AMD Radeon R9 M265X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database includes a single direct benchmark comparison between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M and the AMD Radeon R9 M265X, using Geekbench OpenCL as the workload. The results are unambiguous. The GTX 870M scores 12,630 points, while the R9 M265X records 8,851 points. That is a 42.7% advantage for the NVIDIA part, a decisive margin in a single measurement.

This delta is larger than what appears between each card and its closest rivals in the overall database. The GTX 870M sits within 1.1% of the AMD Radeon R9 M375, the NVIDIA Quadro 6000, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, and the NVIDIA Quadro K5100M, all of which cluster in the 9,846 to 10,070 range. The R9 M265X, by contrast, trades blows with the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8,863, 0.1% ahead), the AMD Radeon 550X (8,918, 0.8% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8,746, 1.2% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8,743, 1.2% behind). The gap between the two cards in this head-to-head, 42.7%, is roughly 40 times larger than any single-rival delta for either product.

Interpreting the score difference: the GTX 870M delivers roughly 1.43 times the raw OpenCL throughput of the R9 M265X. In practical terms, compute-heavy workloads such as rendering, video encoding, or general GPU compute should see a substantial performance advantage on the NVIDIA part. The R9 M265X is not without merit, but it is clearly positioned in a lower performance tier. The percentile data reinforces this: the GTX 870M ranks in the 48th percentile among all GPUs, while the R9 M265X sits in the 44th percentile. Both are mid-pack parts, but the NVIDIA card is closer to the median and measurably faster in the one test where both appear.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only available head-to-head benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 12,630 against 8,851 for the AMD Radeon R9 M265X, a 42.7% margin.

Q: How close are these cards to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The GTX 870M is within 1.1% of four rivals, with the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M at 10,013 (0.5% ahead) and the NVIDIA Quadro K5100M at 10,043 (0.8% ahead) as the closest. The R9 M265X is within 1.2% of its nearest four rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 at 8,863 (0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 at 8,743 (1.2% behind).

Q: What do the average benchmark scores indicate about overall performance?

A: The GTX 870M has an average benchmark score of 9,959 across its recorded tests, while the R9 M265X averages 8,851. The NVIDIA card holds a 12.5% advantage in average score, which aligns with its higher percentile ranking (48th vs. 44th).

Q: Does the AMD card have any benchmark where it beats the NVIDIA card?

A: No. The only shared benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the AMD Radeon R9 M265X loses that test. The win count shows 1 win for the GTX 870M and 0 for the R9 M265X.

Q: How does the GTX 870M compare to the R9 M265X in memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 870M provides 120.0 GB/s of bandwidth from a 192-bit bus and 3 GB of GDDR5, while the R9 M265X offers 64.00 GB/s from a 128-bit bus and 2 GB of GDDR5. The NVIDIA part has 87.5% more bandwidth.

Q: What is the difference in compute throughput (FP32)?

A: The GTX 870M delivers 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, versus 800.0 GFLOPS for the R9 M265X. The NVIDIA card has more than 3.2 times the theoretical single-precision throughput.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 870M wins outright in the only direct comparison, but the underlying specifications point to distinct use cases.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M:

• Compute-heavy applications benefit from the 2.599 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 108.3 GTexel/s texture rate. The 1344 shading units and 112 TMUs provide a wide execution footprint for parallel workloads.
• Memory-intensive tasks favor the 120.0 GB/s bandwidth and 192-bit bus. The 3 GB frame buffer allows larger working sets than the AMD part.
• The 27.08 GPixel/s pixel rate gives it a clear edge in fill-rate-bound scenarios, such as high-resolution rendering with heavy overdraw.
• With a 48th percentile ranking and an average score of 9,959, it is the stronger all-round performer in this pairing.

