AMD Radeon R9 M275X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head comparisons show a clear sweep for the AMD Radeon R9 M275X across both tests, with the margin in each case being substantial but not overwhelming. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD part scores 11,200 against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M’s 9,821, a 14% advantage. In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the AMD card posts 9,964 versus 8,782, a 13.5% lead. Both results are consistent in direction, suggesting the AMD architecture holds a genuine performance edge in these compute workloads rather than an anomaly tied to a single API.

Looking at the broader database context, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X’s average benchmark score is 10,582, which places it in the 49th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600S at 10,629 (a 0.4% deficit), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti at 10,690 (a 1% deficit), and the AMD Radeon RX 550X at 10,481 (a 1% advantage). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M, by contrast, averages 9,302, sitting in the 46th percentile. Its closest competitors are the AMD Radeon R7 M380 at 9,313 (a 0.1% deficit), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 at 9,294 (a 0.1% advantage), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 at 9,273 (a 0.3% advantage). The delta between the two cards, roughly 1,280 points on average, is far larger than any delta within their respective rival clusters, reinforcing that this is a real tier gap rather than noise.

The OpenCL result deserves particular attention. A 14% lead in a general-purpose compute test suggests the AMD chip’s raw throughput, its FP32 rating of 1,184.0 GFLOPS versus 1,154.6 GFLOPS, translates into measurable gains. The Vulkan result, while slightly narrower at 13.5%, still shows the AMD part pulling ahead in a modern graphics API. Since both tests point in the same direction, the data does not support any scenario where the NVIDIA card wins a head-to-head comparison in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X wins with a score of 11,200 against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M’s 9,821, a 14% advantage.

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X wins with a score of 9,964 against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M’s 8,782, a 13.5% advantage.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X has an average score of 10,582, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M has an average score of 9,302.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X sits in the 49th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M sits in the 46th percentile.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X offers 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth, more than double the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M’s 32.03 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M has 1,870 million transistors, compared to the AMD Radeon R9 M275X’s 1,500 million.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages, and the database records show distinct design philosophies. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X uses the Venus chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, a first-generation Graphics Core Next design. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M uses the GM107 chip built on Maxwell architecture, NVIDIA’s second-generation Maxwell implementation. Both are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, so the underlying manufacturing technology is identical. The AMD chip has a die size of 123 mm², while the NVIDIA chip is larger at 148 mm². Despite the larger die, the NVIDIA chip packs more transistors: 1,870 million versus 1,500 million. This yields a slightly higher transistor density, 12.6M per mm² for NVIDIA versus 12.2M per mm² for AMD.

The memory subsystem differs sharply. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X uses GDDR5 memory with an effective data rate of 4.5 Gbps, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M uses DDR3 memory at an effective 2 Gbps. Both have a 128-bit bus and 2 GB capacity, but the resulting bandwidth is dramatically different: 72.00 GB/s for AMD versus 32.03 GB/s for NVIDIA. This bandwidth gap is likely a major contributor to the compute benchmark differences, as memory throughput often becomes a bottleneck in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads.

The API support also diverges. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA part supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Vulkan version difference (1.2.170 for AMD versus 1.4 for NVIDIA) is notable, though the benchmark results still favor AMD in the Vulkan test. The NVIDIA GPU carries a 45 W TDP, while the AMD card’s TDP is not recorded in the database. The NVIDIA chip is classified as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors and portable device dependent display outputs, whereas the AMD card’s power and display specifications are not listed.

Specification Differences

The database records several direct specification differences beyond the architectural ones. Clock speeds show the AMD card operating at a 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost, while the NVIDIA card lists no base or boost clock. Memory clocks are similarly asymmetric: AMD runs at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective), NVIDIA at 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective). Compute rates reflect these clocks: AMD achieves 1,184.0 GFLOPS FP32, NVIDIA 1,154.6 GFLOPS. Pixel rate is 14.80 GPixel/s for AMD versus 14.43 GPixel/s for NVIDIA, and texture rate is 37.00 GTexel/s versus 36.08 GTexel/s. These are all narrow margins, consistent with the similar shading unit, TMU, and ROP counts: both have 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs.

Memory type is the most consequential divergence. AMD uses GDDR5, NVIDIA uses DDR3. With the same 128-bit bus width, the memory type alone explains the bandwidth gap. The NVIDIA part is the only one with a recorded TDP (45 W), slot width (IGP), power connectors (None), and display outputs (Portable Device Dependent). The AMD card leaves these fields blank. Both use PCIe 3.0 x16 interfaces. The AMD card’s release date is 2014-01-27, while the NVIDIA card’s is 2014-03-11, a difference of roughly six weeks. Both are marked as end-of-life products.

Where Each One Wins

Based purely on the database records, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X wins every benchmark category in the head-to-head comparison. It holds a 14% lead in OpenCL and a 13.5% lead in Vulkan. Its average benchmark score is 1,280 points higher, and its percentile rank is three points higher (49th versus 46th). The AMD card also has a decisive bandwidth advantage, 72.00 GB/s versus 32.03 GB/s, which likely underpins its compute performance. For any workload that stresses memory throughput, such as large data transfers or texture-heavy compute, the AMD part has the clear edge.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M, despite losing all head-to-head tests, does have some recorded advantages. Its transistor count is higher, 1,870 million versus 1,500 million, and its die is larger at 148 mm² versus 123 mm². It also supports a newer Vulkan version (1.4 versus 1.2.170). Its TDP is documented at 45 W, which is a useful data point for system integration, whereas the AMD card’s TDP is absent from the database. The NVIDIA part’s nearest rival cluster shows it trading blows with cards like the GeForce GTX 465 and Radeon R7 M380, all within a 0.9% range, indicating strong consistency within its performance tier.

In practical terms, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is the superior choice for compute-oriented tasks, as evidenced by its OpenCL and Vulkan scores. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M, by contrast, does not win any recorded benchmark, so there is no scenario in the data where it outperforms the AMD part. However, for users who prioritize a known power envelope, the NVIDIA card’s documented 45 W TDP offers a concrete specification that the AMD card lacks.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the AMD Radeon R9 M275X outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M in every recorded benchmark. The 14% OpenCL lead and 13.5% Vulkan lead are substantial, and the average score difference of 1,280 points confirms the gap is not a fluke. The AMD card’s GDDR5 memory, with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, is a clear architectural advantage over the NVIDIA card’s DDR3 at 32.03 GB/s. For anyone selecting a GPU for compute workloads, OpenCL, or Vulkan applications, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is the documented winner.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M, however, should not be dismissed entirely. It offers a recorded TDP of 45 W, which makes it a potentially easier component to integrate into a power-constrained system, and its larger transistor count suggests a more complex design. Its Vulkan 1.4 support is more recent than the AMD card’s 1.2.170. But these advantages do not translate into benchmark wins in the database. The NVIDIA card’s nearest rivals, such as the GeForce GTX 465 and Radeon R7 M380, all fall within a narrow performance band around 9,300, whereas the AMD card sits comfortably above 10,500.

Ultimately, the choice depends on the priority. If raw benchmark performance is the goal, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is the only rational pick, as it holds a double-digit lead in both tests. If the requirement is a documented power draw and a newer Vulkan revision, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M offers those specific attributes, but with the caveat that it loses every performance comparison in the database. The percentile ranking reinforces this: the AMD card sits at the 49th percentile, the NVIDIA card at the 46th, a modest but consistent gap across all GPUs. For most use cases, the benchmark data favors AMD.