AMD Radeon R9 M395X vs AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 M395X and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT represent two distinct eras of GPU design, separated by nearly a decade of architectural evolution. The database records a single direct head-to-head benchmark, yet the broader measurements reveal a profound performance gap that aligns with their different positions in the hardware landscape.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are decisively one-sided. The RX 7700 XT records a score of 138,383, while the R9 M395X manages 17,829. This represents a delta of 87.1 percent, meaning the newer card outperforms the older one by a factor of roughly 7.8 times in this compute-oriented test. The raw magnitude of this difference is not merely incremental; it signals a completely different class of processing capability.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the database shows the R9 M395X averaging 25,891 across its recorded tests, placing it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W7100 at 25,856 (a 0.1 percent difference), the AMD FirePro D700 at 25,842 (0.2 percent), and notably the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT at 26,011, which sits 0.5 percent higher. The R9 M395X also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile by 0.6 percent. These tight margins suggest that in its own generation, the M395X was competitive with high-end workstation and mobile parts.

The RX 7700 XT, by contrast, averages 22,549 across its much larger suite of tests, placing it in the 67th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile at 22,435 (0.5 percent lower), the RTX 4060 Mobile at 22,729 (0.8 percent higher), the RTX 2080 at 22,895 (1.5 percent higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 at 22,170 (1.7 percent lower). The RX 7700 XT's average is dragged down by its Passmark DirectX tests, which are scored on a different scale, but its Geekbench OpenCL result of 138,383 dwarfs the M395X's 17,829.

The percentile rankings are curious. Despite the massive OpenCL advantage, the RX 7700 XT sits at the 67th percentile versus the M395X's 71st. This is explained by the different test sets: the M395X is measured only on Geekbench Metal and OpenCL, while the RX 7700 XT is evaluated across 3DMark, Passmark variants, and Geekbench. The Passmark DirectX scores for the RX 7700 XT (119 for DirectX 10, 232 for DirectX 11, 79 for DirectX 12, 294 for DirectX 9) are low absolute numbers that pull the average down, even though its Passmark G3D score of 22,547 and GPU compute score of 12,912 are respectable in context.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two GPUs is stark. The R9 M395X uses the Amethyst chip based on GCN 3.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.7 million per square millimeter. The RX 7700 XT employs the Navi 32 chip on RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. It packs 28,100 million transistors into a smaller 346 mm² die, achieving 81.2 million transistors per square millimeter. That is nearly six times the density, a direct consequence of the process node leap.

The R9 M395X belongs to the Gem System generation within the R9 M300 series, released in May 2015. It is now end-of-life, with its predecessor listed as Solar System and successor as Polaris Mobile. The RX 7700 XT is part of the Radeon RX 7000 series, specifically the Navi III generation, released in September 2023. It remains active, with predecessor Navi II and successor Navi IV. The codename for the RX 7700 XT is Wheat Nas, while the M395X has no codename recorded.

Memory configurations differ fundamentally. The M395X offers 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, with memory clocked at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective), producing 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7700 XT provides 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, with memory at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), achieving 432.0 GB/s. The newer card delivers 2.7 times the bandwidth despite a narrower bus, thanks to faster memory technology.

Compute resources show similar scaling. The M395X has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RX 7700 XT features 3,456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The newer GPU also introduces 54 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the older architecture. Pixel rate jumps from 23.14 GPixel/s to 244.2 GPixel/s, while texture rate climbs from 92.54 GTexel/s to 549.5 GTexel/s. FP32 performance scales from 2.961 TFLOPS to 35.17 TFLOPS, a nearly twelve-fold increase. Both cards maintain 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratios.

Power and physical specifications diverge sharply. The M395X is rated at 75 W TDP and comes as an MXM Module with no power connectors, reflecting its mobile laptop orientation. The RX 7700 XT draws 245 W, uses a dual-slot design with two 8-pin power connectors, and requires a 550 W suggested PSU. The desktop card measures 267 mm in length, 135 mm in height, and 50 mm in width, while the mobile module has no listed dimensions.

API support also reflects the generational gap. The M395X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RX 7700 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The newer card also offers modern display outputs including HDMI 2.1a, two DisplayPort 2.1 connections, and a USB Type-C port, whereas the M395X's outputs are described as portable device dependent.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture. The RX 7700 XT is overwhelmingly faster in raw compute, with its Geekbench OpenCL score of 138,383 versus 17,829 for the M395X, an 87.1 percent delta. It offers more memory bandwidth, more shading units, higher pixel and texture rates, and significantly greater FP32 throughput. It also adds ray tracing support and modern API compatibility.

