AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce MX130 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 represent two distinct approaches to integrated and low-power discrete graphics in laptops. The benchmark database places the AMD part at the 37th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA part sits at the 32nd percentile. The recorded data includes a single direct head-to-head comparison, alongside broader performance averages and architectural specifications that reveal how these two mobile graphics solutions differ.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available between these two GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile scores 6,476 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 scores 6,102 points. This gives AMD a clear win by a delta of 6.1 percent. The AMD part outperforms the NVIDIA part by roughly 374 points in raw score terms, a margin that is noticeable but not overwhelming in real-world tasks.

The average benchmark score in the database tells a similar story. The AMD Vega 10 Mobile has an average score of 6,476, which matches its single OpenCL result. The MX130, however, has an average score of 5,508, pulled down by its additional Vulkan benchmark result of 4,914 points. When comparing the average scores, the AMD part leads by approximately 17.6 percent, a much larger gap than the OpenCL-only comparison suggests. This indicates that the NVIDIA part performs significantly worse in the Vulkan test, which drags down its overall standing.

Looking at nearest rivals provides context for these scores. The AMD Vega 10 Mobile sits near the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M, which averages 6,481 points, a delta of negative 0.1 percent, meaning the AMD part is essentially tied with that workstation GPU. It also trails the GeForce GT 555M by 0.3 percent and the GTX 670M by 0.6 percent, both older discrete parts. Interestingly, the AMD Vega 10 Mobile is actually 1.1 percent ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell, a far more expensive and powerful card, though that comparison likely reflects a specific workload anomaly rather than general performance.

For the MX130, its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M, which averages 5,501 points, a delta of 0.1 percent in favor of the MX130. It also edges out the AMD Radeon R7 M440 by 0.5 percent and the Quadro M4000 by 0.7 percent. However, the MX130 trails the AMD FirePro M4000 by 0.5 percent. These numbers place the MX130 in a lower performance tier than the Vega 10 Mobile, consistent with the head-to-head result.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial. The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile uses the GCN 5.0 architecture, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The chip, named Raven-M, contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 uses the Maxwell architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Its GM108S chip contains 1,020 million transistors on a much smaller 77 mm² die, with a density of 13.2 million per square millimeter.

The process node difference is significant: 14 nm versus 28 nm means the AMD chip packs nearly five times the transistors into less than three times the die area. This density advantage allows the Vega 10 Mobile to field more compute resources. The AMD part has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The MX130 has 384 shading units, 24 texture units, and 8 ROPs. The Vega 10 Mobile has 66.7 percent more shading units and 66.7 percent more texture units, though both share the same ROP count.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The AMD part has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1,301 MHz, while the NVIDIA part runs at a base of 1,109 MHz and a boost of 1,189 MHz. The MX130 has a much higher base clock, but the Vega 10 Mobile has a higher boost clock. The NVIDIA part also has a fixed memory clock of 1,253 MHz with 5 Gbps effective speed, whereas the AMD part relies on system shared memory with a clock speed listed as system dependent.

Memory configuration is another major divergence. The Vega 10 Mobile uses system shared memory, meaning its size, type, and bus width are all system dependent. The MX130 comes with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 40.10 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD part's bandwidth is system dependent, which means its memory performance varies with the laptop's RAM configuration. The MX130 has a fixed memory advantage in bandwidth, but the AMD part can potentially access larger pools of system memory.

The bus interface also differs. The AMD part is an IGP, integrated into the processor package, while the MX130 connects via PCIe 3.0 x4. Both are end-of-life products, but the AMD part was released on January 7, 2019, while the NVIDIA part came earlier on November 16, 2017. The AMD part lists a predecessor as GCN 3.0 IGP and a successor as Navi II IGP, while the MX130 has no predecessor or successor listed.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results indicate that the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile wins in the OpenCL workload, which is often used for compute-heavy tasks like image processing and some scientific applications. Its 6.1 percent lead in that specific test, combined with a higher average score, suggests it handles general compute workloads more efficiently. The Vega 10 Mobile's higher shading unit count and texture rate of 52.04 GTexel/s versus 28.54 GTexel/s for the MX130 point to advantages in tasks that rely on parallel throughput.

