AMD FirePro D500 vs AMD Radeon RX 5700 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains exactly one direct comparison between the AMD Radeon RX 5700 and the AMD FirePro D500: the Geekbench Vulkan test. In this single head-to-head matchup, the RX 5700 delivers a score of 64,166, while the FirePro D500 manages 18,533. That difference works out to a 246.2% advantage for the RX 5700, meaning the newer card outperforms the older workstation part by nearly three and a half times in this specific API workload.

This is a decisive, one-sided result. The RX 5700 does not merely edge out the FirePro D500; it overwhelms it. A 246.2% delta is far beyond what generational improvements typically produce, and it points to fundamental differences in architecture, memory subsystem, and raw compute throughput. For context, the RX 5700's average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 22,170, while the FirePro D500's average is 18,533, a gap of roughly 19.6% in favor of the RX 5700. However, the Vulkan test shows a much wider chasm, suggesting that the RX 5700's RDNA 1.0 architecture is particularly well-suited to modern low-level graphics APIs, while the FirePro D500's older GCN 1.0 design struggles to keep pace.

The win count is equally lopsided. The RX 5700 claims 1 win in this head-to-head comparison, while the FirePro D500 records 0. There is no benchmark in the database where the FirePro D500 outperforms the RX 5700. This is not a close contest with trade-offs; it is a clear sweep.

Where Each One Wins

Given the single recorded comparison, the RX 5700 wins in the only available test: Geekbench Vulkan. This suggests the RX 5700 is the stronger choice for applications that leverage Vulkan, which includes many modern game engines and compute workloads that take advantage of low-level hardware access. The RX 5700's Vulkan score of 64,166 places it far ahead of the FirePro D500's 18,533, and even the RX 5700's other API results, such as Geekbench OpenCL at 69,603 and Geekbench Metal at 86,079, indicate a broad capability across multiple compute interfaces.

The FirePro D500, on the other hand, has no recorded wins in any head-to-head test. Its sole benchmark entry is the Geekbench Vulkan score of 18,533, which places it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. That percentile is respectable for a 2014-era workstation card, but it is overshadowed by the RX 5700's 67th percentile ranking. The FirePro D500's strengths, if any, do not appear in the recorded data. Its 6x mini-DisplayPort outputs and SDI support suggest a professional multi-display focus, but no benchmark evidence exists to show a performance advantage.

In practical terms, the RX 5700 is the winner for any workload that appears in the database. The FirePro D500 may still have niche value in legacy workstation environments, but the data does not support any performance-based claim in its favor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 has an average benchmark score of 22,170, while the AMD FirePro D500 has an average of 18,533. The RX 5700 leads by roughly 19.6%.

Q: How much faster is the RX 5700 in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The RX 5700 scores 64,166 compared to the FirePro D500's 18,533, a 246.2% advantage. This means the RX 5700 is about 3.5 times faster in this specific test.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each GPU?

A: The RX 5700 ranks in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro D500 ranks in the 62nd percentile. The RX 5700 sits higher in the overall distribution.

Q: Does the FirePro D500 win any benchmark in the database?

A: No. The database records 0 wins for the FirePro D500 and 1 win for the RX 5700 in their head-to-head comparison.

Q: What is the transistor density of each chip?

A: The RX 5700's Navi 10 chip has a transistor density of 41.0 million per square millimeter, while the FirePro D500's Tahiti chip has 12.3 million per square millimeter. The RX 5700 packs over three times more transistors per area.

Q: What memory types and capacities do the two cards use?

A: The RX 5700 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the FirePro D500 uses 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus. The RX 5700's bandwidth is 448.0 GB/s versus 243.8 GB/s for the FirePro D500.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification. The RX 5700 is built on a 7 nm process node, while the FirePro D500 uses a 28 nm node. The RX 5700's die size is 251 mm², smaller than the FirePro D500's 352 mm², yet the newer chip houses 10,300 million transistors compared to 4,313 million. This translates to a transistor density of 41.0M per mm² for the RX 5700 versus 12.3M per mm² for the FirePro D500.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The RX 5700 offers 8 GB of GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus width and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro D500 provides 3 GB of GDDR5 with a 384-bit bus and 243.8 GB/s bandwidth. Although the FirePro D500 has a wider memory bus, the RX 5700's faster GDDR6 memory delivers nearly double the bandwidth.

