AMD Radeon R7 M445 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M occupy very different positions in the mobile GPU landscape, and the benchmark data reflects that divide clearly. In the single shared OpenCL test, the GTX 970M delivers a score of 18,946 against the R7 M445’s 5,358, a performance gap of 71.7% in favor of the NVIDIA part. That result places the GTX 970M far outside the R7 M445’s competitive neighborhood, while the AMD chip sits near a cluster of much older or lower-tier parts. The following sections break down what these numbers mean, how the architectures differ, and which use cases each GPU serves based strictly on the recorded measurements.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the outcome is not close. The GTX 970M scores 18,946, while the R7 M445 scores 5,358. That is a 71.7% deficit for the AMD part, meaning the GTX 970M delivers roughly 3.5 times the raw compute throughput in this workload. For context, the R7 M445’s nearest rivals in the database include the Intel UHD Graphics P630 at 5,370 (0.2% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce 840M at 5,322 (0.7% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce 930A at 5,317 (0.8% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M at 5,308 (0.9% behind). The R7 M445 essentially trades blows with these parts, all of which sit within a 1% band of each other. That tells a clear story: the R7 M445 is positioned among entry-level mobile graphics, not performance-tier hardware.

The GTX 970M, by contrast, sits in a different league entirely. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 4,628, but that figure is dragged down by several low-scoring DirectX tests. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M at 4,621 (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon R5 M320 at 4,657 (0.6% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB at 4,657 (0.6% ahead), and the AMD Radeon R5 M230 at 4,577 (1.1% behind). Note that the GTX 970M’s OpenCL score of 18,946 is far above its average, which reflects the GPU’s strength in compute-heavy workloads. The DirectX tests tell a different story: PassMark DirectX 9 returns 99, DirectX 10 returns 28, DirectX 11 returns 42, and DirectX 12 returns 24. These are legacy or synthetic API tests and do not represent the GPU’s full potential, but they are what the database records.

The R7 M445 has only a single benchmark entry, the Geekbench OpenCL score of 5,358. That places it at the 31st percentile of all GPUs in the database. The GTX 970M, despite its much higher OpenCL score, sits at the 27th percentile overall, a quirk of the averaging method that pulls its percentile down due to the low DirectX scores. This illustrates an important point: average benchmark scores can be misleading when a GPU has a wide spread across different test types. The head-to-head comparison, however, is unambiguous. In the one test where both GPUs appear, the GTX 970M wins by a massive margin, and the R7 M445 has no countervailing win in any other recorded test.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and are built for different market segments. The AMD Radeon R7 M445 uses the Meso chip on the GCN 3.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It packs 1,550 million transistors into a 125 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M uses the GM204 chip on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, also built by TSMC at 28 nm. Its die is substantially larger at 398 mm² and holds 5,200 million transistors, for a density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. The GTX 970M’s die is more than three times the area of the R7 M445’s, and it has more than three times the transistor count.

The compute resources differ even more dramatically. The R7 M445 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The GTX 970M has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. That is 4 times the shading units, 4 times the TMUs, and 6 times the ROPs. Clock speeds also favor NVIDIA: the R7 M445 runs at a 780 MHz base and 920 MHz boost, while the GTX 970M runs at 924 MHz base and 1,038 MHz boost. The combined effect of more units and higher clocks shows up in the pixel and texture rates. The R7 M445 achieves 7.360 GPixel/s and 18.40 GTexel/s, whereas the GTX 970M reaches 49.82 GPixel/s and 83.04 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance follows the same pattern: the R7 M445 delivers 588.8 GFLOPS of FP32, while the GTX 970M delivers 2.657 TFLOPS, more than 4.5 times as much.

Memory is another major divider. The R7 M445 comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 970M has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, producing 120.3 GB/s, nearly 4 times the bandwidth. The AMD part runs its memory at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the NVIDIA part runs at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The R7 M445 supports FP16 at the same rate as FP32 (1:1), while the GTX 970M lists no FP16 capability. Both GPUs support DirectX 12, but the R7 M445 is at feature level 12_0 while the GTX 970M reaches 12_1. OpenGL support is identical at 4.6, but Vulkan support differs: the R7 M445 lists Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 970M lists Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 970M also has a higher transistor density (13.1M / mm²) than the R7 M445 (12.4M / mm²), though both use the same 28 nm process from TSMC.

