AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile vs NVIDIA Quadro K4000M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a single head-to-head benchmark result, and it decisively favors the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD part scores 7435 points against the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M's 5986 points. That is a 24.2% advantage for the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile, a substantial margin that places the two products in different performance tiers despite their similar FP32 compute ceilings.

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile's average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 7203, driven by its two results: 7435 in Geekbench OpenCL and 6970 in Geekbench Vulkan. The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M, with only a single recorded Geekbench OpenCL score of 5986, holds an average of 5986. This means the AMD part sits 20.3% higher in average benchmark score, a gap that is consistent with the head-to-head result.

Context from the nearest rivals list reinforces the story. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile sits at the 39th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M sits at the 34th. The AMD part's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (avg score 7222, delta -0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (avg 7171, delta 0.4%), and the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (avg 7170, delta 0.5%). Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 also appears with an average score of 7157, a 0.6% delta, which suggests the database's scoring can cluster closely around a narrow band. The Quadro K4000M's nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W4100 (avg 5987, delta 0%), the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 (avg 5982, delta 0.1%), and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (avg 5996, delta -0.2%). The AMD part is clearly positioned in a higher score bracket than the Quadro.

The 24.2% delta in the head-to-head is not a marginal win; it is a decisive one. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile outperforms the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M by nearly a quarter in raw OpenCL compute performance, which is a strong indicator for workloads that leverage general-purpose GPU compute.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturing eras and design philosophies. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, using the GCN 5.0 architecture with the Raven-M chip. The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC, built on the Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip. The process node difference is significant: 14 nm versus 28 nm allows the AMD part to pack more transistors into a smaller die. AMD's chip contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². NVIDIA's chip contains 3,540 million transistors on a larger 294 mm² die, yielding a lower density of 12.0 million per mm². The AMD part achieves higher density despite being the newer design.

The memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses system shared memory, meaning its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all "System Shared" or "System Dependent". This is typical for an integrated graphics processor (IGP). The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M is a discrete MXM module with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 89.60 GB/s of bandwidth. The Quadro also runs its memory at 700 MHz with 2.8 Gbps effective data rate. The AMD part's memory performance is entirely dependent on the host system's RAM, which can be a limiting factor in real-world scenarios, but the benchmark scores show it still outperforms the Quadro in OpenCL compute.

The compute units differ in configuration. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M has 960 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Quadro has significantly more of each resource, yet it still loses in OpenCL performance. This suggests architectural efficiency differences outweigh raw unit counts. The AMD part's pixel rate is 8.808 GPixel/s and texture rate is 35.23 GTexel/s, while the Quadro achieves 12.02 GPixel/s and 48.08 GTexel/s. In rasterization throughput, the Quadro leads, but in compute, the AMD part wins.

Clock speeds show a similar divergence. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1101 MHz. The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M is locked at a flat 601 MHz for both base and boost. The AMD part's much higher boost clock, combined with its newer architecture, helps explain its OpenCL advantage despite fewer shading units.

The FP32 compute figures are close: the AMD part delivers 1,127.4 GFLOPS, while the Quadro delivers 1,153.9 GFLOPS. The Quadro has a slight theoretical edge, but the AMD part still wins the benchmark by 24.2%. The AMD part also supports FP16 at 2.255 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the Quadro has no recorded FP16 capability. API support differs as well: the AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the Quadro supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Power consumption is another major divide. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has a TDP of 25 W and is an integrated graphics processor with no power connectors and an IGP bus interface. The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M has a TDP of 100 W, uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface, and also has no power connectors, but as a discrete module it requires the host laptop to supply power. The 75 W difference in TDP is substantial, and the AMD part achieves its benchmark win while drawing a quarter of the power.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 7203, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M has an average of 5986. The AMD part is 20.3% higher.

Q: What is the head-to-head OpenCL result?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile scores 7435, and the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M scores 5986. The AMD part wins by 24.2%.

Q: How do their process nodes compare?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC.

Q: What memory configurations do they use?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses system shared memory with bandwidth described as system dependent. The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 89.60 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are their TDP ratings?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has a TDP of 25 W, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M has a TDP of 100 W.

Q: Which GPU has the higher percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile sits at the 39th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M sits at the 34th percentile.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for compute workloads: the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 24.2%, has a higher average benchmark score, a higher percentile ranking, and does so at a quarter of the TDP. The AMD part's 7435 OpenCL score versus the Quadro's 5986 is a decisive gap that cannot be explained away by architecture differences or theoretical compute parity. The Quadro has more shading units, more TMUs, more ROPs, and slightly higher FP32, yet it loses decisively.

