AMD Radeon R8 M445DX vs AMD Radeon RX 560 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX and the AMD Radeon RX 560 represent two very different approaches to graphics processing, and the benchmark data reflects a stark performance disparity. The single head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, shows the RX 560 scoring 16,472 against the R8 M445DX’s 4,727. That is a massive 71.3% advantage for the RX 560, a difference so large that it places these two GPUs in entirely separate performance classes. The R8 M445DX’s score puts it near the 27th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 560 sits just below at the 26th percentile, but a look at their nearest rivals reveals that percentile ranking is relative to a wildly different field of competitors.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a decisive victory for the RX 560. With a score of 16,472 versus the R8 M445DX’s 4,727, the RX 560 delivers roughly 3.5 times the raw compute performance. The deltaPct of -71.3% indicates the R8 M445DX trails by that margin, which is not a marginal gap but a generational chasm. In practical terms, the RX 560 is not just faster; it is in a different league for any OpenCL-accelerated workload.

Looking at the competitive landscape, the R8 M445DX’s average score of 4,727 places it in the company of very low-end parts. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon R5 M335, scores 4,752, which is only 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro P400 scores 4,684, a 0.9% deficit for the R8 M445DX. Even a high-end card like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB appears in its nearest rivals list with a score of 4,791, showing that the R8 M445DX is clustered around a specific performance tier that even a flagship GPU can occasionally touch in this particular benchmark (likely due to driver or test variance). The R8 M445DX is essentially at the floor of usable performance.

The RX 560, despite its much higher raw score, tells a different story through its rivals. Its average benchmark score is 4,569, which is lower than its Geekbench OpenCL score because it includes other tests like Passmark G3D (3,671) and Passmark G2D (485). Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M230 (4,577, -0.2%), Intel HD Graphics P530 (4,560, +0.2%), NVIDIA Quadro M3000M (4,621, -1.1%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (4,628, -1.3%). This suggests that on average, across all benchmark types, the RX 560 sits in a mid-low range, though its OpenCL peak shows it can punch well above that average when the workload is compute-heavy.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial. The R8 M445DX is built on GCN 3.0 architecture using the Meso chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,550 million transistors onto a 125 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million per mm². Its base clock is 780 MHz with a boost of 1021 MHz. The memory subsystem is entirely system-shared, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM; it uses the system’s main memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

The RX 560 is a different beast. It uses GCN 4.0 architecture with the Polaris 21 chip, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. Transistor count nearly doubles to 3,000 million, though the die size is slightly smaller at 123 mm², resulting in a much higher density of 24.4 million transistors per mm². Clocks are significantly higher, with a base of 1175 MHz and boost of 1275 MHz. Crucially, it has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This dedicated memory is the single biggest differentiator for gaming and texture-heavy workloads.

The compute units tell the same story. The R8 M445DX has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The RX 560 more than triples the shader count to 1,024, with 64 TMUs and 16 ROPs. Pixel rate jumps from 8.168 GPixel/s to 20.40 GPixel/s, and texture rate from 20.42 GTexel/s to 81.60 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance (FP32) scales from 653.4 GFLOPS to 2.611 TFLOPS. Both support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, but the RX 560 supports Vulkan 1.3 while the R8 M445DX is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170.

Where Each One Wins

The R8 M445DX has zero benchmark wins in the head-to-head comparison. There is no workload in the data where it outperforms the RX 560. Its only potential advantage is qualitative: it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) that requires no power connectors and fits in a portable device. For a user who needs basic display output and light acceleration in a thin laptop, it is a functional solution. However, the data does not show any performance scenario where it wins.

The RX 560 wins decisively in every measurable category. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 71.3% higher, which translates to faster compute in applications that leverage OpenCL, such as video encoding, image processing, or physics simulations. The dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 memory with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth means it can handle high-resolution textures and larger datasets without stuttering. The higher pixel and texture rates suggest it is far more capable for gaming at 1080p with medium to high settings. The Passmark scores reinforce this: G3D score of 3,671 and GPU compute score of 1,437 indicate solid DirectX and compute performance for its class.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 560 always faster than the R8 M445DX?

A: Yes, based on the available data. The only head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, shows the RX 560 scoring 16,472 versus 4,727 for the R8 M445DX, a 71.3% advantage. The RX 560 also wins all other listed benchmarks, including Passmark G3D (3,671 vs none listed) and Passmark GPU compute (1,437 vs none listed).

Q: Can the R8 M445DX be used for gaming?

A: The data does not support gaming as a strength. It has 8 ROPs and a pixel rate of 8.168 GPixel/s, which is low. Its memory is system-shared and bandwidth is system-dependent, meaning performance would vary greatly. It is best suited for basic tasks, not demanding 3D workloads.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The R8 M445DX uses system-shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, while the RX 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth. This makes the RX 560 significantly better for texture-heavy applications.

Q: Which GPU has better driver and API support?

A: The RX 560 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the R8 M445DX supports Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The newer Vulkan version on the RX 560 is an advantage for modern games and compute applications.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The R8 M445DX’s average score of 4,727 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4,752) and NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4,684). The RX 560’s average score of 4,569 is closest to the AMD Radeon R5 M230 (4,577) and Intel HD Graphics P530 (4,560), though its OpenCL peak is much higher.

Q: Does the RX 560 require a lot of power?

A: The RX 560 has a TDP of 75 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W, with no power connectors needed. This is modest for a discrete GPU. The R8 M445DX has no listed TDP, as it is an IGP that draws power from the system.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon RX 560 is the superior performer in every measurable way. Its 71.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory, triple the shading units, and over four times the texture rate, makes it the only viable choice for gaming, content creation, or any GPU-accelerated task. The R8 M445DX should be considered only for users who have no other option, such as a laptop with no discrete GPU slot, and who only need basic display output.

For a PC builder, the RX 560 is the obvious pick for a budget-focused desktop build. Its 75 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU mean it fits into nearly any system, and its 170 mm length is manageable for most cases. The R8 M445DX, being an IGP, is not a choice but a constraint; it is what you get when a system has no dedicated graphics. The benchmark results show no scenario where the R8 M445DX is preferable, so the verdict is simple: choose the RX 560 if you have any choice at all.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R8 M445DX | AMD Radeon RX 560 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 3,000 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 24.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 780 MHz | 1175 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1021 MHz | 1275 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 112.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 320 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 20 | 64 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 8.168 GPixel/s | 20.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 20.42 GTexel/s | 81.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 653.4 GFLOPS | 2.611 TFLOPS |

| TDP | Not listed | 75 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | None |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2017-04-17 |