exactly doubles the bandwidth to 32.00 GB/s. This is a notable difference because GDDR5 is a more modern memory type than DDR3, and the higher bandwidth can improve performance in memory-heavy workloads even with fewer compute units.

Clock speeds also vary. The R7 M350 has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1015 MHz. The R7 M445 has a lower base clock of 780 MHz but a boost clock of 920 MHz. This means the R7 M350 runs at a higher sustained frequency, which contributes to its higher compute throughput. The R7 M445’s lower base clock may indicate a design focused on thermal efficiency, but no TDP values are recorded in the database to confirm this.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. They also share the same PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface. The R7 M445 is listed as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent," whereas the R7 M350 does not specify a slot width or display outputs. Both belong to the Gem System generation, with the R7 M350 in the R7 M300 family and the R7 M445 in the R7 M400 family. Their predecessor is the Solar System, and their successor is Polaris Mobile for both.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show several clear differences between the two GPUs. The R7 M350 has a base clock of 1000 MHz versus 780 MHz for the R7 M445. Boost clocks are 1015 MHz and 920 MHz, respectively. Memory type differs: DDR3 for the R7 M350, GDDR5 for the R7 M445. Effective memory speed is 2 Gbps for the R7 M350 and 4 Gbps for the R7 M445. Memory bandwidth is 16.00 GB/s for the R7 M350 and 32.00 GB/s for the R7 M445.

Shading units count 384 on the R7 M350 and 320 on the R7 M445. Texture mapping units are 24 versus 20. Pixel rate is 8.120 GPixel/s versus 7.360 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 24.36 GTexel/s versus 18.40 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 779.5 GFLOPS versus 588.8 GFLOPS. FP16 performance mirrors FP32 at the same 1:1 ratio for both.

The R7 M445 is designated as an IGP with "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs, while the R7 M350 has no recorded slot width or display outputs. Release dates differ: May 4, 2015 for the R7 M350 and May 14, 2016 for the R7 M445. The R7 M350 does not have a recorded launch MSRP, nor does the R7 M445. Both share the same process node, foundry, transistor count, die size, transistor density, memory size (4 GB), memory bus width (64 bit), raster output units (8), bus interface (PCIe 3.0 x8), and API support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the AMD Radeon R7 M350 scores 6991, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5358. The R7 M350 wins with a delta of 30.5%. This is a decisive margin, indicating a substantial performance gap in general-purpose compute workloads.

The R7 M350 also has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 5662, which the R7 M445 does not have in the database. This additional data point suggests the R7 M350 is capable in Vulkan-based applications, though no direct comparison is possible for this test. The average benchmark score for the R7 M350 is 6327, while the R7 M445’s average is 5358, consistent with the OpenCL result.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides context. The R7 M350’s average score of 6327 places it within 0% of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 (6330), 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K620 (6282), and 0.9% ahead of both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti SUPER and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102 (each at 6270). This shows the R7 M350 competes with workstation and upper-midrange desktop GPUs despite being a mobile part.

The R7 M445’s average score of 5358 is 0.2% behind the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (5370), 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5322), 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 930A (5317), and 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M (5308). This places the R7 M445 in the territory of entry-level integrated and low-end discrete GPUs, a notably lower tier than the R7 M350.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M350 wins in raw compute performance. Its 30.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is the headline result, and its higher FP32 throughput of 779.5 GFLOPS versus 588.8 GFLOPS reinforces this. The R7 M350 also has more shading units (384 vs. 320) and higher texture fill rate (24.36 GTexel/s vs. 18.40 GTexel/s). Workloads that rely on parallel processing, such as GPGPU compute, video encoding, or physics simulations, will favor the R7 M350. Its higher clock speeds (1000 MHz base vs. 780 MHz base) also mean it can sustain higher performance over time, assuming the thermal solution allows.

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 wins in memory performance. Its GDDR5 memory provides 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth, exactly double the R7 M350’s 16.00 GB/s. For applications that are bandwidth-limited, such as high-resolution texture loading, large framebuffer operations, or certain machine learning inference tasks that rely on memory access, the R7 M445 may show relatively better results despite its lower compute throughput. The R7 M445 also has a lower base clock, which could indicate a more power-efficient design, though no TDP numbers are recorded to quantify this.

In terms of ecosystem positioning, the R7 M350’s nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 and NVIDIA Quadro K620, suggesting it is suited for professional or semi-professional workloads. The R7 M445’s nearest rivals include the Intel UHD Graphics P630 and NVIDIA GeForce 840M, indicating it is more aligned with everyday consumer tasks like media playback or light gaming. The R7 M350 has a Vulkan benchmark score (5662) while the R7 M445 does not, so users planning to run Vulkan-based titles or applications should consider the R7 M350 as the more validated option.

For gaming, the R7 M350’s higher pixel rate (8.120 GPixel/s vs. 7.360 GPixel/s) and texture rate give it an edge in fill-rate-bound scenarios. For memory-heavy game settings, the R7 M445’s doubled bandwidth could be beneficial, but the overall compute deficit makes it less compelling. The recorded data shows the R7 M350 as the winner in the only direct benchmark, and its higher percentile rank (36 vs. 31) supports the conclusion that it is the stronger overall GPU.