Compute resources also favor the RX 5700. It has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The FirePro D500 has 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Pixel rate for the RX 5700 is 110.4 GPixel/s versus 23.20 GPixel/s for the FirePro D500. Texture rate is 248.4 GTexel/s versus 69.60 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 7.949 TFLOPS for the RX 5700 and 2.227 TFLOPS for the FirePro D500. The RX 5700 also supports FP16 at 15.90 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the FirePro D500 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Power requirements differ as well. The RX 5700 has a TDP of 180 W and a suggested PSU of 450 W, while the FirePro D500 has a TDP of 274 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W. The RX 5700 uses a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector setup, while the FirePro D500's power connectors are not recorded. The RX 5700 uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, whereas the FirePro D500 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Display outputs also contrast: the RX 5700 provides 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the FirePro D500 offers 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and 1x SDI. The RX 5700 measures 268 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 36 mm in width. The FirePro D500 is 279 mm in length with no recorded height or width. Both are dual-slot cards.

Architecture Differences

The RX 5700 uses the Navi 10 chip based on the RDNA 1.0 architecture, part of the Radeon RX 5000 series and the Navi generation. The FirePro D500 uses the Tahiti chip based on GCN 1.0, belonging to the FirePro Data Center (Dx00) generation. These are two entirely different design philosophies separated by roughly five years of development.

RDNA 1.0 represents a departure from AMD's earlier Graphics Core Next designs, focusing on higher instructions per clock and improved power efficiency. The 7 nm process node from TSMC allows the RX 5700 to achieve its 10,300 million transistor count in a smaller 251 mm² die. The FirePro D500's GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process, manages only 4,313 million transistors across a larger 352 mm² die. The architectural leap is evident in the FP32 performance: 7.949 TFLOPS for the RX 5700 versus 2.227 TFLOPS for the FirePro D500.

API support also differs. The RX 5700 supports DirectX 12_1, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The FirePro D500 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both share the same OpenGL version, but the RX 5700 has a more recent Vulkan implementation and a higher DirectX feature level.

The memory architecture reflects the generational gap. GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus gives the RX 5700 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus gives the FirePro D500 243.8 GB/s. The wider bus on the older card cannot compensate for the slower memory technology. Additionally, the RX 5700's clock speeds are recorded with a base of 1465 MHz, boost of 1725 MHz, and game clock of 1625 MHz, while the FirePro D500 has no recorded base or boost clocks. The RX 5700's memory runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective, while the FirePro D500's memory runs at 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective.

The RX 5700 also has a higher pixel rate and texture rate, as noted earlier, and its shading unit count is 50% higher. The FirePro D500's ROP count is half that of the RX 5700, which further explains the gap in pixel throughput.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 outperforms the AMD FirePro D500 in every recorded comparison, with a 246.2% lead in the sole Geekbench Vulkan test. The RX 5700's average benchmark score of 22,170 versus the FirePro D500's 18,533 reinforces this dominance, as does the percentile ranking: 67th for the RX 5700, 62nd for the FirePro D500.

For users seeking maximum performance in Vulkan-based workloads, modern gaming, or general compute tasks, the RX 5700 is the clear choice. Its 8 GB GDDR6 memory, 7.949 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, and RDNA 1.0 architecture make it suitable for contemporary applications. The FirePro D500, with its 3 GB GDDR5 memory and 2.227 TFLOPS FP32, is a legacy workstation card that cannot compete on raw performance. Its only recorded advantages are qualitative: 6x mini-DisplayPort outputs and SDI support, which may appeal to specific multi-display professional setups.

The FirePro D500's 62nd percentile ranking is not poor in absolute terms, but relative to the RX 5700, it lags significantly. The RX 5700's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6700S with a 0.1% higher average score, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile with a 1.2% higher score, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB with a 1.4% lower score. The FirePro D500's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 560X, Intel Arc A770M, AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT, and AMD Radeon RX 460, all within roughly 1% of its average score. This places the two cards in different performance tiers entirely.

In short, the RX 5700 should be the pick for anyone prioritizing performance in the recorded benchmarks. The FirePro D500 may still serve niche professional environments, but the data shows no performance scenario where it wins. The verdict is straightforward: the RX 5700 is the superior GPU in this comparison.