AMD Radeon R7 M380 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX330 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results show a decisive advantage for the AMD Radeon R7 M380. The AMD part scores 9,313 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 trails at 7,896 points. That is a 17.9% margin in favor of the older AMD silicon. This is not a narrow win; it is a substantial gap that places the two parts in different performance tiers despite their similar positioning as entry-level mobile GPUs.

The MX330 does have a second benchmark entry, Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 9,019 points. However, the R7 M380 has no recorded Vulkan score in the database, so no direct cross-API comparison is possible. For the single common test, the R7 M380 takes the win outright. The data shows that in raw compute workloads measured by OpenCL, the Radeon R7 M380 outperforms the GeForce MX330 by a clear margin.

Looking at the broader context, the R7 M380 sits at the 46th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the MX330 sits at the 43rd percentile. That percentile difference reflects the average benchmark scores: the R7 M380 carries an average score of 9,313, while the MX330 averages 8,458 across its two recorded tests. The MX330's Vulkan score of 9,019 is actually higher than its OpenCL score, which suggests its average is dragged down by the weaker OpenCL result.

The delta between the two parts in OpenCL is notable because both are considered end-of-life products, but the R7 M380's GCN architecture appears to extract more compute throughput from its hardware configuration. The MX330's higher clock speeds do not compensate for its smaller execution resource pool in this specific workload.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M380 wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, so the use-case split is straightforward from the recorded data. In OpenCL compute workloads, which often underpin GPGPU applications, video encoding acceleration, and certain productivity filters, the R7 M380 is the stronger choice. Its 17.9% advantage in this test suggests that applications relying on OpenCL will see tangible performance benefits with the AMD part.

The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 has no direct wins in the database. Its Vulkan score of 9,019 is higher than its OpenCL score, but since the R7 M380 lacks a Vulkan result, there is no basis to declare a winner in that API. The MX330 might be preferable in scenarios where Vulkan is the primary API, but the absence of comparable data prevents any definitive claim.

For gaming, neither part has a recorded DirectX benchmark in this database, so conclusions must be drawn from compute results only. The R7 M380's 640 shading units and 40 texture mapping units provide a wider execution width, which could translate to better performance in shader-heavy workloads. The MX330's 384 shading units and 24 TMUs are fewer, but its higher boost clock of 1,594 MHz versus 915 MHz on the R7 M380 partially closes the gap in raw throughput.

The MX330 does have a notable advantage in memory bandwidth: 56.06 GB/s versus 32.00 GB/s for the R7 M380. That is a 75% bandwidth advantage for the NVIDIA part, which could matter in memory-bound tasks. However, the OpenCL result shows that the R7 M380's larger memory pool (4 GB versus 2 GB) and wider 128-bit bus ultimately delivered the better compute score despite the lower bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split between these two GPUs is significant. The AMD Radeon R7 M380 uses the Tropo chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 uses the GP108B chip on Pascal architecture, built on a 14 nm process at Samsung. It contains 1,800 million transistors in a much smaller 74 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 24.3 million per mm².

The process node difference is stark: 28 nm versus 14 nm. That two-generation jump in fabrication technology explains why NVIDIA could fit more transistors into less than two-thirds of the die area. The MX330's higher density translates to a much more efficient design, as reflected in its 10 W TDP, while the R7 M380 has no recorded TDP in the database.

Clock speeds also diverge sharply. The R7 M380 runs at a base clock of 900 MHz with a boost of 915 MHz, while the MX330 starts at 1,531 MHz and boosts to 1,594 MHz. The NVIDIA part runs roughly 70% faster at boost, which is typical for a newer process generation. Memory clocks differ as well: the R7 M380 uses DDR3 at 1,000 MHz (2 Gbps effective), while the MX330 uses GDDR5 at 1,752 MHz (7 Gbps effective).

The execution resources tell a different story. The R7 M380 has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The MX330 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having fewer shaders and TMUs, the MX330 achieves higher pixel rate (25.50 GPixel/s versus 14.64 GPixel/s) and higher texture rate (38.26 GTexel/s versus 36.60 GTexel/s) due to its much higher clocks. In FP32 throughput, the MX330 edges ahead with 1,224.2 GFLOPS versus 1,171.2 GFLOPS for the R7 M380, a 4.5% advantage.

Memory configuration differs in capacity and type. The R7 M380 offers 4 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, while the MX330 offers 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus. The MX330's bandwidth is higher at 56.06 GB/s, but the R7 M380 has double the capacity and double the bus width. API support shows the MX330 with a more modern feature set: DirectX 12 (12_1) versus DirectX 12 (11_1), and Vulkan 1.4 versus Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The MX330 also carries a much lower power envelope at 10 W and uses a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface, while the R7 M380 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The R7 M380 has no recorded TDP, slot width, or power connector information, making it likely a larger, more power-hungry discrete part, whereas the MX330 is explicitly listed as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent display outputs.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the AMD Radeon R7 M380 is the stronger performer in the only directly comparable workload. Its 17.9% OpenCL advantage over the MX330 is significant and places it in a higher performance percentile (46th versus 43rd). For users whose applications rely on OpenCL compute, the R7 M380 is the clear choice from this dataset.

The NVIDIA GeForce MX330, however, should not be dismissed entirely. Its Vulkan score of 9,019 is respectable, and its architectural advantages in bandwidth (56.06 GB/s), clock speed (1,594 MHz boost), and power efficiency (10 W TDP) suggest it could be preferable in scenarios where those characteristics matter. The MX330's higher FP32 throughput (1,224.2 GFLOPS versus 1,171.2 GFLOPS) indicates it can handle raw compute at a similar or slightly better level, despite losing in the OpenCL benchmark.

The R7 M380's 4 GB memory capacity is double the MX330's 2 GB, which could be decisive for workloads that need larger framebuffers or datasets. Its 128-bit bus width also provides a wider memory path, even if the DDR3 technology limits effective bandwidth.

For gaming, the data is inconclusive since no DirectX benchmarks exist for either part. The R7 M380's wider shader count and texture units suggest it may handle traditional rasterization workloads with more headroom, while the MX330's higher clocks and bandwidth could benefit lighter, memory-sensitive titles.

The verdict depends on workload priorities. The R7 M380 wins the measured compute benchmark and offers more memory capacity. The MX330 counters with modern API support, much lower power draw, and higher raw clock speeds. Since the R7 M380 is end-of-life and the MX330 is also end-of-life, longevity is not a differentiating factor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M380 has an average benchmark score of 9,313, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 has an average of 8,458 across its two recorded tests.

Q: How much faster is the R7 M380 in OpenCL?

A: The R7 M380 scores 9,313 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 7,896 for the MX330, a 17.9% advantage for the AMD part.

Q: Does the MX330 have any benchmark where it outperforms the R7 M380?

A: The database shows no direct head-to-head win for the MX330. Its Vulkan score of 9,019 is higher than its OpenCL score, but the R7 M380 has no recorded Vulkan result, so no comparison can be made.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two GPUs?

A: The R7 M380 has 4 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, while the MX330 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 has higher memory bandwidth at 56.06 GB/s, compared to 32.00 GB/s for the AMD Radeon R7 M380.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The MX330 has a recorded TDP of 10 W with no power connectors, while the R7 M380 has no TDP, slot width, or power connector data in the database.