AMD Radeon R7 M445 vs NVIDIA Quadro M4000 Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 and AMD Radeon R7 M445 occupy entirely different tiers of the GPU hierarchy, and the benchmark data reflects a decisive, one-sided contest. The Quadro M4000, a professional workstation card built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, utterly dominates the mobile-integrated Radeon R7 M445 in every measurable way. The Radeon R7 M445 is not a competitor in any traditional sense; it is a low-power mobile part designed for basic laptop duties, while the Quadro M4000 is a high-end desktop solution for professional visualization. The data shows that the only shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, results in a 256.8% victory for the NVIDIA card, making any comparison a study in scale rather than a nuanced rivalry.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 wins every single benchmark category where data is available. It holds the sole head-to-head win, and its broader benchmark suite shows consistent strength across DirectX 10, 11, and 12, as well as in compute and 2D performance. The Quadro M4000’s Passmark G3D score of 6680 places it at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs, which is modest in the absolute sense, but its average benchmark score of 5467 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508). This indicates that while the Quadro M4000 is not a top-tier gaming card, it is a solidly mid-range performer that excels in professional applications requiring certified drivers and high memory capacity.

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 has zero benchmark wins in this comparison. Its only recorded score is a Geekbench OpenCL result of 5358, which is 256.8% lower than the Quadro M4000’s 19118. Its average benchmark score of 5358 places it at the 31st percentile, just one point below the Quadro M4000, but that percentile ranking is misleading. The R7 M445’s nearest rivals include the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (5370) and the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5322), which are all similarly low-power or older mobile parts. The R7 M445 does not win any use case; it is a basic entry-level component for lightweight tasks like video playback and casual computing, where its integrated nature (IGP slot width) makes it suitable for thin laptops. In contrast, the Quadro M4000 is built for demanding workloads like CAD, 3D rendering, and multi-display setups, where its 8 GB of memory and 4x DisplayPort outputs are essential.

The Verdict

The verdict is unambiguous: choose the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 unless the requirement is strictly for a low-power, integrated mobile GPU where the Radeon R7 M445’s form factor is the only consideration. The data shows the Quadro M4000 is 256.8% faster in OpenCL compute, which is the only direct comparison available. For any professional or compute-intensive task, the Quadro M4000 is the only viable option. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 192.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is six times the 32.00 GB/s offered by the R7 M445’s 4 GB on a 64-bit bus. The Quadro M4000 also has 1664 shading units versus the R7 M445’s 320, and 64 ROPs versus 8, leading to a pixel rate of 49.47 GPixel/s compared to 7.360 GPixel/s.

For the Radeon R7 M445, the only argument for selection is its integrated nature, which eliminates the need for a separate power connector and allows for portable device-dependent display outputs. It is a part for ultra-thin laptops where battery life and heat are paramount, not performance. The R7 M445’s TDP is not listed, but its IGP slot width and lack of power connectors suggest it draws far less than the Quadro M4000’s 120 W. However, this is a trade-off that sacrifices nearly all graphics capability. The Quadro M4000 is the clear winner for anyone needing actual GPU compute power, and the R7 M445 is only appropriate for users who have no choice due to laptop design constraints.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

There is only one head-to-head benchmark in the data, and it is a landslide. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 scores 19118, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 scores 5358. This represents a delta of 256.8% in favor of the Quadro M4000. To put that in perspective, the Quadro M4000’s score is more than three and a half times higher than the R7 M445’s. This single result encapsulates the entire performance gap: the Quadro M4000’s FP32 compute throughput is 2.573 TFLOPS, while the R7 M445 manages only 588.8 GFLOPS. In raw numbers, the Quadro M4000 has nearly 4.4 times the floating-point performance.

Beyond the head-to-head, the Quadro M4000’s other benchmark scores reinforce its dominance. Its Passmark G3D score of 6680 is a strong mid-range result, and its Passmark GPU Compute score of 2660 shows competent compute abilities. The R7 M445 has no such scores, meaning it cannot even be evaluated for DirectX 9, 10, 11, or 12 performance in this dataset. The Quadro M4000 also wins on memory bandwidth, with 192.3 GB/s against the R7 M445’s 32.00 GB/s, a six-fold advantage. Texture rate is similarly lopsided: 80.39 GTexel/s versus 18.40 GTexel/s. Every metric that can be compared shows the Quadro M4000 winning by a wide margin, and the only benchmark where both have scores is a 256.8% blowout.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 has an average benchmark score of 5467, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 has an average score of 5358. The Quadro M4000 is slightly ahead, by about 2.0%.

Q: How do the two compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 scores 19118, which is 256.8% higher than the AMD Radeon R7 M445’s score of 5358. This is the only direct head-to-head benchmark available.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 192.3 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R7 M445 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 32.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 has a pixel rate of 49.47 GPixel/s, which is significantly higher than the AMD Radeon R7 M445’s 7.360 GPixel/s. This is due to the Quadro M4000’s 64 ROPs versus the R7 M445’s 8 ROPs.

Q: Are both GPUs end-of-life?

A: Yes, both the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 and the AMD Radeon R7 M445 have a production status of "End-of-life" in the data.

Q: What is the difference in shading units?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 has 1664 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R7 M445 has only 320. This contributes to the massive difference in FP32 performance (2.573 TFLOPS vs 588.8 GFLOPS).

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different architectures and market segments. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 uses the GM204 chip, built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.1 million per mm². The Radeon R7 M445 uses the Meso chip, based on GCN 3.0, also on a 28 nm process from TSMC, but with only 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, for a density of 12.4 million per mm². The Quadro M4000’s die is over three times larger, reflecting its far more complex compute core.

The Quadro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the R7 M445 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. While both support DirectX 12, the Quadro M4000’s feature level 12_1 includes advanced features like conservative rasterization that the R7 M445’s 12_0 lacks. The Quadro M4000 is a single-slot desktop card with 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, while the R7 M445 is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with "Portable Device Dependent" outputs, meaning it relies on the laptop’s built-in display. The Quadro M4000 is also a professional workstation part, as indicated by its "Quadro Maxwell" generation, whereas the R7 M445 is from the "Gem System (R7 M400)" generation, targeting mainstream mobile consumers.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs are starkly different, reflecting their distinct purposes. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000 has a TDP of 120 W and requires a single 6-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 300 W. The AMD Radeon R7 M445 has no TDP listed, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU, as it is an IGP that draws power from the laptop’s mainboard. The Quadro M4000 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the R7 M445 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, halving the available bus bandwidth.

Memory is another major differentiator: the Quadro M4000 has 8 GB of GDDR5 at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the R7 M445 has 4 GB at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The Quadro M4000’s memory clock is 50% higher, and its bus width is four times larger (256-bit vs 64-bit). The clock speeds also differ: the R7 M445 has a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 920 MHz, while the Quadro M4000’s base and boost clocks are not listed in the data. The Quadro M4000 has a length of 241 mm (9.5 inches) and height of 111 mm (4.4 inches), while the R7 M445 has no physical dimensions listed. Finally, the release dates differ: the Quadro M4000 was released on June 28, 2015, and the R7 M445 on May 14, 2016.