AMD Radeon R9 370X vs NVIDIA Quadro M2000 Comparison

AMD Radeon R9 370X and NVIDIA Quadro M2000 are both end-of-life, 28 nm parts from the mid-2010s, but they target completely different workloads. The R9 370X is a consumer gaming card with a 58th percentile ranking, while the Quadro M2000 is a professional workstation card sitting at the 56th percentile. The benchmark data shows a clear split: the AMD card dominates in OpenCL compute, while the NVIDIA card wins decisively in Vulkan performance, making the choice entirely dependent on the software you plan to run.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison between these two cards is stark, with each winning one of the two available tests by a significant margin. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 25,893, which is a massive 77.5% higher than the Quadro M2000’s 14,588. This is the single biggest performance gap in the head-to-head data, indicating that the R9 370X has a substantial advantage in general-purpose compute workloads that leverage OpenCL. The R9 370X’s average benchmark score of 15,862 also puts it nearly 9% ahead of the Quadro’s 14,532, reinforcing that it is the faster card overall in raw throughput.

However, the story reverses completely in Geekbench Vulkan. Here, the Quadro M2000 scores 14,475, while the R9 370X manages only 9,018. That is a 37.7% deficit for the AMD card, showing that NVIDIA’s Maxwell architecture has far better Vulkan driver optimization and API support. The Quadro M2000’s Vulkan score is actually higher than its OpenCL score, while the R9 370X’s Vulkan score is less than half of its OpenCL result. This suggests that if you are working with Vulkan-based applications—whether games or compute—the Quadro M2000 is clearly the better choice, despite being slower in raw FP32 throughput.

Looking at the broader context, the R9 370X’s average score of 15,862 places it just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852) and 1% behind the Radeon RX 9060 (16,014). The Quadro M2000, with its 14,532 average, sits 0.9% ahead of the GeForce GTX 965M (14,404) and 1.1% behind the GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373). These rival comparisons show that both cards are positioned in the same performance tier, but the R9 370X has a slight edge in overall average scores, while the Quadro M2000’s Vulkan strength is unique within its price segment.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and design philosophies. The AMD Radeon R9 370X uses the Trinidad chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, belonging to the Pirate Islands (R9 300) generation. It is built on TSMC’s 28 nm process with 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die size, giving it a transistor density of 13.2 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 uses the GM206 chip based on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, from the Quadro Maxwell (Mx000) generation. It also uses a 28 nm TSMC process but packs 2,940 million transistors on a slightly larger 228 mm² die, resulting in a lower density of 12.9 million per square millimeter.

The compute resources differ significantly. The R9 370X has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, while the Quadro M2000 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This gives the AMD card a 67% advantage in shader count and a 67% advantage in texture units, which explains its dominance in OpenCL throughput. The R9 370X achieves 2.637 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and an 82.40 GTexel/s texture rate, compared to the Quadro’s 1.786 TFLOPS and 55.82 GTexel/s. However, the Quadro M2000 has a higher pixel rate at 37.22 GPixel/s versus 32.96 GPixel/s, thanks to its higher boost clock.

Clock speeds also differ notably. The R9 370X runs at a base clock of 980 MHz with a boost of 1030 MHz, while the Quadro M2000 has a much lower base of 796 MHz but boosts higher to 1163 MHz. Memory configurations are also divergent: the R9 370X uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 179.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Quadro M2000 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 105.8 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD card has 70% more memory bandwidth, but the NVIDIA card has double the capacity, which matters for large datasets in professional workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X is dramatically faster, scoring 25,893 in Geekbench OpenCL versus the Quadro M2000’s 14,588, a 77.5% advantage. This aligns with its higher FP32 throughput of 2.637 TFLOPS and 1,280 shading units.

Q: Why does the Quadro M2000 win in Vulkan despite having fewer shaders?

A: The Quadro M2000 scores 14,475 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 37.7% higher than the R9 370X’s 9,018. This likely stems from NVIDIA’s Maxwell 2.0 architecture supporting DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R9 370X is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X has significantly more bandwidth at 179.2 GB/s, thanks to its 256-bit bus, compared to the Quadro M2000’s 105.8 GB/s on a 128-bit bus. However, the Quadro has double the capacity at 4 GB versus 2 GB.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The R9 370X has a 180 W TDP and requires 2x 6-pin power connectors with a 450 W suggested PSU, while the Quadro M2000 has a 75 W TDP, needs no external power connectors, and only requires a 250 W PSU.

