AMD Radeon R7 M445 vs NVIDIA Quadro M3000M Comparison

The Verdict

The data in this comparison is unambiguous. The NVIDIA Quadro M3000M is the overwhelmingly stronger mobile GPU, winning the only shared benchmark by a massive margin. The AMD Radeon R7 M445 trails far behind, and the recorded measurements show a performance gap that is not merely incremental but transformative. Users who need compute throughput, particularly in OpenCL workloads, should choose the Quadro M3000M. The Radeon R7 M445 is only suitable for scenarios where its specific form factor or integration profile is a hard requirement, as its benchmark results place it in a much lower performance tier.

The Geekbench OpenCL result tells the story: the Quadro M3000M scores 16,646, while the Radeon R7 M445 scores 5,358. That is a delta of -67.8% for the AMD part, meaning the NVIDIA GPU delivers roughly three times the raw compute performance in this test. The Quadro also has a broader benchmark footprint, with additional scores across Vulkan, DirectX, and compute tests, whereas the Radeon has only a single recorded OpenCL score. The verdict is straightforward: for any serious GPU work, the Quadro M3000M is the choice.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and are built around very different silicon. The AMD Radeon R7 M445 uses the Meso chip, based on GCN 3.0 architecture, and belongs to the Gem System (R7 M400) generation. It is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter.

The NVIDIA Quadro M3000M, in contrast, uses the GM204 chip, based on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, and belongs to the Quadro Maxwell-M (Mx000M) generation. It also uses a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the silicon is far larger and more complex: 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, with a density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. That is over three times the transistor count and more than three times the die area.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The Radeon has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The Quadro has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Those are exactly 3.2x, 3.2x, and 4x the AMD figures, respectively. The clock speeds are similar, with the Radeon boosting to 920 MHz and the Quadro boosting to 924 MHz, but the Quadro's much wider execution resources deliver far higher throughput.

Memory subsystems also diverge sharply. Both have 4 GB of GDDR5, but the Radeon uses a 64-bit bus with 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Quadro uses a 256-bit bus with 160.4 GB/s. That is a fivefold difference in memory bandwidth, which heavily impacts texture-heavy and large-dataset workloads. The Radeon's memory runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the Quadro's runs at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

API support also differs. The Radeon supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Quadro supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, giving it a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version. The Quadro is a 75 W MXM module with no power connectors, while the Radeon is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The Quadro uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Both are end-of-life products, with the Radeon releasing in May 2016 and the Quadro in August 2015.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA Quadro M3000M scores 16,646, and the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5,358. The delta is -67.8% for the AMD part, which means the Quadro outperforms the Radeon by more than threefold. This is a decisive victory, and it aligns with the hardware specifications: the Quadro's 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 160.4 GB/s memory bandwidth dwarf the Radeon's 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 32.00 GB/s.

The Quadro's other benchmark scores provide context for its capability profile. It records 16,668 in Geekbench Vulkan, nearly identical to its OpenCL score. In PassMark tests, it scores 5,543 in G3D, 402 in G2D, and 2,139 in GPU Compute. Its DirectX scores are lower, with 98 in DirectX 9, 42 in DirectX 11, 26 in DirectX 10, and 23 in DirectX 12, suggesting that the Quadro's strength lies in general compute and OpenCL/Vulkan workloads rather than legacy DirectX rasterization.

The Radeon R7 M445 has no other recorded benchmarks, so the database cannot show its performance in Vulkan or DirectX tests. However, its single OpenCL score places it near a cluster of low-to-midrange GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (average score 5,370, delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5,322, delta 0.7%), the NVIDIA GeForce 930A (5,317, delta 0.8%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M (5,308, delta 0.9%). The Radeon's 5,358 score sits right in the middle of this group, essentially tied with those parts.

