AMD Radeon R9 M265X vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

The benchmark data presents a decisive generational conflict. The AMD Radeon R9 M265X is a legacy GCN 1.0 part from 2014, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is a modern Ampere-based solution. The data shows a single, overwhelming data point: the RTX 3050 A Mobile is categorically faster in raw compute, yet the R9 M265X holds a slight edge in the average benchmark score due to the limited scope of testing. This analysis will dissect the head-to-head results, architectural divergence, and specification gaps to determine which GPU is appropriate for which task.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are not close. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998 points, while the AMD Radeon R9 M265X scores 8,851 points. This yields a delta of -83.3% for the AMD part, meaning the NVIDIA GPU delivers approximately 6x the raw compute performance in this workload. This is not a marginal victory; it is a complete rout. The RTX 3050 A Mobile's score is so high that it completely dwarfs the older AMD GPU, reflecting the massive leap in shader throughput and memory bandwidth between generations.

Interestingly, the aggregate data tells a slightly different story. The R9 M265X has an average benchmark score of 8,851 (derived solely from the Geekbench test), which places it at the 44th percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 3050 A Mobile, despite its massive OpenCL win, has an average score of 8,746 across all its tested workloads, also placing it at the 44th percentile. This is because the RTX 3050 A Mobile has additional benchmarks in its profile, including PassMark tests for DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12, as well as G2D and G3D tests. Its lowest scores in these legacy or synthetic tests (like 61 in DirectX 10, 55 in DirectX 12, and 94 in DirectX 11) drag its average down significantly.

In the nearest rivals list, the R9 M265X is positioned just 0.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8,863) and 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon 550X (8,918). It is 1.2% ahead of the RTX 3050 A Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8,743). Conversely, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is essentially tied with the GTX 460 v2 (0% delta), 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (8,686), and 1.2% behind the R9 M265X. The data suggests that while the RTX 3050 A Mobile has enormous peak compute power, its average performance across a broader suite of tests is dragged down by poor results in specific DirectX legacy benchmarks, making its aggregate score misleadingly low.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the superior GPU for any modern, compute-heavy workload. The 83.3% deficit in the Geekbench OpenCL test is insurmountable. The R9 M265X simply cannot compete with the RTX 3050 A Mobile's 4.813 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus the AMD's 800.0 GFLOPS. If your primary concern is raw shader performance, OpenCL compute, or modern gaming, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the only logical choice.

However, the data also shows a statistical anomaly. The R9 M265X has a higher average benchmark score (8,851 vs 8,746) and a positive delta of 1.2% over the RTX 3050 A Mobile. This is due to the RTX 3050 A Mobile's poor performance in the PassMark DirectX 10 and DirectX 12 tests. If your workload is exclusively legacy DirectX 10/12 applications that are poorly optimized for the newer Ampere architecture, the R9 M265X might technically post a higher average score, but this is a contrived scenario. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is the definitive winner for anyone building or using a system today.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile wins decisively in Geekbench OpenCL, the only head-to-head benchmark. This indicates superiority in general-purpose GPU compute tasks, which includes physics simulations, video encoding, and modern game rendering. Its architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, making it fully compatible with current and future software. Its memory configuration also provides a significant advantage: 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth versus the R9 M265X's 64.00 GB/s, which is crucial for texture streaming and high-resolution assets.

The AMD Radeon R9 M265X "wins" only in the aggregate average benchmark score, and even then, it is a statistical artifact. It does not win any individual head-to-head test. Its only saving grace is that its single benchmark score is not dragged down by additional legacy tests. In practical terms, the R9 M265X is only a viable choice for very old DirectX 11 (or earlier) games where its GCN 1.0 architecture and DirectX 12 (11_1) support are sufficient. It is a product of its era, suited for basic display output and undemanding 2D or early-2010s 3D titles.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998, compared to the AMD Radeon R9 M265X's 8,851, a delta of -83.3% for the AMD part.

Q: Why does the AMD Radeon R9 M265X have a higher average benchmark score?

A: The R9 M265X has an average score of 8,851, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile averages 8,746. This is because the RTX 3050 A Mobile has additional PassMark tests (including DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, G2D, and G3D) with much lower scores (e.g., 61 in DirectX 10), which lower its average.

Q: What is the performance difference between the two GPUs in the nearest rivals list?

A: The R9 M265X is 1.2% ahead of the RTX 3050 A Mobile in the rival comparison, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile is -1.2% behind the R9 M265X. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is also 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P2200.

Q: Which GPU supports the newer DirectX version?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), whereas the AMD Radeon R9 M265X supports DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s using 4 GB of GDDR6, while the R9 M265X has 64.00 GB/s using 2 GB of GDDR5.

Q: What are the transistor counts for each chip?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile's GA106 chip has 12,000 million transistors, while the R9 M265X's Venus chip has 1,500 million transistors.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is vast. The AMD Radeon R9 M265X is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Venus chip manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a die size of 123 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 12.2M / mm². It is a relatively simple design with 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Crucially, it lacks any dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores, as these did not exist in the consumer space at its release. Its API support is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is a modern Ampere architecture part, built on the GA106 chip using Samsung's 8 nm process. It contains 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, giving it a density of 43.5M / mm². This chip features 1,792 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Critically, it includes 14 dedicated ray tracing cores and 56 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features like DLSS. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, making it forward-compatible with next-generation titles. The architectural disparity is the root cause of the massive performance gap in compute and modern rendering workloads.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs highlight their generational separation. The most glaring difference is in processing power: the RTX 3050 A Mobile delivers 4.813 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 4.813 TFLOPS of FP16 (1:1), while the R9 M265X manages just 800.0 GFLOPS of FP32. The pixel and texture rates also favor NVIDIA heavily: 42.98 GPixel/s and 75.21 GTexel/s versus the AMD's 10.00 GPixel/s and 25.00 GTexel/s.

Memory configurations are starkly different. The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s, running at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The R9 M265X uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). Clock speeds also differ: the NVIDIA GPU has a base clock of 1065 MHz and a boost of 1343 MHz, while the AMD part runs at a lower 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost.

The process nodes and power profiles also differ. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is built on 8 nm with a TDP of 45 W and is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors. The R9 M265X is on 28 nm, but its TDP is not listed. Interface-wise, the NVIDIA part uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the AMD uses the older PCIe 3.0 x16. The R9 M265X was released in 2014-03-20, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile has a release date of 2023-12-31. Both are end-of-life production statuses.