AMD Radeon R7 M360 vs AMD Radeon R7 M445 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 and AMD Radeon R7 M360 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions built on the same GCN 3.0 architecture and 28 nm TSMC process, yet they deliver noticeably different performance profiles. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark where the M445 wins by a 15.5% margin, but a closer look at their specifications reveals why the M360 offers higher theoretical throughput in several key metrics. This analysis uses only the provided benchmark scores and specification data to determine which GPU suits which workload.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M445 has a higher average benchmark score of 5358, compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M360's average of 4931. This places the M445 in the 31st percentile of all GPUs, while the M360 sits in the 29th percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the shared OpenCL benchmark?

A: In the geekbench_opencl test, the M445 scores 5358 versus the M360's 4638, a delta of 15.5% in favor of the M445. This is the only benchmark where both GPUs were tested head-to-head.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both the AMD Radeon R7 M445 and the AMD Radeon R7 M360 support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. This means software compatibility for modern titles is identical between them.

Q: What is the difference in shading unit count?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M360 has 384 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 has 320 shading units. The M360 also has 24 texture mapping units (TMUs) versus 20 on the M445, though both have 8 render output units (ROPs).

Q: Which GPU offers higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M445 offers significantly higher memory bandwidth at 32.00 GB/s, using 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus. The M360 uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on the same 64-bit bus, yielding only 14.40 GB/s.

Q: How do the clock speeds compare between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M360 operates at a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost clock of 1125 MHz, which is substantially higher than the M445's base of 780 MHz and boost of 920 MHz. However, the M445's memory runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) versus the M360's 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split: the AMD Radeon R7 M445 is the better choice for compute workloads and any task that depends on memory throughput, as evidenced by its 15.5% lead in the OpenCL benchmark and its 32.00 GB/s bandwidth versus 14.40 GB/s. Its 4 GB GDDR5 frame buffer also provides double the capacity of the M360's 2 GB DDR3, which matters for texture-heavy applications. The M445's nearest rival, the Intel UHD Graphics P630, scores 5370 with a delta of -0.2%, meaning the M445 is essentially tied with that integrated solution, while it edges out the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5322, +0.7%) and the GeForce 930A (5317, +0.8%).

Conversely, the AMD Radeon R7 M360 is the pick for raw shader throughput and fill-rate-bound scenarios. Its 384 shading units and 24 TMUs, combined with higher clocks (1100 MHz base), yield 864.0 GFLOPS FP32 performance and a 27.00 GTexel/s texture rate, versus the M445's 588.8 GFLOPS and 18.40 GTexel/s. The M360's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R7 M265 (4929, 0% delta) and the AMD FirePro W5130M (4904, +0.6%), placing it in a lower performance tier overall. For users who prioritize compute benchmarks or require larger memory pools, the M445 is the statistical winner; for those who need higher pixel and texture throughput at lower resolutions, the M360's architecture offers a theoretical edge that the benchmark data does not capture.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole direct comparison available is the geekbench_opencl test, where the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5358 against the AMD Radeon R7 M360's 4638. This 15.5% delta is the definitive performance gap between the two in a compute-oriented workload. The M445's score places it just 0.2% below the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (5370) and 0.7% above the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5322), indicating that it performs in the same league as those established mobile parts. In contrast, the M360's 4638 OpenCL result is 0.6% below the AMD FirePro W5130M (4904) and 0.8% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4893), showing it lags behind in compute tasks.

The M360 does have a separate geekbench_vulkan score of 5223, which is not available for the M445, preventing a direct comparison in that API. However, the M445's OpenCL victory is consistent with its higher memory bandwidth and larger frame buffer, which are critical for compute shaders and data-intensive operations. The M360's higher theoretical FP32 throughput (864.0 GFLOPS) does not translate into a benchmark win, suggesting that memory bandwidth or driver optimization plays a larger role in the OpenCL test. The M445's 32.00 GB/s bandwidth is more than double the M360's 14.40 GB/s, which likely explains the 15.5% advantage despite the M360 having 20% more shading units and a 40% higher base clock.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs diverge significantly in clock speeds, memory configuration, and compute resources. The AMD Radeon R7 M360 runs at a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost of 1125 MHz, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 is clocked much lower at 780 MHz base and 920 MHz boost. Memory differs sharply: the M445 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 with a 64-bit bus and 32.00 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the M360 uses 2 GB of DDR3 with the same 64-bit bus but only 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The M360's memory clock is 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) versus the M445's 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Compute resources also favor the M360 in raw counts: it has 384 shading units and 24 TMUs, while the M445 has 320 shading units and 20 TMUs. Both share 8 ROPs, but the M360's higher clocks yield a pixel rate of 9.000 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 27.00 GTexel/s, versus the M445's 7.360 GPixel/s and 18.40 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 864.0 GFLOPS for the M360 and 588.8 GFLOPS for the M445; both have 1:1 FP16 ratios. Transistor count, die size, and transistor density are identical at 1,550 million, 125 mm², and 12.4M / mm², respectively. The M445 is listed as an IGP slot width while the M360's slot width is not specified.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same Meso chip using GCN 3.0 architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process. They share identical transistor counts of 1,550 million and die sizes of 125 mm², with a transistor density of 12.4M / mm². The foundry and process node are the same, and both belong to the "Gem System" generation, though the M445 is part of the R7 M400 series while the M360 is from the R7 M300 series. Neither has ray tracing cores or tensor cores, and both support the same API set: DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The key architectural difference lies in the memory subsystem and clock strategy. The M445 pairs a lower core clock with GDDR5 memory, achieving 32.00 GB/s bandwidth on a 64-bit bus, which is a 2.22x improvement over the M360's DDR3 bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s. The M360 compensates with a 41% higher base clock (1100 MHz vs 780 MHz) and a 22% higher boost clock (1125 MHz vs 920 MHz), enabling higher pixel and texture rates despite the memory bottleneck. Both use a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface, and the M445's display outputs are noted as "Portable Device Dependent" while the M360's are unspecified. The M445 was released in May 2016, while the M360 came a year earlier in May 2015; both have a predecessor of "Solar System" and a successor of "Polaris Mobile." The M360's separate Vulkan score of 5223 suggests it may have better driver maturity in that API, but without a comparable M445 Vulkan result, this remains speculative. The data ultimately shows two GPUs with identical silicon but divergent design priorities: one optimized for memory throughput and capacity, the other for raw shader clock speed and fill rate.