AMD Radeon R7 M380 vs AMD Radeon R9 M265X Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M380 and AMD Radeon R9 M265X are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions built on the same fundamental GCN 1.0 architecture, yet benchmark data reveals a clear performance hierarchy between them. The R7 M380, part of the newer Gem System (R7 M300) generation, posts a Geekbench OpenCL score of 9313, while the older R9 M265X from the Gem System (R9 M200) generation manages 8851. This 5.2% delta in favor of the R7 M380 establishes the newer part as the faster option, though the margin is modest and the two share identical core configurations in several key areas.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark results show a single decisive victory for the AMD Radeon R7 M380, which wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 9313 against the R9 M265X’s 8851. This represents a 5.2% performance advantage, meaning the R7 M380 is the clear choice for compute-oriented workloads that leverage OpenCL acceleration. The R9 M265X, by contrast, records zero benchmark wins in this comparison, indicating that across the measured workload, it trails its newer counterpart consistently.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape, the R7 M380 sits at the 46th percentile of all GPUs, placing it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (9302, deltaPct 0.1) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (9294, deltaPct 0.2). It also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9273, deltaPct 0.4) and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (9221, deltaPct 1). The R9 M265X, at the 44th percentile, finds itself in a slightly lower competitive tier, trailing the AMD Radeon 550X (8918, deltaPct -0.8) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8863, deltaPct -0.1), while leading the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746, deltaPct 1.2) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8743, deltaPct 1.2). The data suggests that in absolute compute performance, the R7 M380 occupies a higher standing than the R9 M265X, with the former’s nearest rivals clustering closer to the 9300 score range versus the latter’s 8800-8900 range.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are fabricated on the same 28 nm process at TSMC, using identical transistor counts of 1,500 million and the same die size of 123 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.2M / mm². They also share the same GCN 1.0 architecture, which means the underlying instruction set and compute capabilities are fundamentally identical. The chip designations differ, however: the R7 M380 uses the Tropo chip, while the R9 M265X employs the Venus chip, suggesting that despite the shared architecture, the physical implementations may have been tuned differently for their respective generations.

The most significant architectural divergence lies in clock speeds and memory subsystems. The R7 M380 operates at a base clock of 900 MHz with a boost clock of 915 MHz, while the R9 M265X runs substantially slower at 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost. This clock advantage directly translates into higher throughput rates for the R7 M380, which achieves a pixel rate of 14.64 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 36.60 GTexel/s, compared to the R9 M265X’s 10.00 GPixel/s and 25.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute output tells the same story: the R7 M380 delivers 1,171.2 GFLOPS versus the R9 M265X’s 800.0 GFLOPS, a 46.4% raw compute advantage.

Memory configurations also differ markedly. The R7 M380 comes with 4 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, running at 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective speed, producing a bandwidth of 32.00 GB/s. The R9 M265X, in contrast, offers 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on the same 128-bit bus, but at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective speed, yielding double the bandwidth at 64.00 GB/s. This creates an interesting trade-off: the R7 M380 has more capacity but less bandwidth, while the R9 M265X has less capacity but faster memory throughput. Both support PCIe 3.0 x16, DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, so API compatibility is identical.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon R7 M380 is the superior choice for users prioritizing raw compute performance in OpenCL workloads. Its 5.2% lead over the R9 M265X, combined with its higher percentile ranking (46th versus 44th), positions it as the more capable GPU for general-purpose compute tasks. The R7 M380’s significant clock speed advantage—900 MHz base versus 575 MHz base—and its resulting 46.4% higher FP32 throughput make it the clear winner for applications that scale with shader performance.

However, the R9 M265X is not without its merits. Its GDDR5 memory provides double the bandwidth of the R7 M380’s DDR3, which could benefit memory-bound workloads that are sensitive to data transfer rates rather than raw compute throughput. The R9 M265X also carries a lower launch date (March 2014 versus May 2015), meaning it may be found in older, potentially more affordable systems. For users whose applications are bandwidth-limited, the R9 M265X’s 64.00 GB/s could prove more valuable than the R7 M380’s 32.00 GB/s, even though the latter wins the measured benchmark. Ultimately, the data shows the R7 M380 winning the compute race, but the R9 M265X offers a memory bandwidth advantage that could tip the scales in specific use cases.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M380 scores 9313, which is 5.2% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 M265X’s 8851.

