AMD Radeon R6 M255DX

The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX is an integrated graphics processor built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured by AMD on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It uses the Jet chip, packs 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die, and was released in January 2014 as part of the "Gem System Hybrid" generation. In the Geekbench Vulkan benchmark, it scores 4867 points, placing it in the 27th percentile of all GPUs — a clear indication of its entry-level positioning. This analysis examines its power characteristics, feature set, benchmark performance, memory subsystem, and how it stacks up against its closest rivals.

Power and Cooling — TDP, PSU recommendation, connector requirements

The Radeon R6 M255DX is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), as indicated by its slot width and bus interface both being listed as "IGP". Consequently, the fact pack does not include a TDP value, a suggested PSU rating, or any power connector specifications. This is typical for integrated parts, which draw power from the host system's existing power delivery infrastructure rather than requiring a dedicated power supply or supplemental connectors. The absence of power connectors means installation is essentially a matter of the host device's design — the GPU is not user-serviceable in the traditional sense.

The GPU's clocks are modest: a base frequency of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 855 MHz. These figures, combined with the 28 nm process node, suggest a power envelope that is well within the capabilities of a portable device's thermal and power budget, though no precise wattage is provided. The lack of a suggested PSU reinforces that this is not a discrete card; users do not need to factor in a separate power supply recommendation. Because the memory is "System Shared", the GPU relies on the system's main memory, which also influences power consumption indirectly — but again, no specific numbers are given.

The production status is "End-of-life", meaning this part is no longer manufactured or actively supported. For those encountering it in existing systems, the power requirements are minimal from a connector perspective, but the integrated nature means the host laptop or device's overall power design determines its operational limits. No separate cooling solution is needed beyond the device's existing thermal management, as the GPU is embedded on the same package or board.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set — RT/tensor cores, API support from facts

The Radeon R6 M255DX has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores — both fields are null in the specification. This means hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features (such as DLSS) are entirely absent. The GPU's feature set is instead defined by its GCN 1.0 architecture and the APIs it supports. It exposes DirectX 12 (with a feature level of 11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. These modern API versions allow the GPU to run contemporary titles that rely on these interfaces, but the underlying hardware is limited to the capabilities of GCN 1.0, which predates many recent rendering techniques.

The shading unit count is 320, with 20 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 8 raster operation units (ROPs). This configuration yields a pixel rate of 6.840 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 17.10 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute throughput is 547.2 GFLOPS. These numbers are low by modern standards, but they do indicate a functional, if modest, 3D engine. The lack of RT and tensor cores means any ray tracing effects would have to be computed via shaders, which would be prohibitively slow given the limited compute power. Similarly, any machine learning workloads would rely on general-purpose shader execution, with no dedicated acceleration.

In terms of display output, the specification lists "Portable Device Dependent", meaning the video outputs are determined by the host laptop or portable device. This is consistent with an IGP that is not sold as a standalone graphics card. The API support is the most forward-looking aspect of this GPU, as Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1) are still relevant in modern software, even if the hardware cannot fully leverage all features.

Benchmark Performance — analyze scores vs rivals with exact % deltas

The sole benchmark result in the fact pack is a Geekbench Vulkan score of 4867. This places the R6 M255DX in the 27th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only about a quarter of the database. The average benchmark score is the same 4867, confirming that this is a single data point. The nearest rivals provide context:

• NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450: scores 4893, with a deltaPct of -0.5%. The R6 M255DX is 0.5% slower than the GTS 450. This is a statistical tie, though the GTS 450 is a discrete card from an older generation.
• Intel HD Graphics P530: scores 4831, deltaPct +0.8%. The R6 M255DX is 0.8% faster than Intel's integrated solution, a marginal lead.
• AMD FirePro W5130M: scores 4904, deltaPct -0.8%. The R6 M255DX is 0.8% slower than this professional mobile GPU.
• NVIDIA GeForce 930M: scores 4927, deltaPct -1.2%. The R6 M255DX is 1.2% slower than this entry-level discrete laptop GPU.

These deltas are all within a 2% band, indicating that the R6 M255DX performs essentially on par with a range of low-end GPUs from the same era. The 27th percentile reinforces its position at the bottom of the performance spectrum. The FP32 throughput of 547.2 GFLOPS aligns with this score — it is a sub-600 GFLOPS part, which is typical for integrated graphics from the mid-2010s. The pixel and texture rates are also low, which directly impacts fill-rate-bound workloads. In real-world terms, the R6 M255DX would handle older titles at 720p or 1080p with low settings, but it will struggle with modern AAA games. The benchmark data alone cannot specify framerates, but the percentile and rival deltas paint a clear picture of a very entry-level performer.

