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AMD Instinct MI210 vs AMD Radeon R7 M380: Comparison
Instinct MI210 vs Radeon R7 M380: the memory bandwidth difference
Start with memory bandwidth, because it is the widest measured gap between them: Instinct MI210 1600 GB/s against Radeon R7 M380 32 GB/s, 98% in favour of Instinct MI210. Add boost clock to that, 1700 MHz on the Instinct MI210 versus 915 MHz on the Radeon R7 M380, and the pattern holds. Add memory bus width to that, 4096 bit on the Instinct MI210 versus 128 bit on the Radeon R7 M380, and the pattern holds. Compute blocks is not the same on both, 104 on the Instinct MI210 versus 10 on the Radeon R7 M380.
Who each one is for
Buy the Instinct MI210 for double-precision workloads that don't need MI250X-level throughput, though it is not the pick for any desktop or workstation build - compute-only, no display output and maximum-throughput HPC nodes (use MI250X instead). The same goes for HPC and AI deployments in standard PCIe-slot servers without OAM sled support. The Radeon R7 M380 suits 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). Avoid it for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. Our rating of the Instinct MI210 (7.3/10): A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI210 and Radeon R7 M380 differ on board partner?
Yes. Board Partner reads AMD Reference on the Instinct MI210 versus AMD on the Radeon R7 M380.
Is the GPU Brand the same on the Instinct MI210 and Radeon R7 M380?
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 MI210
- AMD
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- AMD
Series
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Instinct MI200
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- Legacy
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI210
- AMD Reference (PCIe dual-slot card, data center/OEM only)
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- AMD (Reference)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI210
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- DDR3Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1700 MHzBest
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- 915 MHz-46%
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI210
- CDNA 2 (single Graphics Compute Die)
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- GCN
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI210
- TSMC 6nm
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- Other
Compute Blocks
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 104
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- 10
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 4096 bitBest
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- 128 bit-97%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1600 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- 32 GB/s-98%
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2022-03
- AMD Radeon R7 M380
- May 2015
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI210 if you want the higher boost clock (1700 MHz vs 915 MHz), the higher memory bus width (4096 bit vs 128 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (1600 GB/s vs 32 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon R7 M380 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
AMD Instinct MI210
7.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.