AMD Radeon R8 M445DX vs NVIDIA Quadro K2000D Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single head-to-head benchmark result between these two GPUs, and it is a clear victory for the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD part scored 4727 points, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D scored 3919 points. This represents a 17.1% deficit for the NVIDIA card relative to the AMD competitor, a substantial gap in raw compute performance as measured by this OpenCL workload.

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX also holds a higher position in the overall GPU percentile ranking. It sits at the 27th percentile of all GPUs in the database, compared to the Quadro K2000D's 23rd percentile. While neither card is near the top of the performance hierarchy, the data shows the AMD part consistently outperforming the NVIDIA card in this specific test.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card provides additional context for interpreting these scores. The Quadro K2000D's closest competitors are tightly clustered around its score. The NVIDIA Quadro 2000D scores 3930, just 0.3% higher, and the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 scores 3898, a 0.5% deficit. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M sits 0.9% higher at 3953, while the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics trails by 0.9% at 3883. This clustering suggests the Quadro K2000D occupies a well-defined performance tier where small margins separate adjacent products.

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX's rivals tell a similar story of close competition. The AMD Radeon R5 M335 scores 4752, a 0.5% advantage, while the NVIDIA Quadro P400 trails by 0.9% at 4684. The AMD Radeon R5 M255 sits 1.3% higher at 4788, and notably, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB appears in this list with a score of 4791, only 1.3% higher than the R8 M445DX in this particular OpenCL test. This is a remarkable result, as it places a low-power integrated-style GPU in the same benchmark neighborhood as a high-end desktop part, at least for this specific workload.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers and are built on fundamentally different architectures. The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D uses the GK107 chip based on the Kepler architecture, belonging to the Quadro Kepler (Kx000) generation. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX uses the Meso chip based on GCN 3.0, from the Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400) generation.

Both chips are fabricated by TSMC on the same 28 nm process node, yet their transistor counts differ significantly. The AMD chip contains 1,550 million transistors on a die size of 125 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million per mm². The NVIDIA chip is smaller in both respects: 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, for a density of 10.8 million per mm². The AMD chip therefore packs roughly 22% more transistors into a slightly larger area, reflecting the denser GCN 3.0 design.

The memory subsystems are radically different. The Quadro K2000D has a dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 frame buffer on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock is 1000 MHz, which translates to 4 Gbps effective. The Radeon R8 M445DX, by contrast, uses System Shared memory: the size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as System Shared or System Dependent. This means the AMD card relies on the host system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, a design choice that has significant implications for memory-bound workloads.

The shader configurations also differ. The NVIDIA card has 384 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. The AMD card has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. Despite fewer execution units, the AMD card achieves a higher pixel rate of 8.168 GPixel/s compared to 7.632 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA card, likely due to its higher clock speeds. However, the NVIDIA card wins decisively in texture rate: 30.53 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s for AMD, a consequence of its 32 TMUs versus 20.

In floating-point performance, the NVIDIA card delivers 732.7 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the AMD card delivers 653.4 GFLOPS. The AMD card also lists FP16 performance at 653.4 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, meaning it does not double its throughput for half-precision work. The NVIDIA card has no listed FP16 capability.

Clock behavior differs substantially. The Quadro K2000D has no listed base or boost clocks, while the Radeon R8 M445DX has a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 1021 MHz. This boost capability helps explain how the AMD part achieves competitive throughput despite fewer execution units.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727, which is 17.1% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D's 3919 in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D uses 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX uses System Shared memory, with all memory specifications listed as System Shared or System Dependent.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D has 384 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX has 320 shading units. The NVIDIA card also has more TMUs (32 vs 20) and more ROPs (16 vs 8).

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two chips?

A: The AMD Meso chip has a density of 12.4 million transistors per mm² with 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die. The NVIDIA GK107 chip has a density of 10.8 million per mm² with 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die.

Q: Which card supports a newer DirectX version?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D supports DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, and their Vulkan versions are close: 1.2.175 for NVIDIA and 1.2.170 for AMD.

