AMD Radeon R9 M275X vs AMD Radeon RX 6500M Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M275X and the AMD Radeon RX 6500M represent two very different eras of mobile graphics, separated by nearly a decade of architectural evolution. The data reveals a stark generational divide, with the newer RX 6500M delivering benchmark scores that dwarf the older R9 M275X, despite both cards occupying a similar overall percentile ranking among all GPUs. The R9 M275X, based on the 28 nm GCN 1.0 architecture, is a relic of the mid-2010s, while the RX 6500M, built on the 6 nm RDNA 2.0 architecture, is a modern entry-level part. This analysis will dissect the benchmark results, architectural shifts, and specification changes that define the chasm between these two mobile offerings.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data presents a decisive victory for the newer card, with the AMD Radeon RX 6500M winning both recorded benchmark tests. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 6500M scores 38,586, a massive leap from the R9 M275X’s 11,200. This translates to a deltaPct of -71, meaning the R9 M275X trails by a staggering 71% in this compute-oriented workload. The result is not a marginal improvement but a complete overhaul of processing capability, reflecting the shift from 640 shading units on GCN 1.0 to 1,024 shading units on RDNA 2.0, alongside a significantly higher boost clock.

The gap is even more pronounced in the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the RX 6500M scores 43,837, while the R9 M275X manages just 9,964. The deltaPct of -77.3 indicates the older card is more than 77% slower in this modern graphics API. This massive disparity is likely influenced by the R9 M275X’s limited support for Vulkan 1.2.170, whereas the RX 6500M supports the more modern Vulkan 1.4. The newer card’s dedicated 16 ray accelerators and superior pixel and texture rates (76.80 GPixel/s and 153.6 GTexel/s, respectively, versus 14.80 GPixel/s and 37.00 GTexel/s for the R9 M275X) make it far more capable of handling the complex draw calls and rendering pipelines of modern APIs.

Interestingly, the average benchmark scores tell a different story. The R9 M275X has an average benchmark score of 10,582, while the RX 6500M’s is slightly lower at 10,362. This discrepancy is explained by the RX 6500M’s inclusion of additional Passmark tests in its benchmark suite, which drag down its average. The RX 6500M’s Passmark scores for DirectX 10, 11, and 12 are 52, 70, and 34, respectively, while its G3D score is 7,531. These scores are not comparable to the Geekbench results and highlight that average scores can be skewed by test selection, making the head-to-head comparison a more reliable indicator of relative performance. In that direct comparison, the RX 6500M is unequivocally the superior performer.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon RX 6500M is the clear winner. It outperforms the R9 M275X by 71% in OpenCL and 77.3% in Vulkan, making it the only logical choice for any modern workload that leverages these APIs. The R9 M275X’s two benchmark scores, 11,200 and 9,964, are simply not competitive with the RX 6500M’s 38,586 and 43,837. While the R9 M275X has a slightly higher average benchmark score (10,582 vs. 10,362), this is an artifact of test selection and does not reflect real-world performance where the newer architecture’s features are utilized.

The RX 6500M’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600S (avg score 10,629, deltaPct -0.4) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A (avg score 10,273, deltaPct 0.9), placing it in a specific performance tier. The R9 M275X, meanwhile, sits near the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 (avg score 10,761, deltaPct -1.7) and the AMD Radeon RX 550X (avg score 10,481, deltaPct 1). This indicates that while both cards have similar aggregate standings, the RX 6500M’s performance profile is skewed towards modern, API-heavy tasks, whereas the R9 M275X’s standing is propped up by its legacy strengths. For any user considering these two, the data unequivocally points to the RX 6500M as the more capable and future-proof option.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6500M wins in every head-to-head benchmark category recorded. Its dominance in Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan suggests it is the superior choice for compute workloads, modern gaming with Vulkan support, and any application that leverages DirectX 12 Ultimate features. The card’s 16 ray accelerators and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) indicate it is built for contemporary graphics pipelines, offering hardware-accelerated ray tracing that the R9 M275X completely lacks. The RX 6500M also has a significantly higher pixel rate (76.80 GPixel/s) and texture rate (153.6 GTexel/s), which directly translates to better fill-rate performance in resolution-heavy and texture-dense scenarios.

