AMD Radeon R8 M445DX vs NVIDIA GeForce 940M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains one direct comparison between the NVIDIA GeForce 940M and the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M scores 6018 points, while the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727 points. This gives the NVIDIA part a decisive 27.3% advantage over its AMD rival. The margin is substantial and consistent with the broader performance positioning of both parts in the database.

The NVIDIA GeForce 940M also holds a separate Vulkan score of 4549, a metric that has no corresponding entry for the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX in the database. While this cannot be directly compared, it does demonstrate that the NVIDIA part has been validated across multiple modern API workloads. The AMD part, by contrast, only has an OpenCL result recorded, which limits the scope of direct comparison to that single test.

Looking at the aggregate benchmark score, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M averages 5284 across all recorded tests, placing it in the 31st percentile of all GPUs. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX averages 4727, placing it in the 27th percentile. The difference in percentile ranking, while modest at four points, reflects the consistent gap seen in the OpenCL result. The NVIDIA part sits in a different performance tier entirely, with its average score falling within the range of much larger discrete mobile GPUs.

The nearest rival data reinforces this positioning. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M sits within 0.9% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M, which scores 5236, and within 0.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce 840M, which scores 5322. It is also essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M at 5308, a delta of only 0.4%, and the NVIDIA GeForce 930A at 5317, a delta of 0.6%. This clustering indicates that the GeForce 940M is performing at a level comparable to much larger, higher-tier mobile GPUs from its own generation.

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, meanwhile, sits within 0.5% of the AMD Radeon R5 M335 at 4752 and within 0.9% of the NVIDIA Quadro P400 at 4684. It trails the AMD Radeon R5 M255 by 1.3% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB by 1.3%. The presence of the RTX 3080 12 GB in its nearest rival list at 4791 is notable, as it suggests the R8 M445DX is performing in a range that includes both older low-end parts and a much newer desktop GPU, though the delta indicates the RTX 3080 12 GB is only marginally ahead in this particular comparison set.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M wins, scoring 6018 points compared to the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX at 4727 points, a 27.3% advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA GeForce 940M's average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M averages 5284 across all tests, while the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX averages 4727, placing the NVIDIA part 11.8% higher overall.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX have any recorded benchmark where it beats the NVIDIA part?

A: No, the database records zero wins for the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX in the head-to-head comparisons.

Q: How does the NVIDIA GeForce 940M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is within 0.4% of the GeForce GTX 980M at 5308, within 0.6% of the GeForce 930A at 5317, within 0.7% of the GeForce 840M at 5322, and within 0.9% of the GeForce GTX 760M at 5236.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX's position among GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX sits in the 27th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M sits in the 31st percentile.

Q: Does the AMD part have any Vulkan benchmark score?

A: No, the database lists only a Geekbench OpenCL score of 4727 for the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX; the NVIDIA GeForce 940M also has a Vulkan score of 4549.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce 940M wins in every recorded benchmark category. In the only direct head-to-head test available, OpenCL, it outperforms the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX by 27.3%. This is a clear, across-the-board victory in all measurable compute workloads present in the database.

The Radeon R8 M445DX's one advantage is not in raw benchmark performance, but in its integration model. It is an IGP, meaning it shares system memory, which in laptops often reduces cost complexity and power draw compared to discrete GPUs. However, the database shows no benchmark where this translates into a performance win over the NVIDIA part.

For workloads that rely on pixel processing, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M delivers 17.5 GPixel/s, while the AMD Radeon M445DX delivers 8.17 GPixel/s. The texture rate difference is similarly one-sided, with the NVIDIA part at 35.14 GTexel/s against the AMD's 20.42 GTexel/s. In every measured metric, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M is the stronger performer.

The one area where the AMD part holds a small claim is in its FP16 compute capability, which is listed as 653.4 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The NVIDIA part lists no FP16 figure, so any comparison there cannot be made from the data. For the same reason, the AMD part's much larger memory configuration is system dependent, while the NVIDIA part has a fixed 2 GB DDR3 allocation, making direct capacity comparisons impossible between the two parts.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every hardware specification field. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M uses a 28 nm process node, the same node as the AMD part, both manufactured by TSMC. The transistor counts differ, with NVIDIA at 1,870 million compared to AMD's 1,550 million, and the die sizes also differ, 148 mm² for NVIDIA versus 125 mm² for AMD, yielding similar transistor densities of 12.6M per mm² and 12.4M per mm² respectively.

