AMD Radeon R7 M440 vs AMD Radeon R8 M445DX Comparison

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Radeon R7 M440 compare to the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX in the recorded OpenCL benchmark?

A: The R7 M440 scores 5214 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the R8 M445DX scores 4727. That puts the R7 M440 ahead by 10.3% in this test.

Q: Which GPU has the higher FP32 throughput?

A: The R8 M445DX reaches 653.4 GFLOPS, while the R7 M440 is rated at 570.2 GFLOPS. The R8 M445DX leads by roughly 14.6% in raw floating point compute.

Q: Do both GPUs use the same chip and manufacturing process?

A: Yes. Both are built on the Meso chip, use the GCN 3.0 architecture, and are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Each has 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two?

A: The R7 M440 has 4 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory on a 64 bit bus, delivering 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The R8 M445DX uses system shared memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores rank against all GPUs?

A: The R7 M440 has an average benchmark score of 5483, placing it in the 32nd percentile. The R8 M445DX has an average score of 4727, placing it in the 27th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel and texture fill rate?

A: The R8 M445DX leads in both: 8.168 GPixel/s versus 7.128 GPixel/s for the R7 M440, and 20.42 GTexel/s versus 17.82 GTexel/s.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same Meso chip with GCN 3.0 architecture, so the core design is identical at a fundamental level. Each has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. Transistor count is the same at 1,550 million, die size is the same at 125 mm², and transistor density is the same at 12.4M per mm². The manufacturing process is also identical: 28 nm at TSMC.

The first meaningful architectural difference is clock behavior. The R8 M445DX has explicit base and boost clocks of 780 MHz and 1021 MHz. The R7 M440 does not have base or boost clocks listed in the database. Instead, its memory clock is specified at 900 MHz, which translates to 1800 Mbps effective. The R8 M445DX has no memory clock listed because its memory is system shared.

The memory subsystem is the second major difference. The R7 M440 uses 4 GB of dedicated DDR3 memory with a 64 bit bus and a fixed bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s. The R8 M445DX relies on system shared memory, meaning its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all system dependent. This is a fundamental architectural split: one GPU has its own dedicated framebuffer, the other borrows from the host system.

The bus interface also differs. The R7 M440 connects through PCIe 3.0 x8. The R8 M445DX is listed as IGP, meaning it is integrated into the system as a graphics processor without a discrete PCIe connection. This is consistent with the hybrid generation naming in the database, "Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400)", whereas the R7 M440 belongs to "Gem System (R7 M400)".

Both GPUs share the same API support: DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both are end-of-life products, released on the same date, and both are classified as IGP slot width with portable device dependent display outputs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In that test, the R7 M440 scores 5214 and the R8 M445DX scores 4727. The R7 M440 wins by 10.3%, which is a substantial margin for two GPUs built on the same chip with identical shading unit counts.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the R7 M440 also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5751. The R8 M445DX has no Vulkan score recorded in the database, so no direct Vulkan comparison is possible.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The R7 M440 averages 5483 across its recorded tests, while the R8 M445DX averages 4727. The R7 M440 sits at the 32nd percentile among all GPUs, and the R8 M445DX sits at the 27th percentile. That five point percentile gap reflects the performance difference seen in the OpenCL test.

The R8 M445DX is not without its advantages, but these do not show up in the head-to-head benchmark. Its higher base and boost clocks produce higher pixel and texture rates. The pixel rate is 8.168 GPixel/s versus 7.128 GPixel/s for the R7 M440, a lead of about 14.6%. The texture rate is 20.42 GTexel/s versus 17.82 GTexel/s, also about a 14.6% lead. Its FP32 throughput of 653.4 GFLOPS beats the R7 M440's 570.2 GFLOPS by the same proportional margin. These are theoretical peak rates, however, and the actual OpenCL score does not reflect that theoretical advantage.

The R7 M440's rival list includes the NVIDIA Quadro M4000, which scores 5467 and sits 0.3% above the R7 M440's average. The GeForce GTX 765M scores 5501, 0.3% below the R7 M440. The GeForce MX130 scores 5508, 0.5% below. The AMD Radeon 610M scores 5444, 0.7% above. This places the R7 M440 in a tight cluster of mobile and entry workstation GPUs with average scores within a 1% band.

The R8 M445DX's rivals cluster around its average score of 4727. The AMD Radeon R5 M335 scores 4752, 0.5% above the R8 M445DX. The NVIDIA Quadro P400 scores 4684, 0.9% below. The AMD Radeon R5 M255 scores 4788, 1.3% above. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB scores 4791, 1.3% above, an unusual entry in that list given the RTX 3080's position in the database, but the numbers are what they are.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several specification fields, despite sharing the same underlying chip.

