AMD Radeon R7 M370 vs AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile and the AMD Radeon R7 M370 represent two distinct approaches to mobile graphics from different eras of AMD's product line. The data shows the Vega 8 Mobile, a 2019 integrated processor, outperforming the older 2015 discrete R7 M370 in both recorded benchmark tests, though the margins are narrower than the architectural differences might suggest. This analysis examines the benchmark data, architectural divergences, and specification gaps to determine which GPU holds the advantage in various workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 7203, while the AMD Radeon R7 M370 scores 6764. This places the Vega 8 Mobile at the 39th percentile of all GPUs, one point above the R7 M370's 38th percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the head-to-head tests?

A: The Vega 8 Mobile wins both head-to-head tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 7435 against the R7 M370's 7063, a 5.3% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap widens to 7.8%, with scores of 6970 and 6465 respectively.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count and what is the density difference?

A: The Vega 8 Mobile packs 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a density of 23.5 million transistors per mm². The R7 M370 has 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, resulting in a density of 12.3 million per mm².

Q: What are the respective process nodes and foundries?

A: The Vega 8 Mobile uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. The R7 M370 uses a 28 nm process from TSMC. This two-generation process gap is a primary driver of the efficiency and density differences between the two.

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, while the R7 M370 has 384. This 128-unit difference is significant, though the R7 M370 compensates somewhat with higher base and boost clock speeds.

Q: Which GPU supports a newer version of Vulkan?

A: The Vega 8 Mobile supports Vulkan 1.3, whereas the R7 M370 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, though the DirectX feature levels differ.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial. The Vega 8 Mobile is built on GCN 5.0 architecture, using the Raven-M chip, and belongs to the Vega IGP generation from Raven Ridge-M. The R7 M370, by contrast, uses the much older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Litho chip, from the Gem System generation. This represents a four-generation leap in GPU architecture design.

The process technology difference is stark. The Vega 8 Mobile uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the R7 M370 uses a 28 nm process from TSMC. This halving of the process node explains the dramatic transistor density advantage for the Vega 8 Mobile: 23.5 million transistors per mm² versus just 12.3 million on the older chip. The Vega 8 Mobile integrates 4,940 million transistors total, compared to 950 million on the R7 M370.

Memory architecture diverges fundamentally. The Vega 8 Mobile relies on system shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The R7 M370 has dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 57.60 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a critical difference: the IGP must share system memory bandwidth with the CPU, while the discrete GPU has dedicated resources.

The Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The R7 M370 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The Vega 8 Mobile also supports FP16 computation at 2.255 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the R7 M370 has no listed FP16 capability. The API support differs as well: the Vega 8 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the R7 M370 supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data shows a consistent but modest victory for the Vega 8 Mobile. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Vega 8 Mobile scores 7435 against the R7 M370's 7063. This 5.3% delta is notable given the architectural gulf, but it reflects the R7 M370's dedicated memory and higher clock speeds partially offsetting its older design.

The Vulkan test tells a similar story with a larger margin. The Vega 8 Mobile scores 6970, while the R7 M370 scores 6465. The 7.8% advantage in Vulkan suggests the newer architecture scales better with modern APIs, likely due to the improved command processor and scheduling in GCN 5.0 versus GCN 1.0.

Looking at the nearest rivals for context, the Vega 8 Mobile's average score of 7203 sits just 0.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7222) and 0.4% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (7171). The R7 M370's average score of 6764 places it 1% below the AMD FirePro M5100 (6830) and 1% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698). This means the Vega 8 Mobile competes with entry-level discrete desktop GPUs from a few generations back, while the R7 M370 sits just below that tier.

The benchmark results indicate that despite the R7 M370's dedicated GDDR5 memory and higher operating clocks, the Vega 8 Mobile's superior architecture, higher shading unit count, and vastly higher transistor budget win out. The 5.3% and 7.8% margins are substantial enough to be meaningful for gaming and compute workloads, though not transformative.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The process node shows 14 nm for the Vega 8 Mobile versus 28 nm for the R7 M370. The foundry differs: GlobalFoundries for the Vega 8 Mobile, TSMC for the R7 M370. Transistor counts are 4,940 million versus 950 million, and die sizes are 210 mm² versus 77 mm².

Clock speeds present a rare area where the R7 M370 leads. The R7 M370 has a base clock of 875 MHz and a boost clock of 960 MHz. The Vega 8 Mobile has a much lower base clock of 300 MHz, though its boost clock reaches 1101 MHz. The R7 M370 also has a fixed memory clock of 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective), while the Vega 8 Mobile's memory clock is "System Shared."

