AMD FirePro D300 vs AMD Radeon HD 7790 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly separates these two AMD cards. The AMD FirePro D300 is the stronger GPU, with an average benchmark score of 19637, placing it at the 64th percentile of all GPUs. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 trails with an average score of 17666, at the 61st percentile. This represents an 11.2% advantage for the FirePro D300 in average compute performance.

For professional compute workloads, the FirePro D300 is the clear choice. Its OpenCL score of 19515 and Vulkan score of 19759 demonstrate consistent strength across compute APIs. The HD 7790, while only having a Metal score of 17666 recorded, shows it can hold its own in that specific API but lacks the raw throughput of the D300.

For gaming-oriented users, the HD 7790 is the more practical pick, despite its lower scores. It draws substantially less power, with an 85 W TDP compared to 150 W for the D300, and it was launched at an MSRP of 149 USD. The D300, as a workstation card, targets a different segment entirely.

The data does not support the HD 7790 as a performance alternative. The D300 wins on every measurable compute metric, including pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput. The HD 7790 is a capable entry-level card, but it remains firmly behind the FirePro D300 in raw capability.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The FirePro D300 is built on GCN 1.0, using the Pitcairn chip, and belongs to the FirePro Data Center (Dx00) generation. The Radeon HD 7790 uses GCN 2.0, based on the Bonaire chip, and sits in the Southern Islands (HD 7700) generation.

Both are fabricated on the same 28 nm process at TSMC, but the chips differ in scale. The Pitcairn die measures 212 mm² and contains 2,800 million transistors, resulting in a density of 13.2 million transistors per mm². The Bonaire die is smaller, at 160 mm², with 2,080 million transistors, giving a density of 13.0 million per mm². The larger Pitcairn die provides more physical resources for compute tasks.

The FirePro D300 carries 1280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 render output units (ROPs). The HD 7790 is more modest, with 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This gives the D300 a 43% advantage in shading units, a 43% advantage in TMUs, and a 100% advantage in ROPs.

Memory configurations also diverge. The D300 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus, yielding 162.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7790 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus, producing 96.00 GB/s. The memory clock differs as well: 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective) for the D300 versus 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for the HD 7790. The D300 compensates with a wider bus and more total memory.

Both cards support PCIe 3.0 x16 and offer DirectX 12 support, though the D300 lists DirectX 12 (11_1) while the HD 7790 lists DirectX 12 (12_0). OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170 are common to both. Display outputs differ: the D300 provides 4x DisplayPort 1.2, while the HD 7790 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2.

The physical cards differ in size and power requirements. The D300 is a single-slot card measuring 242 mm (9.5 inches) in length, with a 150 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 450 W. The HD 7790 is a dual-slot card at 183 mm (7.2 inches) long, with an 85 W TDP, a 1x 6-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The HD 7790 is more compact and power-efficient, while the D300 demands more from the system.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Direct head-to-head benchmark results are not available in the database. However, the recorded individual benchmark scores allow a clear comparison across different test metrics.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the FirePro D300 scores 19515. The HD 7790 has no OpenCL score recorded, so no direct comparison is possible on this test. The D300's Vulkan score is 19759, while the HD 7790 has no Vulkan result. The HD 7790's only recorded benchmark is Geekbench Metal, where it scores 17666. The D300 has no Metal score in the database.

The data does show the D300's average score of 19637 sits very close to several high-end rivals. The NVIDIA Quadro K5200 scores 19602, a delta of 0.2% behind the D300. The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT scores 19765, 0.6% ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX scores 19410, 1.2% behind. The NVIDIA Tesla K40m scores 19885, 1.2% ahead. This places the D300 in the upper mid-range of GPU compute performance, competing with cards from much newer generations.

The HD 7790, with its average score of 17666, sits among a different set of rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 scores 17639, 0.2% behind. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, 0.4% behind. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551, 0.7% behind. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 scores 17789, 0.7% ahead. The HD 7790 is competitive with these modern cards, but it anchors a much lower performance tier.