The NVIDIA GeForce MX130, despite losing the head-to-head, has its own strengths. Its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 40.10 GB/s bandwidth is a fixed resource, not dependent on system RAM. This can be beneficial in scenarios where system memory bandwidth is limited or shared with the CPU. The MX130 also has a higher base clock of 1,109 MHz, which may help in lightly threaded or latency-sensitive tasks that do not scale well with massive parallelism. The Vulkan benchmark score of 4,914 is lower than the OpenCL score, but the MX130 does support Vulkan 1.4, which is a newer version than the Vega 10 Mobile's Vulkan 1.3.

The power envelope is a notable differentiator. The Vega 10 Mobile has a TDP of 10 W, while the MX130 draws 30 W. This threefold difference means the AMD part is far more power efficient, making it better suited for thin and light laptops where battery life is a priority. The MX130's higher power draw suggests it may sustain performance better under sustained load, but the data does not include thermal or sustained-load benchmarks to confirm this.

For users, the choice depends on workload. The Vega 10 Mobile excels in compute throughput and power efficiency, making it a good fit for productivity tasks, light photo editing, and applications that leverage OpenCL acceleration. The MX130, with its dedicated memory, may be more consistent in gaming scenarios where dedicated VRAM helps avoid stutter, though its lower compute rates limit its ceiling. The data shows one win for the AMD part and zero for NVIDIA in direct comparison, but the MX130's memory configuration could be a deciding factor in specific use cases.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile scores 6,476 points, which is 6.1 percent higher than the NVIDIA GeForce MX130's score of 6,102 points in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: How does the average benchmark score compare between the two?

A: The AMD part has an average score of 6,476 across its single benchmark, while the NVIDIA part averages 5,508 across two benchmarks (OpenCL and Vulkan). The Vega 10 Mobile leads by a wide margin.

Q: What are the memory differences?

A: The MX130 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus with 40.10 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 10 Mobile uses system shared memory, with size, type, and bus width all system dependent.

Q: Which GPU is more power efficient?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile has a TDP of 10 W, compared to 30 W for the NVIDIA GeForce MX130, making the AMD part three times more power efficient in terms of rated power draw.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: No. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA part supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MX130 has a newer Vulkan version but an older DirectX feature level.

Q: How do these GPUs rank against all other GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile is at the 37th percentile, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 is at the 32nd percentile. The AMD part ranks higher overall.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every core specification. The process node is 14 nm for AMD versus 28 nm for NVIDIA. The transistor count is 4,940 million versus 1,020 million, and the die size is 210 mm² versus 77 mm². Transistor density is 23.5M per mm² for AMD versus 13.2M per mm² for NVIDIA. The AMD chip (Raven-M) is built on GCN 5.0 architecture, while the NVIDIA chip (GM108S) uses Maxwell. The shading units are 640 versus 384, TMUs are 40 versus 24, and ROPs are 8 for both.

Clock speeds differ, with AMD having a base of 300 MHz and boost of 1,301 MHz, while NVIDIA has a base of 1,109 MHz and boost of 1,189 MHz. Memory is system shared on AMD versus 2 GB GDDR5 on NVIDIA. The bus interface is IGP for AMD versus PCIe 3.0 x4 for NVIDIA. The TDP is 10 W versus 30 W. The pixel rate is 10.41 GPixel/s for AMD versus 9.512 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rate is 52.04 GTexel/s versus 28.54 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 1.665 TFLOPS for AMD versus 913.2 GFLOPS for NVIDIA. The AMD part supports FP16 at 3.331 TFLOPS, while the NVIDIA part has no listed FP16 capability. The release dates are January 7, 2019 for AMD and November 16, 2017 for NVIDIA.

The Verdict

The benchmark database gives the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile a clear edge in compute performance. It wins the only direct head-to-head test by 6.1 percent, holds a higher average benchmark score by roughly 17.6 percent, and ranks at a higher percentile among all GPUs. Its 640 shading units and 1.665 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provide a substantial throughput advantage over the MX130's 384 shading units and 913.2 GFLOPS. The AMD part also offers better power efficiency at 10 W versus 30 W, making it a stronger choice for thin laptops where battery life matters.

However, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 is not without merit. Its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with fixed 40.10 GB/s bandwidth removes reliance on system RAM, which can be advantageous in memory-constrained environments. The MX130's higher base clock of 1,109 MHz and newer Vulkan 1.4 support also give it niche strengths. For users who prioritize open standards and compute throughput, the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile is the clear pick based on the data. For those who need dedicated VRAM and a simpler memory subsystem, the MX130 remains a viable option, but the recorded benchmarks indicate it trails the AMD part in raw performance. The verdict from the data is straightforward: the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 in the tested workloads and offers better efficiency, making it the stronger overall product.