AMD RX-421BD vs Apple M2 (8-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD RX-421BD or AMD RX-421BD – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD RX-421BD features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2015 and belongs to the 1 generation of the AMD R series.
To use the AMD RX-421BD, you'll need a motherboard with a FP4 socket.
The Apple M2 (8-GPU) features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2022 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Apple M series series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
AMD RX-421BD Name Apple M2 (8-GPU)
AMD R Family Apple M series
1 Generation 2
AMD RX 1st Gen. Group Apple M2
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD RX-421BD has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD RX-421BD is 2.1 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.4 GHz.
The Apple M2 (8-GPU) has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.5 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
3.4 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
None None 2.8 GHz
None None 3.5 GHz
None None 4x Blizzard
None None 4x Avalanche
No Overclocking No
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
2.1 GHz Frequency None
4 Threads 8
No Hyperthreading No
4 CPU Cores 8
4x Cores None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD RX-421BD has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the AMD RX-421BD uses the AMD Radeon R7 - 512 (Merlin Falcon), which has 512 texture shaders
and 8 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple M2 (8-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M2 (8-GPU) uses the Apple M2 (8 Core), which has 1024 texture shaders
and 128 execution units.
0.8 GHz GPU frequency 1.4 GHz
2015 Release date Q2/2022
12 Direct X --
AMD Radeon R7 - 512 (Merlin Falcon) GPU name Apple M2 (8 Core)
28 nm Technology 5 nm
-- Max. displays --
512 Shaders 1024
2.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 24.0 GB
8 Execution units 128
3 Generation 2
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
No AVC Decode
No VC-1 Decode
No VP9 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
No VP8 Decode
Decode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 24.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 2
0 bytes Max. Memory 24.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
Yes ECC No
-- Bandwidth 102.4 GB/s
DDR3-2133, DDR4-2400 Memory type LPDDR5-6400
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 35 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 22 W watts.
90 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
35 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 22 W
12 W TDP down 10 W
 
 

Technical details

The AMD RX-421BD is manufactured using a 28 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M2 (8-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
Q4/2015 Release date Q2/2022
RE421BAAY43KA Part Number --
2.0 MB L2-Cache 20.0 MB
AMD-V, AMD-Vt Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, FMA3, FMA4 ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
-- Chip design Chiplet
Merlin Falcon (Excavator) Architecture M2
28 nm Technology 5 nm
FP4 Socket
Operating systems macOS, iPadOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 0 bytes