AMD Radeon R8 M445DX vs NVIDIA Quadro K2000 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX has an average benchmark score of 4727, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 scores 3964. The AMD part sits at the 27th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA sits at the 24th percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the only shared benchmark?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727 versus the NVIDIA Quadro K2000's 4071, a delta of 16.1% in favor of AMD.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each GPU according to the database?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4752, 0.5% ahead) and the NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4684, 0.9% behind). The NVIDIA Quadro K2000's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3957, 0.2% ahead) and the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3956, 0.2% ahead).

Q: Does the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 support more graphics APIs?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2000 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the physical form factor difference between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a portable-device-dependent display output. The NVIDIA Quadro K2000 is a single-slot, 202 mm (8 inches) long, 111 mm (4.4 inches) tall card with PCIe 2.0 x16 interface and 1x DVI plus 2x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.

Q: Which GPU has the larger memory bus width?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2000 has a 128-bit bus with 2 GB GDDR5 memory and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX is built on the Meso chip using GCN 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,550 million transistors into a 125 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter. Its generation is listed as "Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400)" and it was released in May 2016.

The NVIDIA Quadro K2000 uses the GK107 chip with Kepler architecture, also on a 28 nm TSMC process. It contains 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, giving a density of 10.8 million per square millimeter. It belongs to the "Quadro Kepler (Kx000)" generation and was released in February 2013, with its predecessor being Quadro Fermi and successor being Quadro Maxwell.

The AMD GPU relies entirely on system-shared memory, meaning its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all system-dependent. The NVIDIA card has dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. This is a fundamental architectural difference: one is an integrated part of a system, the other is a standalone card.

The AMD chip has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The NVIDIA chip has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the AMD part achieves a higher pixel rate of 8.168 GPixel/s versus the NVIDIA's 7.632 GPixel/s. However, the NVIDIA part wins in texture rate with 30.53 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s for AMD.

In compute throughput, the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 leads in FP32 with 732.7 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS for the AMD. The AMD card supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (653.4 GFLOPS), while the NVIDIA card has no listed FP16 capability.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 scores 4071. This represents a 16.1% advantage for the AMD part.

This is a meaningful margin. To contextualize, the AMD's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R5 M335, scores 4752, which is only 0.5% higher than the R8 M445DX. The NVIDIA Quadro P400 scores 4684, just 0.9% lower. The AMD part is essentially in the same performance tier as these cards.

The NVIDIA Quadro K2000, at 4071 in OpenCL, sits among rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3957, 0.2% higher) and the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3956, 0.2% higher). Its closest competitor, the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2, scores 3977, which is 0.3% higher. The K2000 is clearly in a lower performance bracket than the R8 M445DX.

The delta of 16.1% between the two is substantial in this segment. The AMD part outperforms the NVIDIA part by a margin that is roughly equivalent to the gap between the K2000 and its nearest rival, but in the opposite direction.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specifications:

• Shading units: AMD has 320, NVIDIA has 384
• TMUs: AMD has 20, NVIDIA has 32
• ROPs: AMD has 8, NVIDIA has 16
• Pixel rate: AMD has 8.168 GPixel/s, NVIDIA has 7.632 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: AMD has 20.42 GTexel/s, NVIDIA has 30.53 GTexel/s
• FP32: AMD has 653.4 GFLOPS, NVIDIA has 732.7 GFLOPS
• FP16: AMD has 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1), NVIDIA has none listed
• Memory size: AMD uses system shared, NVIDIA has 2 GB
• Memory type: AMD uses system shared, NVIDIA uses GDDR5
• Memory bus width: AMD uses system shared, NVIDIA uses 128 bit
• Memory bandwidth: AMD is system dependent, NVIDIA is 64.00 GB/s
• Clock speeds: AMD has base 780 MHz and boost 1021 MHz; NVIDIA has no listed base or boost clocks, but memory at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective)
• TDP: AMD has no listed TDP, NVIDIA has 51 W
• Slot width: AMD is IGP, NVIDIA is single-slot
• Bus interface: AMD is IGP, NVIDIA is PCIe 2.0 x16
• Display outputs: AMD is portable-device dependent, NVIDIA has 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2
• Dimensions: AMD has no listed dimensions, NVIDIA is 202 mm (8 inches) long and 111 mm (4.4 inches) tall
• Transistors: AMD has 1,550 million, NVIDIA has 1,270 million
• Die size: AMD has 125 mm², NVIDIA has 118 mm²
• Transistor density: AMD has 12.4M / mm², NVIDIA has 10.8M / mm²
• Vulkan version: AMD supports 1.2.170, NVIDIA supports 1.2.175
• DirectX version: AMD supports 12 (12_0), NVIDIA supports 12 (11_0)
• Release date: AMD in May 2016, NVIDIA in February 2013
• Launch MSRP: NVIDIA at 599 USD (AMD has none listed)

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX in raw OpenCL compute performance. Its 4727 score is 16.1% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K2000's 4071. The AMD part also holds a higher percentile ranking at 27 versus 24.

However, the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 has advantages in dedicated memory. It offers 2 GB GDDR5 with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD part depends entirely on system memory. For workloads that require consistent memory performance without competing with the CPU for bandwidth, the NVIDIA card has a structural advantage.

The AMD card is an IGP, meaning it is integrated into a system and shares resources. The NVIDIA card is a standalone single-slot solution with its own power profile at 51 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 250 W. It also has fixed display outputs, while the AMD's outputs depend on the portable device it is integrated into.

The NVIDIA card has a higher FP32 throughput (732.7 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS) and higher texture rate (30.53 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s), suggesting it may handle certain compute and texturing workloads more efficiently despite losing in the OpenCL benchmark.

The AMD card supports DirectX 12_0, while the NVIDIA card only supports DirectX 11_0. The NVIDIA card supports a slightly newer Vulkan version (1.2.175 versus 1.2.170).

For users choosing between these two, the AMD part wins on the recorded benchmark and overall percentile. The NVIDIA part wins on dedicated memory, physical form factor flexibility, and raw texture/compute throughput numbers.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon R8 M445DX wins on:

• Geekbench OpenCL score by 16.1% (4727 versus 4071)
• Average benchmark score (4727 versus 3964)
• Percentile rank (27th versus 24th)
• Pixel rate (8.168 GPixel/s versus 7.632 GPixel/s)
• DirectX 12_0 support versus 11_0 on NVIDIA
• Transistor count (1,550 million versus 1,270 million) and density (12.4M / mm² versus 10.8M / mm²)
• FP16 compute support at 653.4 GFLOPS (NVIDIA has none)
• Higher boost clock at 1021 MHz (NVIDIA has no listed boost clock)
• Newer release date (May 2016 versus February 2013)

NVIDIA Quadro K2000 wins on:

• Dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth (AMD is system-dependent)
• Higher shading unit count (384 versus 320)
• Higher TMU count (32 versus 20)
• Higher ROP count (16 versus 8)
• Higher texture rate (30.53 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s)
• Higher FP32 compute (732.7 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS)
• Fixed display outputs with 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2
• Single-slot form factor with PCIe 2.0 x16 interface
• Explicit 51 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU
• Newer Vulkan support (1.2.175 versus 1.2.170)
• Known physical dimensions at 202 mm length and 111 mm height

The choice depends on the use case. For integrated systems where dedicated graphics memory is not available, the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX offers better OpenCL performance. For standalone workstations requiring a compact card with dedicated memory and fixed display outputs, the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 provides structural advantages despite its lower benchmark score.