AMD Radeon R9 M275X vs AMD Radeon Vega 8 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data places the AMD Radeon R9 M275X and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 in different performance tiers, with the discrete mobile GPU holding a clear edge in the recorded tests. The R9 M275X wins both head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with a 27% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL and a 22.5% advantage in Geekbench Vulkan. The average benchmark score for the R9 M275X is 10,582, placing it in the 49th percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega 8 averages 9,221, landing in the 45th percentile.

For users choosing between these two, the R9 M275X is the pick when raw compute performance in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads is the priority. It also offers dedicated GDDR5 memory, which removes the dependency on system memory bandwidth. The Vega 8, however, is an integrated part of a Raven Ridge processor, meaning it requires no separate graphics card slot and consumes minimal power, with a TDP of 25 W. The data suggests the R9 M275X for anyone who can accommodate a discrete card and wants higher benchmark scores. The Vega 8 makes sense for compact, low-power systems where the integrated solution is sufficient, accepting a measurable performance deficit.

The nearest rival comparisons reinforce this split. The R9 M275X sits within 1.7% of the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 and within 1% of the AMD Radeon RX 550X, showing it competes with entry-level discrete cards. The Vega 8, by contrast, sits within 0.9% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M and within 0.6% of the GTX 960, indicating it trades blows with older mainstream mobile GPUs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD graphics architecture. The R9 M275X uses the Venus chip built on GCN 1.0, a 28 nm design manufactured by TSMC. It contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm². The Vega 8 uses the Raven chip built on GCN 5.0, a 14 nm design manufactured by GlobalFoundries. It packs 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, giving a density of 23.5 million per mm². The Vega 8 integrates far more logic due to its CPU and GPU combination, but the R9 M275X is a pure graphics processor.

Core counts differ significantly. The R9 M275X has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units. The Vega 8 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. Despite fewer cores, the Vega 8's newer architecture supports FP16 compute at 2.253 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the R9 M275X has no listed FP16 capability. In FP32, the R9 M275X delivers 1,184.0 GFLOPS versus 1,126.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 8, a modest 5% lead for the discrete card.

Memory architecture is the largest differentiator. The R9 M275X has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 8 uses system shared memory, with bandwidth listed as system dependent. This means the Vega 8's performance scales with the host system's RAM speed, while the R9 M275X has a fixed, dedicated memory pipeline.

Clock speeds also differ. The R9 M275X runs at a base of 900 MHz with a 925 MHz boost, while the Vega 8 has a 300 MHz base and an 1100 MHz boost. The Vega 8's low base clock reflects power-saving idle behavior, but its boost clock is substantially higher. Pixel rate favors the R9 M275X at 14.80 GPixel/s versus 8.800 GPixel/s, while texture rates are close: 37.00 GTexel/s versus 35.20 GTexel/s.

API support differs as well. The R9 M275X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega 8 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Vega 8 also has a Geekbench Metal score of 10,706, while the R9 M275X has no recorded Metal benchmark. The Vega 8 is an integrated graphics processor with a 25 W TDP, no power connectors, and motherboard-dependent display outputs. The R9 M275X is a PCIe 3.0 x16 discrete card with no TDP listed in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The R9 M275X wins in every head-to-head benchmark recorded. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 11,200 against 8,822 for the Vega 8, a 27% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 9,964 against 8,134, a 22.5% advantage. This makes it the stronger choice for OpenCL compute tasks, such as rendering, physics simulation, or any workload that leverages the GPU's shading units. It also wins in Vulkan gaming scenarios, where the newer API is used, though the margin is slightly smaller.

The Vega 8's wins come from its architecture and integration. It has a higher boost clock (1100 MHz versus 925 MHz), newer GCN 5.0 instruction set, and support for DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.3, which may enable features not available on the older GCN 1.0 part. It also has FP16 support, which can accelerate certain machine learning or compute workloads, though the database only records a 2.253 TFLOPS figure for that mode. The Vega 8's Metal score of 10,706 is notably higher than its OpenCL or Vulkan scores, suggesting it performs well in Apple's Metal API, but no comparable Metal score exists for the R9 M275X.

