AMD Radeon R9 M375X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly along workload boundaries. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M is the dominant performer in compute-heavy tasks, while the AMD Radeon R9 M375X shows its strength in graphics API workloads where NVIDIA has no recorded result.

In the OpenCL compute test, the GTX 870M wins outright. Its score of 12630 crushes the R9 M375X's 8273, a 52.7% advantage. This is not a marginal victory; it is a generational gap in raw throughput. The GTX 870M's 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus the R9 M375X's 1,299.2 GFLOPS tells the same story: for any workload that leans on shader math, the NVIDIA part is the clear choice.

The AMD card counters with a Vulkan score of 8377, a test the GTX 870M does not appear in. The database records no Geekbench Metal result for the R9 M375X, but the GTX 870M posts 7288 in Metal. For users on Linux or Android-style Vulkan pipelines, the AMD part has a measurable presence, while NVIDIA's OpenCL leadership is unmatched.

In terms of overall standing, the GTX 870M sits at the 48th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9959. The R9 M375X lands at the 43rd percentile, averaging 8325. That five-point percentile gap translates into a 19.6% difference in average score, a substantial margin for anyone comparing laptop GPUs for productivity or light gaming.

The practical split is this: choose the GTX 870M for OpenCL compute, CUDA-adjacent workloads, or any task where raw FP32 throughput matters. Choose the R9 M375X if Vulkan compatibility or a smaller, cooler chassis is the priority, since its 123 mm² die runs with no recorded TDP and likely fits thinner notebooks.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and design philosophies, even though both are built on TSMC's 28 nm process.

The GTX 870M uses the GK104 chip, a Kepler architecture design with a massive 3,540 million transistors spread across a 294 mm² die. That gives a transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. Kepler was NVIDIA's high-performance architecture of its era, designed to maximize shader count and clock speeds. The 870M packs 1344 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. Its base clock is 941 MHz, boosting to 967 MHz.

The R9 M375X uses the Tropo chip, a GCN 1.0 architecture design. It is a much smaller part: 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a similar transistor density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. GCN 1.0 was AMD's compute-focused architecture, but Tropo is a cut-down implementation with only 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Its base clock is 925 MHz, boosting to 1015 MHz, which is higher than the NVIDIA part's boost.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The GTX 870M has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 120.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M375X has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding just 72.00 GB/s. That 66.7% bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA is critical for texture-heavy workloads and high-resolution rendering.

The bus interface also differs: the GTX 870M uses MXM-B (3.0), a modular laptop standard, while the R9 M375X uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The NVIDIA part is explicitly a MXM Module with no power connectors, suggesting it is designed for upgradeable gaming laptops. The AMD part has no recorded slot width or power connector data, indicating a more integrated or lower-power design.

API support is close but not identical. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 870M supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the R9 M375X supports Vulkan 1.2.170, a minor revision difference. The NVIDIA part's DirectX 12 capability is listed as 11_0 feature level, while AMD lists 11_1, a slight edge for AMD in feature-level compliance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one direct head-to-head benchmark: Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 870M scores 12630, the R9 M375X scores 8273. The delta is 52.7% in favor of NVIDIA. This is the single largest margin in the comparison, and it reflects the fundamental architectural differences.

Breaking down the numbers: the GTX 870M's 1344 shaders at 967 MHz boost produce 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32. The R9 M375X's 640 shaders at 1015 MHz produce 1,299.2 GFLOPS. That is exactly half the compute throughput, and the OpenCL score difference tracks closely. The R9 M375X's higher boost clock (1015 vs 967 MHz) cannot compensate for having fewer than half the shaders.

Memory bandwidth amplifies the gap. The GTX 870M's 120.0 GB/s versus the R9 M375X's 72.00 GB/s means NVIDIA can feed its shaders much faster. In OpenCL workloads that are memory-bound, this compounds the compute deficit.

The GTX 870M also holds a 1.1% edge over the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 in the nearest rivals list, while the R9 M375X trails the NVIDIA Quadro K1200 by 0.7%. These rival positions put the 870M in a different performance tier. The 870M's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, scores 10013, just 0.5% higher. The R9 M375X's nearest rival, the Quadro K1200, scores 8265, which is 0.7% lower. So the 870M competes with much faster parts, while the R9 M375X sits near slower workstation GPUs.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification, so the table below highlights only the fields where the values diverge.

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M | AMD Radeon R9 M375X |

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

| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |

| Chip | GK104 | Tropo |

| Transistors | 3,540 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Shading Units | 1344 | 640 |

| TMUs | 112 | 40 |

| ROPs | 24 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 941 MHz | 925 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 967 MHz | 1015 MHz |

| Memory Size | 3 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus | 192 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 120.0 GB/s | 72.00 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) |

| FP32 Performance | 2.599 TFLOPS | 1,299.2 GFLOPS |

| Pixel Rate | 27.08 GPixel/s | 16.24 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 108.3 GTexel/s | 40.60 GTexel/s |

| TDP | 100 W | Not recorded |

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

| Vulkan Version | 1.2.175 | 1.2.170 |

| DirectX Feature Level | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Release Date | 2014-03-11 | 2015-05-04 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 700M | Solar System |

| Successor | GeForce 900M | Polaris Mobile |

The GTX 870M is physically larger, draws more power (100 W TDP), and uses a modular MXM slot. The R9 M375X is smaller, has no recorded TDP, and connects via standard PCIe. The release dates are over a year apart, with NVIDIA launching in March 2014 and AMD in May 2015.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M, with 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32 versus the AMD Radeon R9 M375X's 1,299.2 GFLOPS. The OpenCL benchmark confirms this: 12630 versus 8273, a 52.7% delta.

Q: Does the AMD card win any benchmarks?

A: The database records no direct benchmark wins for the R9 M375X against the GTX 870M. It does have a Vulkan score of 8377, but the GTX 870M has no recorded Vulkan result to compare.

Q: How do their memory configurations affect real-world performance?

A: The GTX 870M has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus delivering 120.0 GB/s. The R9 M375X has 2 GB on a 128-bit bus delivering 72.00 GB/s. NVIDIA's 66.7% bandwidth advantage directly benefits texture-heavy and high-resolution workloads.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 870M supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the R9 M375X supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD card lists a higher DirectX feature level (11_1 vs 11_0).

Q: What is the physical size difference?

A: The GTX 870M uses a 294 mm² die with 3,540 million transistors. The R9 M375X uses a 123 mm² die with 1,500 million transistors. The GTX 870M is a MXM Module with 100 W TDP; the R9 M375X has no recorded TDP or slot width.

Q: How do they compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The GTX 870M sits at the 48th percentile with an average score of 9959, nearly matching the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M (10013, 0.5% higher). The R9 M375X sits at the 43rd percentile with an average of 8325, slightly above the NVIDIA Quadro K1200 (8265, 0.7% lower).