The gap between the two cards is consistent across their strongest metrics. The D300's FP32 throughput of 2.176 TFLOPS exceeds the HD 7790's 1.792 TFLOPS by 21.4%. The D300's pixel rate of 27.20 GPixel/s is 70% higher than the HD 7790's 16.00 GPixel/s. The texture rate of 68.00 GTexel/s for the D300 is 21.4% above the HD 7790's 56.00 GTexel/s. These figures confirm the D300's dominance in every throughput category.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD FirePro D300, with an FP32 throughput of 2.176 TFLOPS, exceeds the AMD Radeon HD 7790's 1.792 TFLOPS. The D300 also has higher pixel rate (27.20 GPixel/s vs 16.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (68.00 GTexel/s vs 56.00 GTexel/s).

Q: Does the HD 7790 have any advantage over the D300?

A: Yes, the HD 7790 has a lower TDP of 85 W versus 150 W for the D300, and a lower suggested PSU requirement of 250 W versus 450 W. It is also shorter, at 183 mm versus 242 mm, and was launched at 149 USD as its MSRP.

Q: How do the two cards compare in memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: The D300 has 2 GB of GDDR5 with a 256 bit bus and 162.6 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 7790 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 with a 128 bit bus and 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The D300 provides 69% more bandwidth.

Q: Are both cards compatible with modern APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The HD 7790 lists DirectX 12 (12_0) while the D300 lists DirectX 12 (11_1). The HD 7790 has a recorded Metal benchmark score of 17666, while the D300 has no Metal score.

Q: What is the D300's position relative to other GPUs?

A: The D300 sits at the 64th percentile of all GPUs. Its average score of 19637 is within 1.2% of the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and 0.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, putting it in competitive range with much newer hardware.

Q: What is the HD 7790's position relative to other GPUs?

A: The HD 7790 sits at the 61st percentile. Its average score of 17666 is 0.7% behind the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M, showing it remains relevant against modern entry-level parts.

Where Each One Wins

The FirePro D300 wins in compute-heavy workstation scenarios. Its 2.176 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 162.6 GB/s memory bandwidth make it suitable for tasks that stress shading units and memory subsystem. The 1280 shading units and 80 TMUs provide substantial parallel processing capability. Its 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs support multi-display professional setups. The single-slot design at 242 mm length allows installation in dense workstation chassis, though it requires a 450 W suggested PSU.

The Radeon HD 7790 wins in low-power and compact builds. Its 85 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU make it easy to integrate into systems with modest power supplies. The 183 mm length is 59 mm shorter than the D300, fitting smaller cases. The 1x 6-pin power connector simplifies cabling. Its 1024 MB memory is sufficient for lighter workloads, and the 16 ROPs handle basic rasterization at lower resolution. The HD 7790's launch MSRP of 149 USD indicates its entry-level positioning.

For users prioritizing raw compute performance, the D300 is the only choice. It leads in every measurable performance category: shading units, TMUs, ROPs, memory size, memory bus width, memory bandwidth, pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput. The HD 7790 cannot close that gap in any compute metric.

For users prioritizing power efficiency and physical footprint, the HD 7790 wins. It draws nearly half the power of the D300 and requires a smaller PSU. Its shorter length and dual-slot design are acceptable trade-offs for its lower TDP. The HD 7790's Metal score of 17666 suggests it remains functional for Apple ecosystem workloads, while the D300's Vulkan score of 19759 indicates stronger cross-platform compute.

Neither card is currently in production, both marked as end-of-life. The D300's generation is the FirePro Data Center (Dx00), with a predecessor of FirePro Terascale and a successor of Radeon Instinct. The HD 7790 belongs to the Southern Islands (HD 7700) generation, with a predecessor of Northern Islands and a successor of Sea Islands.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD FirePro D300 | AMD Radeon HD 7790 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 2.0 |

| Chip | Pitcairn | Bonaire |

| Generation | FirePro Data Center (Dx00) | Southern Islands (HD 7700) |

| Transistors | 2,800 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 212 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.2M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 1270 MHz, 5.1 Gbps effective | 1500 MHz, 6 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 162.6 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1280 | 896 |

| TMUs | 80 | 56 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 27.20 GPixel/s | 16.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 68.00 GTexel/s | 56.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.176 TFLOPS | 1.792 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 150 W | 85 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 250 W |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.2 | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Length | 242 mm, 9.5 inches | 183 mm, 7.2 inches |

| Release Date | 2014-01-17 | 2013-03-21 |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | 149 USD |

| Average Benchmark Score | 19637 | 17666 |

| Percentile | 64 | 61 |