The AMD Radeon R9 M275X, conversely, does not win any of the recorded tests. Its only potential advantage lies in its legacy API support profile. It supports DirectX 12 (11_1), which is a feature level older than the RX 6500M’s DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). For extremely old software that relies on specific GCN 1.0 quirks, it might function, but there is no benchmark data to support a win in any scenario. Its 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, while having a wider 128-bit bus, results in a lower bandwidth of 72.00 GB/s compared to the RX 6500M’s 144.0 GB/s over a 64-bit bus. The R9 M275X’s only conceivable niche is in legacy systems where its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is a better fit than the RX 6500M’s PCIe 4.0 x4, but this is a connectivity advantage, not a performance one.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher score in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M has a significantly higher Geekbench Vulkan score of 43,837, compared to the AMD Radeon R9 M275X’s score of 9,964. The RX 6500M is 77.3% faster in this test.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M has a memory bandwidth of 144.0 GB/s, which is double the 72.00 GB/s of the AMD Radeon R9 M275X.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R9 M275X support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The R9 M275X has no ray accelerators listed, while the AMD Radeon RX 6500M includes 16 ray accelerators.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of their average benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 10,582, while the AMD Radeon RX 6500M has an average of 10,362. However, the RX 6500M wins all direct head-to-head comparisons.

Q: Which card has a larger memory capacity?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the AMD Radeon R9 M275X has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: What is the difference in process node size?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the AMD Radeon RX 6500M uses a much more advanced 6 nm process, also at TSMC.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is the primary reason for their performance disparity. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X is based on the GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Venus chip. This architecture is from 2014 and was designed for the DirectX 11 era, with only partial support for DirectX 12 (feature level 11_1). It utilizes 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operation units (ROPs). The chip has a transistor count of 1,500 million on a 123 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². This is a relatively simple design that lacks any dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores.

In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX 6500M is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, using the Navi 24 chip. This modern architecture is designed for DirectX 12 Ultimate and includes 16 dedicated ray accelerators, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing. It features 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, which are substantial increases over the R9 M275X. The Navi 24 chip packs 5,400 million transistors into a smaller 107 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 50.5M per mm². This density increase is a direct result of the 6 nm process node, a significant leap from the 28 nm node used by the older card. The RX 6500M also supports fp16 computation at a 2:1 rate (9.830 TFLOPS), a feature absent from the R9 M275X’s specifications.

Specification Differences

The specifications where the two cards differ are extensive, reflecting their generational gap. The process node is a major difference: the R9 M275X uses a 28 nm process, while the RX 6500M uses a 6 nm process, both from TSMC. This leads to a massive difference in transistor density, with the RX 6500M having 50.5M transistors per mm² versus the R9 M275X’s 12.2M per mm². Clock speeds are also drastically different, with the RX 6500M having a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, far exceeding the R9 M275X’s 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost clocks.

Memory configurations differ significantly. The R9 M275X offers 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, while the RX 6500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus. Despite the narrower bus, the RX 6500M achieves higher bandwidth (144.0 GB/s vs 72.00 GB/s) due to faster memory clocks (18 Gbps effective vs 4.5 Gbps effective). The RX 6500M also has a higher TDP of 50 W, whereas the R9 M275X has no listed TDP. Other differences include the bus interface (PCIe 3.0 x16 for the R9 M275X vs PCIe 4.0 x4 for the RX 6500M), the number of shading units (640 vs 1,024), TMUs (40 vs 64), ROPs (16 vs 32), and the presence of 16 ray accelerators on the RX 6500M. The RX 6500M also supports newer API versions, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, compared to the R9 M275X’s DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.