AMD Radeon R9 M295X vs NVIDIA T600 Mobile Comparison

The Verdict

Based on the recorded data, the NVIDIA T600 Mobile is the clear winner in this comparison. It wins both head-to-head benchmark tests, with a substantial 55.2% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL and a narrower 3.8% edge in Geekbench Vulkan. Its average benchmark score of 32,849 places it in the 77th percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD Radeon R9 M295X averages 28,580, sitting in the 74th percentile. The data indicates that the T600 Mobile is the better choice for compute-heavy workloads, particularly OpenCL-based tasks, while the R9 M295X remains competitive only in Vulkan scenarios.

The T600 Mobile is the pick for professionals or users running OpenCL-accelerated applications, given its massive lead in that test. It also offers modern architectural features, a far lower power draw, and a newer release date. The R9 M295X, by contrast, retains a raw FP32 throughput advantage and a wider memory bus, but its benchmark results do not translate that theoretical edge into real-world wins. For most users, the T600 Mobile is the superior option. The R9 M295X could be considered only in legacy systems where its MXM module form factor is required, or where Vulkan performance is the sole priority, but even there the T600 Mobile still wins.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras. The NVIDIA T600 Mobile uses the Turing architecture, built on the TU117 chip, and is manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X uses the older GCN 3.0 architecture, with the Amethyst chip, on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. This process difference is significant: the T600 Mobile packs 4,700 million transistors into a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5M per mm². The R9 M295X has 5,000 million transistors spread across a much larger 366 mm² die, resulting in a lower density of 13.7M per mm². The newer process gives the T600 Mobile a clear efficiency advantage.

The T600 Mobile is part of the Quadro Turing-M (Tx000) generation, while the R9 M295X belongs to the Gem System (R9 M200) generation. Their predecessor and successor lines differ as well: the T600 Mobile follows the Quadro Pascal-M and leads into Ampere-MW, while the R9 M295X follows Solar System and leads into Polaris Mobile. The T600 Mobile was released on 2021-04-11, while the R9 M295X dates to 2014-11-22, a gap of over six years. Both are marked as end-of-life products.

Shader configuration differs substantially. The T600 Mobile has 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The R9 M295X has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Despite having fewer than half the shading units, the T600 Mobile achieves a higher pixel rate of 45.12 GPixel/s versus 23.14 GPixel/s for the R9 M295X. The R9 M295X does take the texture rate crown at 92.54 GTexel/s, compared to 78.96 GTexel/s for the T600 Mobile. In FP32 compute, the R9 M295X outputs 2.961 TFLOPS against 2.527 TFLOPS for the T600 Mobile. However, the T600 Mobile reaches 5.053 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, while the R9 M295X manages only 2.961 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. This makes the T600 Mobile far stronger in mixed-precision workloads.

API support also differs. The T600 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R9 M295X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The T600 Mobile has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test is the defining result in this matchup. The NVIDIA T600 Mobile scores 35,486, while the AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 22,858. That is a 55.2% delta in favor of the T600 Mobile. This is not a small margin; it represents a decisive advantage in OpenCL compute performance. The R9 M295X's higher FP32 throughput and larger shader count did not translate into OpenCL success. The T600 Mobile's Turing architecture and newer process node appear to deliver better compute efficiency.

The Geekbench Vulkan test is much closer. The T600 Mobile scores 30,211, and the R9 M295X scores 29,091, a 3.8% delta. This is within the range of run-to-run variance, but the recorded data still gives the win to the T600 Mobile. The R9 M295X also has a Geekbench Metal result of 33,790, a test that does not apply to the T600 Mobile, which has no recorded Metal score. That Metal score is higher than the R9 M295X's OpenCL and Vulkan scores, indicating the R9 M295X performs better under Apple's Metal API, but it cannot be compared directly to the T600 Mobile since no corresponding data exists.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The T600 Mobile averages 32,849 across its recorded tests. The R9 M295X averages 28,580. The T600 Mobile sits at the 77th percentile of all GPUs, while the R9 M295X sits at the 74th percentile. In the database, the T600 Mobile's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P104-100 at 32,982 (0.4% lower), the NVIDIA T550 Mobile at 33,161 (0.9% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME at 32,601 (0.8% lower), and the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 at 32,540 (0.9% lower). The R9 M295X's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 570 at 28,766 (0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6800M at 28,874 (1.0% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 470 at 28,996 (1.4% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 at 28,421 (0.6% lower). This places the T600 Mobile in a higher performance tier than the R9 M295X, even though both are near their respective rival clusters.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The T600 Mobile uses a 12 nm process; the R9 M295X uses 28 nm. Transistor counts are 4,700 million versus 5,000 million, but die size is 200 mm² versus 366 mm², giving densities of 23.5M per mm² and 13.7M per mm² respectively. The T600 Mobile has no listed base or boost clocks, while the R9 M295X also has no listed base or boost clocks. Memory clocks differ: the T600 Mobile runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective, while the R9 M295X runs at 1250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective.