Q: What are the physical form factor differences?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D is a single-slot card with no power connectors, a suggested PSU of 250 W, and a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface. It measures 202 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a bus interface of IGP, no listed dimensions, and display outputs that are Portable Device Dependent.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

• Chip: GK107 versus Meso
• Architecture: Kepler versus GCN 3.0
• Generation: Quadro Kepler (Kx000) versus Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400)
• Transistors: 1,270 million versus 1,550 million
• Die Size: 118 mm² versus 125 mm²
• Transistor Density: 10.8M per mm² versus 12.4M per mm²
• Memory Clock: 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) versus System Shared
• Memory Size: 2 GB versus System Shared
• Memory Type: GDDR5 versus System Shared
• Memory Bus Width: 128 bit versus System Shared
• Memory Bandwidth: 64.00 GB/s versus System Dependent
• Shading Units: 384 versus 320
• TMUs: 32 versus 20
• ROPs: 16 versus 8
• Pixel Rate: 7.632 GPixel/s versus 8.168 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 30.53 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s
• FP32: 732.7 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS
• FP16: not listed versus 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 51 W versus not listed
• Slot Width: Single-slot versus IGP
• Power Connectors: None versus not listed
• Suggested PSU: 250 W versus not listed
• Bus Interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus IGP
• Display Outputs: 2x DVI, 1x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 versus Portable Device Dependent
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_0) versus 12 (12_0)
• Vulkan Version: 1.2.175 versus 1.2.170
• Dimensions: 202 mm length, 111 mm height versus not listed
• Release Date: 2013-02-28 versus 2016-05-14
• Launch MSRP: 599 USD versus not listed
• Predecessor: Quadro Fermi versus not listed
• Successor: Quadro Maxwell versus not listed

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX wins the only direct benchmark comparison, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 17.1%. It also achieves a higher pixel rate (8.168 GPixel/s versus 7.632 GPixel/s) and offers superior API support with DirectX 12 (12_0) versus the NVIDIA card's 12 (11_0). The AMD card's higher percentile ranking (27th versus 23rd) reflects its better standing in the database's overall performance distribution.

The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D, despite losing the compute benchmark, holds advantages in several specific areas. Its texture rate of 30.53 GTexel/s is roughly 50% higher than the AMD card's 20.42 GTexel/s, making it the stronger choice for texture-heavy workloads. It also delivers higher FP32 throughput at 732.7 GFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS, and its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth provides a clear advantage over the AMD card's shared memory subsystem for tasks that require consistent memory access without competing with the CPU.

The NVIDIA card's physical design as a single-slot PCIe card with a 51 W TDP and no power connectors makes it suitable for workstation builds with a 250 W suggested PSU. The AMD card's IGP form factor means it is integrated into a portable device, with no user-replaceable or upgradeable graphics component.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance winner: the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX outperforms the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D by 17.1% in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, and it holds a higher percentile position overall. For users whose primary concern is raw compute throughput as measured by OpenCL, the AMD part is the better choice based on recorded measurements.

However, the decision is not purely one of compute scores. The NVIDIA Quadro K2000D offers a dedicated memory subsystem with 2 GB GDDR5 and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, versus the AMD card's reliance on system memory. For workloads that are sensitive to memory latency and bandwidth consistency, such as certain professional visualization tasks, the dedicated VRAM may provide a practical advantage that the OpenCL score does not fully capture. The NVIDIA card also has superior texture filtering throughput and higher FP32 compute, which could translate to better performance in specific applications.

The form factor is a decisive factor. The Quadro K2000D is a standalone single-slot PCIe card, designed for desktop workstations with a 250 W PSU. The Radeon R8 M445DX is an IGP, meaning it is soldered to a portable device's motherboard and cannot be installed in a desktop system. Users building or upgrading a desktop workstation have only the NVIDIA option available to them; the AMD card is only relevant for those who already own a laptop with that specific integrated GPU.

The release dates also matter. The Quadro K2000D launched in February 2013, and the Radeon R8 M445DX launched in May 2016, a gap of over three years. Both are now end-of-life products, but the AMD card benefits from a more recent design with a denser transistor layout (12.4M per mm² versus 10.8M per mm²) and newer DirectX support.

In summary: choose the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX if you are evaluating portable devices and prioritize OpenCL compute performance, as its 4727 score is 17.1% ahead. Choose the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D if you need a desktop workstation card with dedicated memory, higher texture throughput, and a lower power footprint, accepting its lower compute score of 3919. The data does not support a universal recommendation; the correct choice depends on the system form factor and the workload mix.