The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M does have advantages in specific areas. Its 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory with 89.60 GB/s bandwidth is a concrete asset for workloads that require high memory throughput and cannot rely on shared system memory. Its pixel rate of 12.02 GPixel/s and texture rate of 48.08 GTexel/s are higher than the AMD part's 8.808 GPixel/s and 35.23 GTexel/s, which could matter for rasterization-heavy tasks. But the benchmark data shows that in OpenCL compute, the AMD part is superior.

The verdict is straightforward: for general compute performance, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is the stronger choice. For scenarios where dedicated memory and higher rasterization throughput are critical, the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M retains some relevance, but it is an older, less efficient design that loses the compute comparison.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification.

• Process Node: AMD uses 14 nm at GlobalFoundries; NVIDIA uses 28 nm at TSMC.
• Transistors: AMD has 4,940 million; NVIDIA has 3,540 million.
• Die Size: AMD is 210 mm²; NVIDIA is 294 mm².
• Transistor Density: AMD is 23.5M / mm²; NVIDIA is 12.0M / mm².
• Base Clock: AMD is 300 MHz; NVIDIA is 601 MHz.
• Boost Clock: AMD is 1101 MHz; NVIDIA is 601 MHz.
• Memory Size: AMD is System Shared; NVIDIA is 4 GB.
• Memory Type: AMD is System Shared; NVIDIA is GDDR5.
• Memory Bus Width: AMD is System Shared; NVIDIA is 256 bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: AMD is System Dependent; NVIDIA is 89.60 GB/s.
• Shading Units: AMD has 512; NVIDIA has 960.
• Texture Mapping Units: AMD has 32; NVIDIA has 80.
• Render Output Units: AMD has 8; NVIDIA has 32.
• Pixel Rate: AMD is 8.808 GPixel/s; NVIDIA is 12.02 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: AMD is 35.23 GTexel/s; NVIDIA is 48.08 GTexel/s.
• FP32: AMD is 1,127.4 GFLOPS; NVIDIA is 1,153.9 GFLOPS.
• FP16: AMD is 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1); NVIDIA has no recorded FP16.
• TDP: AMD is 25 W; NVIDIA is 100 W.
• Slot Width: AMD is IGP; NVIDIA is MXM Module.
• Bus Interface: AMD is IGP; NVIDIA is MXM-B (3.0).
• DirectX Support: AMD is 12 (12_1); NVIDIA is 12 (11_0).
• Vulkan Support: AMD is 1.3; NVIDIA is 1.2.175.
• Release Date: AMD is 2019-01-07; NVIDIA is 2012-05-31.
• Predecessor: AMD is GCN 3.0 IGP; NVIDIA is Quadro Fermi-M.
• Successor: AMD is Navi II IGP; NVIDIA is Quadro Maxwell-M.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins on raw compute performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 7435 beats the Quadro's 5986 by 24.2%, and its Vulkan score of 6970 demonstrates strong API support. It also wins on efficiency, with a 25 W TDP versus the Quadro's 100 W, making it suitable for thin and light laptops where power draw is a constraint. Its newer 14 nm process, higher boost clock of 1101 MHz, and support for FP16 at 2.255 TFLOPS give it a modern feature set. The AMD part also has a higher percentile ranking (39th versus 34th) and a higher average benchmark score (7203 versus 5986).

The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M wins on memory and rasterization throughput. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus provides 89.60 GB/s of dedicated bandwidth, which is a concrete advantage over the AMD part's system shared memory. Its pixel rate of 12.02 GPixel/s and texture rate of 48.08 GTexel/s exceed the AMD part's 8.808 GPixel/s and 35.23 GTexel/s. The Quadro also has more shading units (960 versus 512), more TMUs (80 versus 32), and more ROPs (32 versus 8). For workloads that are memory-bandwidth-bound or rely on high fill rates, the Quadro has a structural edge.

The use-case split is clear. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is the choice for general compute, OpenCL and Vulkan workloads, and any application that benefits from a modern architecture with FP16 support and lower power consumption. The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M is the choice for legacy rasterization tasks, applications that require dedicated VRAM, and scenarios where the host system's shared memory would be a bottleneck. The benchmark data, however, shows the AMD part as the stronger overall performer in compute, and that is the metric that matters most in the recorded results.