The Quadro's nearest rivals are quite different. Its average score across all benchmarks is 4,621, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (4,628, delta -0.1%), the AMD Radeon R5 M320 (4,657, delta -0.8%), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB (4,657, delta -0.8%), and the AMD Radeon R5 M230 (4,577, delta 1%). The Quadro's percentile rank is 27, while the Radeon's is 31, but this percentile is computed against all GPUs and includes the Quadro's full benchmark suite, which drags its average down due to low DirectX scores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M3000M scores 16,646, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5,358, a delta of -67.8% for the AMD part.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The Quadro M3000M has 160.4 GB/s of bandwidth over a 256-bit bus, while the Radeon R7 M445 has 32.00 GB/s over a 64-bit bus.

Q: What are the shading unit counts?

A: The Quadro M3000M has 1,024 shading units, while the Radeon R7 M445 has 320 shading units.

Q: Which GPU supports a newer DirectX feature level?

A: The Quadro M3000M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the Radeon R7 M445 supports DirectX 12 (12_0).

Q: What is the transistor count of each chip?

A: The Quadro M3000M's GM204 chip has 5,200 million transistors, and the Radeon R7 M445's Meso chip has 1,550 million transistors.

Q: Are both GPUs the same form factor?

A: No. The Radeon R7 M445 is an IGP (integrated graphics processor), while the Quadro M3000M is an MXM Module with a 75 W TDP.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro M3000M wins in every measurable compute scenario. Its OpenCL score is 16,646, and its Vulkan score is 16,668, indicating strong general-purpose compute performance. Its PassMark GPU Compute score of 2,139 further supports this. The Quadro's high memory bandwidth (160.4 GB/s) and wide execution resources (1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs) make it suitable for demanding workloads such as 3D rendering, scientific compute, and large texture datasets. Its DirectX scores are modest, with a peak of 98 in DirectX 9, so it is not optimized for legacy DirectX gaming, but its compute and Vulkan performance is clearly its strength.

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 wins in no benchmark category in this database. Its only score, 5,358 in OpenCL, places it in a low tier, roughly on par with the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (5,370) and NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5,322). Its 32.00 GB/s memory bandwidth and 320 shading units limit it to light or undemanding tasks. The Radeon's advantage is purely qualitative: it is an IGP with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, which may allow it to be integrated into compact or power-constrained portable systems where a discrete MXM module like the Quadro cannot fit. But within the recorded data, there is no workload where the Radeon outperforms the Quadro.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every hardware specification. The AMD Radeon R7 M445 uses the Meso chip on GCN 3.0 architecture, while the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M uses the GM204 chip on Maxwell 2.0. Both are 28 nm TSMC parts, but the transistor counts differ: 1,550 million for the Radeon versus 5,200 million for the Quadro. The die sizes are 125 mm² and 398 mm², respectively, with transistor densities of 12.4M / mm² and 13.1M / mm².

Clock speeds are close: the Radeon has a base of 780 MHz and a boost of 920 MHz, while the Quadro has a base of 823 MHz and a boost of 924 MHz. Memory clocks differ more noticeably, with the Radeon at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) and the Quadro at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective). Memory capacity is the same at 4 GB of GDDR5, but the bus widths diverge: 64-bit for the Radeon versus 256-bit for the Quadro. This yields bandwidth of 32.00 GB/s versus 160.4 GB/s.

The execution resources are drastically different: 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs for the Radeon, versus 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs for the Quadro. Pixel rate is 7.360 GPixel/s for the Radeon and 29.57 GPixel/s for the Quadro. Texture rate is 18.40 GTexel/s versus 59.14 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 588.8 GFLOPS for the Radeon and 1.892 TFLOPS for the Quadro. The Radeon has FP16 at 588.8 GFLOPS (1:1), while the Quadro has no recorded FP16 figure.

The Quadro has a TDP of 75 W and is an MXM Module with no power connectors, while the Radeon has no TDP listed and is an IGP. The bus interfaces are PCIe 3.0 x8 for the Radeon and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the Quadro. Both have portable-device-dependent display outputs. API support differs: DirectX 12 (12_0) versus 12 (12_1), the same OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170 versus 1.4. The production status of both is end-of-life. The Radeon's predecessor is Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile; the Quadro's predecessor is Quadro Kepler-M and its successor is Quadro Pascal-M.