AMD Radeon R9 M265X vs NVIDIA Quadro K4100M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data splits these two mobile graphics solutions into a clear performance hierarchy, but the more important distinction lies in what each card was built to do. The AMD Radeon R9 M265X, despite being the lower-scoring part in the OpenCL test, comes from the consumer R9 M200 generation and targets general-purpose graphics workloads. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M, meanwhile, belongs to the professional Quadro Kepler-M family, which is engineered for certified workstation applications.

Looking strictly at the numbers, the Quadro K4100M wins the only head-to-head test recorded in the database. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA card scores 9149 against the AMD card's 8851, a delta of 3.3%. That is not a commanding lead, but it is a consistent one. The NVIDIA part also holds a higher average benchmark score across all recorded tests, 7906 versus 8851, though that average is dragged down by its additional Metal test result of 6662. The AMD card has only a single OpenCL result, so its average equals that score.

The real separation is in positioning. The R9 M265X is a mainstream mobile GPU from 2014, built on the GCN 1.0 architecture with 640 shading units. The K4100M is a 2013 professional mobile part with 1152 shading units, a 256-bit memory bus, and 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. For compute-heavy tasks that scale with shader count and memory bandwidth, the Quadro is the stronger part. For lighter gaming or general 3D acceleration, the AMD card is not far behind, and its 44th percentile ranking versus all GPUs slightly edges the Quadro's 41st percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different design philosophies. AMD's Venus chip uses the GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. NVIDIA's GK104 uses the Kepler architecture, also on 28 nm TSMC, but it is a much larger chip: 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with a slightly lower density of 12.0 million per square millimeter.

The shader configurations differ substantially. The R9 M265X has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The K4100M more than doubles the TMU count to 96 and doubles the ROPs to 32, while offering 1152 shading units. That extra hardware translates directly into fillrate and compute throughput. The AMD card delivers 10.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 25.00 GTexel/s texture rate, while the NVIDIA card reaches 16.94 GPixel/s and 67.78 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture is another major split. The R9 M265X uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The K4100M has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, more than doubling bandwidth to 102.4 GB/s. Clock speeds favor NVIDIA as well: the Quadro runs at a fixed 706 MHz base and boost, while the AMD part runs at 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for AMD versus 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA, though the wider bus makes the NVIDIA memory faster overall.

API support is close but not identical. Both cards support DirectX 12, though AMD lists it as 12 (11_1) and NVIDIA as 12 (11_0). OpenGL is 4.6 on both. Vulkan support is 1.2.170 on AMD and 1.2.175 on NVIDIA, a negligible difference. Neither card has ray tracing or tensor cores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one direct comparison: Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M wins with 9149 points against the AMD Radeon R9 M265X's 8851 points. The 3.3% delta is modest, but it is consistent with the hardware disparity. The K4100M's 1152 shading units and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth give it a clear compute advantage, while the R9 M265X's 640 shaders and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth cap its throughput.

Context from the nearest rivals clarifies the picture. The R9 M265X sits within 1.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746) and the GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8743), and it trails the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8863) by just 0.1%. That places it in a cluster of mid-range parts where small score differences are common. The K4100M, by contrast, sits near the GeForce GTX 460 (7925), the Quadro P5000 (8039), the GTX 880M (8040), and the GTX 650 Ti (8053), all within 1.8%. Its average score of 7906 is lower than the AMD card's 8851, but that average includes the weaker Metal result.

The single OpenCL test favors the Quadro, but the AMD card's percentile ranking is higher. The R9 M265X lands at the 44th percentile of all GPUs, while the K4100M sits at the 41st. That suggests the AMD part performs relatively better across a broader range of workloads, even if the specific OpenCL test goes to NVIDIA.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields. The AMD Radeon R9 M265X uses a Venus chip on GCN 1.0, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M uses GK104 on Kepler. Transistor counts are 1,500 million for AMD versus 3,540 million for NVIDIA. Die sizes are 123 mm² and 294 mm², respectively. Transistor density is nearly identical at 12.2M/mm² versus 12.0M/mm².

Clock speeds: AMD runs at 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost; NVIDIA runs at 706 MHz base and boost. Memory clocks are 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for AMD and 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA. Memory capacity is 2 GB for AMD and 4 GB for NVIDIA. Bus widths are 128-bit and 256-bit. Bandwidth is 64.00 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s.

Compute resources: 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs for AMD; 1152 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs for NVIDIA. Pixel rates are 10.00 GPixel/s and 16.94 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 25.00 GTexel/s and 67.78 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 800.0 GFLOPS for AMD and 1.627 TFLOPS for NVIDIA.

Power and form factor: the K4100M has a rated TDP of 100 W and uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface with an MXM Module slot width and no power connectors. The R9 M265X has no listed TDP, slot width, or power connector data, and it uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are listed as portable device dependent for NVIDIA, while AMD has no listed outputs.

Release timing: the AMD card launched on 2014-03-20, and the NVIDIA card on 2013-07-22. Both are end-of-life. The AMD card's predecessor is Solar System and successor is Polaris Mobile. The NVIDIA card's predecessor is Quadro Fermi-M and successor is Quadro Maxwell-M.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M scores 9149 in Geekbench OpenCL, 3.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M265X's 8851.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M265X has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth figures?

A: The AMD card delivers 64.00 GB/s, while the NVIDIA card delivers 102.4 GB/s.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M has 1152 shading units. The AMD Radeon R9 M265X has 640.

Q: How do their percentile rankings compare?

A: The AMD card sits at the 44th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA card sits at the 41st percentile.

Q: Do both cards support DirectX 12?

A: Yes. AMD lists DirectX 12 (11_1) support, and NVIDIA lists DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan support is 1.2.170 for AMD and 1.2.175 for NVIDIA.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is the stronger compute part, but the AMD Radeon R9 M265X is the better-rounded performer relative to its peer group. The Quadro wins the only direct benchmark, and its hardware specifications are decisively higher across the board: more than twice the shading units, six times the texture rate, 60% more memory bandwidth, and double the FP32 throughput at 1.627 TFLOPS versus 800.0 GFLOPS.

However, the AMD card holds a higher percentile ranking, 44th versus 41st, and its nearest rivals include a modern GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, which suggests it competes in a faster overall field. The Quadro's nearest rivals are older desktop parts like the GTX 460 and GTX 650 Ti, and its average benchmark score of 7906 is dragged down by a 6662 Metal result.

For professional workstation use where certified drivers and memory capacity matter, the Quadro K4100M is the clear pick: 4 GB of VRAM, a 256-bit bus, and a 100 W TDP in an MXM module. For general mobile graphics where the user wants a lighter, more efficient part with a higher relative standing, the R9 M265X makes sense. The launch MSRP for the Quadro is 1,499 USD, which reflects its professional positioning. The R9 M265X has no recorded launch MSRP, consistent with its mainstream consumer role.

In short, choose the Quadro for raw compute and professional certification. Choose the Radeon for a balanced mobile GPU that punches above its weight in the broader GPU landscape. The benchmark gap is real but modest, and the architectural differences matter more than the 3.3% score delta.