AMD Radeon R5 M230
AMD graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
AMDAMD Radeon R5 M230 Specifications
Radeon R5 M230 GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The AMD Radeon R5 M230 GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
R5 M230 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the Radeon R5 M230's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The Radeon R5 M230 by AMD dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
AMD's Radeon R5 M230 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The Radeon R5 M230's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
Radeon R5 M230 by AMD Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the R5 M230, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
R5 M230 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the AMD Radeon R5 M230 against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
GCN 1.0 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The AMD Radeon R5 M230 is built on AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the R5 M230 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
AMD's Radeon R5 M230 Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the AMD Radeon R5 M230 determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the Radeon R5 M230 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
Radeon R5 M230 by AMD Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the AMD Radeon R5 M230 are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
AMD API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the AMD Radeon R5 M230. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
Radeon R5 M230 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The AMD Radeon R5 M230 is manufactured by AMD as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the Radeon R5 M230 by AMD represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
Radeon R5 M230 Benchmark Scores
geekbench_openclSource
Geekbench OpenCL tests GPU compute performance using the cross-platform OpenCL API. This shows how AMD Radeon R5 M230 handles parallel computing tasks like video encoding and scientific simulations.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby PerformersAbout AMD Radeon R5 M230
AMD Radeon R5 M230 is an end-of-life mobile graphics solution built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process. The chip integrates 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, with 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output pipelines. Memory configuration consists of 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth, with a memory clock of 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective). The GPU achieves a pixel rate of 4.880 GPixel/s, a texture rate of 12.20 GTexel/s, and 390.4 GFLOPS of FP32 compute. Its sole benchmark result is a Geekbench OpenCL score of 4596, placing it at the 25th percentile among all GPUs.
Who Should Consider It
The Radeon R5 M230 targets users with modest graphical demands, particularly those in entry-level laptops where integrated graphics are the primary alternative. Benchmark results indicate an average score of 4596, which positions this GPU for basic desktop composition, video playback, and lightweight productivity applications. For gaming, the data suggests this card is suited to older titles or esports-style games at low resolutions and reduced detail settings; the 16.00 GB/s memory bandwidth and 390.4 GFLOPS compute capacity are limiting factors for modern 3D workloads. Users seeking 1080p gaming at medium or high presets will find the performance insufficient, as the 25th percentile ranking places it below the majority of discrete GPUs.
Given the 2 GB DDR3 frame buffer and 64-bit memory interface, the R5 M230 can handle 720p resolution in many games from the early-to-mid 2010s, but frame rates will be inconsistent in more demanding scenes. The pixel rate of 4.880 GPixel/s and texture rate of 12.20 GTexel/s further constrain fill-rate-heavy effects such as shadows and post-processing. For non-gamers, the card is adequate for office suites, web browsing, and streaming video, though even these tasks may not benefit meaningfully over modern integrated graphics. The slot width is listed as "IGP," indicating this is an integrated graphics processor intended for portable devices, with display outputs described as "portable device dependent." Consequently, it is best suited for users who need a basic discrete-class GPU in a thin-and-light laptop without expectations of high-performance computing.
How It Compares
The nearest rival, AMD Radeon R5 M320, posts an average score of 4629, which is 0.7% higher than the R5 M230's 4596. This places the two essentially at parity, with the M320 holding a negligible edge in raw OpenCL compute. In practical terms, neither GPU offers a distinct advantage over the other; users would not notice a difference in real-world applications.
AMD Radeon R7 M260 also achieves an average score of 4630, again 0.7% ahead of the R5 M230. The M260 is positioned higher in AMD's mobile lineup, yet the benchmark delta is statistically insignificant, suggesting that architectural similarities and clock behavior outweigh any nominal tier differences. Both cards share the same memory type and similar bandwidth constraints, so performance in memory-bound scenarios will be nearly identical.
NVIDIA Quadro M3000M, a professional mobile workstation GPU, reaches an average score of 4635, which is 0.8% higher than the R5 M230. Despite the Quadro's reputation for professional applications, the OpenCL score shows only a marginal advantage, likely because this particular benchmark does not heavily stress the features that differentiate workstation cards, such as ECC memory or optimized drivers for CAD.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, a high-end gaming laptop GPU from the same era, averages 4655, which is 1.3% above the R5 M230. This is the largest gap among the listed rivals, yet still a modest one in absolute terms. The GTX 970M typically offers far superior gaming performance, but the Geekbench OpenCL test used here does not capture the full extent of that difference, compressing the delta to a single-digit percentage.