Form factors also separate them. The R7 M445 is an integrated GPU (IGP) with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface and portable-device-dependent display outputs. The GTX 970M is an MXM module using the MXM-B (3.0) interface, also with portable-device-dependent outputs. The GTX 970M requires no power connectors, but its larger die and higher performance imply a much higher power draw, though the database does not record TDP values for either card. Release dates differ by roughly a year and a half: the GTX 970M launched in October 2014, while the R7 M445 arrived in May 2016. Both are end-of-life products.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 970M wins in every measurable category where both GPUs have data. Its OpenCL score is 71.7% higher than the R7 M445’s, and its architecture provides substantially more shading units, texture units, ROPs, memory bandwidth, and raw FP32 throughput. For compute-heavy workloads such as OpenCL-based rendering, physics simulation, or data processing, the GTX 970M is the clear choice based on the recorded scores. The GTX 970M’s 18,946 OpenCL score is more than triple the R7 M445’s 5,358, and its 2.657 TFLOPS FP32 rate dwarfs the AMD part’s 588.8 GFLOPS. The GTX 970M also supports DirectX 12_1 features, which the R7 M445 cannot match, making it the better option for games or applications that leverage those advanced feature levels.

The R7 M445, on the other hand, has no recorded benchmark wins. Its only test score, 5,358 in OpenCL, is within 1% of several older or lower-tier GPUs like the Intel UHD Graphics P630, the GeForce 840M, the GeForce 930A, and the GeForce GTX 980M. That means the R7 M445 is competitive with those parts, but it is not competitive with the GTX 970M. The R7 M445 does have a smaller die (125 mm² vs. 398 mm²), fewer transistors (1,550 million vs. 5,200 million), and a narrower memory bus (64-bit vs. 192-bit), which suggests it would be more power-efficient and cheaper to produce, but the database does not record TDP or pricing data to confirm that. The R7 M445 also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, which could matter for specific workloads that use half-precision arithmetic, but no benchmark in the database tests that capability.

For use cases, the GTX 970M is suited to gaming laptops or mobile workstations where high fill rates, high memory bandwidth, and strong compute performance matter. The R7 M445 is better matched to thin-and-light laptops or budget notebooks where the GPU is secondary and the primary requirement is basic display output or light acceleration. The GTX 970M’s 6 GB of memory and 120.3 GB/s bandwidth can handle larger textures and higher resolutions, while the R7 M445’s 4 GB on a 64-bit bus will struggle with modern game assets. Neither GPU is current, but the performance gap is so large that they serve entirely different product tiers.

The Verdict

The data is decisive: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M outperforms the AMD Radeon R7 M445 in every recorded benchmark, with a 71.7% lead in the single shared OpenCL test. The GTX 970M’s architecture provides 4 times the shading units, 4 times the texture units, 6 times the ROPs, and nearly 4 times the memory bandwidth of the R7 M445. Its FP32 throughput of 2.657 TFLOPS is more than 4.5 times the AMD part’s 588.8 GFLOPS. If a user needs a mobile GPU for compute, gaming, or any graphics-intensive workload, the GTX 970M is the only sensible choice between these two.

The R7 M445 is not without merit, but its merits are relative to much weaker hardware. Its OpenCL score of 5,358 sits within a 1% band of the Intel UHD Graphics P630, the GeForce 840M, the GeForce 930A, and the GeForce GTX 980M. That makes it a reasonable entry-level option, but it is not in the same performance class as the GTX 970M. The R7 M445’s smaller die and lower transistor count might translate to lower power consumption, but the database does not record TDP figures to verify that. Its FP16 support at 1:1 ratio could be useful for select workloads, but no benchmark evidence exists to show an advantage.

For buyers choosing between these two, the decision comes down to workload requirements. If the task demands high compute throughput, large memory capacity, or advanced DirectX 12_1 features, the GTX 970M is the clear winner. If the task only requires basic graphics acceleration and the system is a low-power integrated design, the R7 M445 may suffice, but it will not match the GTX 970M’s performance in any recorded test. The GTX 970M’s percentile ranking of 27th versus the R7 M445’s 31st is an artifact of averaging many low DirectX scores, not a reflection of real-world capability. In direct comparison, the GTX 970M dominates.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the GTX 970M than the R7 M445 in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 970M scores 18,946 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the R7 M445 scores 5,358. That is a 71.7% lead for the NVIDIA GPU.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to the R7 M445 in benchmark scores?

A: The R7 M445’s nearest rivals are the Intel UHD Graphics P630 at 5,370 (0.2% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce 840M at 5,322 (0.7% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce 930A at 5,317 (0.8% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M at 5,308 (0.9% behind).

Q: Does the R7 M445 have any benchmark where it beats the GTX 970M?

A: No. In the only shared test (Geekbench OpenCL), the GTX 970M wins. The R7 M445 has no recorded wins against the GTX 970M in any benchmark.

Q: What is the GTX 970M’s average benchmark score and why is it lower than its OpenCL score?

A: The GTX 970M’s average benchmark score is 4,628. This is lower than its OpenCL score of 18,946 because the average includes several low PassMark DirectX scores (DirectX 9 at 99, DirectX 10 at 28, DirectX 11 at 42, and DirectX 12 at 24), which drag down the mean.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 970M has 1,280 shading units versus the R7 M445’s 320, and it has 120.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth versus the R7 M445’s 32.00 GB/s.

Q: What are the DirectX feature levels supported by each GPU?

A: The R7 M445 supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12_0, while the GTX 970M supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12_1.