AMD Radeon R9 M295X vs NVIDIA RTX A5000 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX A5000 is the clear winner in every recorded head-to-head comparison. It takes both shared benchmark tests, Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, with decisive margins. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X, by contrast, does not post a single win in any shared test, so there is no workload category where the data favors it over the A5000.

If you are looking strictly at the database results, the use-case split is simple: the RTX A5000 dominates compute-oriented and graphics-API workloads. Its OpenCL score of 157905 is nearly seven times the R9 M295X's 22858, which points to a massive advantage in general-purpose GPU compute tasks such as rendering, simulation, or any OpenCL-accelerated application. The Vulkan result is similarly lopsided: 137828 versus 29091, a 373.8% lead, which indicates the A5000 handles modern graphics APIs with far more headroom.

The R9 M295X does have one recorded benchmark not shared with the A5000: a Geekbench Metal score of 33790. That result is irrelevant for cross-comparison here because the A5000 has no Metal entry in the database, and Metal is an Apple-specific API, not a general Windows or Linux workload. So in practical terms, anyone choosing between these two cards should expect the RTX A5000 to win every benchmark they can actually run on both.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different eras and design philosophies. The NVIDIA RTX A5000 uses the GA102 chip built on Samsung's 8 nm process, with an Ampere architecture aimed at workstation-class performance. It packs 28,300 million transistors into a 628 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X uses the Amethyst chip on TSMC's 28 nm node, with GCN 3.0 architecture from the Gem System generation. It has 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die, for a density of 13.7 million per square millimeter.

The process node gap is significant: 8 nm versus 28 nm means the A5000 packs over five times the transistor count into a die that is less than twice the size. That density advantage translates directly into the compute resources. The A5000 has 8192 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units, while the R9 M295X has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The A5000 also brings dedicated hardware that the AMD part simply lacks: 64 ray tracing cores and 256 tensor cores. The R9 M295X has no RT cores and no tensor cores, so it cannot accelerate ray tracing or AI inference tasks in hardware.

Memory architecture is another generational leap. The A5000 uses 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, yielding 768.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M295X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, for 160.0 GB/s. That is a 4.8x bandwidth advantage for the A5000, which matters heavily for large datasets, high-resolution textures, and compute workloads. The memory clocks tell the same story: the A5000 runs at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective, while the R9 M295X runs at 1250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective.

Feature support also differs. The A5000 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R9 M295X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The A5000's higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version give it access to more modern rendering features. The A5000 also connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, while the R9 M295X uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface, which is a mobile module standard rather than a desktop slot.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two shared benchmark tests between these GPUs, and both are landslides for the NVIDIA RTX A5000.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the A5000 scores 157905 against the R9 M295X's 22858. That is a delta of 590.8%, meaning the A5000 is roughly 5.9 times faster in raw OpenCL compute. This is the kind of result that shows up in real workloads like video encoding, physics simulation, or any OpenCL-accelerated renderer. The R9 M295X's score is not terrible in isolation, it sits near the 74th percentile of all GPUs in the database, but it is simply outclassed by the A5000's 78th percentile position.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the A5000 scores 137828 versus 29091 for the R9 M295X, a 373.8% lead. Vulkan is a low-level graphics API used by modern games and some professional applications, and the A5000's advantage here indicates it can drive higher frame rates and more complex scenes. The R9 M295X's Vulkan driver support is older (Vulkan 1.2.170 versus 1.4 for the A5000), which may partially explain the gap, but the raw hardware difference is overwhelming regardless.

Look at the average benchmark scores for context. The A5000 has an average score of 33622 across all its recorded tests, while the R9 M295X averages 28580. The A5000's nearest rivals include the GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB at 33694 (0.2% ahead), the Radeon RX 7700S at 33849 (0.7% ahead), the Radeon HD 7950 at 33951 (1% ahead), and the Radeon RX 480 at 33997 (1.1% ahead). The R9 M295X's nearest rivals are the Quadro RTX 8000 at 28421 (0.6% behind), the Radeon RX 570 at 28766 (0.6% ahead), the Radeon RX 6800M at 28874 (1% ahead), and the Radeon RX 470 at 28996 (1.4% ahead). So the A5000 competes with mid-range desktop GPUs from its era, while the R9 M295X sits in a similar performance class to older mainstream cards.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA RTX A5000 wins every shared benchmark by an enormous margin, and it offers architectural features that the AMD Radeon R9 M295X simply does not have. If you need compute performance, modern API support, or large memory capacity, the A5000 is the only rational choice between these two.

Who should pick the RTX A5000? Anyone running professional workloads that use OpenCL, Vulkan, or DirectX 12 Ultimate. The 24 GB GDDR6 memory and 768.0 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for large datasets, high-resolution textures, or multi-GPU rendering pipelines. The 64 RT cores and 256 tensor cores add ray tracing and AI acceleration, which are useful for modern rendering and machine learning inference. Its 230 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin connector make it feasible for a standard workstation build.

Who should pick the R9 M295X? Honestly, based on this data, almost nobody comparing these two directly. The R9 M295X is a mobile MXM module with 4 GB GDDR5, 2.961 TFLOPS FP32, and no RT or tensor cores. Its only advantage is a lower 250 W TDP, but that is not a meaningful win because the A5000 delivers far more performance per watt in every measured test. The R9 M295X does have a Metal benchmark score of 33790, which could matter if you are stuck in an Apple ecosystem, but the A5000 has no Metal data to compare, so that is not a reason to choose the AMD part in a head-to-head.

The verdict is simple: the RTX A5000 is a workstation-class GPU with modern features and massive compute headroom. The R9 M295X is a legacy mobile part from 2014 that cannot keep up in any shared workload. If both are on the table and the price difference is not a factor, take the A5000 without hesitation.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5000 has 8192 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R9 M295X has 2048 shading units. That is a 4x difference in raw shader count.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R9 M295X support ray tracing?

A: No. The R9 M295X has no ray tracing cores listed in the database. The NVIDIA RTX A5000 has 64 RT cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX A5000 has 768.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus. The R9 M295X has 160.0 GB/s from 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The A5000 has 4.8x the bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX A5000 averages 33622 across its recorded tests, placing it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs. The R9 M295X averages 28580, placing it in the 74th percentile.

Q: How much faster is the RTX A5000 in OpenCL?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the A5000 scores 157905 versus 22858 for the R9 M295X, a 590.8% advantage.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No. Both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The RTX A5000 was released in April 2021, and the R9 M295X was released in November 2014.

Specification Differences

This table lists only the fields where the two GPUs differ according to the database.

| Specification | NVIDIA RTX A5000 | AMD Radeon R9 M295X |

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

| Chip | GA102 | Amethyst |

| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 3.0 |

| Generation | Workstation Ampere (Ax000) | Gem System (R9 M200) |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 28,300 million | 5,000 million |

| Die Size | 628 mm² | 366 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 45.1M / mm² | 13.7M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz, 16 Gbps effective | 1250 MHz, 5 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 24 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 768.0 GB/s | 160.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 8192 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 256 | 128 |

| ROPs | 96 | 32 |

| RT Cores | 64 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 256 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 162.7 GPixel/s | 23.14 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 433.9 GTexel/s | 92.54 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 27.77 TFLOPS | 2.961 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 27.77 TFLOPS (1:1) | 2.961 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 230 W | 250 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | Not specified |

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

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | Portable Device Dependent |

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

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Dimensions | 267 mm length, 112 mm height | Not specified |

| Release Date | 2021-04-11 | 2014-11-22 |

| Predecessor | Quadro Turing | Solar System |

| Successor | Workstation Ada | Polaris Mobile |