AMD FirePro D300 vs AMD Radeon R9 M290X Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a single head-to-head comparison between the AMD Radeon R9 M290X and the AMD FirePro D300 in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The Radeon R9 M290X takes the win, scoring 22,028 points against the FirePro D300's 19,515 points. That is a 12.9% advantage for the Radeon part, a decisive gap in raw compute throughput.

Looking at the broader database averages, the R9 M290X maintains its lead. Its average benchmark score sits at 23,276, which places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs tracked. The FirePro D300, by contrast, averages 19,637 points, landing in the 64th percentile. The difference in average scores is roughly 3,639 points, or about 18.5% when calculated against the FirePro's baseline. This is not a marginal edge; it is a consistent performance separation across the recorded workloads.

The R9 M290X also shows a stronger standing relative to its nearest rivals. Its closest competitor, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 23,273, a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 and NVIDIA P106-100 both score 23,250 and 23,249 respectively, each within 0.1% of the M290X. The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 is slightly ahead at 23,315, a -0.2% delta from the M290X's perspective. These numbers indicate the M290X is essentially neck-and-neck with a modern midrange mobile GPU, which is notable for a part from its generation.

The FirePro D300's rival set tells a different story. Its closest peer, the NVIDIA Quadro K5200, scores 19,602, a delta of 0.2%. The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT scores 19,765, putting it 0.6% ahead of the FirePro. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, a flagship desktop part, scores 19,410, which is 1.2% behind the FirePro D300 in this particular benchmark context. The NVIDIA Tesla K40m scores 19,885, leading the FirePro by 1.2%. The FirePro D300 is thus bracketed by a mix of professional and consumer GPUs, none of which it clearly dominates.

The single head-to-head OpenCL result is the only direct comparison available, but the percentile rankings reinforce the pattern. The R9 M290X at the 68th percentile sits four points higher than the FirePro D300 at the 64th. In percentile terms, that places the M290X in a different performance tier, even if both are mid-pack overall.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same foundational technology. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X uses the Neptune chip, while the AMD FirePro D300 uses the Pitcairn chip. Both employ the GCN 1.0 architecture, which is a first-generation Graphics Core Next design from AMD. Both are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, and both pack 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die. The transistor density is identical at 13.2 million transistors per square millimeter.

The compute resources are also matched. Both GPUs feature 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. Neither has dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The pixel rate is close: the M290X delivers 28.80 GPixel/s, while the FirePro D300 delivers 27.20 GPixel/s. Texture rate follows the same pattern, with the M290X at 72.00 GTexel/s and the FirePro at 68.00 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance (FP32) is 2.304 TFLOPS for the M290X versus 2.176 TFLOPS for the FirePro D300. Neither GPU lists FP16 support.

Clock speeds differ in a key way. The R9 M290X has defined base and boost clocks of 850 MHz and 900 MHz respectively. The FirePro D300 has no listed base or boost clock in the database. Instead, the FirePro's memory clock is set at 1270 MHz, translating to 5.1 Gbps effective. The M290X's memory clock is 1200 MHz, or 4.8 Gbps effective. This means the FirePro D300 runs its memory faster, which feeds into its bandwidth advantage.

Memory configuration is a major split. The M290X comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro D300 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 256-bit bus, but the higher memory clock pushes bandwidth to 162.6 GB/s. So the FirePro has less capacity but more bandwidth, while the M290X offers twice the memory capacity at slightly lower throughput.

Power and physical design also diverge. The M290X is rated at 100 W TDP and uses an MXM Module slot width with no power connectors. The FirePro D300 is rated at 150 W TDP, comes as a single-slot card, and suggests a 450 W power supply. The FirePro is a full card with 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, while the M290X's display outputs are listed as portable device dependent. The FirePro measures 242 mm or 9.5 inches in length; the M290X has no listed dimensions.

Both GPUs share the same API support: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both use a PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface. Both are end-of-life products, with the M290X releasing on January 8, 2014, and the FirePro D300 on January 17, 2014, just over a week later.

