AMD Radeon R9 M395X vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 Comparison

# Where Each One Wins: AMD Radeon RX 6800 vs AMD Radeon R9 M395X

The benchmark data places these two AMD graphics processors in different performance tiers. The AMD Radeon RX 6800, a desktop-class part from the Radeon RX 6000 series, holds a decisive lead across the recorded tests. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X, a mobile-oriented chip from the Gem System R9 M300 family, trails in every recorded workload. The database shows 2 benchmark wins for the RX 6800 and 0 for the R9 M395X. This is a one-sided comparison in terms of raw performance, though the R9 M395X does offer a different set of capabilities that suit specific use cases.

Where Each One Wins: A Use-Case Split

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 wins in every benchmark category where the two cards were tested head-to-head. This includes both synthetic compute workloads and graphics-centric tests. The Radeon R9 M395X does not register a win in any of the recorded head-to-head comparisons. The data indicates the RX 6800 is the better performer for users prioritizing raw compute throughput and modern API support.

The AMD Radeon R9 M395X, while losing the head-to-head, is a mobile chip with a much lower power envelope. It is suited for compact systems where the RX 6800 may not physically fit or be overkill for the workload. The R9 M395X also supports the same modern DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170 API levels, so it is not lacking in feature support, only in performance.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in Geekbench Metal?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 153635 in Geekbench Metal, while the AMD Radeon R9 M395X scores 33953. The RX 6800 is 352.5% faster in this test.

Q: How do they compare in OpenCL compute?

A: The RX 6800 leads again. It scores 24508 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the R9 M395X scores 17829. That is a 37.5% advantage for the RX 6800.

Q: Are there any workload types where the R9 M395X is preferable?

A: The data does not show any benchmark win for the R9 M395X. Its advantages are not in measured performance, but in its mobile form factor and lower power design. The R9 M395X uses a Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM) and does not require external power connectors.

Q: What about API support differences?

A: Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2 for RX, 12_0 for R9), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 (RX) compared to Vulkan 1.2.170 (R9). The RX 6800 has a newer Vulkan revision.

Q: Which card has better raw rasterization throughput?

A: The RX 6800. Its pixel rate is 202.1 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 505.2 GTexel/s. The R9 M395X, on the other hand, delivers 23.14 GPixel/s and 92.54 GTexel/s. The RX 6800 has a massive lead in fill-rate and texture throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two cards were tested in the same battery of synthetic workloads. The results are consistent: the AMD Radeon RX 6800 wins every recorded run.

In Geekbench Metal, the RX 6800 posts a score of 153635. The Radeon R9 M395X scores 33953. That is a 352.5% lead for the RX 6800. The gap is enormous and represents the different positioning of the two products: one is a high-end desktop GPU, the other is a power-limited mobile part.

Geekbench OpenCL shows a similar outcome. The RX 6800 scores 24508, the R9 M395X scores 17829. The RX 6800 leads by 37.5%. This test stresses raw compute parallelism, and the RX 6800's 3840 shading units and 240 texture mapping units (TMUs) are far beyond the 2048 shading units and 128 TMUs of the R9 M395X.

The gap in compute capacity is explained by the specifications. The RX 6800 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, a 7nm chip with 26,800 million transistors. The R9 M395X uses the older GCN 3.0 architecture, a 28nm chip with 5,000 million transistors. That is a massive gap in transistor count and node. The RX 6800 also comes with 60 ray accelerators (RA), which the R9 does not have at all. These are dedicated hardware units for ray tracing, and they make the RX 6800 more future-proof for workloads that use DXR.

The memory subsystem also separates them. The RX 6800 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M395X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, for 160.0 GB/s. The RX 6800 offers more memory and more than three times the bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields. The main differences are:

• Process node: The RX 6800 is on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The R9 M395X is on a 28 nm process at TSMC.
• Transistors: The RX 6800 has 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die (51.5M / mm²). The R9 has 5,000 million on 366 mm² (13.7M / mm²).
• Architecture: RDNA 2.0 for RX 6800 vs GCN 3.0 for R9 M395X.
• Shading units: RX 6800 has 3840, R9 has 2048.
• Texture mapping units: 240 on RX, 128 on R9.
• Render output units: 96 ROPs on RX, 32 on R9.
• Ray accelerators: 60 on RX, 0 on R9.
• Memory: 16 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus (512.0 GB/s) vs 8 GB GDDR5 on 256-bit (160.0 GB/s).
• Power connectors: Dual 8-pin on RX 6800, none on R9 (MXM module).
• Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 x16 on RX 6800, PCIe 3.0 x16 on R9.

The RX 6800 also has a much higher FP32 peak, 16.17 TFLOPS vs 2.961 TFLOPS for R9. The power target of the RX 6800 is 250W, the R9 M395X is 75W. That power gap is the reason the R9 is not in the same performance class; it is built to fit into a compact mobile chassis.

Architecture Differences

Architecturally, these two GPUs come from different generations of AMD design. The RX 6800 uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7nm process, while the R9 M395X uses the GCN 3.0 architecture on 28nm.

The RX 6800 includes 60 ray accelerators. These are not present on the R9 M395X. It also doubles the stream processors (3840 vs 2048), TMUs (240 vs 128), and ROPs (96 vs 32). None of these are close.

The memory subsystem is also different. The RX 6800 uses 16GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The R9 M395X uses 8GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, at 160.0 GB/s. The RX has both more memory and more bandwidth.

The RX 6800 also supports newer PCI Express 4.0 x16, while the R9 M395X stays on PCIe 3.0 x16. The RX 6800 requires two 8-pin power connectors, while the R9 M395X is an MXM module and requires none.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the choice is clear for anyone who needs maximum throughput, modern API support, and high compute. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 is the stronger part. It wins 2 out of 2 head-to-head benchmarks. It has more shaders, TMUs, ROPs, and memory bandwidth. The RX 6800 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R9 M395X supports DirectX 12_0, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The AMD Radeon R9 M395X is not a bad GPU. It is a low-power mobile module that can fit into thin laptops. But it is not a competitor in raw performance to the RX 6800. The data shows a 352.5% lead for the RX in Geekbench Metal, and a 37.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL.

Users who need the maximum FPS, want to use ray tracing, or plan to use heavy compute workloads should choose the AMD Radeon RX 6800. Users who have a strict mobile power budget and do not need top-tier performance are the target for the AMD Radeon R9 M395X. The RX 6800 is the performance pick, the R9 M395X is the power-efficient pick, but the data does not put the R9 ahead in any of the tested metrics.