AMD FirePro D700 vs Intel Arc A350M Comparison

The AMD FirePro D700 and Intel Arc A350M represent two distinct eras of GPU design, separated by nearly a decade. The data shows a fascinating split: the older workstation card wins one major benchmark decisively, while the modern mobile chip edges out a narrow victory in the other. Their average benchmark scores are remarkably close, yet their architectural philosophies could not be more different. This comparison is not about a clear winner, but about which specific strengths matter more for a given workload.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the choice between these two GPUs hinges on the application programming interface (API) in use. The AMD FirePro D700 takes a commanding lead in the Geekbench Vulkan test, posting a score of 27968 against the Intel Arc A350M’s 24747, a 13% advantage. This makes the FirePro D700 the superior option for Vulkan-based workloads. Conversely, the Intel Arc A350M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 24546 compared to the FirePro D700’s 23716, a 3.4% margin. This suggests the Intel chip is the better choice for OpenCL compute tasks.

The overall performance picture is one of near-parity. The FirePro D700 has an average benchmark score of 25842, while the Arc A350M sits at 24647, a difference of roughly 5%. Both cards occupy a similar performance tier, with the FirePro D700 in the 71st percentile of all GPUs and the Arc A350M in the 70th percentile. The data does not indicate a clear overall winner; instead, it points to a workload-specific decision. A user prioritizing Vulkan performance should choose the FirePro D700, while a user focused on OpenCL performance should select the Arc A350M.

Where Each One Wins

The performance split is clearly defined by the benchmark type. The AMD FirePro D700’s win in the Geekbench Vulkan test is its primary strength. This is a significant margin of victory, suggesting that for applications leveraging the Vulkan API, the older GCN architecture holds a distinct advantage over Intel’s newer Xe-HPG design. This could be relevant for certain modern game engines or compute frameworks that heavily utilize Vulkan.

The Intel Arc A350M, on the other hand, wins in the OpenCL test. While the margin is smaller, it is still a win. This indicates that for general-purpose GPU compute tasks using OpenCL, the Arc A350M is the more efficient performer. This is particularly notable given the Arc A350M’s much lower power envelope, suggesting a higher performance-per-watt for this specific workload. The FirePro D700’s edge in raw rasterization rates, like its 27.20 GPixel/s pixel rate, does not translate into a benchmark win here.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD FirePro D700 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 352 mm² and 4,313 million transistors. In contrast, the Intel Arc A350M uses the Xe-HPG architecture on a much more advanced 6 nm process at the same foundry, packing 7,200 million transistors into a smaller 157 mm² die. This leads to a stark difference in transistor density, with the Intel chip achieving 45.9M / mm² compared to the AMD chip’s 12.3M / mm².

The compute configurations are also vastly different. The FirePro D700 features 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Arc A350M has only 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, but it also includes 6 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the older FirePro. The FirePro D700 compensates with a wider memory interface, using a 384-bit bus to deliver 263.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 6 GB of GDDR5 memory. The Arc A350M uses a narrow 64-bit bus with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, resulting in a significantly lower 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clocks also differ, with the FirePro D700 running at 1370 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) and the Arc A350M at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro D700 has a higher average benchmark score of 25842, compared to the Intel Arc A350M’s 24647.

Q: Is the Intel Arc A350M faster in every benchmark?

A: No. The Intel Arc A350M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test, but the AMD FirePro D700 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a significant 13% lead.

Q: How do their memory systems compare?

A: The AMD FirePro D700 uses 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 263.0 GB/s. The Intel Arc A350M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the difference in their transistor densities?

A: The Intel Arc A350M has a much higher transistor density of 45.9M / mm², while the AMD FirePro D700 has a density of 12.3M / mm².

Q: Does the Intel Arc A350M have any features the FirePro D700 lacks?

A: Yes, the Intel Arc A350M includes 6 ray tracing cores, a feature not present in the AMD FirePro D700.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The Intel Arc A350M has a higher pixel rate of 52.80 GPixel/s, compared to the AMD FirePro D700’s 27.20 GPixel/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GPUs split the head-to-head benchmarks, with each winning one test. The most decisive result is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the AMD FirePro D700 scores 27968 against the Intel Arc A350M’s 24747. This represents a 13% delta in favor of the AMD card, a substantial margin that clearly indicates superior Vulkan performance. This is a significant win for the FirePro D700, which is able to leverage its architecture more effectively in this API.

The Geekbench OpenCL test tells a different story, with the Intel Arc A350M edging out a victory. The Intel card scores 24546, while the AMD FirePro D700 scores 23716, a 3.4% delta in favor of the Intel chip. While this margin is smaller than the Vulkan win, it is still a clear victory. The data shows that the Arc A350M is more efficient in OpenCL workloads, despite having a significantly lower power envelope and memory bandwidth. The wins are evenly split, with one benchmark victory for each GPU, but the magnitude of the Vulkan win for the AMD card is larger than the OpenCL win for the Intel card.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The most obvious difference is in power consumption, with the AMD FirePro D700 rated at a 274 W TDP and requiring a 600 W power supply, while the Intel Arc A350M is a 25 W part designed for mobile integration (IGP). The process node is another key differentiator: the FirePro D700 is built on 28 nm, while the Arc A350M uses 6 nm. The transistor count also differs, with the FirePro D700 having 4,313 million and the Arc A350M having 7,200 million, despite the latter having a smaller die size (157 mm² vs 352 mm²).

Their memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The FirePro D700 offers 6 GB of GDDR5 with a 384-bit bus and 263.0 GB/s of bandwidth, whereas the Arc A350M offers 4 GB of GDDR6 with a 64-bit bus and 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The compute unit counts also vary widely: the FirePro D700 has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the Arc A350M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, plus 6 RT cores. The clock speeds show the FirePro D700’s memory running at 1370 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) versus the Arc A350M’s 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The FirePro D700 also has a higher FP32 performance at 3.482 TFLOPS, while the Arc A350M has 3.379 TFLOPS but adds FP16 support at 6.758 TFLOPS. The bus interface differs as well, with the FirePro D700 using PCIe 3.0 x16 and the Arc A350M using PCIe 4.0 x8. Finally, the DirectX support is different, with the FirePro D700 supporting DirectX 12 (11_1) and the Arc A350M supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). Their display outputs are also distinct, with the FirePro D700 featuring 6x mini-DisplayPort and 1x SDI, while the Arc A350M is listed as "Portable Device Dependent".