Q: Do both GPUs use the same number of shading units?

A: Yes, both the R7 M380 and the R9 M265X feature 640 shading units, along with 40 texture mapping units and 16 ROPs.

Q: How does memory bandwidth compare between the two?

A: The R9 M265X offers 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth with its GDDR5 memory, which is double the R7 M380’s 32.00 GB/s from DDR3 memory, despite both using a 128-bit bus.

Q: What is the clock speed difference?

A: The R7 M380 runs at 900 MHz base and 915 MHz boost, while the R9 M265X runs at 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost, giving the R7 M380 a substantial frequency advantage.

Q: Are these GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are marked as end-of-life production status, with the R9 M265X released in March 2014 and the R7 M380 released in May 2015.

Q: Which GPU ranks higher among all GPUs?

A: The R7 M380 sits at the 46th percentile of all GPUs, while the R9 M265X sits at the 44th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark recorded is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the AMD Radeon R7 M380 decisively outperforms the AMD Radeon R9 M265X. The R7 M380 achieves a score of 9313, while the R9 M265X trails with 8851, resulting in a 5.2% delta in favor of the R7 M380. This margin, while not enormous, is consistent across the board when examining the nearest rival data. The R7 M380’s score places it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (9302) and just 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (9294), showing that it competes effectively with mid-range desktop and mobile parts from NVIDIA. The R9 M265X, meanwhile, sits 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon 550X (8918) and 0.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8863), indicating it is closer in performance to lower-tier workstation and entry-level GPUs.

The performance gap between the two can be attributed primarily to the clock speed differences, as the R7 M380’s 900 MHz base clock is 56.5% higher than the R9 M265X’s 575 MHz. This translates into a pixel rate of 14.64 GPixel/s for the R7 M380 versus 10.00 GPixel/s for the R9 M265X, and a texture rate of 36.60 GTexel/s versus 25.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute output further underscores the divide: 1,171.2 GFLOPS for the R7 M380 versus 800.0 GFLOPS for the R9 M265X. While the R9 M265X’s GDDR5 memory provides superior bandwidth, it cannot compensate for the R7 M380’s clock advantage in this compute-focused benchmark. The data suggests that for OpenCL workloads, the R7 M380 is the more capable part, and its higher percentile ranking confirms this at a broader level.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specification areas, starting with the chip itself. The R7 M380 uses the Tropo chip, while the R9 M265X uses the Venus chip, both built on GCN 1.0 architecture. The generation also differs: the R7 M380 belongs to the Gem System (R7 M300) generation, while the R9 M265X belongs to the Gem System (R9 M200) generation. Clock speeds are a major differentiator, with the R7 M380 running at 900 MHz base and 915 MHz boost, versus the R9 M265X’s 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost. Memory configurations diverge as well: the R7 M380 has 4 GB of DDR3 at 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective speed, while the R9 M265X has 2 GB of GDDR5 at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective speed. This results in bandwidths of 32.00 GB/s and 64.00 GB/s, respectively, despite both using a 128-bit bus.

Performance metrics reflect the clock differences, with the R7 M380 achieving a pixel rate of 14.64 GPixel/s, a texture rate of 36.60 GTexel/s, and FP32 compute of 1,171.2 GFLOPS, compared to the R9 M265X’s 10.00 GPixel/s, 25.00 GTexel/s, and 800.0 GFLOPS. Release dates also differ, with the R9 M265X launching in March 2014 and the R7 M380 in May 2015. Both share identical transistor counts (1,500 million), die size (123 mm²), transistor density (12.2M / mm²), shading units (640), TMUs (40), ROPs (16), process node (28 nm), foundry (TSMC), bus interface (PCIe 3.0 x16), and API support (DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.2.170). The R7 M380 holds a 5.2% benchmark advantage and a higher percentile ranking, while the R9 M265X offers double the memory bandwidth in a smaller capacity.