AMD Radeon R7 M465 vs NVIDIA Quadro K620M Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a close contest between two end-of-life mobile GPUs. The NVIDIA Quadro K620M wins the only head-to-head comparison, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 5957 against the AMD Radeon R7 M465’s 5841, a 2% lead. This is a marginal victory, not a decisive one. The K620M also holds a slight edge in overall percentile ranking, sitting at the 34th percentile of all GPUs versus the R7 M465’s 33rd.

For users choosing between these two solely on the data, the NVIDIA Quadro K620M is the safer pick for raw compute performance. Its single benchmark win, while narrow, is consistent with its higher average score. However, the R7 M465 is not far behind, and its architectural advantages in memory bandwidth may make it more suitable for specific workloads that are memory-sensitive rather than compute-bound. The data does not support a clear winner for all tasks; it supports the K620M as the leader in the measured OpenCL workload. The R7 M465 is the better choice for those prioritizing newer API support, particularly DirectX 12 (12_0) versus the K620M’s DirectX 12 (11_0). Users needing that specific feature set should lean toward AMD, even with the slight compute deficit.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different design philosophies and process generations, both built on a 28 nm node at TSMC. The NVIDIA Quadro K620M uses the GM108S chip, based on the Maxwell architecture, and carries 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon R7 M465 uses the Topaz chip, based on GCN 3.0, with a larger 125 mm² die and 1,550 million transistors, resulting in a lower density of 12.4M per mm².

Memory architecture is a key differentiator. The K620M pairs 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 16.02 GB/s of bandwidth. The R7 M465 also has 2 GB, but uses GDDR5 on the same 64-bit bus, more than doubling bandwidth to 36.00 GB/s. This is a substantial difference that could impact texture-heavy or bandwidth-limited scenarios, even if the raw compute scores are close.

Core configuration shows both have 384 shading units, but the R7 M465 has 24 texture mapping units (TMUs) versus the K620M’s 16. Both have 8 ROPs. Clock speeds differ significantly: the K620M runs at a base of 1029 MHz with a boost of 1124 MHz, while the R7 M465 has a lower base of 730 MHz but a boost of 1024 MHz. The K620M’s higher sustained clocks partly explain its compute advantage. The R7 M465’s FP16 rate is listed at 786.4 GFLOPS, matching its FP32 rate, indicating a 1:1 ratio, while the K620M has no listed FP16 capability. The R7 M465 also supports newer API versions, including DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, compared to the K620M’s DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.4.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K620M has an average score of 5957, while the AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841. The K620M leads by 116 points, or approximately 2%.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 has a significant advantage with 36.00 GB/s of bandwidth using GDDR5 memory. The NVIDIA Quadro K620M offers only 16.02 GB/s with DDR3 memory. Both use a 64-bit bus and 2 GB capacity.

Q: What are the DirectX version differences?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the NVIDIA Quadro K620M supports DirectX 12 (11_0). This means the AMD part supports a higher feature level of the DirectX 12 API.

Q: Which GPU has a higher base clock speed?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K620M has a base clock of 1029 MHz, compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M465’s base clock of 730 MHz. The K620M also has a higher boost clock at 1124 MHz versus 1024 MHz.

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

A: Yes, both the NVIDIA Quadro K620M and the AMD Radeon R7 M465 have 384 shading units. However, the AMD part has more texture mapping units, with 24 versus the NVIDIA part’s 16.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 has 1,550 million transistors, while the NVIDIA Quadro K620M has 1,020 million. The AMD chip is larger at 125 mm² compared to 77 mm².

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Quadro K620M | AMD Radeon R7 M465 |

|:---------------|:---------------------|:---------------------|

| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |

| Chip | GM108S | Topaz |

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

| Die Size | 77 mm² | 125 mm² |

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

| Base Clock | 1029 MHz | 730 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1124 MHz | 1024 MHz |

| Memory Type | DDR3 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Clock | 1001 MHz / 2 Gbps effective | 1125 MHz / 4.5 Gbps effective |

| Memory Bandwidth | 16.02 GB/s | 36.00 GB/s |

| TMUs | 16 | 24 |

| FP32 Performance | 863.2 GFLOPS | 786.4 GFLOPS |

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

| Pixel Rate | 8.992 GPixel/s | 8.192 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 17.98 GTexel/s | 24.58 GTexel/s |

| TDP | 30 W | Not listed |

| Bus Interface | MXM-A (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2015-02-28 | 2016-05-14 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the NVIDIA Quadro K620M scores 5957, and the AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841. The delta is 2%, with the K620M declared the winner. This result places the K620M ahead of the R7 M465 in the single measured workload, but the margin is slim enough that it could be within run-to-run variance.

Examining the nearest rivals provides context. The K620M’s closest competitor is the AMD Radeon HD 8730M with an average score of 5955, a 0% delta. It is also 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8750M (5970) and 0.4% behind the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 (5982). The K620M is 0.5% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (5929). The R7 M465’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R5 M435 at 5859, a -0.3% delta, meaning the R7 M465 is slightly ahead. It is 1.5% behind the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (5929), 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti (5731), and 1.9% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8730M (5955). These relative positions show both GPUs are clustered in the same performance tier, with the K620M sitting marginally higher in the distribution.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro K620M wins in raw compute performance, as evidenced by its 2% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark. It also has a higher FP32 throughput at 863.2 GFLOPS versus 786.4 GFLOPS, and a higher pixel rate at 8.992 GPixel/s versus 8.192 GPixel/s. These metrics suggest the K620M is better suited for general-purpose compute tasks and pixel-bound rendering workloads. Its higher base and boost clocks also contribute to its performance lead in the measured test.

The AMD Radeon R7 M465 wins in memory bandwidth, offering 36.00 GB/s versus the K620M’s 16.02 GB/s. This is a 2.25x advantage and could be decisive in workloads that are bandwidth-limited, such as high-resolution texture streaming or certain compute tasks that require large data movement. The R7 M465 also has a higher texture rate at 24.58 GTexel/s versus 17.98 GTexel/s, thanks to its 24 TMUs, making it potentially stronger in texture-heavy scenes. Its support for DirectX 12 (12_0) and FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio with FP32 provides a more modern feature set for applications that leverage these capabilities.

In summary, the K620M is the choice for users prioritizing the measured OpenCL compute score and higher peak FP32 performance. The R7 M465 is the choice for users who need greater memory bandwidth, faster texture processing, or the newer DirectX 12 feature level. The data does not indicate a universal winner, but rather a split based on workload characteristics.