AMD Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

The AMD Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition occupies a distinct position in the hardware landscape, built on the GCN 3.0 architecture with the Amethyst chip. It is a mobile-focused part, designed as an MXM Module, and its benchmark percentile of 50 places it exactly at the median of all GPUs in the database. This indicates a part that is neither a flagship nor an entry-level product, but rather a solid mid-range performer. The data shows a 28 nm process from TSMC, with 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.7M per mm². This is a mature design from the Gem System generation, released in late 2014, and now marked as end-of-life.

Benchmark Performance

The R9 M295X Mac Edition’s performance profile is defined by its raw computational metrics. The card delivers 3.482 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is identical to its FP16 output at a 1:1 ratio. This is a key indicator of its GCN 3.0 architecture, which does not prioritize half-precision workloads. The texture rate is 108.8 GTexel/s, supported by 128 TMUs, while the pixel rate stands at 27.20 GPixel/s, driven by 32 ROPs. These figures suggest a balanced workload capability for its era, but the lack of any benchmark scores in the FACT PACK means we must interpret these numbers in a relative context.

With an average benchmark score of zero and an empty nearestRivals list, direct numerical comparisons are unavailable. However, the 50th percentile ranking is informative. It implies that in a distribution of all GPUs, the R9 M295X sits squarely in the middle. This is a significant qualitative signal. For a mobile part, this suggests it outperforms a substantial number of integrated and low-end discrete solutions, while being outpaced by desktop mid-range and high-end cards of its generation. The FP32 throughput of 3.482 TFLOPS would have been competent for 1080p gaming at medium to high settings in its prime, but it is clearly not a high-refresh-rate or 4K powerhouse based on these compute metrics. The pixel rate of 27.20 GPixel/s further reinforces that fill-rate-heavy workloads at high resolutions would be a limiting factor.

Who Should Consider It

Given the data, this GPU is best suited for a specific, legacy-oriented use case. The 4 GB GDDR5 memory is a crucial factor. With a 256-bit bus width and 174.3 GB/s of bandwidth, it provides ample capacity for 1080p textures and moderate 1440p gaming in titles from its era. For resolution and settings, the data suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot. Users should expect to run games at high settings in older titles or medium settings in more demanding modern games. Pushing to 1440p would require reducing settings significantly to maintain playable frame rates, as the 3.482 TFLOPS compute and 27.20 GPixel/s pixel rate would struggle with the increased load.

The 50th percentile ranking indicates that it is a capable option for users who are not chasing maximum graphical fidelity. It is a viable solution for a secondary system, a media center PC, or a Mac Pro user seeking a moderate upgrade from an older integrated solution. For those with a Mac Pro that accepts an MXM-B (3.0) module, this card offers a defined performance tier. It is not for users who want to play the latest AAA titles at maximum settings or who require advanced ray tracing, as those features are not supported. The data paints a picture of a workhorse card that handles established game libraries and general GPU-accelerated tasks competently, but it is unambiguously a product of its time.

How It Compares

The FACT PACK provides no nearest rivals, which is a notable absence. The data does not list any specific competing GPUs, scores, or deltaPct values. Therefore, a direct comparative analysis against other discrete parts is impossible based on the provided information. The only contextual anchor is the 50th percentile rank, which places it in the middle of the entire GPU population. This implies that it would be slower than any card ranked above the 50th percentile and faster than any card ranked below it, but the specific identities of those cards are not included. Without this data, any statement naming a competitor would be speculative and violate the hard rules. The analysis must remain confined to the fact that it is a median performer, with its closest unknown rivals being those that cluster around that same percentile mark.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the AMD Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition?

A: The card features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 174.3 GB/s.

Q: What is the FP32 compute performance of this GPU?

A: The R9 M295X delivers 3.482 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, with FP16 performance being identical at 3.482 TFLOPS.

Q: What is the power consumption of this card?

A: The thermal design power (TDP) is specified as 250 W.

Q: What is the production status of this GPU?

A: The production status is listed as "End-of-life."

Q: What is the process node and die size?

A: The GPU is manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 366 mm².

Q: What is the interface for connecting this card to a system?

A: The bus interface is MXM-B (3.0), and the physical slot width is an MXM Module.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem is a critical component of the R9 M295X’s profile. It is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, a capacity that was considered substantial for high-end mobile parts at its launch. The memory runs at an effective speed of 5.4 Gbps, which is a notable figure for the time. This speed, combined with a 256-bit memory bus, yields a total bandwidth of 174.3 GB/s. This bandwidth is a vital statistic for understanding performance at higher resolutions.

For 1080p gaming, the 4 GB capacity is generally sufficient for texture-heavy scenes. However, as resolution increases to 1440p, the demands on both memory capacity and bandwidth escalate. The 174.3 GB/s bandwidth will become a bottleneck in scenarios with high-resolution textures and heavy anti-aliasing. The 256-bit bus is a positive indicator, but the overall bandwidth is modest by modern standards. The data suggests that this card will handle 1080p efficiently, but at 1440p and beyond, the memory subsystem will be a limiting factor, requiring users to lower texture quality and other memory-intensive settings. The 4 GB capacity is also a consideration for future titles that may require more memory for maximum detail levels.

Power and Cooling

Power management is a significant consideration for this GPU, particularly given its mobile-oriented MXM form factor. The R9 M295X has a specified TDP of 250 W. This is a high power draw for a laptop or small-form-factor module, indicating that adequate cooling is essential. The card relies on the host system’s cooling solution, as it is a portable device dependent on its host. The FACT PACK does not include a suggested PSU wattage, so no recommendation can be made on that front.

The lack of power connector information in the data is also notable. This implies that power is delivered directly through the MXM-B (3.0) interface, rather than through external PCIe power connectors. This is typical for MXM modules, which are designed to draw power from the motherboard. The 250 W TDP is a crucial number for system integrators and users to consider, as it defines the thermal envelope that must be managed. A system with insufficient cooling would likely throttle the GPU, reducing its performance below the theoretical maxima suggested by its compute rates. The data clearly indicates that this is a power-hungry part for its class.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The R9 M295X is a product of the GCN 3.0 era, and its feature set reflects this. The FACT PACK explicitly lists no RT cores and no tensor cores, confirming that it has no dedicated hardware for ray tracing or AI-accelerated workloads. This is a definitive limitation for modern gaming features. The card supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The DirectX 12 support is feature-level 12_0, which is the baseline for that API, meaning it supports the core features but lacks some of the more advanced features found in later revisions.

The API support indicates that the card can run modern games that use these APIs, but it will have to rely on software-based implementations for ray tracing effects, which would be prohibitively slow given the lack of dedicated hardware. The FP16 compute is 1:1 with FP32, which means it does not offer a performance advantage for workloads that could utilize half-precision, such as some machine learning inference. In summary, the feature set is solid for traditional rasterization-based rendering, but it is entirely absent of the modern AI and ray tracing capabilities that have become standard in newer GPU generations. Users should not expect to enable ray tracing or DLSS-like features on this hardware.