AMD Radeon R9 M375 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M375 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile represent two completely different eras of mobile graphics. The R9 M375 is a legacy part from the GCN 1.0 generation, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile is a modern Ampere-based chip. The recorded benchmark data shows a stark contrast in raw performance, but the specific characteristics of each card dictate very different use cases. This analysis breaks down where each unit excels, the architectural gulf between them, and which type of system each is suited for based strictly on the database measurements.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark result, and it is overwhelmingly in favor of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998, while the AMD Radeon R9 M375 scores 10,457. This represents a delta of -80.3% for the AMD part, meaning the NVIDIA card is roughly five times faster in this specific compute workload. There are no benchmark categories in the database where the R9 M375 wins against the RTX 3050 A Mobile; the wins tally is 0 for AMD and 1 for NVIDIA.

However, the R9 M375 does have a context where it is not entirely outclassed. Its average benchmark score of 10,070 places it in the 48th percentile of all GPUs, which is actually higher than the RTX 3050 A Mobile's 44th percentile. This is a critical distinction. The RTX 3050 A Mobile's average score of 8,746 is dragged down by its Passmark results, which are quite low (e.g., Passmark G3D score of 11,664, but DirectX 10 and 12 scores of 61 and 55, respectively). The R9 M375, with only two Geekbench scores, appears more consistent. Therefore, the AMD card wins in the niche of legacy driver support and consistent OpenCL/Vulkan performance for its era, while the NVIDIA card wins decisively in absolute modern compute throughput.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast. The AMD Radeon R9 M375 is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, using a chip codenamed Tropo. It is manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 123 mm² and 1,500 million transistors. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile uses the Ampere architecture with the GA106 chip, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This chip is significantly larger at 276 mm² and packs 12,000 million transistors. The transistor density tells the story: the NVIDIA part has 43.5 million transistors per mm², compared to the AMD's 12.2 million per mm².

The compute resources differ massively. The R9 M375 has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operation units (ROPs). The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 1,792 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Furthermore, the NVIDIA card includes hardware features that the AMD card lacks entirely: 14 ray tracing cores and 56 tensor cores. This makes the RTX 3050 A Mobile a DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) part, while the R9 M375 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). The memory subsystems are also from different generations. AMD uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. NVIDIA uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 192.0 GB/s, a 6.7x improvement in memory bandwidth.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the choice is clear for any modern workload: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the superior performer. In the only direct comparison available, the Geekbench OpenCL score, it is 80.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M375. Its architectural features, including ray tracing cores and tensor cores, are simply absent on the older AMD part. For anyone running current games or compute applications that leverage DirectX 12 Ultimate features, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the only viable option.

The AMD Radeon R9 M375, however, still has a purpose. Its 48th percentile ranking against all GPUs is higher than the RTX 3050 A Mobile's 44th percentile, suggesting that in older, less demanding software, it may offer a more stable experience relative to its peers. It is a legacy part, now end-of-life, that is best suited for older systems running legacy operating systems or applications that do not require modern feature sets. The data does not support recommending the R9 M375 for any new build, but it indicates that it is not a useless piece of silicon. For a builder resurrecting an old laptop or troubleshooting a vintage machine, the R9 M375 is a known quantity. For anyone else, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the definitive choice.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M375 has a higher average score of 10,070, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile's average of 8,746.

Q: Does the NVIDIA card support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile features 14 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature completely absent from the AMD Radeon R9 M375.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has a memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s using GDDR6, while the AMD Radeon R9 M375 has 28.80 GB/s using DDR3.

Q: Which GPU has a better percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M375 ranks in the 48th percentile of all GPUs, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile's 44th percentile.

Q: Are both GPUs end-of-life products?

A: Yes, the database records both the AMD Radeon R9 M375 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile as having a production status of "End-of-life."

Q: What is the sole direct benchmark comparison?

A: The only head-to-head benchmark is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998 against the AMD's 10,457, a delta of -80.3% for the AMD card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains only one direct comparison between these two GPUs, but it is decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998. The AMD Radeon R9 M375 scores 10,457. This results in a delta of -80.3%, indicating that the NVIDIA part is significantly faster in this compute test. This is not a marginal win; it is a generational leap.

The NVIDIA card's advantage is further highlighted by its other benchmark scores. For instance, its Passmark G3D score is 11,664, and its Passmark GPU Compute score is 4,419. While these are not directly comparable to the AMD's Geekbench scores, they paint a picture of a GPU that handles modern workloads. The AMD R9 M375's only benchmark results are its Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores (10,457 and 9,682, respectively). The lack of any DirectX or Passmark scores for the AMD card suggests that the database has limited data on its legacy performance. The single head-to-head result, however, is unambiguous: the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the clear winner in raw compute.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs diverge on nearly every measurable field.

• Process Node: AMD uses a 28 nm process from TSMC, while NVIDIA uses an 8 nm process from Samsung.
• Transistors: The AMD chip has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The NVIDIA chip has 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die.
• Transistor Density: AMD's density is 12.2M / mm², while NVIDIA's is 43.5M / mm².
• Base Clock: AMD's base clock is 1000 MHz, and NVIDIA's is 1065 MHz.
• Boost Clock: AMD's boost clock is 1015 MHz, and NVIDIA's is 1343 MHz.
• Memory Clock: AMD's memory runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), while NVIDIA's runs at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective).
• Memory Size: AMD has 2 GB of DDR3, NVIDIA has 4 GB of GDDR6.
• Memory Bus Width: Both use a 128-bit bus, but the bandwidth differs: 28.80 GB/s for AMD, 192.0 GB/s for NVIDIA.
• Shading Units: AMD has 640, NVIDIA has 1,792.
• TMUs: AMD has 40, NVIDIA has 56.
• ROPs: AMD has 16, NVIDIA has 32.
• Ray Tracing Cores: AMD has none, NVIDIA has 14.
• Tensor Cores: AMD has none, NVIDIA has 56.
• Pixel Rate: AMD is 16.24 GPixel/s, NVIDIA is 42.98 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: AMD is 40.60 GTexel/s, NVIDIA is 75.21 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: AMD is 1,299.2 GFLOPS, NVIDIA is 4.813 TFLOPS.
• DirectX Support: AMD supports 12 (11_1), NVIDIA supports 12 Ultimate (12_2).
• Vulkan Support: AMD supports 1.2.170, NVIDIA supports 1.4.
• TDP: AMD has no recorded TDP, NVIDIA is rated at 45 W.
• Bus Interface: AMD uses PCIe 3.0 x16, NVIDIA uses PCIe 4.0 x8.
• Release Date: AMD was released on 2015-05-04, NVIDIA on 2023-12-31.