AMD Radeon R8 M445DX vs AMD Radeon Vega 3 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark recorded in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results show a clear edge for the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX. It scores 4727 points against 3963 for the AMD Radeon Vega 3, a delta of 19.3%. That is a substantial gap in raw compute throughput, and it aligns with the architectural differences between the two parts.

Looking at the R8 M445DX’s position among its nearest rivals, the picture is tight. Its score of 4727 sits within 1.3% of the AMD Radeon R5 M255 (4788) and 0.5% below the AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4752). It also edges out the NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4684) by 0.9%. The presence of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB in that same rival list, with an average score of 4791, is a reminder that the R8 M445DX is competing in a very specific performance tier, one that is far below flagship desktop parts but still capable of outpacing several older or low-end mobile GPUs.

For the Vega 3, the benchmark story is more complex. Its OpenCL score is 3963, but the database also records a Geekbench Metal score of 4880 and a Vulkan score of 3961. The Metal result is notably higher than its OpenCL result, which suggests that the Vega 3’s compute performance can vary significantly depending on the API in use. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (4282), AMD FirePro W2100 (4295), and NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4241). The Vega 3’s average score of 4268 places it within 0.6% of the Quadro K3000M and 0.3% below the GTX 460M. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 also appears in that list with an average score of 4335, and the Vega 3 trails it by 1.5%.

Interpreting these numbers: the R8 M445DX wins the direct head-to-head by a comfortable margin in OpenCL, but the Vega 3’s Metal score suggests that in applications that favor Apple’s compute framework, it could outperform the R8 M445DX. However, no direct Metal benchmark for the R8 M445DX exists in the database, so that comparison cannot be quantified.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 scores 3963. The R8 M445DX leads by 19.3%.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Vega 3 have any benchmark where it scores higher than the R8 M445DX?

A: The database records a Geekbench Metal score of 4880 for the Vega 3, which is higher than the R8 M445DX’s OpenCL score of 4727. However, there is no direct Metal benchmark for the R8 M445DX, so a like-for-like comparison is not possible.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The R8 M445DX’s average score of 4727 is 0.5% below the AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4752) and 0.9% above the NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4684). The Vega 3’s average score of 4268 is 0.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (4282) and 0.6% below the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295).

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each GPU?

A: The R8 M445DX sits at the 27th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Vega 3 sits at the 25th percentile. Both are low-ranking parts overall, but the R8 M445DX has a slight edge in relative standing.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Vega 3 has a boost clock of 1100 MHz, while the R8 M445DX has a boost clock of 1021 MHz.

Q: What is the difference in shading unit count?

A: The R8 M445DX has 320 shading units, while the Vega 3 has 192 shading units.

Where Each One Wins

The R8 M445DX is the clear winner in the direct compute benchmark. Its 19.3% lead in OpenCL means that for tasks that rely on raw shader throughput, such as GPU-accelerated rendering, physics simulation, or general compute workloads exposed through OpenCL, the R8 M445DX should deliver noticeably better performance. Its higher shading unit count (320 versus 192) and higher pixel rate (8.168 GPixel/s versus 4.400 GPixel/s) reinforce this advantage. The R8 M445DX also has more texture mapping units (20 versus 12) and a higher texture rate (20.42 GTexel/s versus 13.20 GTexel/s), which suggests it can handle texture-heavy workloads more efficiently.

The Vega 3, however, has its own strengths. Its Geekbench Metal score of 4880 is the highest single benchmark result recorded for either GPU, and this indicates that in environments where Metal is the primary compute API, the Vega 3 can punch above its weight. Its Vulkan score of 3961 is nearly identical to its OpenCL score, so it is consistent across those two APIs. The Vega 3 also has a much higher boost clock (1100 MHz versus 1021 MHz) and supports newer API features: DirectX 12_1 versus 12_0, and Vulkan 1.3 versus 1.2.170. For users running software that leverages these newer API versions, the Vega 3 may offer better compatibility or access to additional rendering features.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every core specification. The R8 M445DX is built on a 28 nm process, while the Vega 3 uses a 12 nm process. The R8 M445DX has a larger die size of 125 mm², whereas the Vega 3’s die is 210 mm². Transistor counts also diverge significantly: the R8 M445DX has 1,550 million transistors, while the Vega 3 has 4,940 million. Transistor density is 12.4M per mm² for the R8 M445DX and 23.5M per mm² for the Vega 3.

