AMD Radeon R9 M375X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M375X and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost represent two distinct approaches to graphics processing, separated by their target platforms and release windows. The R9 M375X is a mobile-oriented part built on GCN 1.0, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost is a desktop-focused card using the Kepler architecture. Benchmark data from the FACT PACK indicates a clear performance hierarchy, with the NVIDIA card winning both head-to-head comparisons. However, the specifications and architectural philosophies behind these two GPUs reveal a more complex story than the raw scores alone suggest.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M375X has an average benchmark score of 8325, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost sits at 8067. This puts the AMD part approximately 3.2% ahead in the aggregate metric.

Q: What are the head-to-head benchmark results between these two cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost wins both recorded comparisons. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 9302 against the AMD's 8273, a delta of -11.1% for the AMD card. In Geekbench Vulkan, the NVIDIA leads with 10041 versus 8377, a -16.6% delta.

Q: How does each card rank among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M375X sits at the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost is at the 42nd percentile. Despite the AMD card having a higher average score, both are positioned very closely in the overall distribution.

Q: What is the transistor count and die size for each GPU?

A: The AMD chip, codenamed Tropo, contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The NVIDIA GK106 chip is substantially larger with 2,540 million transistors on a 221 mm² die.

Q: Which card offers higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost provides 144.2 GB/s of bandwidth thanks to its 192-bit bus and 6 Gbps effective memory speed. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X delivers 72.00 GB/s over a 128-bit bus with 4.5 Gbps effective speed.

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

A: Yes, both the AMD Radeon R9 M375X and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost are listed as end-of-life production status. The AMD card was released in 2015, while the NVIDIA card came out in 2013.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs diverge fundamentally in their underlying architectures. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X is built on the Graphics Core Next 1.0 (GCN 1.0) architecture, using the Tropo chip. This is a 28 nm design fabricated by TSMC, containing 1,500 million transistors packed into a 123 mm² die. The transistor density works out to 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter. This architecture is part of the Gem System generation, specifically from the R9 M300 series, and it succeeds the Solar System generation.

In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost employs the Kepler architecture with the GK106 chip. It is also built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the die is considerably larger at 221 mm², housing 2,540 million transistors. This yields a slightly lower transistor density of 11.5 million per square millimeter. The Kepler design comes from the GeForce 600 generation, following the GeForce 500 series and preceding the GeForce 700 series.

The compute resources differ notably between the two. The AMD card features 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. The NVIDIA card offers more of each: 768 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. This gives the NVIDIA part a theoretical peak pixel rate of 16.51 GPixel/s versus the AMD's 16.24 GPixel/s, a marginal difference. However, the texture rate advantage is much larger: the GTX 650 Ti Boost reaches 66.05 GTexel/s compared to the R9 M375X's 40.60 GTexel/s. In floating-point performance, the NVIDIA card delivers 1.585 TFLOPS, while the AMD card produces 1,299.2 GFLOPS.

API support also separates the two. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Vulkan version is slightly newer on the NVIDIA side. Both cards share the same 28 nm process node and TSMC foundry, but their architectural generations are completely different, with AMD utilizing a unified shader design from GCN 1.0 and NVIDIA implementing the Kepler architecture's distinct scheduler and execution model.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data provides a clear picture of performance superiority, with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost winning both tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA card scores 9302 against the AMD's 8273. This represents an 11.1% advantage for the NVIDIA part. The margin is even wider in Geekbench Vulkan, where the GTX 650 Ti Boost reaches 10041 while the R9 M375X manages 8377, a 16.6% gap.

These results align with the raw compute specifications. The NVIDIA card's higher shading unit count, texture units, and memory bandwidth all contribute to its lead. The 144.2 GB/s memory bandwidth is exactly double the AMD's 72.00 GB/s, which likely plays a significant role in the Vulkan test where memory access patterns can be more demanding. The NVIDIA card's superior texture rate of 66.05 GTexel/s versus 40.60 GTexel/s also helps explain the OpenCL gap.