Q: Are these cards still relevant for modern APIs?

A: The Quadro M2000 supports Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1), which are more modern than the R9 370X’s Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the NVIDIA card has better API compatibility for current software.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The R9 370X has an average benchmark score of 15,862, which is 9.1% higher than the Quadro M2000’s 14,532. This places the AMD card at the 58th percentile versus the NVIDIA card’s 56th percentile.

The Verdict

The data is clear: if you prioritize OpenCL compute or raw FP32 throughput, the AMD Radeon R9 370X is the superior choice. Its 77.5% advantage in OpenCL and higher average score of 15,862 make it the more powerful GPU for general-purpose computing tasks. The R9 370X’s 2.637 TFLOPS and 1,280 shaders simply outmuscle the Quadro M2000’s 1.786 TFLOPS and 768 shaders in anything that scales with compute units.

However, if your workload relies on Vulkan, the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 is the only rational pick. Its 37.7% lead in Geekbench Vulkan, combined with support for Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1), makes it far more future-proof for modern graphics APIs. The Quadro M2000 also offers double the memory capacity (4 GB versus 2 GB) and a much lower power footprint (75 W versus 180 W), which could be decisive for dense workstation builds or systems with limited PSU headroom.

For a builder choosing between these two, the decision hinges entirely on software compatibility. The R9 370X will crush OpenCL-heavy tasks like scientific computing or certain rendering plugins, while the Quadro M2000 will handle Vulkan-based games and modern CAD applications more smoothly. Neither card is a general-purpose winner; they are specialized tools for different jobs.

Specification Differences

• Chip and Architecture: AMD Trinidad (GCN 1.0) versus NVIDIA GM206 (Maxwell 2.0)
• Transistors: 2,800 million versus 2,940 million
• Die Size: 212 mm² versus 228 mm²
• Transistor Density: 13.2M / mm² versus 12.9M / mm²
• Base Clock: 980 MHz versus 796 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1030 MHz versus 1163 MHz
• Memory Size: 2 GB versus 4 GB
• Memory Bus Width: 256 bit versus 128 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 179.2 GB/s versus 105.8 GB/s
• Shading Units: 1280 versus 768
• Texture Mapping Units: 80 versus 48
• Pixel Rate: 32.96 GPixel/s versus 37.22 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 82.40 GTexel/s versus 55.82 GTexel/s
• FP32 Performance: 2.637 TFLOPS versus 1.786 TFLOPS
• TDP: 180 W versus 75 W
• Slot Width: Dual-slot versus Single-slot
• Power Connectors: 2x 6-pin versus None
• Suggested PSU: 450 W versus 250 W
• Display Outputs: 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 versus 4x DisplayPort 1.2
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_1) versus 12 (12_1)
• Vulkan Support: 1.2.170 versus 1.4
• Release Date: 2015-08-26 versus 2016-04-07
• Generation: Pirate Islands (R9 300) versus Quadro Maxwell (Mx000)
• Predecessor: Volcanic Islands versus Quadro Kepler
• Successor: Arctic Islands versus Quadro Pascal

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R9 370X wins decisively in OpenCL compute, with a 77.5% score advantage that makes it the obvious choice for any application leveraging that API. Its higher FP32 throughput, larger shader count, and wider memory bus also give it the edge in texture-heavy workloads, as indicated by its 82.40 GTexel/s rate versus the Quadro’s 55.82 GTexel/s. The R9 370X’s higher average benchmark score (15,862 versus 14,532) further confirms its overall compute superiority.

The NVIDIA Quadro M2000 wins in Vulkan rendering, with a 37.7% lead that is essential for modern games and Vulkan-based compute. Its superior API support (Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12_1) means better compatibility with current software, and its 4 GB memory capacity allows for larger textures and datasets than the R9 370X’s 2 GB. The Quadro also wins on power efficiency, with a 75 W TDP that needs no external power connectors, making it ideal for compact or low-power systems where the R9 370X’s 180 W requirement and dual 6-pin connectors would be prohibitive. For professional environments with multiple displays, the Quadro’s 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs also beat the R9 370X’s mixed DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort configuration.