Memory configuration is a key split. Both have 4 GB of memory, but the T600 Mobile uses GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M295X uses GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s. Despite the narrower bus, the T600 Mobile achieves higher bandwidth thanks to faster GDDR6 memory.

Compute resources differ sharply. The T600 Mobile has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The R9 M295X has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Pixel rates are 45.12 GPixel/s versus 23.14 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 78.96 GTexel/s versus 92.54 GTexel/s. FP32 is 2.527 TFLOPS versus 2.961 TFLOPS. FP16 is 5.053 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 2.961 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power consumption is dramatically different. The T600 Mobile has a TDP of 40 W and uses an IGP slot width with no power connectors. The R9 M295X has a TDP of 250 W and uses an MXM Module slot width, also with no power connectors. The R9 M295X consumes over six times the power of the T600 Mobile. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the T600 Mobile versus MXM-B (3.0) for the R9 M295X. Both have portable-device-dependent display outputs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA T600 Mobile, with an average benchmark score of 32,849, versus 28,580 for the AMD Radeon R9 M295X.

Q: How large is the OpenCL performance gap?

A: The T600 Mobile scores 35,486 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the R9 M295X scores 22,858, a 55.2% advantage for the T600 Mobile.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R9 M295X win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The recorded head-to-head data shows the T600 Mobile winning both Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The T600 Mobile delivers 192.0 GB/s over a 128-bit GDDR6 bus, while the R9 M295X delivers 160.0 GB/s over a 256-bit GDDR5 bus.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The T600 Mobile has a TDP of 40 W and an IGP slot width. The R9 M295X has a TDP of 250 W and an MXM Module slot width.

Q: Which GPU supports a newer Vulkan version?

A: The NVIDIA T600 Mobile supports Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD Radeon R9 M295X supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA T600 Mobile wins in every measured head-to-head category. Its 55.2% OpenCL lead is the standout result, making it the clear choice for OpenCL compute workloads. Its Vulkan win, while narrower at 3.8%, still gives it the edge in Vulkan-based applications. It also has a higher average benchmark score, a higher percentile ranking, higher memory bandwidth, a higher pixel rate, and far higher FP16 performance at 5.053 TFLOPS versus 2.961 TFLOPS. Its 40 W TDP and IGP form factor make it far more suitable for thin, power-constrained mobile workstations. The newer release date and newer architecture generation also favor the T600 Mobile for longevity and software support.

The AMD Radeon R9 M295X wins in a few specific theoretical areas. It has higher FP32 throughput at 2.961 TFLOPS versus 2.527 TFLOPS, higher texture rate at 92.54 GTexel/s versus 78.96 GTexel/s, and more shading units and TMUs. It also has a wider 256-bit memory bus, although the T600 Mobile's faster GDDR6 memory still gives the T600 Mobile higher overall bandwidth. The R9 M295X has a recorded Metal benchmark score of 33,790, which is higher than its own OpenCL and Vulkan scores, but no comparable Metal data exists for the T600 Mobile. In practice, the R9 M295X's theoretical advantages do not translate into benchmark wins. The only scenario where the R9 M295X might be preferred is a system that specifically requires an MXM-B (3.0) module, such as a legacy mobile workstation chassis, since the T600 Mobile uses PCIe 3.0 instead. Beyond that, the data consistently points to the T600 Mobile as the superior GPU.