AMD Radeon R9 M295X vs AMD Radeon RX 7800M Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a stark generational divide. The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the clear performance winner, dominating the R9 M295X in every shared compute and graphics API test. Its average benchmark score of 27,883 places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the older R9 M295X scores 28,580 on average, sitting in the 74th percentile. The RX 7800M should be the choice for anyone seeking modern, high-throughput compute in a laptop. It delivers over five times the OpenCL performance and over four times the Vulkan performance of the older part.

The R9 M295X, however, is an end-of-life product from 2014. It is not a viable option for new purchases. Its data is useful only as a historical baseline to illustrate how far mobile GPUs have advanced in roughly a decade. The 7800M is in active production, uses a far more advanced manufacturing process, and offers a dramatically higher feature set. For any current workload, the choice is unambiguous: the RX 7800M. The R9 M295X is only relevant for legacy systems that require its specific MXM module form factor.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is immense. The R9 M295X is built on the GCN 3.0 architecture, using the Amethyst chip, and is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 5,000 million transistors into a 366 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.7 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the RX 7800M uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 28,100 million transistors on a slightly smaller 346 mm² die, achieving a density of 81.2 million transistors per square millimeter. This is a 5.9x improvement in transistor density.

The core configurations differ correspondingly. The R9 M295X has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster operation units (ROPs). The RX 7800M more than doubles these resources, featuring 3,840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Critically, the RX 7800M introduces 60 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the older GCN part. The RDNA 3.0 GPU also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the R9 M295X is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the RX 7800M offers Vulkan 1.4 support compared to Vulkan 1.2.170 on the R9 M295X.

The memory subsystems are also generations apart. The R9 M295X uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7800M uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s. Despite the narrower bus, the newer memory type provides 2.7x the bandwidth. The R9 M295X also draws 250 W of power, while the RX 7800M is rated at a lower 180 W despite its significantly higher performance, highlighting the efficiency gains of the newer process node.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Only two benchmark tests are directly comparable between the two GPUs, but they tell a decisive story. In Geekbench OpenCL, the R9 M295X scores 22,858. The RX 7800M scores 120,778, a 428% improvement. The delta percentage shows the R9 M295X is 81.1% slower than the RX 7800M in this test. This is not a marginal gain; it is a complete generational leap in raw compute throughput.

The Geekbench Vulkan results follow the same pattern. The R9 M295X scores 29,091, while the RX 7800M scores 126,668. Here, the R9 M295X is 77% slower than the RX 7800M. The RX 7800M's Vulkan score is 4.35x higher than the older card's. Both tests show the RX 7800M winning decisively, and the data shows no benchmark where the R9 M295X comes out ahead.

It is notably the RX 7800M has a broader benchmark suite available, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (score 2,994), Passmark DirectX 11 (score 176), and Passmark G3D (score 17,613). These additional tests are not available for the R9 M295X, so they cannot be directly compared. However, the available head-to-head data is unambiguous: the RX 7800M wins both shared tests by massive margins.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights only the fields where the two GPUs differ, based on the FACT PACK data.

| Specification | AMD Radeon R9 M295X | AMD Radeon RX 7800M |

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

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | RDNA 3.0 |

| Chip | Amethyst | Navi 32 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 5,000 million | 28,100 million |

| Die Size | 366 mm² | 346 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.7M / mm² | 81.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | None listed | 1295 MHz |

| Boost Clock | None listed | 2335 MHz |

| Game Clock | None listed | 2145 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 160.0 GB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 128 | 240 |

| ROPs | 32 | 96 |

| RT Cores | None | 60 |

| Pixel Rate | 23.14 GPixel/s | 224.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 92.54 GTexel/s | 560.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 2.961 TFLOPS | 35.87 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 2.961 TFLOPS (1:1) | 35.87 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 180 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | IGP |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2014-11-22 | 2024-09-10 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | Polaris Mobile |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | None listed |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is decisively faster. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 120,778 compared to the R9 M295X's 22,858, meaning the older card is 81.1% slower. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 7800M scores 126,668 versus 29,091, a 77% deficit for the R9 M295X.

Q: How do the memory systems compare?

A: The RX 7800M has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M295X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 160.0 GB/s. The newer card offers 2.7x the bandwidth and triple the memory capacity.

Q: Does the R9 M295X support ray tracing?

A: No. The R9 M295X has no ray tracing cores listed in its specifications. The RX 7800M includes 60 dedicated ray tracing cores, which is a significant feature for modern games and applications.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The R9 M295X has a TDP of 250 W, while the RX 7800M has a TDP of 180 W. The newer GPU delivers vastly higher performance while consuming 70 W less power, demonstrating the efficiency of the 5 nm process node.

Q: Are these GPUs comparable in terms of production status?

A: No. The R9 M295X is end-of-life and was released on 2014-11-22. The RX 7800M is active and was released on 2024-09-10. The R9 M295X's predecessor is Solar System, and its successor is Polaris Mobile. The RX 7800M's predecessor is Polaris Mobile.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RX 7800M has a transistor density of 81.2 million per mm² on a 346 mm² die with 28,100 million transistors. The R9 M295X has a density of 13.7 million per mm² on a 366 mm² die with 5,000 million transistors. The newer GPU packs 5.9x more transistors per area.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7800M wins every single benchmark category where data is available. In Geekbench OpenCL, it outperforms the R9 M295X by a factor of 5.3x. In Geekbench Vulkan, it is 4.35x faster. The RX 7800M also has a much richer benchmark profile, with scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad, Passmark DirectX 9/10/11/12, Passmark G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute tests. These additional scores indicate a GPU that is capable across a wide range of modern workloads, from legacy DirectX 9 titles to the latest DX12 and Vulkan applications.

The R9 M295X has no wins in any compared benchmark. Its only advantage is historical. It uses an MXM module form factor with an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface, which is a specific niche for older laptops that require that upgrade path. For someone maintaining a legacy 2014-era machine, the R9 M295X might be the only compatible option. However, from a pure performance standpoint, the RX 7800M is superior in every measurable way.

For modern gaming, content creation, or compute tasks, the RX 7800M is the only rational choice. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, 60 ray tracing cores, and 35.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance place it in a completely different class. The R9 M295X, with its 4 GB of GDDR5 and 2.961 TFLOPS, is a relic of a bygone era. The data shows that the RX 7800M delivers approximately 12x the FP32 throughput of the older card, making it suitable for tasks that would be impossible on the R9 M295X. The RX 7800M is also the more power-efficient option, with a 180 W TDP compared to 250 W. In summary, the RX 7800M is the winner for any current or future workload, while the R9 M295X is only relevant as a drop-in replacement for aging hardware.