The memory subsystem is fundamentally different. The Vega 8 Mobile uses system shared memory with a system-dependent bus width and bandwidth. The R7 M370 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 57.60 GB/s bandwidth. This is the single most significant specification advantage for the R7 M370.

The shader configuration favors the Vega 8 Mobile: 512 shading units and 32 TMUs versus 384 shading units and 24 TMUs. Both have 8 ROPs. The Vega 8 Mobile achieves a pixel rate of 8.808 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 35.23 GTexel/s, compared to 7.680 GPixel/s and 23.04 GTexel/s for the R7 M370. FP32 performance is 1,127.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 8 Mobile versus 737.3 GFLOPS for the R7 M370.

The bus interface differs: the Vega 8 Mobile is an IGP with no slot width, while the R7 M370 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The R7 M370 has no listed TDP, while the Vega 8 Mobile has a 25 W TDP. The Vega 8 Mobile also has no power connectors, consistent with its integrated design.

Where Each One Wins

The Vega 8 Mobile wins in every benchmark category recorded, but its strengths are most pronounced in specific areas. The 7.8% Vulkan advantage indicates superior performance in modern graphics APIs, likely benefiting games and applications that leverage Vulkan's lower overhead. The 5.3% OpenCL advantage suggests better compute performance for general-purpose GPU workloads.

The Vega 8 Mobile's FP32 output of 1,127.4 GFLOPS versus 737.3 GFLOPS gives it a 53% raw compute advantage. Its texture rate of 35.23 GTexel/s versus 23.04 GTexel/s (a 53% difference) makes it particularly strong in texture-heavy workloads like 3D rendering and modern game scenes. The higher shading unit count (512 versus 384) also favors the Vega 8 Mobile in pixel and vertex processing.

The R7 M370's advantages are more situational. Its dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with 57.60 GB/s bandwidth provides predictable, consistent memory performance that does not depend on system RAM configuration. In systems where the Vega 8 Mobile's shared memory setup suffers from slow or insufficient system memory, the R7 M370 could potentially close the gap in memory-bandwidth-bound tasks. Its higher base clock (875 MHz versus 300 MHz) also means it maintains a more consistent performance floor in sustained workloads where the Vega 8 Mobile might not reach its boost clock.

The R7 M370's nearest rival data shows it performing within 2.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M, a capable gaming GPU of its era. However, the Vega 8 Mobile's rival list includes the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, a much more powerful desktop card, indicating its performance class is higher despite the similar percentile ranking.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile across both benchmark tests and nearly every specification category. Its 5.3% OpenCL lead and 7.8% Vulkan lead over the R7 M370 are consistent and meaningful. The architecture advantages are overwhelming: GCN 5.0 versus GCN 1.0, 14 nm versus 28 nm, 4,940 million transistors versus 950 million, and 512 shading units versus 384.

The Vega 8 Mobile's higher average benchmark score of 7203 versus 6764 places it in a higher performance tier, as evidenced by its rival list including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970. Its FP32 performance of 1,127.4 GFLOPS is 53% higher than the R7 M370's 737.3 GFLOPS. For users running modern games, compute workloads, or applications that leverage Vulkan, the Vega 8 Mobile is the clear choice.

The R7 M370's dedicated memory is its only significant advantage. The 2 GB GDDR5 with 57.60 GB/s bandwidth and 128-bit bus provides consistent performance that the Vega 8 Mobile's system-dependent shared memory cannot guarantee. In systems with slow or insufficient system RAM, the R7 M370 might hold its own or even edge ahead in memory-bound scenarios. Its higher base clock of 875 MHz versus 300 MHz also suggests it may sustain performance better in thermally constrained or power-limited environments.

The percentile ranking is close: 39th for the Vega 8 Mobile versus 38th for the R7 M370. This suggests that in the broader GPU universe, both sit in similar performance classes. However, the head-to-head data shows the Vega 8 Mobile winning both tests, and the architecture trajectory favors the newer part. The R7 M370's release date of 2015 and its "Solar System" predecessor indicate a design from a much earlier era, while the Vega 8 Mobile's 2019 release and "Navi II IGP" successor show a more modern lineage.

For most users, the Vega 8 Mobile is the better choice. It offers superior compute, texture, and pixel performance, better API support, and a more modern architecture. The R7 M370 only makes sense in specific scenarios where dedicated memory is essential and the system's shared memory configuration is a bottleneck. The benchmark data, while showing a modest single-digit advantage for the Vega 8 Mobile, understates the architectural superiority that would likely manifest in sustained workloads and future software.