AMD FirePro D300 vs AMD Radeon HD 7970M Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly separates these two AMD GCN 1.0 parts. The AMD FirePro D300 is the stronger performer, holding a 14.7% advantage over the AMD Radeon HD 7970M in the single available head-to-head test, Geekbench OpenCL. The FirePro D300 records an average benchmark score of 19637, placing it in the 64th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon HD 7970M averages 17019, sitting in the 60th percentile.

For users choosing between them, the FirePro D300 is the straightforward pick for raw compute throughput. Its OpenCL score of 19515 versus 17019 for the mobile Radeon is a decisive margin. The FirePro D300 also benefits from a desktop-oriented feature set: four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, a single-slot form factor, and a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The Radeon HD 7970M, by contrast, is an MXM module built for portables, with display output described as "Portable Device Dependent."

The Radeon HD 7970M is not without merit. Its 100 W TDP is considerably lower than the FirePro D300's 150 W, and it requires no power connectors, making it the appropriate choice for a laptop or compact MXM chassis. However, the performance data does not favor it. The FirePro D300 wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and the gap in average scores (19637 versus 17019) is substantial at roughly 15%.

The verdict is straightforward: the FirePro D300 for compute-heavy desktop workloads, the Radeon HD 7970M only where power constraints or MXM form factor are non-negotiable. There is no scenario in the recorded data where the mobile part outperforms the workstation card.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results offer only one head-to-head comparison, and the FirePro D300 wins it outright. In Geekbench OpenCL, the FirePro D300 scores 19515 against the Radeon HD 7970M's 17019, a delta of 14.7%. This is the sole recorded win for either part, giving the FirePro D300 a 1-0 record in the head-to-head table.

The FirePro D300's advantage in average benchmark score reinforces its position. Its 19637 average is 15.4% higher than the Radeon HD 7970M's 17019. Looking at the percentile rankings, the FirePro D300 sits at 64 versus 60 for the Radeon, meaning the desktop card outperforms a larger share of the GPU landscape.

The Radeon HD 7970M does not win any benchmark category in the database. Its strengths are structural rather than performance-based. It draws 100 W, one-third less than the FirePro D300's 150 W, and uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface with no power connectors, making it the only one of the two that can slot into a portable chassis. The FirePro D300's 450 W suggested PSU is an additional desktop requirement that the mobile part avoids entirely.

For use-case segmentation, the data supports the FirePro D300 for any task measured by OpenCL compute, such as rendering, simulation, or data processing. The Radeon HD 7970M is the pick for a laptop or small-form-factor system where power delivery and physical footprint take precedence over raw throughput.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture. Each uses GCN 1.0, a 28 nm process from TSMC, with 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². The shading unit count is identical at 1280, as are the texture units (80) and render output units (32). Pixel rate is 27.20 GPixel/s for both, texture rate is 68.00 GTexel/s for both, and FP32 compute is 2.176 TFLOPS for both. There are no ray tracing or tensor cores on either part.

The chips themselves differ by name and packaging. The FirePro D300 uses the Pitcairn chip, while the Radeon HD 7970M uses Wimbledon. Both are built on the same GCN 1.0 architecture, but their physical and electrical characteristics diverge.

The most significant architectural difference is memory clock. The FirePro D300 runs its GDDR5 at 1270 MHz, translating to 5.1 Gbps effective, while the Radeon HD 7970M runs at 1200 MHz, or 4.8 Gbps effective. This yields a memory bandwidth of 162.6 GB/s for the FirePro D300 versus 153.6 GB/s for the Radeon HD 7970M. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

The TDP figures differ sharply: 150 W for the FirePro D300 versus 100 W for the Radeon HD 7970M. This is a direct consequence of the FirePro's higher memory clock and desktop power delivery, versus the mobile part's power-optimized design. The FirePro D300 is a single-slot card, 242 mm long (9.5 inches), while the Radeon HD 7970M is an MXM module with no fixed dimensions listed.

API support is identical: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The FirePro D300 belongs to the FirePro Data Center (Dx00) generation, while the Radeon HD 7970M belongs to the London (HD 7900M) generation. The FirePro's predecessor is FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Instinct; the mobile part's predecessor is Vancouver and its successor is Solar System.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD FirePro D300 is faster. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 19515 against 17019 for the AMD Radeon HD 7970M, a 14.7% advantage.

Q: Do these GPUs have the same compute resources?

A: Yes. Both have 1280 shading units, 80 texture units, 32 ROPs, and 2.176 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Their pixel rate is 27.20 GPixel/s and texture rate is 68.00 GTexel/s for both.