Clock speeds: The R8 M445DX lists a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 1021 MHz. The R7 M440 lists no base or boost clock. The R7 M440 has a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), while the R8 M445DX has no memory clock because its memory is system shared.

Memory: The R7 M440 has 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64 bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The R8 M445DX has system shared memory across all four fields: size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all system dependent.

Rates: The R7 M440 has a pixel rate of 7.128 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 17.82 GTexel/s, with FP32 at 570.2 GFLOPS and FP16 at 570.2 GFLOPS (1:1). The R8 M445DX has a pixel rate of 8.168 GPixel/s, texture rate of 20.42 GTexel/s, FP32 at 653.4 GFLOPS, and FP16 at 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1).

Bus interface: The R7 M440 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The R8 M445DX is listed as IGP.

Generation: The R7 M440 is from "Gem System (R7 M400)". The R8 M445DX is from "Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400)".

Predecessor and successor: The R7 M440 has a predecessor listed as "Solar System" and a successor as "Polaris Mobile". The R8 M445DX has neither a predecessor nor a successor listed.

Benchmark record: The R7 M440 has two recorded benchmarks (Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan), while the R8 M445DX has only one (Geekbench OpenCL).

Everything else is identical: chip, architecture, process node, foundry, transistor count, die size, transistor density, shading units, TMUs, ROPs, API support, slot width, power connectors, suggested PSU, display outputs, production status, and release date.

Where Each One Wins

The R7 M440 wins in actual recorded benchmark performance. Its OpenCL score of 5214 beats the R8 M445DX's 4727 by 10.3%. Its average benchmark score of 5483 is higher than the R8 M445DX's 4727. Its percentile rank of 32 is above the R8 M445DX's 27. It also has a Vulkan score on record, which the R8 M445DX lacks entirely. For any application that relies on measured compute performance in OpenCL or Vulkan, the data favors the R7 M440.

The R8 M445DX wins in theoretical peak throughput metrics. Its higher base and boost clocks translate directly into higher peak rates. The R8 M445DX achieves 8.168 GPixel/s, 14.6% above the R7 M440's 7.128 GPixel/s. Its 20.42 GTexel/s texture rate is also 14.6% above the R7 M440's 17.82 GTexel/s. FP32 compute of 653.4 GFLOPS exceeds the R7 M440's 570.2 GFLOPS by the same margin. For workloads dominated by raw fill rate or peak FP32 throughput, the R8 M445DX has the higher theoretical ceiling.

The memory situation splits cleanly. The R7 M440's dedicated 4 GB DDR3 with 14.40 GB/s fixed bandwidth offers predictable, predictable memory performance. The R8 M445DX's system shared memory is entirely dependent on the host system, so its bandwidth can vary. In a system with fast memory, the R8 M445DX could outperform expectations in theory, and in a system with slow memory, it could underperform.

The Verdict

The R7 M440 is the better choice for anyone who prioritizes measured benchmark results. The database shows a 10.3% OpenCL win, a higher average score, and a higher percentile rank. It also provides a Vulkan benchmark result, which the R8 M445DX does not have. For compute tasks that resemble the Geekbench OpenCL workload, the R7 M440 is the stronger part.

The R8 M445DX is the better choice for anyone who prioritizes theoretical peak rates. It has a higher pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput. Its 1021 MHz boost clock is the highest clock speed listed for either GPU. If a workload is heavily dependent on fill rate or peak FP32, the R8 M445DX has the mathematical advantage.

The data does not support picking the R8 M445DX on the basis of benchmark scores alone. Its measured OpenCL performance sits below the R7 M440, and its average score is 756 points lower. The R8 M445DX's theoretical advantages may or may not materialize in practice, and the one recorded benchmark shows that they do not always translate into a win.

The R7 M440's position among rivals is also stronger. It sits within 0.5% of the GeForce GTX 765M and GeForce MX130, and within 0.7% of the Radeon 610M. The R8 M445DX sits within 1.3% of the R5 M335 and R5 M255. Both are in the same general performance band of entry-level mobile GPUs, but the R7 M440 occupies the higher end of that band.

For a system builder choosing between these two end-of-life AMD parts, the R7 M440 offers the better recorded compute performance. The R8 M445DX offers higher theoretical peak rates and a clock speed advantage. The final decision depends on whether the workload is compute-bound in practice, which the benchmark data suggests favors the R7 M440, or fill rate-bound in theory, which favors the R8 M445DX.