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AMD Instinct MI100 vs AMD Radeon R9 285: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI100 and Radeon R9 285?
The gap that matters here is memory bandwidth: Instinct MI100 1200 GB/s against Radeon R9 285 176 GB/s, which puts Instinct MI100 85% ahead. Tdp runs the same way, 300 W on the Instinct MI100 versus 190 W on the Radeon R9 285, another win for Radeon R9 285. Memory bus width runs the same way, 4096 bit on the Instinct MI100 versus 256 bit on the Radeon R9 285, another win for Instinct MI100. Radeon R9 285 also leads on card length, 267 mm on the Instinct MI100 versus 221 mm on the Radeon R9 285. There is a split on board partner as well, Reference on the Instinct MI100 versus AMD on the Radeon R9 285. There is a split on architecture as well, CDNA on the Instinct MI100 versus GCN on the Radeon R9 285.
Which should you buy, Instinct MI100 or Radeon R9 285?
The Instinct MI100 suits buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is the wrong buy for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is not the one for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. Buy the Radeon R9 285 for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not built for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is the wrong buy for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI100 and Radeon R9 285 differ on vram capacity?
Yes. VRAM Capacity reads 32 GB on the Instinct MI100 versus 2 GB on the Radeon R9 285.
Is the GPU Brand the same on the Instinct MI100 and Radeon R9 285?
It is. Both are listed at AMD, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI100
- AMD
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- AMD
Product Type
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Datacenter Accelerator
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- Desktop Add-In Card
Series
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Instinct
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- Legacy
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Reference
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- AMD (Reference)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI100
- HBM2
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- GDDR5Best
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 300 W-58%
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 190 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI100
- CDNA
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- GCN
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI100
- TSMC 7nm FinFET
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- Other
Card Length
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 267 mm-21%
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 221 mmBest
Slot Width
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 2
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 2
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 7680
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 1792
VRAM Capacity
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 32 GBBest
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 2 GB
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 4096 bitBest
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 256 bit-94%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 1200 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 176 GB/s-85%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI100
- PCIe 4.0
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- PCIe 3.0
PCIe Lanes
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 16
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- 16
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 11/16/2020
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- September 2014
Form Factor
- AMD Instinct MI100
- PCIe Add-in Card
- AMD Radeon R9 285
- Component
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI100 if you want the lower slot width (2 vs 2), the higher memory bus width (4096 bit vs 256 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (1200 GB/s vs 176 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon R9 285 if you want the lower TDP (190 W vs 300 W) and the lower card length (221 mm vs 267 mm).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI100 | AMD Radeon R9 285 |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $249.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.




