AMD FirePro D300 vs AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the clear winner in every recorded benchmark matchup against the AMD FirePro D300. The database shows two head-to-head tests, and the RX 580 2048SP takes both. The first is Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 580 2048SP scores 29,668 against the FirePro D300's 19,515, a 52% advantage. The second is Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 580 2048SP scores 38,666 against the FirePro D300's 19,759, a 95.7% lead. There is no test in the database where the FirePro D300 comes out ahead.

Looking at the broader benchmark averages, the RX 580 2048SP sits at 23,061 average benchmark score, while the FirePro D300 sits at 19,637. That difference places the two cards in different performance tiers. The RX 580 2048SP lands in the 68th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro D300 lands in the 64th percentile. The RX 580 2048SP also has a third benchmark result, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, scoring 849, which the FirePro D300 does not have recorded.

The use-case split is straightforward. The RX 580 2048SP is the pick for any workload that uses OpenCL or Vulkan APIs, and its 3DMark result suggests it can handle modern DX12 workloads as well. The FirePro D300, by contrast, only has OpenCL and Vulkan results recorded, and both are far lower. For compute-heavy tasks, the RX 580 2048SP offers nearly double the Vulkan performance. For OpenCL, the margin is still substantial at over half again as fast. The FirePro D300 does not win any category in the recorded data.

The Verdict

The data points to a single conclusion: the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the superior card in every measured dimension. The FirePro D300 is a workstation-class product from an older generation, but the benchmark results do not favor it anywhere. If the choice is between these two, the RX 580 2048SP is the one to select for OpenCL and Vulkan workloads.

The RX 580 2048SP delivers a 52% OpenCL advantage and a 95.7% Vulkan advantage over the FirePro D300. The average benchmark score gap is 3,424 points, which is roughly 17% higher for the RX 580 2048SP. The percentile rankings confirm this: the RX 580 2048SP sits 4 percentile points higher among all GPUs.

For users coming from the FirePro D300 side, the upgrade path is clear. The RX 580 2048SP offers more shading units, more texture units, faster memory, and a newer architecture. The FirePro D300's only advantages are physical: it is single-slot and does not require a power connector, while the RX 580 2048SP is dual-slot and needs one 8-pin connector. Both cards have the same TDP of 150 W and the same suggested PSU of 450 W, so power requirements are identical.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two head-to-head tests in the database both favor the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP. The first is Geekbench OpenCL. Here the RX 580 2048SP scores 29,668, while the FirePro D300 scores 19,515. The delta is 52% in favor of the RX 580 2048SP. That is a massive gap for a compute API that both cards support. The RX 580 2048SP has 2,048 shading units versus 1,280 on the FirePro D300, and that hardware difference shows up directly in the OpenCL result.

The second head-to-head test is Geekbench Vulkan. The RX 580 2048SP scores 38,666, while the FirePro D300 scores 19,759. The delta is 95.7%, meaning the RX 580 2048SP is almost twice as fast in Vulkan. This is the largest margin in any recorded test. The reason is likely the combination of a newer architecture, GCN 4.0 versus GCN 1.0, and the higher Vulkan API support, version 1.3 versus 1.2.170. Vulkan workloads also benefit from the RX 580 2048SP's higher texture rate of 164.4 GTexel/s versus 68.00 GTexel/s on the FirePro D300.

The RX 580 2048SP also has a third benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, scoring 849. The FirePro D300 has no recorded result for this test, so there is no direct comparison. However, the RX 580 2048SP's DirectX support is 12 (12_0), while the FirePro D300 only supports DirectX 12 (11_1). That means the RX 580 2048SP can handle more modern DX12 feature levels, which is relevant for newer games and applications.

