AMD FirePro D700 vs AMD Radeon RX 470 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive sweep for the AMD Radeon RX 470 across the shared benchmark suite. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 470 scores 33,568 against the FirePro D700's 23,716, a lead of 41.5%. The Vulkan result is even more lopsided: the RX 470 posts 39,884 versus 27,968, a 42.6% advantage. Both tests are compute-oriented, but the margin is consistent enough to indicate a fundamental performance gap rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The RX 470 also holds a clear edge in the broader database rankings. Its average benchmark score sits at 28,996, placing it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. The FirePro D700 averages 25,842, which lands in the 71st percentile. That 3-point percentile gap might sound small, but the raw score difference of 3,154 points (roughly 12%) separates the two in practical terms. The RX 470's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (0.4% ahead), the Intel Arc A370M (0.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH (0.7% behind). The FirePro D700, by contrast, trades blows with the AMD FirePro W7100 (0.1% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (0.4% ahead). The RX 470 competes in a faster neighborhood.

For gamers and general users, the head-to-head numbers are unambiguous. The RX 470 wins both recorded comparisons, and the deltas are not marginal. A 41.5% OpenCL lead and a 42.6% Vulkan lead mean the FirePro D700 is not merely slower; it is in a different performance class for these APIs. The Vulkan result is particularly telling, as it suggests the RX 470's newer architecture handles modern graphics workloads far more efficiently.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL test, and by how much?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 470 wins with a score of 33,568 against the FirePro D700's 23,716, a 41.5% advantage.

Q: Is the RX 470 also ahead in Vulkan performance?

A: Yes. The RX 470 scores 39,884 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the FirePro D700 manages 27,968. That is a 42.6% lead for the RX 470.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 470 averages 28,996 across all recorded benchmarks, placing it in the 74th percentile. The FirePro D700 averages 25,842, placing it in the 71st percentile.

Q: What are the closest competitors to each card according to the database?

A: The RX 470's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, which sits 0.4% ahead. The FirePro D700's nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W7100, which sits 0.1% behind.

Q: Does the FirePro D700 have any benchmark win over the RX 470?

A: No. The head-to-head records show two wins for the RX 470 and zero wins for the FirePro D700.

Q: Which card has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The FirePro D700 has 263.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the RX 470 provides 211.2 GB/s. Despite this, the RX 470 still wins all compute benchmarks, indicating that raw bandwidth alone does not determine performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial. The RX 470 uses the Ellesmere chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The FirePro D700 uses the Tahiti chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. That two-generation architecture gap and the node shrink explain much of the performance difference.

The RX 470 packs 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter. The FirePro D700 has fewer transistors, 4,313 million, spread across a much larger 352 mm² die, for a density of just 12.3 million per square millimeter. The RX 470 crams nearly twice the transistor density into a smaller package, which directly translates into higher efficiency and clock speeds.

Both cards feature 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. That means the core configuration is identical on paper. The difference comes from the underlying architectures. GCN 4.0 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while GCN 1.0 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1). Vulkan support also differs: the RX 470 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro D700 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170. OpenGL support is the same at 4.6.

The RX 470 has a base clock of 926 MHz and a boost clock of 1206 MHz. The FirePro D700 has no recorded base or boost clocks in the database, but its pixel rate of 27.20 GPixel/s and texture rate of 108.8 GTexel/s are far below the RX 470's 38.59 GPixel/s and 154.4 GTexel/s. The RX 470 delivers 4.940 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the FirePro D700 manages only 3.482 TFLOPS. The RX 470 also offers FP16 at 4.940 TFLOPS (1:1), while the FirePro D700 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Specification Differences

The memory subsystems differ notably. The RX 470 comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, running at 1650 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective) for 211.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro D700 has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 384-bit bus, running at 1370 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) for 263.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro D700 has more memory and more bandwidth, but that does not compensate for its older architecture.

Power requirements are starkly different. The RX 470 has a TDP of 120 W with a suggested PSU of 300 W and a single 6-pin power connector. The FirePro D700 draws 274 W and requires a 600 W PSU, with no power connector details recorded. That is more than double the power draw for less compute performance.

Physical dimensions also differ. The RX 470 measures 240 mm (9.4 inches) in length, 95 mm (3.7 inches) in height, and 35 mm (1.4 inches) in width. The FirePro D700 is longer at 279 mm (11 inches), with no height or width recorded. Both are dual-slot cards.

Display outputs are a major divergence. The RX 470 offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The FirePro D700 provides 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and 1x SDI. The RX 470 has modern display connectivity, while the FirePro D700 is clearly aimed at professional multi-display setups with its six mini-DisplayPort outputs and SDI.

The RX 470 was released on 2016-08-03 with a launch MSRP of 179 USD. The FirePro D700 was released earlier on 2014-01-17 with no recorded launch MSRP. Both are end-of-life products. The RX 470's predecessor is Pirate Islands and its successor is Polaris. The FirePro D700's predecessor is FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Instinct.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 470 wins in every measured compute benchmark. It dominates OpenCL and Vulkan, has a higher average benchmark score, and sits in a higher percentile. For any workload that relies on FP32 compute, the RX 470 is clearly superior. Its 4.940 TFLOPS versus 3.482 TFLOPS means a 42% raw compute advantage, which matches the benchmark deltas almost exactly. The RX 470 also wins on efficiency, delivering that performance at 120 W versus 274 W.

The RX 470 is the better choice for gaming, general desktop use, and any modern graphics API workload. Its Vulkan 1.3 support and DirectX 12 (12_0) make it compatible with current games and applications. The HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs support modern monitors with high refresh rates and adaptive sync features. Its smaller physical footprint and lower power requirements make it easier to install in standard PC cases.

The FirePro D700 has a few specific advantages. It has 6 GB of VRAM compared to 4 GB, which matters for very large textures or datasets that exceed 4 GB. Its 384-bit bus and 263.0 GB/s bandwidth provide faster memory throughput, which could help in bandwidth-bound professional workloads. The six mini-DisplayPort outputs and SDI connector make it suited for multi-display professional environments, such as video walls or broadcast monitoring. The database shows it holds its own against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (0.4% ahead) in average score, indicating it is not obsolete in absolute terms.

The Verdict

The data is clear: the AMD Radeon RX 470 is the faster card in every recorded comparison. It wins the Geekbench OpenCL test by 41.5% and the Vulkan test by 42.6%. Its average benchmark score of 28,996 exceeds the FirePro D700's 25,842 by roughly 12%. The RX 470 achieves this with half the power draw, a smaller die, and a more modern architecture. For anyone choosing between these two for compute, gaming, or general use, the RX 470 is the obvious pick.

The FirePro D700's only advantages are its 6 GB of VRAM and higher memory bandwidth. If a workload absolutely requires more than 4 GB of video memory, the FirePro D700 has that headroom. Its professional display outputs also make it a niche option for multi-monitor or broadcast setups. But those advantages come with a 274 W TDP, a 600 W PSU requirement, and no OpenCL or Vulkan wins to show for it.

The RX 470 also holds up well against its own rivals. It sits within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH and the Intel Arc A370M, and only 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800M. That puts it in solid company for a card from 2016. The FirePro D700, by contrast, is clustered with older professional cards like the FirePro W7100 and the Radeon Pro W5700, with the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile just 0.4% ahead.

Choose the RX 470 for performance, efficiency, modern API support, and gaming capability. Choose the FirePro D700 only if you specifically need its 6 GB frame buffer, its multi-display professional outputs, or its higher memory bandwidth. The benchmark results do not support any other conclusion.