Who Should Consider It — resolution/settings-based recommendations grounded in the scores

Given its 27th percentile ranking and its near-tie with the GeForce GTS 450 and GeForce 930M, the R6 M255DX is suited for users who require basic 3D acceleration in a portable device. This could include casual gaming of older or less demanding titles, light video playback, or productivity applications that use GPU acceleration. The performance level suggests that 720p with low to medium settings is a realistic target for many games, while 1080p would require very low settings and likely reduced resolution scaling. The GPU's modest texture rate of 17.10 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 6.840 GPixel/s mean that high-resolution textures and effects will quickly become bottlenecks.

Because it is an integrated part, it is not a choice for a custom PC build; rather, it is a feature of a specific laptop or hybrid device. Users who are already in possession of such a device should manage expectations: this is not a gaming GPU. The 0.8% lead over the Intel HD Graphics P530 shows that it can slightly outperform a common integrated competitor, but the margin is negligible. For any modern game that demands hardware ray tracing or high frame rates, the R6 M255DX is not suitable. Its best use case is as a fallback for legacy software or as a basic display adapter. The lack of dedicated VRAM further limits its ability to handle high-resolution textures, as the system memory bandwidth is shared and dependent on the host platform.

Memory Subsystem — VRAM size/type, bus width, bandwidth and what it means for high resolutions

The R6 M255DX has no dedicated VRAM. Its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent". This means the GPU uses a portion of the system's main memory for both framebuffer and texture storage. The effective bandwidth is therefore determined by the host system's memory configuration — its speed, channel width, and capacity. The fact pack explicitly notes "System Dependent", meaning the performance can vary significantly between different laptops or devices that integrate this GPU.

For high-resolution gaming, this is a severe limitation. A dedicated GPU with its own VRAM can move data at speeds far exceeding system memory bandwidth. The R6 M255DX must compete with the CPU for memory access, and the lack of a dedicated bus width means the data path is the same as the CPU's memory interface. In practice, this results in lower effective bandwidth compared to discrete solutions, which is why the GPU's pixel and texture rates are modest. At 1080p, the shared memory subsystem may become a bottleneck, especially with high-resolution textures. At 4K, the situation would be untenable, though the GPU's raw compute power (547.2 GFLOPS) would already be insufficient regardless of memory.

The memory clock is listed as "System Shared", which reinforces that the GPU does not have its own memory clock. The bandwidth is not quantified, so any discussion of specific throughput is impossible. What is clear is that the memory subsystem is a major limiting factor for high-resolution workloads. For users, this means that even if the GPU could theoretically render a scene, the memory bandwidth would likely prevent smooth performance at high resolutions. The system dependent nature also means that upgrading system RAM (e.g., from single-channel to dual-channel) could improve GPU performance, but this is not specified in the fact pack.

FAQ

Q: What is the TDP of the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX?

A: The fact pack does not list a TDP value. As an integrated GPU (IGP), it draws power from the host system and does not have a separate power connector or suggested PSU.

Q: Does the R6 M255DX support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The specifications list no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, so hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features are not available.

Q: What APIs does the R6 M255DX support?

A: It supports DirectX 12 (with feature level 11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: How much VRAM does the R6 M255DX have?

A: It has no dedicated VRAM. The memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all "System Shared" or "System Dependent", meaning it uses system memory.

Q: How does the R6 M255DX compare to the NVIDIA GeForce 930M?

A: In the Geekbench Vulkan benchmark, the R6 M255DX scores 4867, which is 1.2% lower than the GeForce 930M's score of 4927.

Q: Is the R6 M255DX suitable for modern gaming?

A: Its 27th percentile ranking and low FP32 throughput (547.2 GFLOPS) indicate it is only suitable for older or less demanding titles at low settings. It lacks dedicated VRAM and ray tracing support.

How It Compares

NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450: The R6 M255DX trails the GTS 450 by 0.5% in the Geekbench Vulkan score (4867 vs 4893). The GTS 450 is a discrete card from an earlier era, yet the integrated R6 essentially matches it. This parity underscores how far integrated graphics had come by 2014, but also how low the R6 sits on the performance ladder.

Intel HD Graphics P530: The R6 M255DX leads the Intel HD P530 by 0.8% (4867 vs 4831). This is a narrow victory over a competing integrated solution. The margin is small enough to be negligible in real-world use, meaning the R6 offers no meaningful advantage over a contemporary Intel IGP.

AMD FirePro W5130M: The R6 M255DX is 0.8% slower than the FirePro W5130M (4867 vs 4904). The W5130M is a professional mobile GPU, but its performance is nearly identical to the R6 in this test. The R6's lack of professional driver optimizations and dedicated memory likely make it less suitable for workstation tasks.

NVIDIA GeForce 930M: The R6 M255DX is 1.2% slower than the GeForce 930M (4867 vs 4927). The 930M is a low-end discrete laptop GPU, and the R6 comes close but does not surpass it. This positions the R6 as a slightly less capable alternative to the most basic discrete offerings of its time.