AMD Radeon R7 M360 vs NVIDIA Quadro K3100M Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M and AMD Radeon R7 M360 are two end-of-life mobile graphics solutions from different eras and design philosophies. The data shows a clear overall winner in raw compute, but the story is more nuanced when examining API-specific performance and architectural trade-offs. The Quadro K3100M, built on the Kepler architecture, consistently outperforms the GCN 3.0-based Radeon R7 M360 in the available benchmark suite, yet the margin varies dramatically depending on the workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive victory for the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M comes in the Geekbench OpenCL test. Here, the Quadro scores 6,154 points against the Radeon's 4,638 points, resulting in a substantial 32.7% performance advantage. This is not a marginal win; it is a commanding lead that suggests the Quadro’s compute architecture, with its 768 shading units and 64 texture mapping units, is far better suited to general-purpose GPU workloads. The Radeon R7 M360, with 384 shading units and 24 TMUs, simply cannot match the sheer parallel throughput on display in this test.

The Vulkan results tell a different story, one of near-parity. The Quadro K3100M edges out a win with 5,484 points versus 5,223 points for the Radeon R7 M360, but the delta is only 5%. This narrow gap is intriguing. Despite the Quadro's massive advantage in OpenCL, the Vulkan API appears to level the playing field considerably. This could indicate that the Radeon's GCN 3.0 architecture, which natively supports DirectX 12 (12_0), has a more modern command processor or better low-level API utilization than the Kepler-based Quadro, which only supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The data implies that in modern, low-level graphics APIs, the architectural age difference matters less than raw compute specifications.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the Quadro K3100M holds a 4.5% lead, with an average score of 5,154 compared to the Radeon's 4,931. This overall figure masks the volatility of the individual tests. The Quadro's percentile ranking of 30th versus the Radeon's 29th percentile against all GPUs confirms that both are firmly in the entry-level to mid-range mobile segment, but the Quadro is consistently the stronger performer. The nearest rivals for the Quadro K3100M include the AMD Radeon R7 M260X (average score 5,161, deltaPct -0.1%), showing that it sits right at the edge of a performance class boundary, while the Radeon R7 M360 is virtually tied with the AMD Radeon R7 M265 (average score 4,929, deltaPct 0%).

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M is the superior GPU in this comparison. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks and boasts a higher average score, higher peak FP32 performance (1,084.4 GFLOPS vs 864.0 GFLOPS), and a significantly higher memory bandwidth (102.4 GB/s vs 14.40 GB/s). For any workload that leverages OpenCL, the choice is clear—the Quadro is over 30% faster. The only area where the Radeon R7 M360 appears competitive is in the Vulkan API, where the performance gap shrinks to a negligible 5%.

However, the data also suggests this is not a straightforward generational leap. The Radeon R7 M360, despite being released later and featuring a newer architecture, cannot overcome the Quadro's hardware advantages in core count and memory bandwidth. The Quadro's 256-bit memory bus versus the Radeon's 64-bit bus is a fundamental difference that explains the massive bandwidth disparity. For users who prioritize raw compute and bandwidth, the Quadro K3100M is the only rational choice based on the benchmark results. The Radeon's only saving grace is its Vulkan performance, which suggests it might not be entirely obsolete in modern gaming or compute scenarios that utilize that API.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M is the definitive winner in OpenCL compute workloads. With a 32.7% lead in that specific test, it is the go-to option for tasks like OpenCL-accelerated rendering, scientific simulation, or any general-purpose GPU computing that doesn't rely on a specific modern API. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth provide a massive data throughput advantage, making it better suited for large datasets. This is a mobile workstation part, and the data reflects that focus on compute density.

The AMD Radeon R7 M360, while losing overall, shows its best relative performance in the Vulkan API. Its 5,223 score is only 5% behind the Quadro, which is a much closer contest than the OpenCL results. This indicates that for Vulkan-based games or applications, the Radeon is a more viable option than its raw specs might suggest. Its GCN 3.0 architecture and support for DirectX 12 (12_0) means it has a more modern feature set for low-level API access. The Radeon's higher core clock speeds (1,100 MHz base vs 706 MHz base) help it close the gap in scenarios that are not purely bandwidth-limited.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M has the higher average benchmark score at 5,154, compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M360's average of 4,931.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M wins the OpenCL test with a score of 6,154 against the Radeon's 4,638, representing a 32.7% advantage.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon R7 M360 competitive in any benchmark?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench Vulkan test, the Radeon R7 M360 scores 5,223, which is only 5% behind the Quadro K3100M's score of 5,484.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M has a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, while the AMD Radeon R7 M360 has a much lower bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M360 has a slightly higher transistor density at 12.4M / mm², compared to the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M's 12.0M / mm².

Q: What are the percentile rankings of each GPU against all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M is in the 30th percentile, while the AMD Radeon R7 M360 is in the 29th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different architectural approaches. The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M is built on the Kepler architecture using the GK104 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This chip contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The AMD Radeon R7 M360, conversely, uses the GCN 3.0 architecture with the Meso chip, also on a 28 nm TSMC process, but with significantly fewer transistors at 1,550 million on a much smaller 125 mm² die. This makes the Radeon a smaller, denser chip, with a transistor density of 12.4M / mm² versus the Quadro's 12.0M / mm².

The compute resources differ drastically. The Quadro K3100M features 768 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the Radeon R7 M360 is configured with 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. This explains the Quadro's higher pixel rate (11.30 GPixel/s vs 9.000 GPixel/s) and texture rate (45.18 GTexel/s vs 27.00 GTexel/s). The FP32 performance reflects this too, with the Quadro delivering 1,084.4 GFLOPS versus the Radeon's 864.0 GFLOPS. Interestingly, the Radeon offers FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio (864.0 GFLOPS), a feature not listed for the Quadro.

API support also differs. The Radeon R7 M360 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the Quadro K3100M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the Quadro has a slightly newer Vulkan version (1.2.175) compared to the Radeon's 1.2.170.

Specification Differences

The most critical specification difference is memory. The NVIDIA Quadro K3100M is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R7 M360 has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, resulting in only 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a staggering 7x difference in memory throughput that dominates many workloads.

Clock speeds favor the AMD part. The Radeon R7 M360 has a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost clock of 1125 MHz, while the Quadro K3100M is locked at 706 MHz for both base and boost. Memory clocks also differ, with the Quadro running at 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) and the Radeon at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).

The power and physical specifications also diverge. The Quadro K3100M has a TDP of 75 W and uses an MXM Module slot width with an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface and no power connectors. The Radeon R7 M360 has no listed TDP, slot width, or power connector information, but uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface. The Quadro's display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent", while this field is absent for the Radeon. The Quadro was released on 2013-07-22, while the Radeon came later on 2015-05-04.