AMD FirePro M4000 vs AMD Radeon HD 8730M Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8730M and the AMD FirePro M4000 are both GCN 1.0-era mobile GPUs, but the benchmark data shows a clear winner. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, the Radeon HD 8730M decisively outperforms the FirePro M4000, despite the latter featuring a larger chip and more memory bandwidth. The data indicates that architectural efficiency and clock behavior trump raw resource counts in this specific comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL benchmark is the sole direct comparison point, and it delivers a definitive result. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M scores 5955, while the AMD FirePro M4000 trails at 5537. This represents a 7.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 8730M. This is not a marginal win; it is a solid, measurable lead that places the two GPUs in different performance tiers.

This result is particularly striking when considering the context of each card’s nearest rivals. The Radeon HD 8730M sits just 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8750M (which scores 5970) and is effectively tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K620M, which scores 5957 with a 0% delta. It also outperforms the Intel UHD Graphics 730 (5929) by 0.4% and the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 (5982) by -0.5%. This places the HD 8730M in a competitive cluster where small score differences define the hierarchy.

Conversely, the FirePro M4000’s score of 5537 puts it in a lower bracket. It is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508) and 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501). It also leads the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483) by 1%. However, it is 1.2% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M500M (5604). The FirePro M4000’s 7.5% deficit to the Radeon HD 8730M is a substantial gap, larger than any of the deltas observed among its own closest rivals.

The win count reflects this dominance: the Radeon HD 8730M takes 1 win, while the FirePro M4000 has 0 wins in their direct comparison. In essence, the data shows that in raw compute throughput as measured by OpenCL, the Radeon HD 8730M is the superior part, outperforming its professional-grade sibling by a significant margin.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8730M is faster, scoring 5955 compared to the AMD FirePro M4000’s 5537, a 7.5% difference.

Q: How does the FirePro M4000 compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M500M?

A: The FirePro M4000 is behind the Quadro M500M by 1.2%. The M500M scores 5604, while the FirePro M4000 scores 5537.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of the Radeon HD 8730M among all GPUs?

A: The Radeon HD 8730M is in the 34th percentile of all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 5955.

Q: Does the FirePro M4000 have a higher transistor count than the Radeon HD 8730M?

A: Yes. The FirePro M4000 has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, while the Radeon HD 8730M has 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The Radeon HD 8730M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory with a 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The FirePro M4000 has a significantly higher pixel rate of 10.80 GPixel/s, compared to the Radeon HD 8730M’s 5.600 GPixel/s.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on TSMC’s 28 nm process and share the GCN 1.0 architecture, but they are fundamentally different chips. The Radeon HD 8730M uses the Mars chip, while the FirePro M4000 uses the Chelsea chip. This leads to significant differences in their underlying resources. The FirePro M4000’s Chelsea die is substantially larger at 123 mm², housing 1,500 million transistors, whereas the Mars chip in the Radeon HD 8730M is a smaller 77 mm² die with 950 million transistors. Despite the size difference, their transistor density is nearly identical: 12.3M / mm² for the Mars chip and 12.2M / mm² for Chelsea.

The compute configurations diverge sharply. The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operation pipelines (ROPs). The Radeon HD 8730M is cut down significantly, featuring only 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. This hardware disparity explains the FirePro M4000’s higher theoretical pixel rate of 10.80 GPixel/s versus the Radeon HD 8730M’s 5.600 GPixel/s, and its higher texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s versus 16.80 GTexel/s. In raw FP32 compute, the FirePro M4000 also leads with 691.2 GFLOPS against the Radeon HD 8730M’s 537.6 GFLOPS.

Memory architecture further separates them. The Radeon HD 8730M uses 2 GB of DDR3 at a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), delivering 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro M4000 instead uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 at a memory clock of 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), which yields a much higher 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. This is a 2.22x advantage in memory bandwidth for the FirePro M4000. The interface also differs: the Radeon HD 8730M uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the FirePro M4000 uses an MXM-A (3.0) bus interface with an MXM Module slot width.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon HD 8730M is the better performer for OpenCL compute workloads. Its 7.5% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test is a decisive metric, and its higher percentile ranking (34th versus 32nd) confirms its superior standing. Despite the FirePro M4000’s larger die, more transistors, higher shading unit count, and double the memory bandwidth, it cannot translate that hardware into a benchmark win. The Radeon HD 8730M’s architecture is evidently more efficient in practice, likely due to its higher boost clock of 700 MHz compared to the FirePro M4000’s unspecified clock speeds.

For a user prioritizing raw compute performance in OpenCL applications, the Radeon HD 8730M is the clear choice. It also offers double the memory capacity (2 GB versus 1024 MB), which can be beneficial for certain workloads. The FirePro M4000, while having a higher theoretical pixel rate and more bandwidth, loses where it matters in this comparison: the actual benchmark score. Its only advantages are in specifications that do not translate to a performance win in the measured test. The verdict is straightforward: choose the Radeon HD 8730M based on the available data.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields. The Radeon HD 8730M uses the Mars chip, while the FirePro M4000 uses the Chelsea chip. The FirePro M4000 has a larger die (123 mm²) and more transistors (1,500 million) compared to the Radeon HD 8730M’s 77 mm² and 950 million. The Radeon HD 8730M has a base clock of 650 MHz and a boost clock of 700 MHz; the FirePro M4000 has no listed base or boost clocks. Memory specifications also differ: the Radeon HD 8730M has 2 GB of DDR3 with a 900 MHz memory clock and 1800 Mbps effective speed, while the FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 with a 1000 MHz memory clock and 4 Gbps effective speed. This results in bandwidths of 28.80 GB/s and 64.00 GB/s, respectively.

The compute unit counts vary, with the FirePro M4000 featuring 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, versus the Radeon HD 8730M’s 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Consequently, the FirePro M4000 has higher pixel and texture rates (10.80 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s) than the Radeon HD 8730M (5.600 GPixel/s and 16.80 GTexel/s). FP32 performance is also higher on the FirePro M4000 at 691.2 GFLOPS versus 537.6 GFLOPS. The FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W, while the Radeon HD 8730M has no listed TDP. The bus interface and form factor differ: the Radeon HD 8730M uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the FirePro M4000 uses MXM-A (3.0) with an MXM Module slot. Finally, the FirePro M4000 lists display outputs as "Portable Device Dependent," a field that is null for the Radeon HD 8730M.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon HD 8730M wins in the only measured category: OpenCL compute performance. Its score of 5955 is 7.5% higher than the FirePro M4000’s 5537. This makes it the better option for any application that relies on general-purpose GPU compute as measured by Geekbench OpenCL. Its 2 GB memory capacity is also a practical win for workloads that need more framebuffer or working memory.

The AMD FirePro M4000 does not win any benchmark tests in this comparison. However, its specification sheet indicates areas of theoretical advantage that could matter in specific, unmeasured scenarios. It has a significantly higher pixel fill rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 5.600 GPixel/s) and texture fill rate (21.60 GTexel/s versus 16.80 GTexel/s), which historically suggests better performance in fill-rate-bound graphics tasks. Its memory bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s is more than double that of the Radeon HD 8730M (28.80 GB/s), which could benefit bandwidth-sensitive workloads. Additionally, its higher FP32 throughput of 691.2 GFLOPS versus 537.6 GFLOPS indicates a higher theoretical compute ceiling. These are potential wins, but they are not reflected in the actual benchmark results, meaning they remain unverified advantages. The Radeon HD 8730M is the proven winner in the available data.