M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon R9 M395

M1 8-Core GPU

2020Core: 1278 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M395

2015Core: 834 MHz

M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon R9 M395 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon R9 M395: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

M1 8-Core GPU

2020

Why buy it

  • βœ…Better long-term bet: Unknown architecture on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • βœ…Draws 30W instead of 75W, a 45W reduction.
  • βœ…More future proof: Unknown architecture on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 16.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M395

2015

Why buy it

  • βœ…Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • ❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌150% higher power demand at 75W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
M1 8-Core GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.3% in PassMark G3D (5,000 vs 4,934), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
M1 8-Core GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 M395 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M395 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, M1 8-Core GPU has the stronger long-term case.

M1 8-Core GPU vs Radeon R9 M395 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

M1 8-Core GPU

The M1 8-Core GPU is manufactured by Apple. It was released in November 10 2020. The core clock speed is 1278 MHz. It has 8 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,000 points.

AMD

Radeon R9 M395

The Radeon R9 M395 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 9 2015. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock speed is 834 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,934 points.

⚑

Graphics Performance

The M1 8-Core GPU scores 5,000 and the Radeon R9 M395 reaches 4,934 in the G3D Mark benchmark β€” just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. Shader units: 8 (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 M395).

FeatureM1 8-Core GPURadeon R9 M395
G3D Mark Score
5,000+1%
4,934
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
8
1792+22300%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureM1 8-Core GPURadeon R9 M395
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
πŸ’Ύ

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 68 GB/s (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 M395) β€” a 158.8% advantage for the Radeon R9 M395. Memory bus width is Unified on the M1 8-Core GPU and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M395.

FeatureM1 8-Core GPURadeon R9 M395
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
68 GB/s
176 GB/s+159%
Bus Width
Unified
256-bit
πŸ–₯️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: N/A (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 12 (FL12_0) (Radeon R9 M395). OpenGL: 4.1 (Rosetta 2) vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

FeatureM1 8-Core GPURadeon R9 M395
DirectX
N/A
12 (FL12_0)
OpenGL
4.1 (Rosetta 2)
4.6+12%
Max Displays
2
3+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: Apple M1 Video Encoder (M1 8-Core GPU) vs UVD (Radeon R9 M395). Decoder: Apple M1 Video Decoder vs VCE. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,ProRes,ProRes RAW (M1 8-Core GPU) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 M395).

FeatureM1 8-Core GPURadeon R9 M395
Encoder
Apple M1 Video Encoder
UVD
Decoder
Apple M1 Video Decoder
VCE
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,ProRes,ProRes RAW
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4
πŸ”Œ

Power & Dimensions

The M1 8-Core GPU draws 30W versus the Radeon R9 M395's 75W β€” a 85.7% difference. The M1 8-Core GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M395). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

FeatureM1 8-Core GPURadeon R9 M395
TDP
30W-60%
75W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
β€”
0mm
Height
β€”
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
β€”
75Β°C
Perf/Watt
166.7+153%
65.8
πŸ’°

Value Analysis

At launch, the M1 8-Core GPU came in at $0, while the Radeon R9 M395 launched at $300. On MSRP, M1 8-Core GPU was 100+% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 16.4 (Radeon R9 M395) β€” the M1 8-Core GPU offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is M1 8-Core GPU (2020 vs 2015).

FeatureM1 8-Core GPURadeon R9 M395
MSRP
$0-100%
$300
Performance per Dollar
Infinity
16.4
Release
November 10 2020
June 9 2015
Ranking
#428
#445

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.