AMD Radeon R9 M360 vs NVIDIA Quadro P5000 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M360 and NVIDIA Quadro P5000 represent two vastly different eras and purposes, despite their average benchmark scores landing close together in the database. The R9 M360, a 2015 mobile chip built on GCN 1.0, and the P5000, a 2016 professional desktop card on Pascal, diverge sharply on architecture, memory, and compute capability. The data indicates the Quadro P5000 is the overwhelming choice for compute-heavy and professional workloads, while the R9 M360 holds a surprising edge in one specific API test. This analysis breaks down where each card excels and who should consider which, strictly based on the provided facts.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split: pick the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 for serious compute, modern API support, and professional-grade memory capacity. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 52,509 is a massive 84.4% higher than the R9 M360's 8,211, demonstrating a colossal advantage in general-purpose compute. The P5000 also brings 16 GB of GDDR5X memory, a 256-bit bus, and a 288.5 GB/s bandwidth, versus the R9 M360's 4 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s. For any task involving large datasets, rendering, or simulation, the P5000 is the only rational choice from this data.

The AMD Radeon R9 M360 is only preferable in a narrow scenario: if your primary workload is Vulkan-based and you need a low-power, end-of-life mobile GPU. It wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 8,047, beating the P5000's 6,342 by 26.9%. This is a significant anomaly, as the P5000 is vastly superior in raw specs. However, the R9 M360 has no TDP listed, suggesting it was designed for power-constrained environments, while the P5000 is a dual-slot card with a 180 W TDP and requires a 450 W PSU. For a builder prioritizing a specific Vulkan workload in a compact system, the R9 M360 could be a niche fit, but for virtually everything else, the P5000 dominates.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data provides two clear use-case splits. The Quadro P5000 wins decisively in OpenCL compute. Its score of 52,509 dwarfs the R9 M360's 8,211, a delta of -84.4% for the AMD card. This indicates the P5000 is built for heavy parallel processing, likely in professional applications like CAD, scientific computing, or video rendering. The P5000 also wins on API support, with DirectX 12 (12_1) versus the R9 M360's DirectX 12 (11_1), and a newer Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.2.170. The P5000's memory subsystem—16 GB GDDR5X at 288.5 GB/s—further cements its position for large-frame-buffer tasks, where the R9 M360's 4 GB GDDR5 at 72.00 GB/s would quickly bottleneck.

The Radeon R9 M360 wins exclusively in the Geekbench Vulkan test. Its score of 8,047 outpaces the P5000's 6,342 by 26.9%. This is a surprising result given the P5000's superior hardware, but the data is clear. This suggests the R9 M360's GCN 1.0 architecture has a specific strength in Vulkan driver optimization or a particular workload within that test. If a user's sole benchmark is Vulkan-based, the R9 M360 is the winner. Additionally, the R9 M360 has a lower transistor count (1,500 million vs. 7,200 million) and a smaller die (123 mm² vs. 314 mm²), which historically correlates with lower power draw, though no TDP is listed for the AMD card to confirm this.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is generational. The R9 M360 uses the Tropo chip built on GCN 1.0, a 28 nm process from TSMC with 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. It features 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Its transistor density is 12.2M / mm². This is an older design, reflected in its API support for DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The R9 M360's predecessor is "Solar System" and its successor is "Polaris Mobile," indicating it was a transitional mobile part.

The Quadro P5000 uses the GP104 chip on Pascal architecture, fabricated on a 16 nm process from TSMC. It packs 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die, with a transistor density of 22.9M / mm²—nearly double the AMD card. It has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, which are 5x, 5x, and 4x the R9 M360's counts, respectively. The P5000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, and it has a dedicated FP16 performance of 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64), whereas the R9 M360 has no FP16 figure listed. The P5000's predecessor is "Quadro Maxwell" and its successor is "Quadro Volta," showing its place in the professional lineup. The process node difference alone—28 nm vs. 16 nm—explains much of the efficiency and density advantage for NVIDIA.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M360 has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 8,129, compared to the NVIDIA Quadro P5000's 8,039. However, this average is heavily skewed by the R9 M360's Vulkan win and does not reflect the P5000's massive OpenCL lead.