Q: Why does the FirePro D300 have higher memory bandwidth?

A: The FirePro D300 runs its GDDR5 memory at 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective) versus 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) for the Radeon HD 7970M. This results in 162.6 GB/s versus 153.6 GB/s, respectively.

Q: Can the Radeon HD 7970M be used in a desktop tower?

A: The Radeon HD 7970M is an MXM-B (3.0) module with no power connectors, designed for portable devices. Its display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," so it is not suited for a standard desktop PCIe slot.

Q: Which GPU consumes less power?

A: The Radeon HD 7970M has a 100 W TDP, while the FirePro D300 has a 150 W TDP. The FirePro D300 also requires a suggested 450 W power supply, while the Radeon HD 7970M has no such requirement.

Q: Do the two GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Yes. Both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. They also share the same GCN 1.0 architecture and 28 nm process node.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains exactly one direct comparison between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD FirePro D300 scores 19515, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019. The FirePro D300 wins with a delta of 14.7%.

This margin is meaningful. A 14.7% difference in OpenCL compute places the FirePro D300 clearly ahead in any workload that scales with raw shader and memory throughput. The FirePro D300's higher memory clock, 1270 MHz versus 1200 MHz, contributes to its 162.6 GB/s bandwidth, which is 5.9% higher than the Radeon's 153.6 GB/s. While both parts share identical shader counts and FP32 rates, the bandwidth advantage translates directly into the observed compute lead.

The average benchmark scores tell a consistent story. The FirePro D300 averages 19637 across all recorded tests, while the Radeon HD 7970M averages 17019. This is a 15.4% gap, slightly larger than the head-to-head delta due to the FirePro D300's additional Vulkan score of 19759. That Vulkan result, while not part of a direct head-to-head, indicates the FirePro D300 maintains its performance across different compute APIs.

For context, the FirePro D300's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 at 19602 (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT at 19765 (0.6% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX at 19410 (1.2% behind). The Radeon HD 7970M's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17037 (0.1% ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT at 17083 (0.4% ahead). The FirePro D300 competes in a higher performance tier entirely.

The one-sided nature of the comparison is unambiguous. The FirePro D300 wins the sole head-to-head test, holds a higher percentile rank (64 versus 60), and posts an average score that is over 2,600 points higher. The Radeon HD 7970M's only advantages are power draw and form factor, neither of which appears in the benchmark results.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key fields, despite sharing their core compute architecture.

Memory Clock: The FirePro D300 runs at 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective), while the Radeon HD 7970M runs at 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective).

Memory Bandwidth: The FirePro D300 delivers 162.6 GB/s, the Radeon HD 7970M delivers 153.6 GB/s.

TDP: The FirePro D300 draws 150 W, the Radeon HD 7970M draws 100 W.

Slot Width / Form Factor: The FirePro D300 is a single-slot card; the Radeon HD 7970M is an MXM Module.

Power Connectors: The FirePro D300 has none listed; the Radeon HD 7970M explicitly has "None."

Suggested PSU: The FirePro D300 lists 450 W; the Radeon HD 7970M has no suggested PSU.

Bus Interface: The FirePro D300 uses PCIe 3.0 x16; the Radeon HD 7970M uses MXM-B (3.0).

Display Outputs: The FirePro D300 has 4x DisplayPort 1.2; the Radeon HD 7970M has "Portable Device Dependent."

Dimensions: The FirePro D300 is 242 mm (9.5 inches) long; the Radeon HD 7970M has no listed dimensions.

Chip Name: The FirePro D300 uses Pitcairn; the Radeon HD 7970M uses Wimbledon.

Generation: The FirePro D300 is in the FirePro Data Center (Dx00) generation; the Radeon HD 7970M is in the London (HD 7900M) generation.

Release Date: The FirePro D300 was released on 2014-01-17; the Radeon HD 7970M on 2012-04-23.

Predecessor: The FirePro D300's predecessor is FirePro Terascale; the Radeon HD 7970M's is Vancouver.

Successor: The FirePro D300's successor is Radeon Instinct; the Radeon HD 7970M's is Solar System.

Fields that are identical include process node (28 nm), foundry (TSMC), transistors (2,800 million), die size (212 mm²), transistor density (13.2M / mm²), memory size (2 GB), memory type (GDDR5), bus width (256 bit), shading units (1280), TMUs (80), ROPs (32), pixel rate (27.20 GPixel/s), texture rate (68.00 GTexel/s), FP32 (2.176 TFLOPS), architecture (GCN 1.0), and all APIs (DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.2.170). Production status is End-of-life for both.