AMD Radeon R9 M265X:

• Efficiency in die size is a point in its favor. The Venus chip occupies 123 mm² with 1,500 million transistors, versus 294 mm² and 3,540 million for the GK104. This makes the AMD part physically smaller and potentially easier to integrate into thinner notebooks.
• The 12.2M / mm² transistor density is slightly higher than the GTX 870M's 12.0M / mm², though the practical impact is minimal.
• The R9 M265X still holds its own against comparable low-end parts. It is within 1.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2, showing that it remains competitive within its own performance tier.
• For users who prioritize longer battery life over raw performance, the lower transistor count and smaller die suggest reduced power draw, though the database does not list a TDP for the AMD card.

The use-case split is clear: choose the GTX 870M for demanding workloads, choose the R9 M265X for compact, power-conscious designs where the performance gap is acceptable.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M | AMD Radeon R9 M265X |

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

| Chip | GK104 | Venus |

| Transistors | 3,540 million | 1,500 million |

| Die size | 294 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Base clock | 941 MHz | 575 MHz |

| Boost clock | 967 MHz | 625 MHz |

| Memory clock | 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) |

| Memory size | 3 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory bus width | 192 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 120.0 GB/s | 64.00 GB/s |

| Shading units | 1344 | 640 |

| TMUs | 112 | 40 |

| ROPs | 24 | 16 |

| Pixel rate | 27.08 GPixel/s | 10.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 108.3 GTexel/s | 25.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.599 TFLOPS | 800.0 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 100 W | Not listed |

| Bus interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | Portable Device Dependent | Not listed |

| DirectX support | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan support | 1.2.175 | 1.2.170 |

The GTX 870M leads in every performance-relevant specification. The R9 M265X counters with a much smaller die and lower transistor count, plus a higher transistor density (12.2M / mm² vs. 12.0M / mm²). The memory clock difference is notable: the NVIDIA card runs at 5 Gbps effective versus 4 Gbps for the AMD card, compounding the bus width advantage.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages. The GTX 870M uses NVIDIA's Kepler design on the GK104 chip, while the R9 M265X uses AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture on the Venus chip. Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but the similarities end there.

Kepler is built around a large number of small, efficient cores. The GK104 packs 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, yielding 12.0M transistors per mm². The 1344 shading units are organized into a wide array, with 112 TMUs feeding a 24-ROP backend. Kepler's strength is raw throughput per clock, and the high base clock of 941 MHz (boost 967 MHz) reflects that design philosophy.

GCN 1.0, by contrast, uses a more complex compute-centric architecture. The Venus chip is physically much smaller at 123 mm² and 1,500 million transistors, with a slightly higher density of 12.2M / mm². The 640 shading units are arranged in a design that emphasizes wavefront execution and general-purpose compute. However, the clocks are significantly lower: 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost. This clock disadvantage, combined with fewer cores, explains the 42.7% OpenCL deficit.

The memory subsystems also reflect architectural choices. Kepler pairs the 192-bit bus with GDDR5 at 5 Gbps effective, achieving 120.0 GB/s. GCN 1.0 on Venus uses a narrower 128-bit bus with slower 4 Gbps GDDR5, resulting in 64.00 GB/s. The GTX 870M's 3 GB capacity versus 2 GB on the R9 M265X further widens the gap for large datasets.

API support is broadly similar, with both cards reaching DirectX 12 (though the GTX 870M is limited to the 11_0 feature level, while the R9 M265X supports 11_1). OpenGL 4.6 is present on both. Vulkan support is nearly identical, with the GTX 870M at version 1.2.175 and the R9 M265X at 1.2.170. Neither card has ray tracing or tensor cores, as they predate those technologies.

The bus interface differs: the GTX 870M uses MXM-B (3.0), a modular form factor common in gaming laptops, while the R9 M265X uses PCIe 3.0 x16, which allows it to be soldered directly or used in standard slots. The MXM module on the NVIDIA part has no power connectors listed, while the AMD part's power requirements are not recorded. The GTX 870M carries a 100 W TDP, a figure absent for the AMD card.

In summary, the GTX 870M is a larger, more powerful chip with higher clocks, more cores, and wider memory, all of which translate to a commanding benchmark lead. The R9 M265X is a smaller, more economical design that trades performance for physical footprint and likely power efficiency, though the database does not provide a TDP to confirm the latter.