AMD Radeon R9 M275X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M275X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A are two end-of-life mobile graphics solutions from the 2014–2015 era, built on the same 28 nm TSMC process but implementing fundamentally different architectures. The data shows a narrow but clear overall winner: the R9 M275X edges out the GTX 950A in the single available head-to-head benchmark, yet the two cards are closely matched in the broader performance spectrum, sitting at the 49th and 48th percentiles of all GPUs respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X leads with an average benchmark score of 10,582, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A trails at 10,273. This represents a difference of 309 points, or roughly 3% in favor of the AMD part.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The R9 M275X is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Radeon RX 6600S, sitting just 0.4% behind it, and is 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 550X. The GTX 950A sits 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6500M and 2% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M375.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap in the head-to-head test?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the R9 M275X scores 11,200 versus the GTX 950A's 10,273, giving the AMD card a 9% advantage. This is the only direct benchmark comparison available between the two.

Q: Do both cards support the same level of DirectX?

A: No. The R9 M275X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the GTX 950A supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The AMD card's API level is slightly higher in this regard.

Q: Which GPU has higher pixel and texture fill rates?

A: The GTX 950A wins both categories. It achieves 17.98 GPixel/s and 44.96 GTexel/s, compared to the R9 M275X's 14.80 GPixel/s and 37.00 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA card has roughly a 21.5% higher pixel rate and 21.5% higher texture rate.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: Both cards have 2 GB of memory on a 128-bit bus, but the R9 M275X uses faster GDDR5 at 4.5 Gbps effective, yielding 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 950A uses slower DDR3 at 2 Gbps effective, resulting in only 32.03 GB/s bandwidth — less than half.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent opposing architectural philosophies from their respective manufacturers. The R9 M275X is built on AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Venus chip, and belongs to the "Gem System (R9 M200)" generation. In contrast, the GTX 950A uses NVIDIA's Maxwell architecture, built around the GM107 chip, and is part of the "GeForce 900A" generation.

Both are fabricated by TSMC on the same 28 nm process node, but the die designs differ significantly. The NVIDIA chip is physically larger at 148 mm² and packs 1,870 million transistors, while the AMD chip is smaller at 123 mm² with 1,500 million transistors. This gives the GTX 950A a slightly higher transistor density of 12.6M per mm² versus 12.2M per mm² for the R9 M275X.

The compute core counts are identical: both have 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. However, the clock speeds tell a different story. The GTX 950A runs at a base clock of 993 MHz with a boost up to 1124 MHz, while the R9 M275X operates at a lower 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost. This clock advantage translates into higher raw throughput for the NVIDIA card: 1,438.7 GFLOPS FP32 versus 1,184.0 GFLOPS for the AMD part.

Memory architecture is where the largest divergence appears. The R9 M275X employs GDDR5 memory running at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) on a 128-bit bus, producing 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 950A uses DDR3 at 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective) on the same 128-bit bus, yielding just 32.03 GB/s. This is a 2.25x bandwidth advantage for AMD.

The cards differ in their physical form factors and power requirements. The GTX 950A is an MXM-B (3.0) module with no power connectors and a 75 W TDP, while the R9 M275X lists no TDP or power connector information. The NVIDIA card's display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its mobile-centric design.

API support also varies. The R9 M275X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 950A supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and a newer Vulkan 1.4. Both cards have no ray tracing or tensor cores, as these predate those technologies.

The Verdict

Based strictly on benchmark data, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is the superior performer. It wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark with a 9% margin in Geekbench OpenCL, and it holds a higher average benchmark score of 10,582 versus 10,273 for the GTX 950A. The R9 M275X also sits at the 49th percentile of all GPUs, one point above the GTX 950A's 48th percentile.

However, the GTX 950A has compensating strengths in raw compute throughput. Its higher clocks produce 1,438.7 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is 21.5% higher than the R9 M275X's 1,184.0 GFLOPS. It also delivers superior pixel and texture fill rates: 17.98 GPixel/s and 44.96 GTexel/s respectively, versus 14.80 GPixel/s and 37.00 GTexel/s for the AMD part.

