AMD Radeon R9 M380 vs NVIDIA T400 Comparison

The NVIDIA T400 and AMD Radeon R9 M380 represent two very different approaches to discrete graphics, with nearly a decade of architectural evolution separating them. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, but the story is more nuanced than a simple win-loss record. The T400, a modern entry-level workstation card, and the R9 M380, a mid-range mobile part from an older generation, land close in overall benchmark averages, yet their individual strengths and weaknesses are sharply defined by their respective designs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is in Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are decisive. The NVIDIA T400 scores 17,039, while the AMD Radeon R9 M380 scores 12,565. This gives the T400 a commanding 35.6% performance lead in this compute-oriented test. This is a substantial margin, indicating that for general-purpose GPU compute workloads leveraging OpenCL, the T400 is the significantly faster option.

This single head-to-head result is reinforced by the average benchmark scores for each card. The T400 posts an average score of 16,508, placing it at the 60th percentile of all GPUs. The R9 M380, with an average score of 15,521, sits at the 58th percentile. While the percentile difference is small, the average score difference is nearly 1,000 points, or about 6.4%, in favor of the T400. This suggests that the T400’s OpenCL advantage is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend in its benchmark performance.

Looking at the competitive landscape, the T400’s average score of 16,508 places it in a tight cluster of much more powerful and modern cards. It is effectively tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2, which scores 16,504, and sits just 0.6% behind both the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (16,415) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (16,408). It is also only 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (16,361). This is a remarkable result for a low-power, entry-level card, showing that its compute efficiency is on par with top-tier hardware in this specific metric.

The R9 M380’s average score of 15,521 places it in a different, though not entirely dissimilar, performance tier. It is a mere 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (15,548), a legendary flagship from its era. It is also 1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679) and 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (15,290). This indicates that, despite its age, the R9 M380 can still hold its own against some powerful dedicated desktop cards in average compute benchmarks.

The key takeaway from the head-to-head is that the T400 wins the only direct test with a landslide 35.6%, and it has a higher average score overall. The R9 M380, however, is not far behind in the aggregate, demonstrating that its older architecture still has considerable compute power. The T400’s win is decisive, but the R9 M380 is a more capable competitor than its age might suggest.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The NVIDIA T400 is based on the Turing architecture, utilizing the TU117 chip, and is fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. In contrast, the AMD Radeon R9 M380 uses the older GCN 2.0 architecture with the Strato chip, built on a 28 nm process, also by TSMC. This major process node difference has a direct impact on efficiency and transistor density. The T400 packs 4,700 million transistors into a 200 mm² die, resulting in a density of 23.5 million transistors per mm². The R9 M380, with 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, has a density of just 13.0 million per mm².

These architectural differences lead to contrasting specifications. The R9 M380 has a much wider memory interface and more raw compute units. It features 768 shading units and 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), compared to the T400’s 384 shading units and 24 TMUs. This gives the R9 M380 a theoretical peak FP32 performance of 1.536 TFLOPS, which is higher than the T400’s 1,094.4 GFLOPS. The R9 M380 also has a higher texture fill rate of 48.00 GTexel/s versus the T400’s 34.20 GTexel/s. However, the T400 counters with a higher pixel rate of 22.80 GPixel/s compared to the R9 M380’s 16.00 GPixel/s, due to its significantly higher boost clock of 1425 MHz versus 1000 MHz.

Memory configuration also differs significantly. The R9 M380 offers 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The T400, on the other hand, has 2 GB of newer GDDR6 memory on a much narrower 64-bit bus, resulting in a lower 80.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The T400’s memory runs at a much higher effective speed of 10 Gbps, compared to the R9 M380’s 6 Gbps, but the R9 M380’s wider bus gives it the bandwidth advantage. In terms of API support, the T400 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R9 M380 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The T400 is a modern, power-efficient design with a 30 W TDP and a single-slot form factor, requiring no power connectors. The R9 M380’s power consumption and slot width are not specified in the data, but its older process node and higher transistor count suggest it is a less efficient design. The T400 also has a defined successor and predecessor, indicating its place in a clear product lifecycle, whereas the R9 M380’s lineage is tied to its mobile generation.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The NVIDIA T400 is significantly faster. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scored 17,039 against the AMD Radeon R9 M380’s 12,565, a 35.6% advantage.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The T400 has a higher average benchmark score of 16,508, placing it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs. The R9 M380 has an average score of 15,521, placing it in the 58th percentile.

Q: Which card has more memory and memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M380 has more memory (4 GB) and higher bandwidth (96.00 GB/s) thanks to its 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA T400 has 2 GB of memory and 80.00 GB/s of bandwidth on a 64-bit bus.

Q: What are the key differences in their manufacturing processes?

A: The NVIDIA T400 is built on a modern 12 nm process at TSMC with 4,700 million transistors. The AMD Radeon R9 M380 is built on an older 28 nm process, also at TSMC, with 2,080 million transistors.

Q: How does the R9 M380's raw compute power compare to the T400's?

A: The R9 M380 has a higher theoretical peak FP32 performance of 1.536 TFLOPS and more shading units (768) than the T400, which has 384 shading units and a peak of 1,094.4 GFLOPS. Despite this, the T400 wins in real-world OpenCL benchmarks.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The NVIDIA T400 has a higher pixel rate of 22.80 GPixel/s, compared to the AMD Radeon R9 M380’s 16.00 GPixel/s. This is largely due to the T400's higher boost clock.

The Verdict

From the data, the NVIDIA T400 is the superior choice for compute-oriented tasks. Its 35.6% lead in OpenCL and higher average benchmark score are the most compelling metrics. It achieves this performance with a modern, efficient architecture, a lower TDP of 30 W, and a more compact single-slot design. This makes it an excellent option for professional environments where compute acceleration and low power draw are prioritized, especially in a workstation context.

The AMD Radeon R9 M380 is not without merit. Its higher memory capacity of 4 GB and wider 128-bit memory bus, providing 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth, could be beneficial for certain workloads that are sensitive to memory size or bandwidth rather than raw compute throughput. Its higher theoretical FP32 performance and texture fill rate also suggest it could handle some tasks well. However, its older GCN architecture and 28 nm process make it less efficient, and its loss in the only direct benchmark is substantial.

Ultimately, the choice depends on the specific workload. For users who need maximum compute performance per watt and a modern feature set, the NVIDIA T400 is the clear winner based on the test results. For users with applications that are heavily dependent on memory bandwidth and capacity, the R9 M380 might offer a specific advantage, but its overall compute performance is measurably lower. The data favors the T400 for general-purpose performance, while the R9 M380’s niche lies in its memory subsystem.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key specifications that differ between the NVIDIA T400 and the AMD Radeon R9 M380.

| Specification | NVIDIA T400 | AMD Radeon R9 M380 |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | Turing | GCN 2.0 |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 4,700 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 200 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 23.5M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 420 MHz | 900 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1425 MHz | 1000 MHz |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 80.00 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 768 |

| TMUs | 24 | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 22.80 GPixel/s | 16.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 34.20 GTexel/s | 48.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,094.4 GFLOPS | 1.536 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 2.189 TFLOPS (2:1) | null |

| TDP | 30 W | null |

| Power Connectors | None | null |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | null |

| Display Outputs | 3x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a | null |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2021-05-05 | 2015-05-04 |