AMD Radeon R7 M440 vs NVIDIA GeForce 840M Comparison

# AMD Radeon R7 M440 vs NVIDIA GeForce 840M

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 and NVIDIA GeForce 840M are two end-of-life mobile graphics solutions that target similar low-power laptop segments, but they split their benchmark wins almost evenly. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce 840M scores 5764 against the R7 M440’s 5214, a 9.5% advantage for NVIDIA. However, in Geekbench Vulkan, the AMD part turns the tables decisively, scoring 5751 versus 4880 for NVIDIA — a 17.8% lead. The average benchmark score favors AMD slightly (5483 vs 5322), yet both sit within 1% of each other in overall performance tiers, with the R7 M440 at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs and the 840M at the 31st.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two available benchmark results paint a clear split: NVIDIA wins compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, while AMD dominates the Vulkan API. The GeForce 840M’s OpenCL score of 5764 is 550 points higher than the Radeon’s 5214, translating to a 9.5% margin. This is not a trivial gap — in real-world OpenCL applications, that difference could mean noticeably faster image processing or physics calculations. The 840M’s advantage here aligns with its higher peak FP32 throughput (863.2 GFLOPS vs 570.2 GFLOPS), though the architecture differences play a role too.

Vulkan tells the opposite story. The R7 M440’s 5751 score crushes the 840M’s 4880, a 17.8% swing. This is a larger margin than NVIDIA’s OpenCL win, suggesting the GCN 3.0 architecture handles Vulkan’s low-level overhead more efficiently than Maxwell. For users running Vulkan-based games or applications, the AMD part is unequivocally faster. Notably, the R7 M440’s Vulkan score (5751) is even higher than its own OpenCL result (5214), while the 840M drops from 5764 OpenCL to 4880 Vulkan — a 15.3% regression for NVIDIA.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape, the R7 M440’s average score of 5483 places it just 0.3% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (5467) and 0.3% ahead of the GeForce GTX 765M (5501). The 840M’s 5322 average sits 0.1% above the GeForce 930A (5317) and 0.7% below the GeForce 940M (5284). Both cards are clustered tightly with their peers; neither offers a decisive overall performance advantage, but the workload-specific swings are substantial.

Architecture Differences

The R7 M440 is built on AMD’s GCN 3.0 architecture using the Meso chip, fabricated on TSMC’s 28 nm process. It packs 1,550 million transistors into a 125 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million per mm². The 840M uses NVIDIA’s Maxwell architecture with the GM108S chip, also on 28 nm TSMC, but with fewer transistors (1,020 million) on a much smaller 77 mm² die, giving a higher density of 13.2 million per mm². The AMD chip physically has more silicon area and transistors, while NVIDIA achieves better density.

Shader configuration differs significantly. The R7 M440 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The 840M has 384 shading units (20% more) but only 16 TMUs and 8 ROPs. Despite having fewer shaders, the AMD part’s higher TMU count (20 vs 16) helps its texture rate: 17.82 GTexel/s versus 17.98 GTexel/s — nearly identical. Pixel rates, however, favor NVIDIA: 8.992 GPixel/s against 7.128 GPixel/s, a 26% advantage. FP32 compute strongly favors NVIDIA at 863.2 GFLOPS versus 570.2 GFLOPS, a 51% gap. AMD’s FP16 performance is equal to its FP32 (570.2 GFLOPS, 1:1 ratio), while NVIDIA does not list a separate FP16 figure.

Memory configurations are similar in bus width but differ in capacity and speed. Both use 64-bit DDR3 interfaces. The R7 M440 offers 4 GB at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), yielding 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The 840M has 2 GB at 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective) for 16.02 GB/s — 11% more bandwidth despite half the capacity. Clock speeds are another differentiator: the 840M has a base clock of 1029 MHz and boost of 1124 MHz, while the R7 M440 lists no base or boost clock, only memory clock. The 840M’s TDP is rated at 33 W, whereas the R7 M440’s TDP is not specified in the data.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce 840M is the clear choice for OpenCL-based compute tasks. Its 9.5% lead in that benchmark, combined with 51% higher FP32 throughput and 11% more memory bandwidth, makes it better suited for general-purpose GPU compute in applications that rely on OpenCL. The higher pixel rate (8.992 vs 7.128 GPixel/s) also suggests better fill-rate-bound scenarios, such as older games or simple 2D rendering. The 840M’s boost clock of 1124 MHz (versus no listed boost for AMD) indicates more consistent sustained performance under load.

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 wins decisively in Vulkan workloads, with a 17.8% margin that is nearly double NVIDIA’s OpenCL advantage. This makes it the better option for Vulkan-based game engines or modern graphics APIs. The R7 M440’s 4 GB memory capacity is double the 840M’s 2 GB, which can matter for texture-heavy applications at higher resolutions, even if the bandwidth is lower. The AMD part also supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the 840M only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) — a feature level difference that could affect compatibility with newer titles.