For system builders, the Vega 8 wins on integration. It is an IGP with a 25 W TDP, no power connectors, and no slot width, meaning it fits into any motherboard with a compatible Raven Ridge processor. The R9 M275X requires a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and dedicated cooling. The Vega 8 also has a higher transistor density (23.5M per mm² versus 12.2M per mm²) and a newer production process, though both are end-of-life products in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The R9 M275X has an average benchmark score of 10,582, while the Vega 8 averages 9,221. The R9 M275X also sits in the 49th percentile of all GPUs, four points higher than the Vega 8's 45th percentile.

Q: How much faster is the R9 M275X in OpenCL?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the R9 M275X scores 11,200 versus 8,822 for the Vega 8, a 27% difference in favor of the discrete card.

Q: Does the Vega 8 have any API advantages over the R9 M275X?

A: Yes. The Vega 8 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the R9 M275X supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega 8 also has a recorded Geekbench Metal score of 10,706.

Q: What memory does each GPU use?

A: The R9 M275X has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth, meaning it relies on the host system's RAM.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The R9 M275X has 640 shading units, while the Vega 8 has 512. The R9 M275X also has more TMUs (40 versus 32) and more ROPs (16 versus 8).

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No. Both are listed as end-of-life products in the database. The R9 M275X was released on 2014-01-27, and the Vega 8 was released on 2018-02-11.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct comparisons between these GPUs, and the R9 M275X wins both. The first is Geekbench OpenCL, where the R9 M275X scores 11,200 and the Vega 8 scores 8,822. The delta of 27% is the largest margin in either test. This gap likely stems from the R9 M275X's dedicated GDDR5 memory with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, which gives it a consistent memory pipeline. The Vega 8's system shared memory can be a bottleneck, as its bandwidth is system dependent and may vary with the installed RAM.

The second test is Geekbench Vulkan, where the R9 M275X scores 9,964 against 8,134 for the Vega 8, a 22.5% margin. This is a smaller but still decisive win. The Vega 8's newer Vulkan 1.3 support does not overcome its lower core count and shared memory architecture. Notably, the Vega 8's Vulkan score of 8,134 is its lowest recorded benchmark, suggesting Vulkan workloads do not favor the integrated design. The R9 M275X's Vulkan score of 9,964 is also lower than its OpenCL score, but the relative drop is smaller.

Looking at the nearest rivals for context, the R9 M275X's average score of 10,582 places it just 0.4% below the AMD Radeon RX 6600S (10,629) and 1% above the AMD Radeon RX 550X (10,481). It also trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (10,690) by 1% and the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 (10,761) by 1.7%. These are all discrete cards, reinforcing that the R9 M275X belongs in that class.

The Vega 8's nearest rivals are a mix of integrated and discrete parts. Its average of 9,221 is 0.1% above the AMD Radeon 890M (9,210), 0.6% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9,273), 0.8% below the GTX 465 (9,294), and 0.9% below the GTX 850M (9,302). The fact that the Vega 8 matches an integrated GPU like the 890M so closely, while also staying within 1% of older discrete cards, shows it performs at the edge of integrated graphics capability.

The wins are unambiguous: the R9 M275X takes both head-to-head tests with margins above 20%. The Vega 8's only recorded win of any kind is its Geekbench Metal score of 10,706, which has no direct comparison in the database for the R9 M275X. This means the Vega 8 may be preferable for Metal-based applications on Apple platforms, but for OpenCL and Vulkan, the R9 M275X is the clear performer. In terms of raw compute, the R9 M275X's FP32 output of 1,184.0 GFLOPS versus 1,126.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 8 supports the benchmark results, as does its higher pixel rate (14.80 versus 8.800 GPixel/s) and texture rate (37.00 versus 35.20 GTexel/s).