Clocks, memory, and core counts all differ. The NVIDIA base clock is 1020 MHz with a boost clock of 512 MHz higher, the AMD base clock of 780 MHz and boost clock of 1021 MHz. The memory clock for NVIDIA is 1800 Mbps effective, while the AMD memory clock is system shared. The memory bus width is 64-bit for NVIDIA with a bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s for NVIDIA, while the AMD memory bus width is system shared and bandwidth is system dependent.

The compute units differ, the NVIDIA part has 512 shading units and 32 TMUs and 16 ROPs, the AMD part has 320 shading units and 20 TMUs and 8 ROPs. The pixel rate and texture rates also differ, with NVIDIA at 17.57 GPixel/s and 35.14 GTexel/s and the AMD at 8.168 GPixel/s and 20.42 GTexel/s, as does the FP32 performance, 1,124.4 GFLOPS versus AMD 653.4 GFLOPS.

The TDP differs, NVIDIA at 75 W with a slot width of MXM Module and no power connectors, the AMD TDP, the NVIDIA slot width IGP. The bus interface is MXM-B 3.0 for NVIDIA, the AMD bus interface IGP and the display outputs are portable device dependent for both, the slot width for NVIDIA is MXM Module and the NVIDIA power connectors are none, the NVIDIA dimensions no length, the height and width are null for both.

The API support differs, NVIDIA supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA part has a release date in 2015, the AMD part in 2016. The NVIDIA part has a predecessor and a successor, the AMD part has neither.

Architecture Differences

The core architectural approach separates these two mobile GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is based on the Maxwell architecture with the GM107 chip, while the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX uses the GCN 3.0 architecture with the Meso chip. The NVIDIA part is a discrete GPU on an MXM module, the AMD part is an IGP.

The NVIDIA part has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The AMD part has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. This reflects a larger compute pipeline in the NVIDIA chip, which aligns with its higher FP32 output of 1,124.4 GFLOPS versus the AMD part at 653.4 GFLOPS. The NVIDIA part does not list FP16 performance, while the AMD part lists 653.4 GFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, indicating it can handle half-precision at the same rate as full-precision.

The memory subsystem differs fundamentally. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX uses system-shared memory, with a system-shared bus and system-dependent bandwidth. This means the AMD part relies on the host system's memory controller, while the NVIDIA part has dedicated memory. The NVIDIA part also has a distinct memory clock, listed at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective, while the AMD part's memory clock is system shared.

The transistor counts and die sizes also differ, with NVIDIA at 1,870 million transistors on 148 mm², AMD at 1,550 million on 125 mm². Both use a 28 nm process at TSMC, resulting in nearly identical transistor densities, 12.6M per mm² for NVIDIA and 12.4M per mm² for AMD.

The NVIDIA part has a TDP of 75 W and an MXM module slot width, while the AMD part has no listed TDP and is an IGP with no dedicated power connector. The NVIDIA part uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface, the AMD part uses an IGP bus interface.

In API support, the NVIDIA part supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD part has a higher DirectX feature level, 12_0, while the NVIDIA part has a 11_0 feature level. The NVIDIA part's Vulkan version is newer, 1.4 versus 1.2.170.

The release dates differ, the NVIDIA part in March 2015, the AMD part in May 2016. The NVIDIA part lists a predecessor in the GeForce 800M series and a successor in the GeForce 10 Mobile series, while the AMD part has no predecessor or successor listed.

The Verdict

The data points clearly in one direction: the NVIDIA GeForce 940M is the faster GPU. It wins the only available head-to-head benchmark by 27.3%, holds a higher average benchmark score of 5284 versus 4727, and occupies a higher percentile ranking at 31% compared to 27%. For any workload that relies on raw compute performance, the NVIDIA part is the clear choice.

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, while lower in performance, offers a different integration profile. As an IGP with system-shared memory, it may be found in systems where a discrete GPU is not present, and its DirectX 12 (12_0) feature level is higher than the NVIDIA part's DirectX 12 (11_0) support. This could matter for applications that specifically require the newer feature level.

However, the database records no scenario where the AMD part outperforms the NVIDIA part. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M also holds an advantage in Vulkan support, with version 1.4 versus the AMD part's 1.2.170. The NVIDIA part has a dedicated 2 GB memory allocation, whereas the AMD part depends on system memory, which in practice can be slower and less predictable in performance.

The choice comes down to whether the user needs a discrete GPU with dedicated memory and predictable performance, which points to the NVIDIA GeForce 940M, or whether a system-integrated GPU with a higher DirectX 12 feature level is more suitable, which points to the AMD Radeon M445DX. For pure performance, the NVIDIA part wins every benchmark test.