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon R9 M290X wins on raw compute performance. Its FP32 throughput of 2.304 TFLOPS outpaces the FirePro D300's 2.176 TFLOPS. The M290X also leads in pixel fill rate (28.80 GPixel/s versus 27.20 GPixel/s) and texture fill rate (72.00 GTexel/s versus 68.00 GTexel/s). In the recorded Geekbench OpenCL test, it wins decisively by 12.9%. For workloads that hammer the shader array, such as general-purpose GPU compute, the M290X is the stronger part.

The M290X also wins on memory capacity. With 4 GB versus 2 GB, it can hold larger datasets locally, reducing the need to spill to system memory. This matters in machine learning inference, large texture sets, or compute kernels that process big buffers. The lower TDP of 100 W versus 150 W also makes the M290X the more power-efficient option on paper, though the database does not record actual power draw under load.

The FirePro D300 wins on memory bandwidth. At 162.6 GB/s, it edges out the M290X's 153.6 GB/s by about 5.9%. For workloads that are bandwidth-bound, such as certain image processing filters or dense matrix operations, the FirePro can partially offset its lower compute throughput. The FirePro also has a faster effective memory clock at 5.1 Gbps versus 4.8 Gbps.

The FirePro D300 also wins on display connectivity. Its 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs make it a natural fit for multi-monitor professional setups. The M290X's portable device dependent outputs tie it to a specific laptop or mobile chassis, limiting its flexibility as a standalone workstation card.

The FirePro's single-slot form factor and 242 mm length make it easier to integrate into a standard workstation chassis, whereas the MXM Module design of the M290X is meant for notebooks and compact systems. The FirePro's suggested 450 W power supply also gives system builders a clearer target for provisioning.

In practical terms, the M290X is the better choice for compute-heavy tasks that fit within 4 GB of memory, especially in mobile or compact platforms. The FirePro D300 is the better choice for multi-display professional work where bandwidth matters more than raw FLOPs, and where a standard PCIe card slot is available.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 22,028 in the Geekbench OpenCL test, which is 12.9% higher than the AMD FirePro D300's 19,515. The M290X also has higher FP32 throughput at 2.304 TFLOPS versus 2.176 TFLOPS.

Q: How does the memory configuration compare?

A: The R9 M290X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro D300 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 256-bit bus but with higher bandwidth at 162.6 GB/s due to a faster 5.1 Gbps effective memory clock.

Q: Are these GPUs based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use GCN 1.0 architecture and are built on TSMC's 28 nm process. Both have 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die and identical compute resources: 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each?

A: The R9 M290X sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the FirePro D300 sits in the 64th percentile. The M290X's average benchmark score is 23,276, versus 19,637 for the FirePro.

Q: Which GPU supports more display outputs?

A: The FirePro D300 has 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The R9 M290X's display outputs are listed as portable device dependent, meaning they vary based on the laptop or mobile system it is installed in.

Q: What is the power requirement difference?

A: The R9 M290X is rated at 100 W TDP and uses an MXM Module form factor with no power connectors. The FirePro D300 is rated at 150 W TDP, is a single-slot card with a 242 mm length, and suggests a 450 W power supply.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R9 M290X | AMD FirePro D300 |

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

| Chip | Neptune | Pitcairn |

| Generation | Gem System (R9 M200) | FirePro Data Center (Dx00) |

| Base Clock | 850 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 900 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 1200 MHz, 4.8 Gbps effective | 1270 MHz, 5.1 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s | 162.6 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 28.80 GPixel/s | 27.20 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 72.00 GTexel/s | 68.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.304 TFLOPS | 2.176 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 100 W | 150 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | Not listed |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 450 W |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 4x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| Length | Not listed | 242 mm, 9.5 inches |

| Release Date | 2014-01-08 | 2014-01-17 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | FirePro Terascale |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | Radeon Instinct |

| Geekbench OpenCL | 22,028 | 19,515 |

| Geekbench Metal | 24,524 | Not listed |

| Geekbench Vulkan | Not listed | 19,759 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 23,276 | 19,637 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 68 | 64 |