AMD Radeon R9 M375X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M375X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions from 2015, targeting the same performance tier but achieving it through fundamentally different design philosophies. The data shows a split decision: NVIDIA wins the OpenCL compute test by a significant margin, while AMD counters with a commanding lead in Vulkan performance. This creates a nuanced picture where the "better" card depends entirely on the workload, despite their near-identical average benchmark scores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M375X holds a slight edge, with an average benchmark score of 8325 compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M's 8135. This represents a difference of roughly 2.3% in AMD's favor, placing both cards in the same performance bracket.

Q: How do the two cards compare in OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M is substantially faster in OpenCL, scoring 9745 against the AMD Radeon R9 M375X's 8273. This is a 15.1% advantage for NVIDIA, making it the clear winner for compute workloads that rely on this API.

Q: What about Vulkan performance?

A: The situation reverses completely in Vulkan. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X scores 8377, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M manages only 6525. AMD leads by 28.4%, a much larger margin than NVIDIA's OpenCL advantage, suggesting AMD's architecture is better optimized for this modern graphics API.

Q: Which GPU has better driver support for modern APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M375X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. While NVIDIA has a higher Vulkan version number, AMD's DirectX 12 feature level is slightly higher.

Q: How do their memory configurations differ?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M375X comes with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M offers 4 GB of DDR3 memory on the same 128-bit bus, but only achieves 28.80 GB/s. AMD has 2.5 times the memory bandwidth, which could be critical for texture-heavy workloads.

Q: What are their transistor counts and die sizes?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M uses 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, while the AMD Radeon R9 M375X uses 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. NVIDIA's chip is larger and has more transistors, but AMD achieves a higher transistor density of 12.2M/mm² compared to NVIDIA's 12.6M/mm².

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent completely different architectural generations and philosophies. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X is built on Graphics Core Next 1.0 (GCN 1.0) architecture, using the Tropo chip, which is part of the Gem System generation within the R9 M300 series. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M employs the Maxwell architecture on the GM107 chip, belonging to the GeForce 900M generation.

Both are fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process node, but their chip designs diverge significantly. AMD's Tropo chip contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, while NVIDIA's GM107 packs 1,870 million transistors onto a 148 mm² die. This gives NVIDIA a 24.7% larger transistor budget, which it uses differently than AMD.

The core configurations are surprisingly similar: both have 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operation pipelines (ROPs). However, the clock speeds and resulting throughput differ. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X runs at a base clock of 925 MHz with a boost of 1015 MHz, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M operates at 993 MHz base and 1124 MHz boost. This translates to NVIDIA having higher pixel rate (17.98 GPixel/s vs 16.24 GPixel/s) and texture rate (44.96 GTexel/s vs 40.60 GTexel/s).

The most striking architectural difference lies in memory subsystem design. AMD pairs its GPU with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, achieving 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. NVIDIA instead opts for 4 GB of DDR3 memory on the same 128-bit bus, but this yields only 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. This is a massive difference — AMD's memory bandwidth is 150% higher, which could significantly impact performance in bandwidth-sensitive scenarios.

API support also differs subtly. AMD offers DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while NVIDIA provides DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.4. Both support OpenGL 4.6. NVIDIA's newer Vulkan version suggests better long-term driver optimization for that API, while AMD's higher DirectX feature level indicates better support for certain DirectX 12 features.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear split between the two APIs tested. In the geekbench_opencl test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M decisively outperforms the AMD Radeon R9 M375X, scoring 9745 against 8273. This 15.1% delta is substantial and reflects NVIDIA's Maxwell architecture's strength in general-purpose compute tasks. The GTX 950M's higher clock speeds and additional transistor count likely contribute to this OpenCL advantage.

However, the geekbench_vulkan test tells an entirely different story. Here, the AMD Radeon R9 M375X takes a commanding lead with a score of 8377, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M manages only 6525. The 28.4% margin in AMD's favor is nearly double NVIDIA's OpenCL advantage. This suggests that AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture handles Vulkan's low-level abstraction more efficiently, despite NVIDIA's newer Vulkan driver version.

Interestingly, these results create a paradox. NVIDIA's Vulkan driver version is 1.4, which is newer than AMD's 1.2.170, yet AMD still wins decisively in Vulkan performance. This implies that architectural efficiency matters more than driver API version numbers. Similarly, AMD's higher DirectX 12 feature level doesn't translate into a win in either benchmark, as OpenCL and Vulkan are the only tests available.