Benchmark Performance
The Radeon R5 M230's sole benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, yields a score of 4596. When set against its nearest rivals, the performance spread is remarkably narrow: the R5 M320 and R7 M260 each lead by 0.7%, the Quadro M3000M leads by 0.8%, and the GTX 970M leads by 1.3%. These deltas are well within the margin of error for OpenCL workloads, which are sensitive to driver versions and thermal states. The data indicates that the R5 M230 is functionally equivalent to the R5 M320 and R7 M260 in compute tasks, despite the M260's higher tier in AMD's naming scheme. The Quadro M3000M's advantage is similarly trivial, though its professional drivers may yield better results in specific OpenCL applications not reflected in this generic test. The GTX 970M, despite being a far more powerful gaming GPU, shows only a 1.3% lead in this benchmark, underscoring that Geekbench OpenCL is not a reliable proxy for rasterization performance; the R5 M230's 390.4 GFLOPS FP32 throughput and 16.00 GB/s bandwidth are the real bottlenecks in gaming workloads.
The percentile ranking of 25th indicates that the R5 M230 outperforms only a quarter of all GPUs in the database, placing it firmly in the entry-level segment. Compared to the predecessor "Solar System" and successor "Polaris Mobile" generations, this chip represents a transitional step, but no benchmark data is available for those families to establish a generational trend. The 28 nm process and 690 million transistors suggest a modest design, and the 12.3M transistors per mm² density is typical for that node era. Overall, the benchmark performance confirms that the R5 M230 is adequate for basic tasks but will struggle with any compute-heavy or graphically intensive application.
FAQ
Q: What is the Geekbench OpenCL score of the AMD Radeon R5 M230?
A: The card scores 4596 in Geekbench OpenCL, which places it at the 25th percentile among all GPUs.
Q: How does the R5 M230 compare to the Radeon R7 M260?
A: The R7 M260 has an average score of 4630, which is 0.7% higher than the R5 M230's 4596, indicating essentially identical performance.
Q: What memory configuration does the R5 M230 use?
A: It uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 16.00 GB/s and a memory clock of 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective).
Q: Is the R5 M230 suitable for modern gaming?
A: No, the 390.4 GFLOPS FP32 performance and 16.00 GB/s bandwidth are too limited; the card is best for basic tasks and older or low-demand games.
Q: What APIs does the R5 M230 support?
A: It supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.
Q: What is the production status of this GPU?
A: The R5 M230 is end-of-life, with a release date of January 6, 2014.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The Radeon R5 M230 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as these features were not part of the GCN 1.0 architecture. Its API support includes DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, which means it can run modern API-based applications, but without hardware-accelerated ray tracing or AI-based features like DLSS. The absence of dedicated RT hardware limits its ability to handle ray-traced effects, which would rely on the 390.4 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, resulting in very low frame rates in any such workload. The card's feature set is otherwise basic: 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, with pixel and texture rates of 4.880 GPixel/s and 12.20 GTexel/s, respectively. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x8, which provides sufficient bandwidth for its 16.00 GB/s memory throughput. Display outputs are "portable device dependent," meaning the available ports vary by laptop model, and there is no support for external display adapters beyond what the OEM integrates. The Vulkan 1.2.170 support is notably modern for a 2014 GPU, potentially allowing newer titles to run with reduced settings, but the lack of RT and tensor cores means it cannot leverage cutting-edge graphics features.
Power and Cooling
The FACT PACK lists no TDP for the Radeon R5 M230, so thermal design power cannot be quantified. Similarly, there is no suggested PSU rating and no power connector requirements, which is consistent with its slot width being listed as "IGP" — integrated graphics for portable devices. This implies the GPU draws power from the laptop's main power delivery system rather than a dedicated connector, and cooling is handled by the notebook's chassis fans. The 28 nm process node and 690 million transistors suggest a relatively low power draw, but without official numbers, any estimate would be speculative. The absence of a power connector also means that the card is not user-upgradeable or serviceable in a traditional desktop sense. For a laptop owner, this translates to no additional power supply considerations; the system's existing adapter and cooling solution are designed to handle the GPU's demands. Given the end-of-life status and IGP classification, the R5 M230 is a fixed component of the device it ships in, and power consumption is a non-factor for end users. The memory operates at 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective), which is a conservative clock that contributes to lower heat output, but again, exact thermal figures are not available in the data.
The NVIDIA Equivalent of Radeon R5 M230
Looking for a similar graphics card from NVIDIA? The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 offers comparable performance and features in the NVIDIA lineup.
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