AMD FirePro D700 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH is the faster GPU in this pairing, winning both head-to-head benchmark tests by double-digit margins. The FirePro D700, while having a higher raw transistor count and a larger memory pool, falls short in every recorded benchmark, trailing by 14.4% in OpenCL and 11.8% in Vulkan. The data clearly separates them into two distinct performance classes, one built for portable integration and modern API efficiency, the other a legacy workstation card with a focus on raw throughput metrics.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH wins in every measurable performance category in the database. It holds a 14.4% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and an 11.8% lead in Geekbench Vulkan. Its average benchmark score of 29,197 places it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro D700’s average of 25,842 lands in the 71st percentile. The Vega M GH also shows superior efficiency in its class, delivering its performance within a 100W TDP, a stark contrast to the FirePro D700’s 274W TDP. The FirePro D700 wins on paper specifications alone, but no benchmark result backs up its theoretical advantage.

The FirePro D700 cannot claim a single recorded win. Its only advantage lies in its specifications, such as a 6GB memory capacity and a 263.0 GB/s bandwidth, which do not translate to higher scores. The Vega M GH’s victories are not narrow; they are consistent and decisive across both API tests. The FirePro D700’s best performance, a 27,968 in Geekbench Vulkan, still falls short of the Vega M GH’s lowest recorded score, which is 27,125 in Geekbench OpenCL.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different eras of AMD’s design philosophy. The Radeon RX Vega M GH uses the Polaris 22 chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture with a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. The FirePro D700 uses the Tahiti chip, based on GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process by TSMC. This generational gap shows in nearly every architectural metric.

The Vega M GH packs 5,000 million transistors into a 208 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 24.0M per mm². The FirePro D700, in contrast, has 4,313 million transistors spread across a much larger 352 mm² die, giving it a density of only 12.3M per mm². The Vega M GH achieves nearly double the transistor density, a direct result of the more advanced manufacturing node.

Memory architecture also differs fundamentally. The Vega M GH uses 4GB of HBM2 with a 1024-bit bus, delivering 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro D700 uses 6GB of GDDR5 with a 384-bit bus, providing 263.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro D700 has more memory and higher bandwidth, but the Vega M GH’s HBM2 implementation appears more efficient in practice.

Compute resources are split as well. The FirePro D700 has more shading units (2,048 vs 1,536), more texture mapping units (128 vs 96), but fewer ROPs (32 vs 64). The Vega M GH compensates for fewer shaders with higher clock speeds, running at a base of 1063 MHz and boost of 1190 MHz, while the FirePro D700’s clock data is not recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a clear gap. The Vega M GH scores 27,125 against the FirePro D700’s 23,716, a 14.4% difference. This result indicates the Vega M GH handles general compute workloads with substantially more efficiency, despite having 512 fewer shading units. The newer architecture and higher clocks overcome the FirePro D700’s raw resource advantage.

The Geekbench Vulkan test produces a similar outcome. The Vega M GH scores 31,268, while the FirePro D700 manages 27,968, a delta of 11.8%. The Vulkan result is particularly telling. The Vega M GH supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro D700 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170. This API version advantage likely contributes to the performance gap in modern graphics workloads.

Looking at the surrounding competitive field, the Vega M GH’s average score of 29,197 puts it in line with the AMD FirePro W8000 (29,211, 0% delta) and just ahead of the Intel Arc A370M (29,175, 0.1% delta). The FirePro D700’s average of 25,842 places it near the AMD FirePro W7100 (25,856, -0.1% delta) and slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (25,740, 0.4% delta). The Vega M GH competes in a higher performance tier than the FirePro D700.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The manufacturing process: 14 nm for the Vega M GH versus 28 nm for the FirePro D700. The foundry: GlobalFoundries versus TSMC. The chip: Polaris 22 versus Tahiti. The architecture: GCN 4.0 versus GCN 1.0.

Memory configurations diverge completely. The Vega M GH uses 4GB HBM2, while the FirePro D700 uses 6GB GDDR5. Bus widths are 1024-bit versus 384-bit. Bandwidth is 204.8 GB/s versus 263.0 GB/s. The FirePro D700’s memory clock is listed as 1370 MHz with 5.5 Gbps effective, while the Vega M GH’s memory runs at 800 MHz with 1600 Mbps effective.

Compute resources show a mixed picture. The FirePro D700 leads in shading units (2,048 vs 1,536) and TMUs (128 vs 96). The Vega M GH leads in ROPs (64 vs 32) and pixel rate (76.16 GPixel/s vs 27.20 GPixel/s). The texture rates are close, 114.2 GTexel/s for the Vega M GH versus 108.8 GTexel/s for the FirePro D700.

Power and physical specifications differ dramatically. The Vega M GH uses 100W and is an IGP with a portable device dependent display output. The FirePro D700 uses 274W, requires a 600W PSU, is a dual-slot card measuring 279 mm, and features 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 plus 1x SDI outputs.

The API support shows the Vega M GH’s newer design. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro D700 supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The Vega M GH has FP16 capability at 3.656 TFLOPS (1:1), while the FirePro D700 has no recorded FP16 performance. The Vega M GH’s FP32 of 3.656 TFLOPS barely exceeds the FirePro D700’s 3.482 TFLOPS.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH has an average benchmark score of 29,197, compared to the AMD FirePro D700’s 25,842.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the OpenCL test?

A: The Vega M GH leads by 14.4%, scoring 27,125 versus the FirePro D700’s 23,716.

Q: Which GPU has more memory?

A: The AMD FirePro D700 has 6GB of GDDR5 memory, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH has 4GB of HBM2.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The Radeon RX Vega M GH has a TDP of 100W, while the FirePro D700 has a TDP of 274W and requires a 600W PSU.

Q: How do the transistor densities compare?

A: The Vega M GH has a density of 24.0M transistors per mm², while the FirePro D700 has 12.3M per mm².

Q: Which GPU has better Vulkan support?

A: The Vega M GH supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro D700 supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH is the clear choice based on recorded data. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks, has a higher average score, and sits in a higher performance percentile. Its 14.4% OpenCL advantage and 11.8% Vulkan advantage are substantial. The Vega M GH achieves this with a 100W TDP, making it dramatically more power-efficient than the FirePro D700’s 274W TDP.

The AMD FirePro D700 should only be selected for specific legacy requirements. Its advantages are limited to a larger 6GB memory pool, higher memory bandwidth of 263.0 GB/s, and more shading units at 2,048. Its dual-slot form factor, 279 mm length, and 600W PSU requirement suggest a traditional workstation environment. Its predecessor status as FirePro Terascale and successor as Radeon Instinct shows it belongs to an older generation.

The data shows no scenario where the FirePro D700 outperforms the Vega M GH in measured benchmarks. The Vega M GH’s modern architecture, GCN 4.0 on 14 nm, delivers better results than the older GCN 1.0 on 28 nm. Its higher transistor density of 24.0M per mm² versus 12.3M per mm² indicates a more efficient design. For any compute or graphics workload measured in the database, the Vega M GH is the superior option. The FirePro D700 remains relevant only for users requiring its specific display outputs or larger memory capacity, but performance-wise, the Vega M GH wins decisively.