AMD Radeon R7 M380 vs NVIDIA Quadro M2000M Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M and AMD Radeon R7 M380 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions from 2015, built on a 28 nm TSMC process. The benchmark data shows a clear, though not overwhelming, performance gap between the two, with the Quadro M2000M leading in the only shared test. This analysis breaks down their respective strengths, architectural differences, and what the numbers indicate about their relative positions in the mobile GPU landscape.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the available benchmark data, the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M is the outright winner in compute performance. The single head-to-head benchmark, geekbench_opencl, shows the Quadro M2000M scoring 10057 against the Radeon R7 M380’s 9313, a delta of 8%. This is the only direct comparison available, giving NVIDIA a clean sweep of the wins column (1 win for the Quadro M2000M, 0 for the Radeon R7 M380).

The NVIDIA card also holds a broader software API advantage, supporting Vulkan 1.4 compared to the AMD’s Vulkan 1.2.170. While OpenCL performance is the only measured metric, the higher Vulkan version suggests better forward-looking compatibility for applications that leverage this API. The Quadro M2000M also has a higher average benchmark score of 9832 versus the R7 M380’s 9313, reinforcing its position as the more capable compute part.

The AMD Radeon R7 M380 does not win any direct benchmarks in the data. Its strengths, if any, would have to be inferred from its architectural characteristics rather than measured performance. For instance, its GCN 1.0 architecture and PCIe 3.0 x16 interface are different from NVIDIA’s Maxwell, but these do not translate into a benchmark victory. In direct competition, the Quadro M2000M is the clear winner, and the R7 M380’s role is that of a lower-performing alternative.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M is faster, scoring 10057 points compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M380’s 9313 points. This represents an 8% performance advantage for the NVIDIA part.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Quadro M2000M has an average benchmark score of 9832, while the Radeon R7 M380 sits lower at 9313. This places the NVIDIA card in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, one point higher than the AMD’s 46th percentile.

Q: What is the closest rival to the AMD Radeon R7 M380 based on score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M is its closest rival, with an average score of 9302. The R7 M380 leads this rival by a mere 0.1%, making the two effectively equivalent in performance.

Q: Does the Radeon R7 M380 have any benchmark win over the Quadro M2000M?

A: No. The data shows zero wins for the Radeon R7 M380 in head-to-head benchmarks. The only test, geekbench_opencl, is won by the Quadro M2000M.

Q: How does the Quadro M2000M compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro 6000?

A: The Quadro M2000M’s average score of 9832 is 0.1% lower than the Quadro 6000’s 9846. This makes the Quadro 6000 a marginally faster card, though the difference is negligible.

Q: What is the performance gap between the two GPUs in the Vulkan API?

A: The Quadro M2000M has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 9606, but there is no corresponding Vulkan score for the Radeon R7 M380 in the data. Therefore, a direct Vulkan performance comparison cannot be made.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. This measures general-purpose compute performance across a range of workloads. The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M achieved a score of 10057, while the AMD Radeon R7 M380 scored 9313. The delta is 8%, meaning the NVIDIA solution is 8% faster in this test. This is a significant margin in mobile graphics, where thermal and power constraints often limit performance.

To contextualize this win, the Quadro M2000M’s average score of 9832 places it just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 (9846) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803). It also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (9780) by 0.5% and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724) by 1.1%. On the other side, the Radeon R7 M380’s average of 9313 puts it in a slightly lower tier, leading the GeForce GTX 850M (9302) by only 0.1% and the GeForce GTX 465 (9294) by 0.2%. It also beats the GeForce GTX 960 (9273) by 0.4% and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (9221) by 1%.

These rival comparisons illustrate that the 8% lead in the head-to-head is not a fluke. The Quadro M2000M is competing with significantly more powerful desktop-class parts like the GTX 1070, while the R7 M380 is hovering near the performance level of older mid-range mobile parts like the GTX 850M. The data clearly shows the Quadro M2000M’s OpenCL performance is in a higher performance bracket than the Radeon R7 M380.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every core specification, with NVIDIA holding a consistent advantage. The most striking difference is memory bandwidth. The Quadro M2000M uses 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 80.19 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon R7 M380 also has 4 GB, but it is DDR3 on the same 128-bit bus, resulting in a much lower 32.00 GB/s. This 2.5x bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA is critical for memory-intensive workloads and explains a large part of the performance gap.

