AMD Radeon R7 M440 vs AMD Radeon R7 M465 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M465 and AMD Radeon R7 M440 are two mobile GPUs from the same "Gem System (R7 M400)" generation, sharing the same 28nm process, GCN 3.0 architecture, and 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die. Despite these similarities, benchmark data reveals a clear performance gap, with the M465 achieving an average Geekbench OpenCL score of 5841 compared to the M440's 5214, a 12% difference. The M440 does counter with a Vulkan score of 5751, but the M465 edges ahead in the only head-to-head test available, making the choice between them depend on whether you prioritize raw compute performance or a larger memory pool.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher benchmark score in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841, which is 12% higher than the AMD Radeon R7 M440's 5214 in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: What is the performance difference between the two GPUs?

A: The head-to-head benchmark shows the M465 winning the only compared test, Geekbench OpenCL, with a deltaPct of 12%. The M440's average benchmark score across all tests is 5483, while the M465's is 5841.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ?

A: The M465 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with 4.5 Gbps effective speed and 36.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the M440 uses 4 GB of DDR3 memory at 1800 Mbps effective with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. Both have a 64-bit bus width.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and texture mapping units?

A: The M465 has 384 shading units and 24 TMUs, whereas the M440 has 320 shading units and 20 TMUs. Both have 8 ROPs.

Q: Are both GPUs from the same architectural generation?

A: Yes, both are based on GCN 3.0 architecture, use a 28 nm process from TSMC, and belong to the Gem System (R7 M400) generation, released on May 14, 2016.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU among all GPUs?

A: The M465 ranks in the 33rd percentile, while the M440 ranks in the 32nd percentile, indicating they are both in the lower performance tier overall.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture: GCN 3.0, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die. The transistor density is identical at 12.4M per square millimeter. However, the silicon implementations differ in key compute resources. The M465, based on the Topaz chip, packs 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The M440, using the Meso chip, has fewer resources: 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, but retains the same 8 ROPs.

This core difference directly impacts theoretical throughput. The M465 achieves a pixel rate of 8.192 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 24.58 GTexel/s, while the M440 manages 7.128 GPixel/s and 17.82 GTexel/s respectively. In terms of raw compute, the M465 delivers 786.4 GFLOPS for FP32 and FP16 (at a 1:1 ratio), whereas the M440 produces 570.2 GFLOPS for both. The clock speeds reflect this divergence—the M465 has a base clock of 730 MHz and a boost of 1024 MHz, while the M440's clocks are not specified in the data.

The memory subsystems are a major architectural split. The M465 employs 2 GB of GDDR5 memory at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective), yielding 36.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The M440 instead uses 4 GB of DDR3 memory at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), providing only 14.40 GB/s. Both use a 64-bit bus interface, but the GDDR5 vs DDR3 choice gives the M465 a 2.5x bandwidth advantage. The M440 is classified as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs, while the M465 has no such classification, suggesting a more discrete-oriented design.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841 against the M440's 5214. This yields a deltaPct of 12%, meaning the M465 is 12% faster in this compute workload. This is a significant margin for two GPUs from the same generation and architecture, driven by the M465's higher shading unit count, faster clock speeds, and superior GDDR5 memory bandwidth.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the M465's score of 5841 places it just 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon R5 M435 (5859) and 1.5% behind the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (5929). It is 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti (5731). The M440's average score of 5483 positions it 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (5467) and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 610M (5444), but 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508) and 0.3% behind the GeForce GTX 765M (5501).

The M440 does have a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5751, which is notably higher than its OpenCL score of 5214. This suggests the M440 may perform relatively better in Vulkan-based workloads, but since the head-to-head table only lists the OpenCL test, the M465 remains the clear winner in the direct comparison. The M465 wins 1 benchmark, while the M440 wins 0, reinforcing the M465's overall performance advantage.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the data, the AMD Radeon R7 M465 is the superior GPU for compute performance. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 12%, has a higher average benchmark score (5841 vs 5483), and ranks slightly higher in the 33rd percentile versus the M440's 32nd. The M465's advantage stems from its 384 shading units, 1024 MHz boost clock, and 36.00 GB/s GDDR5 bandwidth, all of which contribute to its 786.4 GFLOPS FP32 throughput.

The AMD Radeon R7 M440, however, is not without merit. Its 4 GB of DDR3 memory is double the M465's 2 GB, which could be beneficial for workloads that require larger memory footprints, even if bandwidth is limited to 14.40 GB/s. The M440 also has a Vulkan score of 5751, which nearly matches the M465's OpenCL result, indicating it can handle certain graphics APIs competently. Additionally, the M440's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000, where it holds a 0.3% lead, suggesting it is competitive in its tier.

For most users, the M465 is the better choice because raw compute performance is typically the bottleneck in gaming and general GPU workloads. The 12% OpenCL lead is substantial, and the higher texture and pixel rates mean better fill-rate performance. The M440 should only be considered if the larger 4 GB memory allocation is a hard requirement, as the slower DDR3 memory will likely offset any capacity advantage in bandwidth-sensitive tasks.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M465 | AMD Radeon R7 M440 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Topaz | Meso |

| Shading Units | 384 | 320 |

| TMUs | 24 | 20 |

| ROPs | 8 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 730 MHz | Not specified |

| Boost Clock | 1024 MHz | Not specified |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz / 4.5 Gbps effective | 900 MHz / 1800 Mbps effective |

| Memory Bandwidth | 36.00 GB/s | 14.40 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 8.192 GPixel/s | 7.128 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 24.58 GTexel/s | 17.82 GTexel/s |

| FP32 / FP16 | 786.4 GFLOPS | 570.2 GFLOPS |

| Slot Width | Not specified | IGP |

| Display Outputs | Not specified | Portable Device Dependent |

| Benchmark Scores | OpenCL: 5841 | OpenCL: 5214, Vulkan: 5751 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 5841 | 5483 |

| Percentile | 33rd | 32nd |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M465 wins in every category except memory capacity. Its 12% OpenCL lead, higher pixel rate (8.192 vs 7.128 GPixel/s), and faster texture rate (24.58 vs 17.82 GTexel/s) make it the clear choice for compute-heavy applications, gaming at lower resolutions, and any workload that benefits from high memory bandwidth. The GDDR5 memory at 36.00 GB/s is more than double the M440's bandwidth, which is critical for modern game textures and shader operations. The M465 also has a higher FP32 throughput of 786.4 GFLOPS, giving it a 37.9% advantage over the M440's 570.2 GFLOPS.

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 wins on memory capacity, offering 4 GB versus the M465's 2 GB. This can matter in scenarios where texture-heavy content exceeds 2 GB, such as high-resolution texture packs or certain professional visualization tasks that require larger working sets. The M440's Vulkan score of 5751 also suggests it may have better API-specific optimization in Vulkan titles, potentially narrowing the gap despite the OpenCL deficit. Its IGP classification and portable-device-dependent outputs indicate it may be better suited for slim, low-power laptop designs where the M465's higher clock speeds might be constrained by thermal limits.

For a practical builder, the M465 is the default pick for gaming and general performance. The M440 is a niche option for users who prioritize memory size over speed, or who are constrained by a specific laptop chassis that only supports the IGP form factor. The data does not support any scenario where the M440 outperforms the M465 in raw throughput, so the decision hinges entirely on whether 4 GB of slow memory is worth sacrificing a 12% compute lead.