AMD Radeon R9 M395X vs AMD Radeon RX 6800M Comparison

The Verdict

The data paints a stark generational picture. The AMD Radeon RX 6800M is the clear victor in every recorded head-to-head benchmark, and the margin is not modest. In the Geekbench Metal test, the RX 6800M scores 113721 against the R9 M395X's 33953, a delta of 234.9%. The OpenCL results are even more lopsided: 87621 versus 17829, a 391.5% advantage. This is not a close competition; it is a demonstration of architectural progress.

Who should pick which? The RX 6800M is the obvious choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute capability in a modern mobile context. Its average benchmark score of 28874 places it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, while the R9 M395X sits at 25891 and the 71st percentile. The R9 M395X, with its GCN 3.0 architecture and 28 nm process, is a relic that only makes sense if the objective is to run legacy software on vintage hardware, as its benchmark profile is far too narrow to recommend for contemporary workloads. The data suggests the RX 6800M is faster in every measurable way.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two AMD mobile GPUs is immense. The RX 6800M is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using a 7 nm process at TSMC, a significant leap from the R9 M395X's GCN 3.0 architecture on a 28 nm node. The transistor count alone tells the story: 17,200 million transistors for the RX 6800M, compared to 5,000 million for the R9 M395X. Despite the RX 6800M's smaller die size of 335 mm² versus the R9 M395X's 366 mm², the newer part achieves a transistor density of 51.3M per mm², versus 13.7M per mm². This is the fundamental reason for the performance disparity.

The RX 6800M features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores, a capability entirely absent from the R9 M395X. It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the older card tops out at DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The memory subsystem is another differentiator: the RX 6800M uses 12 GB of GDDR6 with a 192-bit bus and a 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the R9 M395X uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 256-bit bus but only achieves 160.0 GB/s. The R9 M395X belongs to the Gem System (R9 M300) generation, while the RX 6800M is part of the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) generation, with the R9 M395X's successor listed as Polaris Mobile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database only records two direct comparisons between these GPUs, and the RX 6800M wins both. In Geekbench Metal, the RX 6800M scores 113721, which is 234.9% higher than the R9 M395X's 33953. This is a benchmark that often reflects raw compute throughput, and the results align perfectly with the architectural advantages: more shading units (2560 versus 2048), higher clock speeds (2116 MHz base and 2390 MHz boost versus no recorded clocks), and a more modern instruction set.

The Geekbench OpenCL result is even more decisive. The RX 6800M scores 87621, while the R9 M395X manages only 17829, a delta of 391.5%. OpenCL workloads can be sensitive to memory bandwidth and compute unit efficiency, and the RX 6800M's 384.0 GB/s bandwidth versus 160.0 GB/s, combined with its higher FP32 throughput of 12.24 TFLOPS versus 2.961 TFLOPS, explains this massive gap. The R9 M395X does not win a single recorded benchmark, and its performance profile is limited to only these two tests in the database. The RX 6800M also holds a broader set of scores across PassMark tests and 3DMark Steel Nomad, which the R9 M395X lacks entirely.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge on nearly every measurable specification. The process node differs: 7 nm for the RX 6800M versus 28 nm for the R9 M395X. The RX 6800M has a base clock of 2116 MHz and a boost clock of 2390 MHz, while the R9 M395X has no recorded base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The RX 6800M's memory runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). Shading units are 2560 versus 2048, texture mapping units are 160 versus 128, and raster operations units are 64 versus 32. The RX 6800M has 40 ray tracing cores; the R9 M395X has none.

The RX 6800M's FP32 performance is 12.24 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 24.47 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). The R9 M395X achieves 2.961 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio). Pixel rate is 153.0 GPixel/s versus 23.14 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 382.4 GTexel/s versus 92.54 GTexel/s. The RX 6800M has a TDP of 145 W, while the R9 M395X is rated at 75 W. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RX 6800M and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the R9 M395X. The RX 6800M is an IGP form factor, while the R9 M395X uses an MXM Module. The release dates are also far apart: the RX 6800M launched on 2021-05-30, while the R9 M395X launched on 2015-05-04.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800M has an average benchmark score of 28874, while the AMD Radeon R9 M395X has an average of 25891.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two cards?

A: The RX 6800M has a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s using 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The R9 M395X has 160.0 GB/s using 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Is there a difference in ray tracing support?

A: Yes, the RX 6800M includes 40 dedicated ray tracing cores, while the R9 M395X has none.

Q: What is the performance gap in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RX 6800M scores 87621, which is 391.5% higher than the R9 M395X's score of 17829.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: The RX 6800M has a pixel rate of 153.0 GPixel/s, compared to the R9 M395X's 23.14 GPixel/s.

Q: How do the TDP ratings differ?

A: The RX 6800M is rated at 145 W, while the R9 M395X is rated at 75 W.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6800M wins in every recorded category. Its FP32 throughput of 12.24 TFLOPS is over four times the R9 M395X's 2.961 TFLOPS, which directly translates to the 391.5% OpenCL advantage. The texture rate of 382.4 GTexel/s versus 92.54 GTexel/s means the RX 6800M is far better suited for high-resolution texture-heavy rendering. The 384.0 GB/s bandwidth is more than double, allowing it to feed its 2560 shading units effectively. The presence of ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support makes the RX 6800M the only one of the two that can handle modern gaming features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and variable rate shading.

The R9 M395X does have one theoretical advantage: its 75 W TDP is lower than the RX 6800M's 145 W, which suggests it might draw less power in a vacuum. However, its performance is so far behind that the power efficiency ratio is poor in practice. The R9 M395X also has a wider 256-bit memory bus, but the slower GDDR5 memory and lower clock speed nullify any benefit. The R9 M395X wins in legacy compatibility scenarios, as its GCN 3.0 architecture and DirectX 12 (12_0) support may be the only option for specific older software environments. Its 8 GB of memory is also 4 GB less than the RX 6800M's 12 GB, making it unsuitable for large modern assets. For any compute-heavy, modern, or forward-looking workload, the RX 6800M is the only choice.