The memory situation is the deciding factor. The R9 M275X's GDDR5 with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth is more than double the GTX 950A's DDR3 at 32.03 GB/s. For modern games and applications that are bandwidth-sensitive, this advantage likely explains the AMD card's benchmark win despite lower raw compute.

Practical guidance: if you are looking at these two end-of-life mobile GPUs for a legacy system, the R9 M275X is the safer choice for overall application performance and gaming, owing to its memory bandwidth and benchmark results. The GTX 950A may be preferable in compute-bound workloads that benefit from higher FP32 throughput and fill rates, but its DDR3 memory will bottleneck those same workloads in many scenarios. Neither card is competitive with modern GPUs, as both fall in the bottom half of all GPUs by percentile.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R9 M275X | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Venus | GM107 |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell |

| Generation | Gem System (R9 M200) | GeForce 900A |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 1,870 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 148 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.2M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 900 MHz | 993 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 925 MHz | 1124 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz / 4.5 Gbps effective | 1001 MHz / 2 Gbps effective |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 72.00 GB/s | 32.03 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 14.80 GPixel/s | 17.98 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 37.00 GTexel/s | 44.96 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,184.0 GFLOPS | 1,438.7 GFLOPS |

| TDP | Not listed | 75 W |

| Slot Width | Not listed | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | Not listed | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | MXM-B (3.0) |

| Display Outputs | Not listed | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2014-01-27 | 2015-03-12 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | GeForce 800A |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | Not listed |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X scores 11,200, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A scores 10,273. The AMD card wins by a margin of 927 points, which translates to a 9% performance delta. This is a decisive victory for the R9 M275X in the single most relevant comparison between the two cards.

Looking at the average benchmark scores provides additional context. The R9 M275X averages 10,582 across all its benchmark runs, while the GTX 950A averages 10,273. This 309-point gap, or approximately 3%, reinforces the AMD card's edge. However, it is notably the R9 M275X has two benchmark entries (OpenCL and Vulkan) while the GTX 950A only has one (OpenCL), which could affect the averages.

The percentile rankings tell a similar story. The R9 M275X sits at the 49th percentile of all GPUs, placing it just below the median, while the GTX 950A sits at the 48th percentile. Both are mid-pack performers in the grand scheme of GPU history, but the AMD card holds a slight edge.

When examining the nearest rival data, the R9 M275X's 10,582 average score places it within 1% of the AMD Radeon RX 550X (10,481) and within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 6600S (10,629). The GTX 950A's 10,273 average puts it 2% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M375 (10,070) and 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6500M (10,362). These figures confirm that both cards operate in a similar performance tier, with the R9 M275X having a slight but consistent advantage.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R9 M275X wins in memory bandwidth, a critical metric for modern workloads. Its 72.00 GB/s of GDDR5 bandwidth is more than double the GTX 950A's 32.03 GB/s. This makes the AMD card the better choice for games and applications that stream large textures or datasets, where memory throughput is often the bottleneck. The R9 M275X also wins in the only head-to-head benchmark, posting a 9% higher Geekbench OpenCL score, and it has a higher average benchmark score overall. Additionally, it supports a slightly newer DirectX feature level (12_1 versus 12_0), which could enable certain visual effects or compute features in applications that leverage them.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A wins in raw compute throughput. Its FP32 performance of 1,438.7 GFLOPS is 21.5% higher than the R9 M275X's 1,184.0 GFLOPS, making it potentially better suited for compute-heavy tasks like physics simulations or certain productivity workloads that are not memory-bound. The GTX 950A also has higher pixel and texture fill rates — 17.98 GPixel/s and 44.96 GTexel/s respectively, versus 14.80 GPixel/s and 37.00 GTexel/s — which could translate to better performance in older or lighter games that are fill-rate limited. It also operates at higher clocks (993 MHz base, 1124 MHz boost versus 900/925 MHz) and supports a newer Vulkan version (1.4 versus 1.2.170), which may matter for Vulkan-based applications.

For a practical recommendation: choose the R9 M275X for general gaming and graphics workloads where memory bandwidth is crucial. Choose the GTX 950A for scenarios where raw compute throughput and fill rates take priority, provided the workload does not heavily depend on memory bandwidth. In most real-world mobile gaming scenarios, the R9 M275X's bandwidth advantage will likely make it the more consistent performer.