However, the average benchmark scores tell a slightly different story. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X has an average score of 8325 across its two recorded benchmarks (Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan), while the NVIDIA card's average of 8067 includes a third test, Geekbench Metal, where it scores only 4858. This Metal score drags down the NVIDIA average, but it also reflects a platform difference, as Metal is Apple's API and the desktop Kepler card may not be optimized for it.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides additional context. The AMD card's closest competitor is the NVIDIA Quadro K1200, which scores 8265 with a delta of 0.7%, meaning the R9 M375X is essentially tied with it. The AMD part also sits near the GeForce GTX 675MX (8427, -1.2%), the AMD Radeon 880M (8436, -1.3%), and the GeForce MX330 (8458, -1.6%). For the NVIDIA card, its nearest rival is the GRID K2 at 8080 (-0.2%), followed by the GTX 650 Ti at 8053 (0.2%), the GTX 880M at 8040 (0.3%), and the Quadro P5000 at 8039 (0.3%). The NVIDIA card's average score is within a fraction of a percent of several professional and mobile parts, indicating it clusters closely with a different performance tier than the AMD card.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measurable specification. The process node is identical at 28 nm, and both use TSMC as the foundry, but the similarities end there. The AMD Tropo chip is 123 mm² with 1,500 million transistors, while the NVIDIA GK106 is 221 mm² with 2,540 million transistors. Transistor density favors AMD at 12.2M per mm² versus 11.5M per mm².

Clock speeds show the NVIDIA card running higher. The GTX 650 Ti Boost has a base clock of 980 MHz and a boost clock of 1032 MHz. The R9 M375X runs at 925 MHz base and 1015 MHz boost. Memory clocks also favor NVIDIA: 1502 MHz with 6 Gbps effective speed versus 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective.

Memory configuration is a major differentiator. Both cards have 2 GB of GDDR5, but the bus width differs at 192-bit for NVIDIA and 128-bit for AMD. This results in bandwidth of 144.2 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s, a full 2x difference.

Compute resources are higher on the NVIDIA card across the board: 768 shading units versus 640, 64 TMUs versus 40, and 24 ROPs versus 16. Pixel rate is nearly identical (16.51 GPixel/s versus 16.24 GPixel/s), but texture rate is substantially higher on NVIDIA (66.05 GTexel/s versus 40.60 GTexel/s). FP32 performance is 1.585 TFLOPS versus 1,299.2 GFLOPS.

Power and physical specifications exist only for the NVIDIA card. It has a TDP of 134 W, a dual-slot form factor, a single 6-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The card measures 241 mm (9.5 inches) in length. Display outputs include 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The AMD card has no listed TDP, slot width, power connectors, or dimensions in the data.

API support shows minor differences. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but AMD's DirectX version is 12 (11_1) while NVIDIA's is 12 (11_0). Vulkan versions are 1.2.170 for AMD and 1.2.175 for NVIDIA. The release dates are separated by over two years, with NVIDIA launching in March 2013 and AMD in May 2015.

The Verdict

The data presents a straightforward performance hierarchy: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost is the faster GPU in both recorded benchmarks. Its wins in Geekbench OpenCL (9302 versus 8273) and Geekbench Vulkan (10041 versus 8377) are decisive, with margins of 11.1% and 16.6% respectively. This aligns with its superior specifications in shading units, texture units, memory bandwidth, and clock speeds.

However, the AMD Radeon R9 M375X holds a slight edge in average benchmark score (8325 versus 8067) because the NVIDIA card's Geekbench Metal score of 4858 pulls its average down. This creates an interesting divergence: on the two common tests, NVIDIA wins clearly, but the aggregate metric favors AMD. Users should weight the specific workloads they care about. For OpenCL and Vulkan applications, the NVIDIA card is the clear choice. For a broader average across all benchmark types, including Metal, the AMD card performs better.

The percentile rankings are nearly identical, with the AMD card at the 43rd percentile and the NVIDIA card at the 42nd. This suggests that despite the head-to-head difference, both cards occupy a similar tier in the overall GPU landscape. The AMD card's nearest rivals include the Quadro K1200 and GTX 675MX, while the NVIDIA card clusters with the GRID K2 and GTX 650 Ti. Neither card is a top performer, but both are competent for their respective eras.

Architecturally, the NVIDIA card uses a larger, more complex die with more transistors and higher power consumption, which is expected for a desktop part. The AMD card is more efficient per square millimeter in terms of transistor density, but it delivers less raw compute. The GTX 650 Ti Boost's 134 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate it requires a proper desktop power supply, while the R9 M375X's mobile heritage suggests lower power requirements, though no TDP is listed.

For users choosing between these two end-of-life products, the decision hinges on the specific benchmark priorities. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost is the stronger choice for OpenCL and Vulkan workloads, offering 11-17% better performance. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X is preferable if the average across multiple benchmark types matters more, or if the system requires a mobile-oriented part. The NVIDIA card's higher bandwidth and texture rates make it better suited for texture-heavy rendering, while the AMD card's smaller die and newer release date suggest a more modern, power-conscious design. Both are end-of-life, so availability and platform compatibility will likely dictate the final decision more than the marginal performance differences.