Clock speeds also favor NVIDIA. The Quadro M2000M has a base clock of 1098 MHz and a boost clock of 1137 MHz, while the Radeon R7 M380 runs at 900 MHz base and 915 MHz boost. This higher clock speed, combined with the faster memory, gives the Quadro M2000M a substantial fill-rate advantage. Its pixel rate is 18.19 GPixel/s versus 14.64 GPixel/s for the AMD, and its texture rate is 45.48 GTexel/s versus 36.60 GTexel/s.

While both GPUs have 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, the NVIDIA part’s higher clocks push its FP32 performance to 1,455.4 GFLOPS, compared to 1,171.2 GFLOPS for the AMD. The Quadro M2000M also has a larger die (148 mm²) with more transistors (1,870 million) than the Radeon’s 123 mm² and 1,500 million. The Quadro M2000M has a TDP of 55 W, while the R7 M380’s TDP is not specified. Finally, the bus interface differs: the Quadro M2000M uses an MXM-A (3.0) connector, while the Radeon R7 M380 uses a standard PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is between NVIDIA’s Maxwell and AMD’s GCN 1.0. The Quadro M2000M is built on the GM107 chip, part of the Maxwell architecture, and belongs to the Quadro Maxwell-M (Mx000M) generation. The Radeon R7 M380 is built on the Tropo chip, using the GCN 1.0 architecture, and belongs to the Gem System (R7 M300) generation. Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but their designs are fundamentally different.

The Maxwell architecture in the Quadro M2000M is known for its efficiency, and the data supports this, as the 55 W TDP powers a significantly faster GPU. The Radeon R7 M380’s GCN 1.0 architecture is an older design, and its lower performance at similar or lower power is a consequence of this. The NVIDIA part also boasts a higher transistor density (12.6M / mm²) compared to the AMD’s 12.2M / mm², indicating a more compact and efficient use of the silicon.

API support is another differentiator. The Quadro M2000M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Radeon R7 M380 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. While the DirectX and OpenGL versions are comparable, the newer Vulkan version on the NVIDIA card is a notable architectural feature. The Quadro M2000M also has a clear lineage, with a predecessor in Quadro Kepler-M and a successor in Quadro Pascal-M, while the Radeon R7 M380’s predecessor is “Solar System” and its successor is “Polaris Mobile”.

The Verdict

For users prioritizing raw compute performance, the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M is the definitive choice. The benchmark data shows it is 8% faster in OpenCL, has a higher average score (9832 vs 9313), and possesses superior memory bandwidth (80.19 GB/s vs 32.00 GB/s). Its performance profile places it in the company of much more powerful parts like the GeForce GTX 1070, while the Radeon R7 M380 is closer to the GeForce GTX 850M.

The Quadro M2000M’s architectural advantages, including higher clocks (1098 MHz base vs 900 MHz), faster GDDR5 memory, and a newer Vulkan version (1.4 vs 1.2.170), all contribute to its dominant position. It also has a defined TDP of 55 W, which is a useful metric for system integration, whereas the R7 M380’s TDP is unknown.

The AMD Radeon R7 M380 is not without merit, but its merits are not evident in the benchmark data. It offers the same 4 GB memory capacity and a similar core configuration, but its DDR3 memory and lower clocks cripple its performance. It is a functional GPU that sits at the 46th percentile of all GPUs, but it is outclassed by the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M in every measurable way.

In summary, the data dictates a clear verdict: the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M is the superior mobile GPU. Those who need maximum OpenCL performance, higher memory bandwidth, and a more modern feature set should select the Quadro M2000M. The Radeon R7 M380 is a viable alternative only for scenarios where its specific architecture or bus interface is a requirement, but from a pure performance standpoint, it is the weaker option.