Clock speeds are notably different. The R8 M445DX runs at a base clock of 780 MHz and boosts to 1021 MHz. The Vega 3 has a much lower base clock of 300 MHz but boosts to 1100 MHz, which is higher than the R8 M445DX’s boost. The Vega 3’s TDP is listed at 15 W, while the R8 M445DX has no recorded TDP in the database.

Memory configurations are identical in form: both use System Shared memory with System Shared bus width and System Dependent bandwidth. The R8 M445DX has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The Vega 3 has 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 4 ROPs. Pixel rates are 8.168 GPixel/s for the R8 M445DX and 4.400 GPixel/s for the Vega 3. Texture rates are 20.42 GTexel/s and 13.20 GTexel/s, respectively. FP32 performance is 653.4 GFLOPS for the R8 M445DX and 422.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 3. The R8 M445DX’s FP16 performance is 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1), while the Vega 3’s FP16 performance is 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1), meaning the Vega 3 actually has higher half-precision throughput.

Release dates differ by over three years: the R8 M445DX was released on 2016-05-14, while the Vega 3 arrived on 2019-11-19. Both are end-of-life products. The Vega 3 lists a predecessor as GCN 3.0 IGP and a successor as Vega II IGP, while the R8 M445DX has no recorded predecessor or successor.

Architecture Differences

The R8 M445DX is based on the Meso chip and uses the GCN 3.0 architecture. It belongs to the Gem System Hybrid generation, specifically the Rx M400 family. The Vega 3, in contrast, uses the Picasso chip and is built on the GCN 5.0 architecture, belonging to the Vega IGP generation. This architectural gap of two generations explains several of the specification differences. GCN 5.0 introduced improvements in geometry processing, memory management, and instruction scheduling over GCN 3.0.

The manufacturing processes also differ: TSMC fabricated the R8 M445DX on a 28 nm node, while GlobalFoundries produced the Vega 3 on a 12 nm node. The smaller process node allows the Vega 3 to pack more transistors (4,940 million versus 1,550 million) into a larger die (210 mm² versus 125 mm²), which explains its higher transistor density of 23.5M per mm² versus 12.4M per mm².

API support reflects the newer architecture. The R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The DirectX 12_1 feature level and newer Vulkan version indicate that the Vega 3 is capable of more advanced rendering features, such as conservative rasterization and improved depth bounds testing, which may matter for modern game titles.

The Vega 3’s FP16 throughput of 844.8 GFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio suggests it can handle half-precision workloads much faster than the R8 M445DX, which runs FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (653.4 GFLOPS). This is a meaningful architectural difference that could favor the Vega 3 in machine learning inference or other applications that exploit FP16 arithmetic.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward choice for users who prioritize raw OpenCL compute performance: the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX. Its 4727 OpenCL score is 19.3% higher than the Vega 3’s 3963, and its higher shading unit count, pixel rate, and texture rate all align with that result. The R8 M445DX also holds a better percentile ranking (27th versus 25th), indicating it sits slightly higher in the overall performance distribution.

However, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is not without merit. Its Geekbench Metal score of 4880 is the highest single benchmark result among both GPUs, which suggests that in Metal-centric environments, the Vega 3 can outperform the R8 M445DX. Its much higher FP16 throughput (844.8 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS) and newer API support (DirectX 12_1, Vulkan 1.3) make it a more modern part. Its lower TDP of 15 W also indicates better power efficiency, though the R8 M445DX has no recorded TDP for comparison.

For a system that relies on OpenCL-based acceleration, the R8 M445DX is the better choice. For a system that uses Metal or Vulkan, or that benefits from newer API features and half-precision compute, the Vega 3 is the more capable part. The choice ultimately depends on the software environment. The benchmark data does not show a single winner across all metrics; it shows two GPUs with complementary strengths.