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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

M1 8-Core GPU

2020

Why buy it

✅More future proof: Unknown architecture on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 30W instead of 75W, a 45W reduction.
✅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

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

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌150% higher power demand at 75W vs 30W.

M1 8-Core GPU

2020

Radeon R9 M395

2015

Why buy it

✅More future proof: Unknown architecture on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 30W instead of 75W, a 45W reduction.
✅More future proof: Unknown architecture on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌150% higher power demand at 75W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

So, is M1 8-Core GPU better than Radeon R9 M395?

Yes. M1 8-Core GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 5,000 vs 4,934 in G3D Mark. On top of that, M1 8-Core GPU is a 2020 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon R9 M395 is a 2015 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

M1 8-Core GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 5nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

M1 8-Core GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. M1 8-Core GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and you are getting 1.3% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M395 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 M395 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 M395 is 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 4,934 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

M1 8-Core GPU Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M395 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon R9 M395
1080p
low	91 FPS	77 FPS
medium	81 FPS	63 FPS
high	56 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	32 FPS
1440p
low	74 FPS	67 FPS
medium	63 FPS	54 FPS
high	42 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	35 FPS	24 FPS
medium	33 FPS	23 FPS
high	20 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	13 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon R9 M395

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon R9 M395
1080p
low	123 FPS	84 FPS
medium	92 FPS	58 FPS
high	66 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	27 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	48 FPS
medium	56 FPS	28 FPS
high	41 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	14 FPS
4K
low	37 FPS	16 FPS
medium	27 FPS	10 FPS
high	21 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	6 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon R9 M395

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon R9 M395
1080p
low	225 FPS	222 FPS
medium	180 FPS	178 FPS
high	150 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	167 FPS
medium	135 FPS	133 FPS
high	112 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	111 FPS
medium	90 FPS	89 FPS
high	75 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	56 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon R9 M395

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon R9 M395
1080p
low	184 FPS	129 FPS
medium	139 FPS	105 FPS
high	125 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	73 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	97 FPS
medium	109 FPS	80 FPS
high	89 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	55 FPS
4K
low	78 FPS	57 FPS
medium	58 FPS	44 FPS
high	51 FPS	35 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	26 FPS

Open M1 8-Core GPU Open Radeon R9 M395

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M1 8-Core GPU and Radeon R9 M395

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.

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 — 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).

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 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)

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 68 GB/s (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 M395) — a 158.8% advantage for the Radeon R9 M395. Bus width: Unified vs 256-bit.

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 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

🖥️

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.

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 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).

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon 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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The M1 8-Core GPU draws 30W versus the Radeon R9 M395's 75W — 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.

Feature	M1 8-Core GPU	Radeon R9 M395
TDP	30W-60%	75W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	166.7+153%	65.8

💰

Value Analysis

The M1 8-Core GPU launched at $0 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M395 launched at $300. The M1 8-Core GPU costs 100+% less ($300 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (M1 8-Core GPU) vs 16.4 (Radeon R9 M395) — the M1 8-Core GPU offers Infinity% better value. The M1 8-Core GPU is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2015).