The win counts are even at one each, but the magnitude of AMD’s Vulkan victory outweighs NVIDIA’s OpenCL lead. In terms of average benchmark score, AMD leads by 3% (5483 vs 5322). However, both cards are near the bottom of the performance hierarchy, sitting at the 31st and 32nd percentiles. Neither will handle demanding modern games at high settings; these are entry-level mobile parts for light gaming, media playback, and basic compute tasks.

Specification Differences

The key differences between the two parts are as follows:

• Transistors: R7 M440 has 1,550 million; 840M has 1,020 million.
• Die Size: R7 M440 is 125 mm²; 840M is 77 mm².
• Transistor Density: R7 M440 is 12.4M / mm²; 840M is 13.2M / mm².
• Base Clock: R7 M440 has none listed; 840M has 1029 MHz.
• Boost Clock: R7 M440 has none listed; 840M has 1124 MHz.
• Memory Clock: R7 M440 runs at 900 MHz / 1800 Mbps effective; 840M at 1001 MHz / 2 Gbps effective.
• Memory Size: R7 M440 has 4 GB; 840M has 2 GB.
• Memory Bandwidth: R7 M440 has 14.40 GB/s; 840M has 16.02 GB/s.
• Shading Units: R7 M440 has 320; 840M has 384.
• TMUs: R7 M440 has 20; 840M has 16.
• Pixel Rate: R7 M440 has 7.128 GPixel/s; 840M has 8.992 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: R7 M440 has 17.82 GTexel/s; 840M has 17.98 GTexel/s.
• FP32: R7 M440 has 570.2 GFLOPS; 840M has 863.2 GFLOPS.
• FP16: R7 M440 has 570.2 GFLOPS (1:1); 840M has none listed.
• TDP: R7 M440 has none listed; 840M is rated at 33 W.
• DirectX Support: R7 M440 supports 12 (12_0); 840M supports 12 (11_0).
• Vulkan Version: R7 M440 supports 1.2.170; 840M supports 1.4.
• Release Date: R7 M440 launched 2016-05-14; 840M launched 2014-03-11.
• Predecessor: R7 M440 follows Solar System; 840M follows GeForce 700M.
• Successor: R7 M440 leads to Polaris Mobile; 840M leads to GeForce 900M.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in overall benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 has a higher average benchmark score of 5483 compared to the NVIDIA GeForce 840M’s 5322, a 3% difference in AMD’s favor.

Q: How do the two cards compare in OpenCL performance?

A: The GeForce 840M scores 5764 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 5214 for the R7 M440, giving NVIDIA a 9.5% lead in this workload.

Q: Which card handles Vulkan better?

A: The R7 M440 is significantly ahead in Geekbench Vulkan with a score of 5751 against the 840M’s 4880, a 17.8% advantage for AMD.

Q: What are the memory capacity differences?

A: The R7 M440 has 4 GB of DDR3 memory, while the 840M has 2 GB. However, the 840M has higher bandwidth at 16.02 GB/s versus 14.40 GB/s.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The GeForce 840M has 384 shading units, while the R7 M440 has 320, giving NVIDIA a 20% higher shader count.

Q: How does the power consumption compare?

A: The 840M has a listed TDP of 33 W, while the R7 M440’s TDP is not specified in the available data.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon R7 M440 is the better overall choice for users who prioritize Vulkan performance and higher memory capacity. Its 17.8% Vulkan lead is the largest performance margin between the two cards, and its 4 GB of VRAM (double the 840M’s 2 GB) provides more headroom for texture-heavy workloads. The higher average benchmark score (5483 vs 5322) reinforces this choice, even if the margin is modest.

The NVIDIA GeForce 840M is the pick for users whose workloads lean on OpenCL compute or who need higher raw FP32 throughput (863.2 GFLOPS vs 570.2 GFLOPS). Its 9.5% OpenCL advantage and superior pixel rate (8.992 vs 7.128 GPixel/s) make it better for fill-rate-bound scenarios. The 840M also has a defined TDP of 33 W, which may be relevant for thermal planning in thin laptops, while the R7 M440’s power draw is undocumented.

For a balanced recommendation: if you run Vulkan-based games or applications, choose the R7 M440 without hesitation. If you rely on OpenCL-accelerated software or need the higher pixel throughput, the 840M is the safer bet. Given that both parts are end-of-life and perform in the low 30th percentile of all GPUs, neither will satisfy demanding users. The R7 M440’s stronger average score and doubled memory capacity tip the overall verdict in its favor for general-purpose use, but the 840M remains competitive where its architectural strengths align with the workload.