However, the M395X holds a higher percentile ranking at 71 versus 67, and its average benchmark score of 25,891 exceeds the RX 7700 XT's 22,549. This is largely an artifact of test selection, but it does indicate that the older card was exceptionally well optimized for its era, competing closely with the RX 6750 XT in its own average score comparison. The M395X's 75 W TDP also makes it far more power-efficient for its generation, though the RX 7700 XT's absolute performance per watt is not directly comparable given the different architectures.

For users selecting between these two today, the choice is almost entirely dictated by the workload. The RX 7700 XT is the only sensible option for modern gaming, ray tracing, or compute-heavy tasks. The M395X is a historical artifact, relevant only for legacy systems or specific mobile form factors where its MXM module form factor and low power draw are required.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT scores 138,383, while the AMD Radeon R9 M395X scores 17,829. The RX 7700 XT leads by 87.1 percent in this benchmark.

Q: How do their memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The RX 7700 XT provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth using 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The R9 M395X provides 160.0 GB/s using 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What are the transistor counts for each chip?

A: The R9 M395X's Amethyst chip contains 5,000 million transistors on a 28 nm process. The RX 7700 XT's Navi 32 chip contains 28,100 million transistors on a 5 nm process.

Q: Does the R9 M395X support ray tracing?

A: No. The R9 M395X has no ray tracing cores. The RX 7700 XT includes 54 ray tracing cores as part of its RDNA 3.0 architecture.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The R9 M395X is rated at 75 W, while the RX 7700 XT is rated at 245 W. The RX 7700 XT also requires two 8-pin power connectors and a 550 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The R9 M395X averages 25,891 across its recorded benchmarks, placing it in the 71st percentile. The RX 7700 XT averages 22,549, placing it in the 67th percentile, though the RX 7700 XT is tested across a larger and more diverse benchmark suite.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7700 XT wins decisively in every compute-heavy and modern workload category. Its FP32 throughput of 35.17 TFLOPS versus 2.961 TFLOPS makes it suitable for scientific computing, machine learning inference, and 3D rendering tasks that leverage raw shader performance. The 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high-resolution texture streaming and large dataset manipulation. The 54 ray tracing cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing in supported games, something the M395X cannot do at all. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure access to the latest graphics features and optimizations.

The R9 M395X wins in scenarios constrained by power and form factor. Its 75 W TDP and MXM Module design make it suitable for laptops or compact systems where the RX 7700 XT's 245 W draw and dual-slot footprint would be impossible. The M395X also holds a modest edge in its average benchmark score relative to its nearest rivals, indicating that within its own generation, it was a well-balanced performer. Its 160.0 GB/s bandwidth, while low by modern standards, is sufficient for 1080p gaming at medium settings in titles from its era.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The R9 M395X uses the Amethyst chip on GCN 3.0 architecture, while the RX 7700 XT uses Navi 32 on RDNA 3.0. Process nodes are 28 nm versus 5 nm. Transistor counts are 5,000 million versus 28,100 million, with die sizes of 366 mm² versus 346 mm². Transistor density rises from 13.7M per mm² to 81.2M per mm².

Clock speeds show the RX 7700 XT with a base of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost of 2544 MHz, while the M395X has no base or boost clocks recorded, only a memory clock of 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). Memory differs in size (8 GB versus 12 GB), type (GDDR5 versus GDDR6), bus width (256-bit versus 192-bit), and bandwidth (160.0 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s).

Shader resources scale from 2,048 to 3,456 shading units, 128 to 216 TMUs, and 32 to 96 ROPs. The RX 7700 XT adds 54 ray tracing cores. Pixel rate jumps from 23.14 to 244.2 GPixel/s, texture rate from 92.54 to 549.5 GTexel/s, and FP32 from 2.961 to 35.17 TFLOPS. TDP rises from 75 W to 245 W. Form factor changes from MXM Module to dual-slot, with power connectors going from none to two 8-pin. The bus interface advances from PCIe 3.0 x16 to PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs shift from portable device dependent to HDMI 2.1a, two DisplayPort 2.1, and USB Type-C. DirectX support moves from 12 (12_0) to 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan from 1.2.170 to 1.4, while OpenGL remains 4.6 on both. The RX 7700 XT has a launch MSRP of 449 USD. Production status differs from end-of-life to active, with release dates of May 2015 and September 2023 respectively.