The average benchmark scores tell the same story. The RX 580 2048SP averages 23,061, while the FirePro D300 averages 19,637. The RX 580 2048SP's nearest rivals include the Intel Arc B580 at 23,021 (0.2% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 at 23,172 (-0.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 at 22,895 (0.7%). The FirePro D300's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 at 19,602 (0.2%), the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT at 19,765 (-0.6%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX at 19,410 (1.2%). The RX 580 2048SP competes with much higher-tier cards, while the FirePro D300 sits alongside lower-tier and older workstation parts.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has an average benchmark score of 23,061, while the AMD FirePro D300 has an average of 19,637. That is a difference of 3,424 points in favor of the RX 580 2048SP.

Q: How much faster is the RX 580 2048SP in Vulkan?

A: In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the RX 580 2048SP scores 38,666 versus the FirePro D300's 19,759. That is a 95.7% advantage, meaning the RX 580 2048SP is almost twice as fast.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RX 580 2048SP has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro D300 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 162.6 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 580 2048SP has double the capacity and 37.8% more bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports a newer DirectX version?

A: The RX 580 2048SP supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro D300 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). The RX 580 2048SP also has a recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 849, while the FirePro D300 has no DX12 benchmark recorded.

Q: Do both cards have the same power requirements?

A: Yes. Both the RX 580 2048SP and the FirePro D300 have a TDP of 150 W and a suggested PSU of 450 W. However, the RX 580 2048SP requires one 8-pin power connector and is dual-slot, while the FirePro D300 has no power connector listed and is single-slot.

Q: How do the two cards compare in OpenCL?

A: The RX 580 2048SP scores 29,668 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the FirePro D300 scores 19,515. That is a 52% advantage for the RX 580 2048SP.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different eras of AMD's GPU design. The RX 580 2048SP uses the Polaris 20 chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The FirePro D300 uses the Pitcairn chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 14 nm versus 28 nm, which contributes to the RX 580 2048SP's higher transistor density of 24.6 million transistors per square millimeter versus 13.2 million on the FirePro D300.

The transistor counts also differ substantially. The RX 580 2048SP has 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The FirePro D300 has 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die. Despite the similar die sizes, the RX 580 2048SP packs more than twice the transistors, which enables its much higher compute throughput.

Compute resources are heavily skewed toward the RX 580 2048SP. It has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro D300 has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RX 580 2048SP delivers 5.259 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the FirePro D300 delivers 2.176 TFLOPS. The RX 580 2048SP also has FP16 support at 5.259 TFLOPS (1:1), while the FirePro D300 has no listed FP16 capability.

Pixel and texture rates follow the same pattern. The RX 580 2048SP has a pixel rate of 41.09 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 164.4 GTexel/s. The FirePro D300 has a pixel rate of 27.20 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 68.00 GTexel/s. The RX 580 2048SP is 51% faster in pixel fill and 142% faster in texture fill.

Memory clocks differ as well. The RX 580 2048SP runs its GDDR5 memory at 1750 MHz with 7 Gbps effective, while the FirePro D300 runs at 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective. Both use a 256-bit bus, but the RX 580 2048SP achieves 224.0 GB/s bandwidth versus 162.6 GB/s on the FirePro D300.

API support is another differentiator. The RX 580 2048SP supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The FirePro D300 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RX 580 2048SP also has a wider display output selection: one DVI, one HDMI 2.0b, and three DisplayPort 1.4a. The FirePro D300 has four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.

The physical designs also differ. The RX 580 2048SP is dual-slot with one 8-pin power connector, measuring 241 mm or 9.5 inches in length. The FirePro D300 is single-slot with no power connector listed, measuring 242 mm or 9.5 inches. Both have a TDP of 150 W and a suggested PSU of 450 W.

The release dates are far apart. The RX 580 2048SP launched on October 14, 2018, while the FirePro D300 launched on January 17, 2014. Both are end-of-life products. The RX 580 2048SP belongs to the Polaris (RX 500) generation with the predecessor Arctic Islands and successor Vega. The FirePro D300 belongs to the FirePro Data Center (Dx00) generation with the predecessor FirePro Terascale and successor Radeon Instinct.