Q: Is the Quadro P5000 better for compute workloads?

A: Yes, decisively. The P5000 scores 52,509 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 84.4% higher than the R9 M360's 8,211. This indicates far superior raw compute performance, suitable for professional tasks.

Q: Does the AMD card win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the R9 M360 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 8,047, beating the P5000's 6,342 by 26.9%. This is its single benchmark victory.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The R9 M360 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. The P5000 has 16 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, with 288.5 GB/s bandwidth. The P5000 has 4x the memory and 4x the bandwidth.

Q: Which card has better API support?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro P5000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD R9 M360 supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The P5000 has newer versions of both APIs.

Q: What is the production status of both cards?

A: Both the AMD Radeon R9 M360 and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 are listed as "End-of-life" production status.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two benchmark results in the head-to-head data could not be more polarized. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 delivers a crushing performance of 52,509 points. The AMD Radeon R9 M360 scores only 8,211, resulting in a delta of -84.4% for the AMD card. This is a 6.4x advantage for the P5000, a margin that reflects its 2,560 shading units versus 512, and its 8.873 TFLOPS FP32 throughput versus 947.2 GFLOPS. The P5000 is not just faster; it is in a different performance class entirely for general-purpose compute.

In stark contrast, the Geekbench Vulkan test flips the script. The R9 M360 scores 8,047, while the P5000 trails at 6,342. The AMD card wins by 26.9%, a significant margin that cannot be explained by the raw specification sheet. The P5000 has a higher boost clock (1,733 MHz vs. 925 MHz) and far more cores, yet it loses this specific API test. This suggests a driver-level or architectural quirk in GCN 1.0 that favors the Vulkan workload in this benchmark. The R9 M360's win is narrow but real, and it is the only metric where the older card stands above the professional NVIDIA offering.

Beyond these two tests, the P5000 has additional benchmark data that the R9 M360 lacks. The P5000 scores 12,634 in Passmark G3D, 6,508 in GPU Compute, and 674 in G2D. It also shows specific DirectX scores: 170 in DirectX 9, 102 in DirectX 11, 77 in DirectX 10, and 44 in DirectX 12. These numbers are not available for the R9 M360, but they paint a picture of a versatile card that handles legacy and modern APIs with strength, except for the Vulkan anomaly noted above.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs show stark contrasts, with the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 leading in nearly every measurable category. The clock speeds differ significantly: the R9 M360 has a base clock of 900 MHz and boost of 925 MHz, while the P5000 has a base of 1,607 MHz and boost of 1,733 MHz. The memory is a major differentiator: the R9 M360 uses 4 GB GDDR5 at 1,125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective), while the P5000 uses 16 GB GDDR5X at 1,127 MHz (9 Gbps effective). This results in bandwidth of 72.00 GB/s for the AMD and 288.5 GB/s for the NVIDIA.

The core configuration is heavily lopsided. The R9 M360 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The P5000 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Consequently, the pixel rate and texture rate favor the P5000: 110.9 GPixel/s and 277.3 GTexel/s versus 14.80 GPixel/s and 29.60 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 8.873 TFLOPS for the P5000 versus 947.2 GFLOPS for the R9 M360. The P5000 also has a listed TDP of 180 W, a dual-slot width, a 1x 8-pin power connector, and a suggested 450 W PSU, while the R9 M360 has none of these listed. The P5000's dimensions are 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the R9 M360 has no dimensions listed. The display outputs for the P5000 are 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, whereas the R9 M360 has none listed. Finally, the P5000 has a launch MSRP of 2,499 USD, while the R9 M360 has no launch MSRP field. The R9 M360 was released on 2015-05-04, and the P5000 on 2016-09-30.