The wins are split evenly at one each, but the magnitudes differ. AMD's Vulkan win (28.4%) is larger than NVIDIA's OpenCL win (15.1%). This asymmetry is important — it means that in scenarios where Vulkan is used (modern games, certain compute tasks), AMD's advantage is more pronounced than NVIDIA's edge in OpenCL workloads. The average benchmark scores reflect this balance: AMD's 8325 versus NVIDIA's 8135, a narrow 2.3% gap.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal several key differences between the two mobile GPUs. The AMD Radeon R9 M375X is built on the Tropo chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M uses the GM107 chip with Maxwell architecture. Their generations differ: AMD belongs to Gem System (R9 M300), while NVIDIA is part of GeForce 900M.

Clock speeds show NVIDIA operating at higher frequencies, with a base clock of 993 MHz and boost of 1124 MHz, compared to AMD's 925 MHz base and 1015 MHz boost. This 7.3% higher base clock and 10.7% higher boost clock contribute to NVIDIA's higher throughput rates.

Memory configuration represents the most dramatic specification difference. AMD uses 2 GB of GDDR5 with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, while NVIDIA uses 4 GB of DDR3 with only 28.80 GB/s. The memory clock differs accordingly: AMD runs at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective), while NVIDIA runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). AMD's memory bandwidth is 150% higher, which is a massive advantage.

The bus interface also differs: AMD uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while NVIDIA uses PCIe 3.0 x8. This could affect data transfer rates in certain workloads. NVIDIA specifies its TDP at 75 W and slot width as "IGP" with no power connectors, while AMD's TDP and power specifications are not listed in the data.

API support shows NVIDIA with Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (11_0), while AMD has Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6. NVIDIA also lists its display outputs as "Portable Device Dependent," while AMD's display outputs are not specified.

The Verdict

The data does not support a single universal winner, as each GPU dominates in a different API. For workloads heavily reliant on OpenCL — which includes many legacy compute applications, some scientific software, and certain rendering tasks — the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M is the clear choice. Its 15.1% lead in OpenCL performance is substantial and consistent with its higher clock speeds and larger transistor budget.

Conversely, for Vulkan-based workloads — which increasingly include modern games and emerging applications — the AMD Radeon R9 M375X is significantly better. Its 28.4% advantage in Vulkan is the largest performance gap observed in any benchmark between these two cards. This suggests that AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture has better low-level API efficiency, despite being older.

The average benchmark scores tell a nuanced story. AMD's 8325 average edges out NVIDIA's 8135, but this narrow 2.3% difference is less meaningful than the API-specific results. Users should prioritize the API they intend to use most. The NVIDIA card's lower percentile rank (42nd vs AMD's 43rd) and lower average score indicate slightly weaker overall performance, but its OpenCL strength cannot be ignored.

For memory-bandwidth-sensitive workloads, AMD's GDDR5 memory with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth provides a 150% advantage over NVIDIA's DDR3 at 28.80 GB/s. This could be decisive in texture-heavy games or compute tasks that access large datasets. However, NVIDIA's 4 GB capacity versus AMD's 2 GB may matter for applications that require larger memory pools.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon R9 M375X wins in: Vulkan-based applications, where it outperforms by 28.4%. Memory-bandwidth-intensive workloads benefit from its GDDR5 memory, offering 72.00 GB/s versus NVIDIA's 28.80 GB/s. Its higher DirectX 12 feature level (11_1 vs 11_0) provides better support for certain DirectX 12 features. The card also holds a slight overall average score advantage (8325 vs 8135) and a marginally better percentile rank (43rd vs 42nd).

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M wins in: OpenCL compute workloads, where it leads by 15.1%. Its higher clock speeds (993 MHz base, 1124 MHz boost) contribute to better raw throughput. The card offers more memory capacity at 4 GB versus 2 GB, which can be beneficial for applications requiring larger working sets. Its newer Vulkan driver version (1.4 vs 1.2.170) suggests better long-term driver optimization for that API. The card also has a specified TDP of 75 W, which may allow for more predictable thermal management in some laptop designs.

The choice between these two end-of-life mobile GPUs ultimately depends on the specific application ecosystem. Users running OpenCL-heavy software should prefer NVIDIA, while those targeting Vulkan or requiring high memory bandwidth should choose AMD. The data shows no clear overall victor, only different strengths for different tasks.