AMD Radeon R7 M465 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX130 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M465 and the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions aimed at thin-and-light laptops, but the benchmark data reveals a clear, if modest, performance hierarchy between them. The MX130 emerges as the victor in the only shared benchmark, yet the R7 M465 holds its own in specific architectural areas, making the choice dependent on the user's priority of raw compute versus specific feature support.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 is the faster GPU for the most common workloads. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the MX130 scores 6102 against the R7 M465's 5841, a 4.3% lead for NVIDIA. This single data point is decisive in the head-to-head comparison, giving the MX130 one win and the R7 M465 zero. The MX130's percentile ranking of 32 versus the R7 M465's 33 is nearly identical, indicating they occupy the same performance tier among all GPUs, but the MX130's average benchmark score of 5508 is lower than its OpenCL score due to the inclusion of a Vulkan test where it scores 4914. For a user seeking the best raw compute performance in OpenCL applications, the MX130 is the clear choice. Conversely, the R7 M465's only benchmark is OpenCL, and its average score of 5841 matches its single result, suggesting a more consistent, if lower, performance ceiling. The R7 M465 is not without merit, but the MX130's superior clock speeds and memory bandwidth make it the default recommendation for general performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different design philosophies from their respective manufacturers. The AMD Radeon R7 M465 is built on the GCN 3.0 architecture using the Topaz chip, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 uses the Maxwell architecture with the GM108S chip. Both are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but their internal layouts differ significantly. The AMD chip is larger, with a die size of 125 mm² and a transistor count of 1,550 million, resulting in a transistor density of 12.4M / mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA chip is more compact at 77 mm² with 1,020 million transistors, achieving a higher density of 13.2M / mm². This difference in physical size and density suggests AMD dedicated more silicon to its compute units, while NVIDIA focused on efficiency per square millimeter.

Both GPUs feature identical core counts: 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 raster output units (ROPs) . However, the clock speeds tell a different story. The MX130 has a base clock of 1109 MHz and a boost clock of 1189 MHz, significantly higher than the R7 M465's base of 730 MHz and boost of 1024 MHz. This clock advantage directly translates to higher throughput. In terms of memory, both use 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, but the MX130 runs its memory at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) yielding 40.10 GB/s bandwidth, while the R7 M465 operates at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) for 36.00 GB/s. The MX130 also supports a newer Vulkan version (1.4 vs 1.2.170) and a different DirectX feature level (12_0 for AMD vs 11_0 for NVIDIA), although both claim DirectX 12 support. The R7 M465 features a wider PCIe interface (PCIe 3.0 x8 vs PCIe 3.0 x4), which could matter in bandwidth-intensive scenarios, but the MX130's higher clock speeds likely compensate in most tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The MX130's score of 6102 eclipses the R7 M465's 5841, a 4.3% difference. This is a meaningful margin in the low-power mobile GPU segment, where every frame counts. The MX130's advantage stems from its higher clock rates and memory bandwidth; its pixel rate of 9.512 GPixel/s and texture rate of 28.54 GTexel/s both exceed the R7 M465's 8.192 GPixel/s and 24.58 GTexel/s respectively. The FP32 compute output tells a similar story, with the MX130 delivering 913.2 GFLOPS versus the R7 M465's 786.4 GFLOPS. While the MX130 lacks a listed FP16 performance, the R7 M465 offers FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, a feature that could be beneficial in specific compute workloads that support it. However, for the general OpenCL test, the MX130's raw throughput wins. Looking at the nearest rivals, the MX130 sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (deltaPct 0.1) and the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (deltaPct 0.5), while the R7 M465 is nearly tied with the AMD Radeon R5 M435 (deltaPct -0.3) and slightly behind the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (deltaPct -1.5). This context shows the MX130 is not just faster than the R7 M465; it is also better positioned against other competitors in its class.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 is faster, scoring 6102 compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M465's 5841, a 4.3% difference.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same number of shading units?

A: Yes, both the AMD Radeon R7 M465 and the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 feature exactly 384 shading units, along with 24 TMUs and 8 ROPs.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 offers higher memory bandwidth at 40.10 GB/s, while the AMD Radeon R7 M465 provides 36.00 GB/s. Both use 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 has a boost clock of 1189 MHz, which is higher than the AMD Radeon R7 M465's boost clock of 1024 MHz.

Q: What is the power consumption of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130?

A: The MX130 has a TDP of 30 W and is listed as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, indicating it is designed for low-power mobile devices.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R7 M465 support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, the R7 M465 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the MX130 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), indicating a higher feature level for the AMD part.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 wins on raw compute performance. Its higher clock speeds (base 1109 MHz vs 730 MHz, boost 1189 MHz vs 1024 MHz) and greater memory bandwidth (40.10 GB/s vs 36.00 GB/s) give it a decisive edge in the OpenCL benchmark. It also offers a higher pixel rate (9.512 GPixel/s) and texture rate (28.54 GTexel/s), which translates to better rasterization and texture-heavy workloads. For gaming at 720p or 1080p with low settings, or for GPU-accelerated tasks like video encoding and photo editing, the MX130 is the superior choice. Its 30 W TDP also makes it a viable option for ultra-thin laptops where power efficiency is critical.

The AMD Radeon R7 M465, while losing the benchmark, wins in specific technical areas. It has a wider PCIe 3.0 x8 interface compared to the MX130's x4, which could reduce bottlenecks in data transfer from the CPU. It also supports DirectX 12 (12_0) at a higher feature level than the MX130's 11_0, potentially offering better compatibility with newer games that use DX12 features. The R7 M465's FP16 support (786.4 GFLOPS) could be advantageous in AI or compute tasks that use half-precision arithmetic. However, these advantages do not translate into a benchmark win, meaning the R7 M465 is best suited for users who prioritize specific API features over raw speed.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key specification differences between the two GPUs:

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M465 | NVIDIA GeForce MX130 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | Maxwell |

| Chip | Topaz | GM108S |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 1,020 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 77 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 13.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 730 MHz | 1109 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1024 MHz | 1189 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) | 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 36.00 GB/s | 40.10 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 8.192 GPixel/s | 9.512 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 24.58 GTexel/s | 28.54 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 786.4 GFLOPS | 913.2 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not listed |

| TDP | Not listed | 30 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x4 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2017-11-16 |

The data shows a clear performance victor in the MX130, but the R7 M465's architectural choices, such as a wider bus interface and higher DirectX feature level, provide a nuanced picture where the "best" choice depends on specific software requirements.