AMD Radeon R9 M295X vs NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q Comparison

The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X are both end-of-life products built on the 28 nm process, but they serve fundamentally different purposes. The data from our database shows a clear split: the GRID M60-1Q is a server-side virtualization card with no display outputs, while the R9 M295X is a mobile module designed for high-performance laptops. In the recorded Vulkan benchmark, the NVIDIA card wins the only head-to-head test, but the AMD card offers a more versatile software ecosystem within the database's measurements. This analysis breaks down where each card excels based on the recorded scores and architectural specifications.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q wins in raw Vulkan compute performance, the only benchmark where both cards were tested head-to-head. The database shows it scoring 31,220 points in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 7.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M295X's score of 29,091 in the same test. This places the NVIDIA card at the 76th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the AMD card sits at the 74th percentile. For workloads that rely heavily on Vulkan APIs, the GRID M60-1Q is the stronger choice.

The AMD Radeon R9 M295X wins in terms of benchmark coverage and memory capacity. It has three recorded benchmark scores in the database: Geekbench Metal at 33,790, Geekbench OpenCL at 22,858, and Geekbench Vulkan at 29,091. This gives it an average benchmark score of 28,580. The NVIDIA card only has a single Vulkan score, which means the AMD card's performance can be assessed across multiple API ecosystems. Additionally, the R9 M295X comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory compared to just 1 GB on the GRID M60-1Q, a significant advantage for memory-intensive tasks.

The AMD card also holds an edge in transistor density. Despite having 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die, it achieves a density of 13.7 million transistors per square millimeter, slightly higher than the NVIDIA card's 13.1 million per square millimeter on a 398 mm² die with 5,200 million transistors. This suggests a marginally more compact design for the AMD chip.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural lineages. The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q is based on the GM204 chip with Maxwell 2.0 architecture, while the AMD Radeon R9 M295X uses the Amethyst chip with GCN 3.0 architecture. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but their design philosophies diverge significantly.

The NVIDIA card features 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its clock speeds range from a base of 557 MHz to a boost of 1,178 MHz. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 75.39 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 150.8 GTexel/s. The AMD card also has 2,048 shading units and 128 TMUs, but only 32 ROPs. Its clock speeds are not listed in the database, yet its pixel rate is 23.14 GPixel/s and texture rate is 92.54 GTexel/s, both significantly lower than the NVIDIA card. This indicates the GRID M60-1Q is built for higher throughput in rasterization-heavy tasks.

Memory configurations differ as well. The NVIDIA card has 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD card has 4 GB of GDDR5 on the same 256-bit bus, providing 160.0 GB/s. The memory clock speeds are nearly identical: the NVIDIA card runs at 1,253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the AMD card runs at 1,250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The extra capacity on the AMD card is the key differentiator.

FP32 compute performance shows a clear NVIDIA advantage. The GRID M60-1Q delivers 4.825 TFLOPS, while the R9 M295X produces 2.961 TFLOPS. The AMD card does list FP16 performance at 2.961 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), but the NVIDIA card has no recorded FP16 value. API support also differs: the NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD card supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Physically, the NVIDIA card is a dual-slot design measuring 267 mm (10.5 inches) with a single 8-pin power connector and a suggested power supply of 550 W. Its TDP is 225 W. The AMD card is an MXM module with no power connectors, and its TDP is 250 W. The NVIDIA card has no display outputs, while the AMD card's outputs are described as "portable device dependent."

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q scores 31,220 against the AMD Radeon R9 M295X's 29,091. This gives the NVIDIA card a 7.3% lead. In terms of percentile ranking, the NVIDIA card sits at the 76th percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD card is at the 74th percentile. This margin is consistent with the NVIDIA card's higher FP32 compute and pixel fill rates.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card, the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q's average score of 31,220 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (31,206, 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER (31,087, 0.4% delta). It trails the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (31,532, -1%) and the NVIDIA TITAN RTX (31,676, -1.4%). The AMD Radeon R9 M295X's average score of 28,580 is 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (28,421) but behind the AMD Radeon RX 570 (28,766, -0.6%), the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28,874, -1%), and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (28,996, -1.4%).

These comparisons reveal that the NVIDIA card's Vulkan score is competitive with much newer and more powerful cards, while the AMD card's average score places it in a lower performance tier. However, the AMD card's Metal score of 33,790 is notably higher than its OpenCL score of 22,858, suggesting platform-specific strengths that the NVIDIA card cannot match due to lack of corresponding benchmark data.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q delivers 4.825 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, compared to 2.961 TFLOPS on the AMD Radeon R9 M295X. This gives the NVIDIA card a substantial advantage in compute-heavy workloads.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M295X has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, four times the 1 GB found on the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q. Both use a 256-bit bus with nearly identical bandwidth: 160.0 GB/s for AMD and 160.4 GB/s for NVIDIA.

Q: Which card is better for Vulkan workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q scores 31,220 in Geekbench Vulkan, 7.3% higher than the AMD card's 29,091. The NVIDIA card also supports Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD card supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q has a TDP of 225 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector with a 550 W suggested power supply. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X has a higher TDP of 250 W but uses an MXM module with no power connectors.

Q: Do these cards have display outputs?

A: No. The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q has no display outputs, and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X's outputs are dependent on the portable device it is installed in. Neither is intended for direct display connection.

Q: How do these cards rank against other GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA card is at the 76th percentile of all GPUs, with a score comparable to the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 and slightly above the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. The AMD card is at the 74th percentile, with a score slightly above the Quadro RTX 8000 but below cards like the Radeon RX 570.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy between these two cards, but the choice depends entirely on the use case. The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q wins the only head-to-head benchmark, outperforming the AMD Radeon R9 M295X by 7.3% in Geekbench Vulkan. Its higher FP32 compute (4.825 TFLOPS), pixel rate (75.39 GPixel/s), and texture rate (150.8 GTexel/s) make it the stronger card for graphics-intensive compute tasks. The 64 ROPs on the NVIDIA card, double the AMD card's 32, further reinforce this advantage.

However, the AMD Radeon R9 M295X offers a more well-rounded package for mobile or portable systems. Its 4 GB memory capacity is a major asset for large datasets, and its recorded performance across Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan APIs gives it broader software compatibility. The AMD card's Metal score of 33,790 is particularly strong, though it lacks a direct NVIDIA counterpart in the database for comparison.

For users seeking maximum Vulkan compute performance in a server or virtualized environment, the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q is the clear winner. Its score places it near the NVIDIA TITAN RTX and RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, both far more modern cards. For portable deployments requiring larger memory and multi-API support, the AMD Radeon R9 M295X is the more practical choice, despite its lower raw compute and smaller transistor count. The final decision hinges on whether Vulkan performance or memory capacity and API versatility take priority.