AMD Radeon R8 M445DX vs NVIDIA Quadro K2100M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between these two mobile graphics parts, but the split is narrow. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX wins the only directly comparable benchmark in the database, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 4727 against the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M’s 4587. That is a 3.1% advantage for the AMD part, a measurable but hardly dominant margin.

The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, however, demonstrates broader API coverage in the recorded results. It has three benchmark entries: Geekbench OpenCL at 4587, Geekbench Vulkan at 4343, and Geekbench Metal at 3524. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX has only a single recorded benchmark, the OpenCL test. So while AMD wins the one head-to-head comparison, NVIDIA shows it can sustain scores across multiple graphics APIs, which hints at wider software compatibility in the database’s test suite.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the AMD part posts 4727, while the NVIDIA part averages 4151 across its three tests. That gives AMD a 13.9% higher average score, but the comparison is not apples-to-apples because NVIDIA’s average includes Vulkan and Metal results where scores run lower. The OpenCL-only comparison, which is the fair one, favors AMD by just 3.1%.

In terms of overall standing, the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX sits at the 27th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M sits at the 25th percentile. Both parts are firmly in the entry-level mobile segment, and the percentile gap of two points reflects the small performance difference.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different architectural families and different process strategies, though both use the same 28 nm manufacturing node from TSMC. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX is built on GCN 3.0 architecture with the Meso chip, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M uses the Kepler architecture with the GK106S chip.

The transistor counts differ substantially. NVIDIA packs 2,540 million transistors onto a 221 mm² die, while AMD fits 1,550 million transistors onto a much smaller 125 mm² die. This gives AMD a higher transistor density at 12.4 million per mm² versus NVIDIA’s 11.5 million per mm². The AMD chip is physically smaller but denser, while the NVIDIA chip is larger with more raw transistors.

The compute unit configurations also diverge. The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M has 576 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. NVIDIA leads in every count: 80% more shading units, 140% more TMUs, and double the ROPs. Despite this hardware advantage, the AMD part still wins the OpenCL benchmark, which suggests clock speed and memory behavior matter more than raw unit counts.

Clock speeds favor AMD. The Radeon R8 M445DX runs at 780 MHz base and boosts to 1021 MHz, while the Quadro K2100M is locked at 667 MHz for both base and boost. That is a 53.1% higher boost clock for AMD, which helps explain how fewer shading units can still produce competitive floating-point output.

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and relies on the host system’s memory. The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 48.13 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a fundamental design split: AMD integrates into the system memory pool, while NVIDIA carries its own memory.

The form factors also differ. AMD is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with an IGP bus interface, while NVIDIA is an MXM module with an MXM-A (3.0) interface. The NVIDIA part carries a 55 W TDP, while the AMD part has no recorded TDP, consistent with its integrated design.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727, and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M scores 4587. The delta is 3.1% in favor of AMD. This is the single recorded head-to-head result, and it gives AMD one win against zero for NVIDIA.

The score difference of 140 points is small in absolute terms. For context, look at the nearest rivals in the database. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX’s closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R5 M335 at 4752, which is 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro P400 sits at 4684, which is 0.9% lower. The AMD Radeon R5 M255 scores 4788, 1.3% higher, and even the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB appears in the rival list at 4791, just 1.3% higher. This shows that the R8 M445DX’s OpenCL score places it in a very tight cluster where a 3% swing can change rankings.

The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M’s nearest rivals tell a similar story. The AMD Radeon R5 M330 averages 4170, just 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti averages 4193, 1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB averages 4093, 1.4% lower, and the Intel HD Graphics 630 averages 4075, 1.9% lower. The K2100M’s average score of 4151 puts it in a bracket where the competition is separated by less than two percentage points.

The broader benchmark picture shows NVIDIA’s Vulkan score of 4343 is 5.3% below its OpenCL score, and its Metal score of 3524 is 23.2% below OpenCL. These additional results suggest the K2100M is less consistent across APIs, though no comparable AMD data exists for Vulkan or Metal to make a direct cross-API comparison.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX is the stronger OpenCL performer. Its 4727 score beats the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M’s 4587 by 3.1%, and its average benchmark score of 4727 exceeds NVIDIA’s 4151 average by 13.9%. The AMD part also posts a higher boost clock at 1021 MHz versus 667 MHz, and it achieves this with a smaller die and fewer shading units.

The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, however, has clear structural advantages that the benchmark scores do not fully capture. It has 576 shading units versus 320, 48 TMUs versus 20, 16 ROPs versus 8, and dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 48.13 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD part has no dedicated memory at all, relying on system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth. For workloads that stress memory bandwidth or require consistent frame pacing, the NVIDIA part’s dedicated VRAM is a qualitative advantage that the OpenCL score alone cannot express.

The production timelines also differ. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX released on 2016-05-14, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M released on 2013-07-22. Both are end-of-life products. The NVIDIA part has a defined predecessor (Quadro Fermi-M) and successor (Quadro Maxwell-M), while the AMD part has neither recorded.

For a user choosing strictly on benchmark data, the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX wins the OpenCL test and carries a higher percentile ranking (27th versus 25th). For a user prioritizing dedicated memory, higher shading unit counts, and a modular MXM form factor, the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M offers structural benefits that the benchmark gap does not erase. The data supports AMD for raw compute in OpenCL, but NVIDIA for memory isolation and hardware resource allocation.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX scores 4727 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M scores 4587, a 3.1% difference in AMD’s favor.

Q: Does the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M have dedicated video memory?

A: Yes, it has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 48.13 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M has 576 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX has 320. NVIDIA also leads in TMUs (48 versus 20) and ROPs (16 versus 8).

Q: What is the clock speed difference?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX runs at 780 MHz base and 1021 MHz boost. The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M is fixed at 667 MHz for both base and boost, giving AMD a 53.1% higher boost clock.

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX has an average score of 4727 from a single OpenCL test. The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M averages 4151 across OpenCL, Vulkan, and Metal tests, which is 13.9% lower.

Q: What are the release dates?

A: The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX released on 2016-05-14. The NVIDIA Quadro K2100M released on 2013-07-22. Both are end-of-life products.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R8 M445DX | NVIDIA Quadro K2100M |

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

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | Kepler |

| Chip | Meso | GK106S |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 2,540 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 221 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 11.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 780 MHz | 667 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1021 MHz | 667 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 48.13 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 320 | 576 |

| TMUs | 20 | 48 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 8.168 GPixel/s | 8.004 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 20.42 GTexel/s | 32.02 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 653.4 GFLOPS | 768.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not recorded |

| TDP | Not recorded | 55 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Bus Interface | IGP | MXM-A (3.0) |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_0) |

| OpenGL Support | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.2.175 |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2013-07-22 |

| Predecessor | Not recorded | Quadro Fermi-M |

| Successor | Not recorded | Quadro Maxwell-M |