AMD Radeon R9 M395 Mac Edition

The AMD Radeon R9 M395 Mac Edition is a mobile graphics module built on the GCN 3.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It integrates 5,000 million transistors into a 366 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 13.7M / mm². Released on May 4, 2015, this part is now end-of-life and sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, indicating a median performance tier. The card uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface, making it a replaceable module for portable Apple systems. It belongs to the Gem System (R9 M300) generation, succeeding the Solar System and preceding Polaris Mobile.

Power and Cooling

The R9 M395 Mac Edition has a thermal design power of 250 W, a substantial draw for a mobile module. The fact pack lists no power connectors, meaning the card receives all its power through the MXM-B (3.0) slot. This places significant demands on the host laptop's power regulation and battery life. No suggested PSU is provided, so the responsibility falls on the system integrator. The slot width is MXM Module, confirming its compact form factor. Cooling is entirely dependent on the portable device's chassis, as the display outputs are marked "Portable Device Dependent." The 250 W TDP necessitates a robust cooling solution, typically involving heat pipes and fans. Given the 28 nm process, the power density is high, but the 366 mm² die provides a large surface area for heat dissipation. The transistor density of 13.7M / mm² is a measure of the chip's integration. The end-of-life status means that thermal solutions are no longer manufactured, so users must rely on existing parts. The absence of power connectors means the MXM slot must deliver the full 250 W, which is uncommon for mobile platforms. This design choice simplifies installation but stresses the host's voltage regulators.

Memory Subsystem

The memory configuration consists of 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 174.7 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1365 MHz, with an effective data rate of 5.5 Gbps. This bandwidth is adequate for gaming at standard resolutions, where texture streaming and frame buffer access are moderate. However, the 2 GB capacity is a critical limitation for high-resolution gaming. At higher resolutions, the frame buffer will overflow, causing texture pop-in and stuttering. The 256-bit bus is a solid choice, providing a balance between cost and performance. The 174.7 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the 2.989 TFLOPS of compute performance, ensuring the shading units are not starved. For modern titles, the capacity is the primary bottleneck, not the bandwidth. Users should stick to standard resolutions with medium settings to avoid exceeding the 2 GB limit. The effective data rate of 5.5 Gbps is typical for GDDR5 of that era, but the 256-bit bus compensates with width. This combination yields a bandwidth that is neither exceptional nor limiting.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The card does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as indicated by the null values in the specification. This means hardware-accelerated ray tracing is absent, and features like DLSS are not supported. Instead, the card relies on its GCN 3.0 architecture for all rendering. API support is robust for its generation: DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. These APIs allow the card to run modern games, though without RT effects. The FP32 throughput of 2.989 TFLOPS provides the raw compute for shader-based effects. The pixel rate of 26.69 GPixel/s and texture rate of 93.41 GTexel/s define the rasterization throughput. For users who prioritize ray tracing, this card is not suitable. It is a traditional rasterization GPU. The absence of tensor cores also means no AI-accelerated features, such as those found in newer architectures. The card is strictly a compute and rasterization device.

How It Compares

The fact pack does not list any nearest rivals for the R9 M395 Mac Edition. The nearestRivals array is empty, meaning no competitor names, scores, or deltaPct values are available for direct comparison. Therefore, the card's standing is defined solely by its 50th percentile rank among all GPUs. This percentile places it exactly at the median, meaning half of all GPUs are faster and half are slower. This is a neutral position, neither a performance leader nor a laggard. The lack of rival data prevents us from naming specific competitors or citing percentage deltas. The card's absolute specifications—2.989 TFLOPS FP32, 26.69 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 93.41 GTexel/s texture rate—are the only quantitative anchors. These metrics align with a mid-range mobile GPU from the 2015 era. The 1792 shading units and 112 TMUs are typical of that class. The 32 ROPs handle the final pixel output. The 50th percentile is a static measure, not a dynamic score, so it does not reflect real-world frame rates. It serves as a relative indicator of overall capability.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark scores for the R9 M395 Mac Edition are not provided in the fact pack; the benchmarks array is empty and the average benchmark score is 0. However, the 50th percentile ranking offers a comparative anchor. Being at the 50th percentile means it performs at the median level. The raw compute metrics support this: 2.989 TFLOPS of FP32 performance allows for smooth gameplay in most titles. The pixel rate of 26.69 GPixel/s translates to a maximum fill rate that can handle common gaming resolutions at moderate frame rates. The texture rate of 93.41 GTexel/s ensures that texture-heavy scenes are processed without significant bottlenecks. The memory bandwidth of 174.7 GB/s complements the compute throughput, but the 2 GB capacity will limit high-resolution textures. Without rival scores, we cannot state exact percentage deltas. The data shows a card that is balanced, but not exceptional. The 50th percentile confirms this. The pixel rate of 26.69 GPixel/s suggests a fill rate capable of handling standard gaming resolutions at smooth frame rates, assuming moderate settings. The texture rate of 93.41 GTexel/s supports complex shaders and multiple texture layers.

Who Should Consider It

The R9 M395 Mac Edition is best suited for users who play games at standard resolutions with medium settings. The 2 GB VRAM is the primary constraint, so high-resolution texture packs are not recommended. The 2.989 TFLOPS compute is adequate for older titles and esports games. For higher resolutions, the card will struggle due to the memory capacity. The 174.7 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for standard resolutions, but not for higher ones. This card is a legacy part, given its end-of-life status and May 4, 2015 release date. It is intended for Mac laptops that use the MXM-B (3.0) interface. Users with such systems can use it as an upgrade path. However, the 250 W TDP requires a laptop with adequate cooling. The DirectX 12 (12_0) support ensures compatibility with modern games, but the lack of RT cores means no ray tracing. This card is for the Mac gamer who accepts standard-resolution gaming with medium settings. The card is not for heavy compute workloads, given its 2.989 TFLOPS limit.

FAQ

Q: What is the TDP of the AMD Radeon R9 M395 Mac Edition?

A: The TDP is 250 W.

Q: How much memory does the card have, and what is the bus width?

A: It has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 174.7 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does it support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The card has no ray tracing cores or tensor cores, so it relies on traditional rasterization.

Q: What is the process node and transistor count?

A: It is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die.

Q: What is the production status?

A: The card is end-of-life.

Q: What APIs does it support?

A: It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.