AMD Radeon RX 5300M
AMD Radeon RX 5300M: A Compact GPU for Mobile Gamers and Beyond
April 2025
Introduction
In the world of mobile GPUs, the AMD Radeon RX 5300M holds a special place. Released back in 2020, this graphics card remains popular in budget and mid-range laptops thanks to its balance of price, performance, and energy efficiency. In 2025, it is still relevant for those seeking a compact solution for gaming and work. Let's explore what makes this model noteworthy and who it is suitable for.
1. Architecture and Key Features
RDNA 1.0 Architecture
The RX 5300M is built on the first-generation RDNA (Radeon DNA) architecture, which marked a breakthrough for AMD. It brought improved energy efficiency and performance per watt compared to the previous GCN series.
Manufacturing Process and Chip
The card is manufactured using TSMC's 7nm process, which helped reduce heat output. At its core is the Navi 14 chip with 1408 Stream Processors, 88 Texture Units, and 32 Render Output Units.
Unique Features
- FidelityFX: A set of AMD tools for enhancing graphics, including CAS (Contrast Adaptive Sharpening) for image sharpness without sacrificing performance.
- Radeon Image Sharpening (RIS): Improves clarity in games.
- DirectX 12 Ultimate Support: Including partial ray tracing implementation through software methods, but lacking hardware accelerators as found in RDNA 2.
Lack of Hardware Ray Tracing
Unlike NVIDIA's RTX, the RX 5300M does not have dedicated RT cores. Ray tracing is possible through the DirectX Raytracing (DXR) API, but it suffers from a significant FPS drop.
2. Memory: Fast but Limited
Type and Size
The graphics card is equipped with 3 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 96-bit memory bus. This is sufficient for gaming at medium settings in 1080p, but in 2025, this amount is becoming minimal. For instance, in games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Hogwarts Legacy, texture loading issues may arise.
Bandwidth
The memory speed is 14 Gbps, with a total bandwidth of 168 GB/s. For comparison, the competitor NVIDIA GTX 1650 Mobile (GDDR5, 128-bit bus) has 192 GB/s.
Impact on Performance
The limited size and bus width can become a bottleneck in games with highly detailed textures or when using HD mods. However, for esports titles (CS2, Valorant), this is adequate.
3. Gaming Performance
1080p – Comfortable Zone
At medium settings, the RX 5300M shows the following results (FPS, average data):
- Fortnite: 60-70 FPS (without Ray Tracing).
- Apex Legends: 55-65 FPS.
- Elden Ring: 40-50 FPS (requires settings optimization).
- Call of Duty: Warzone: 45-55 FPS.
1440p and 4K
For 1440p, the GPU's power is only sufficient for less demanding titles (Rocket League, Dota 2) at low settings. 4K is impractical due to the lack of VRAM.
Ray Tracing
Activating DXR in Shadow of the Tomb Raider reduces FPS to 20-25 frames, making this mode unsuitable for gaming. It's better to rely on traditional rendering.
4. Professional Tasks
Video Editing and Rendering
With support for OpenCL and Vulkan, the card handles editing in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro, but falls behind NVIDIA in rendering due to the absence of a CUDA equivalent. It's suitable for simple tasks (editing 1080p videos) but will struggle with 4K projects.
3D Modeling
In Blender or Maya, the RX 5300M shows modest results. For instance, rendering a scene in Cycles using HIP (AMD's answer to CUDA) will take 20-30% longer compared to a GTX 1650.
Scientific Calculations
For machine learning or calculations, it's better to choose a GPU with more memory and ROCm support (AMD’s platform for HPC), making the RX 5300M less applicable in these scenarios.
5. Power Consumption and Heat Output
TDP and Efficiency
The card has a TDP of 85 W, making it suitable for thin gaming laptops. Compared to the NVIDIA GTX 1650 Mobile (50 W), it is less energy-efficient but more powerful.
Cooling Recommendations
In laptops with the RX 5300M, having at least two fans and copper heat pipes is crucial. For desktop PCs (external GPU docks), a case with good ventilation is required.
Noise
Under load, the cooling system can become noisy (up to 40 dB), which is typical for budget solutions.
6. Comparison with Competitors
NVIDIA GTX 1650 Mobile
- Pros of NVIDIA: Better ray tracing support (albeit limited), lower power consumption.
- Pros of AMD: Higher performance in Vulkan games (Doom Eternal), support for FidelityFX.
AMD Radeon RX 5500M
The closest "relative" with 4 GB of GDDR6. The RX 5500M is 10-15% faster but comes at a higher price.
Intel Arc A370M
New Intel drivers have improved compatibility, but the RX 5300M is more stable in older projects.
7. Practical Tips
Power Supply
For a laptop with an RX 5300M, a standard 120-150 W adapter is sufficient. External GPU docks require a power supply of 400-500 W.
Compatibility
The card works with PCIe 4.0 x8 but is also compatible with PCIe 3.0. For laptops, check for Thunderbolt 4/5 support for dock connections.
Drivers
Regularly update Adrenalin Edition: AMD actively optimizes older GPUs for new games. Avoid "beta" versions for critical tasks.
8. Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good performance in 1080p.
- Support for modern APIs (DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan).
- Energy efficiency for its class.
Cons:
- Only 3 GB of VRAM.
- No hardware ray tracing.
- Limited applicability in professional tasks.
9. Final Verdict: Who is the RX 5300M for?
This graphics card is an ideal choice for:
1. Budget gamers playing in 1080p at medium settings.
2. Owners of slim laptops valuing a balance between performance and portability.
3. Students needing an all-purpose system for studies and light editing.
In 2025, the RX 5300M can be found in new devices priced between $180-$250. If you are not chasing ultra-settings and want to save money, this is a worthy option. However, for future projects focusing on ray tracing or 4K, it's advisable to consider more modern GPUs.
Conclusion
The AMD Radeon RX 5300M is an example of a successful compromise. It may not break records, but after years in the market, it has proven its reliability. In a world where technology evolves rapidly, such solutions remind us that sometimes "good enough" is exactly what we need.