AMD FirePro M4000 vs AMD Radeon R7 Graphics Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data separates these two AMD parts clearly. The AMD FirePro M4000 is the faster GPU in raw compute, posting a Geekbench OpenCL score of 5537 against 4015 for the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics. That is a 37.9% delta in favor of the FirePro, a decisive margin. The FirePro M4000 also holds a higher percentile rank at 32, versus 29 for the Radeon R7 Graphics. For any workload that stresses OpenCL compute, the FirePro M4000 is the choice.

However, the Radeon R7 Graphics has a unique advantage: it supports Vulkan, and the recorded data shows a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5980. The FirePro M4000 has no Vulkan benchmark score in the database. If an application relies on Vulkan, the Radeon R7 Graphics is the only option between these two. The Radeon R7 Graphics also has a higher average benchmark score when combining its OpenCL and Vulkan results, reaching 4998, which places it close to the FirePro M4000's single OpenCL number of 5537 when considering the broader metric.

The FirePro M4000 is a discrete MXM module, while the Radeon R7 Graphics is an integrated processor graphics solution. The FirePro M4000 is the better pick for dedicated compute tasks where its higher shading unit count and dedicated memory matter. The Radeon R7 Graphics is the better pick for systems that need Vulkan support and where an IGP form factor is required. Neither part is current; both are marked end-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

The FirePro M4000 wins in raw OpenCL performance. Its score of 5537 is nearly 38% higher than the Radeon R7 Graphics' OpenCL score of 4015. This advantage stems from its hardware configuration: 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The Radeon R7 Graphics has fewer of each, with 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The FirePro M4000 also has dedicated GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon R7 Graphics uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. For compute-heavy tasks that fit within the FirePro's 1024 MB frame buffer, the discrete card is superior.

The Radeon R7 Graphics wins in API coverage. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), whereas the FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The database records a Vulkan score for the Radeon R7 Graphics at 5980, which is higher than its own OpenCL score, indicating strong Vulkan compute potential. The FirePro M4000 has no Vulkan benchmark entry. Applications using Vulkan will run on the Radeon R7 Graphics but have no recorded performance metric on the FirePro M4000.

The Radeon R7 Graphics also wins on efficiency in a specific sense: its TDP is 25 W, lower than the FirePro M4000's 33 W. This makes it a better fit for power-constrained integrated systems, though the FirePro is still a low-power discrete option. The Radeon R7 Graphics also integrates a larger die (245 mm²) with more transistors (2,410 million) from GlobalFoundries, compared to the FirePro's smaller 123 mm² die with 1,500 million transistors from TSMC. The Radeon's transistor density is lower at 9.8M per mm² versus 12.2M per mm² for the FirePro, reflecting the different design priorities.

Architecture Differences

The FirePro M4000 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture with the Chelsea chip, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The Radeon R7 Graphics uses GCN 2.0 with the Spectre Lite chip, also on 28 nm, but fabricated by GlobalFoundries. This architectural generation difference explains the API support gap: GCN 1.0 tops out at DirectX 12 (11_1), while GCN 2.0 reaches DirectX 12 (12_0). The FirePro M4000 belongs to the FirePro Mobile (Mx000) generation, while the Radeon R7 Graphics is from the GCN 2.0 IGP (Kaveri) generation.

Memory configuration is a major divider. The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit interface, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon R7 Graphics has no dedicated memory; it uses system shared memory with a system-dependent bus width and bandwidth. This means the FirePro M4000's memory performance is fixed and predictable, while the Radeon R7 Graphics depends entirely on the host system's memory subsystem.

The compute resources differ significantly. The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, producing a pixel rate of 10.80 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s. Its FP32 throughput is 691.2 GFLOPS. The Radeon R7 Graphics has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 5.760 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 17.28 GTexel/s. Its FP32 throughput is 553.0 GFLOPS. The FirePro M4000 leads in every raw throughput metric, with roughly 25% more shading units, 33% more TMUs, double the ROPs, and 25% higher FP32 performance.

Form factor and integration also differ. The FirePro M4000 is an MXM Module with a 3.0 interface and no power connectors, while the Radeon R7 Graphics is an IGP with a system-integrated bus interface. The FirePro's display outputs are portable-device dependent, while the Radeon's are motherboard dependent. The FirePro M4000 launched on 2012-06-26, with the Radeon R7 Graphics launching later on 2014-02-16. The FirePro's predecessor is FirePro Mobility and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile. The Radeon R7 Graphics' predecessor is TeraScale 3 IGP and its successor is GCN 3.0 IGP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics scores 4015. The FirePro leads by 37.9%.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the Radeon R7 Graphics has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5980. It supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0).

Q: Does the AMD FirePro M4000 support Vulkan?

A: The FirePro M4000 lists Vulkan 1.2.170 in its API support, but the database has no Vulkan benchmark score for it. Its DirectX support is limited to 12 (11_1).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, compared to 384 on the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics.

Q: What type of memory does each GPU use?

A: The FirePro M4000 uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon R7 Graphics uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a lower TDP?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics has a TDP of 25 W, while the AMD FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W.

Q: What are the architecture generations of these two GPUs?

A: The FirePro M4000 uses GCN 1.0 with the Chelsea chip, while the Radeon R7 Graphics uses GCN 2.0 with the Spectre Lite chip. Both are on a 28 nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the FirePro M4000 wins it decisively. Its score of 5537 is 37.9% higher than the Radeon R7 Graphics' 4015. This margin is substantial and reflects the underlying hardware differences. The FirePro M4000's 512 shading units and 691.2 GFLOPS FP32 throughput provide a clear compute advantage over the Radeon R7 Graphics' 384 shading units and 553.0 GFLOPS.

The FirePro M4000 also maintains a lead in memory bandwidth. Its 64.00 GB/s dedicated bandwidth is fixed, while the Radeon R7 Graphics' system-shared memory bandwidth is marked as system dependent. In a worst-case scenario with slow system memory, the Radeon's effective bandwidth could be far lower. Even in a best case, the FirePro's dedicated GDDR5 is likely to sustain higher throughput for compute workloads that access memory frequently.

The Radeon R7 Graphics counteracts partially with its Vulkan result. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 5980 is its strongest recorded benchmark, outperforming its own OpenCL score by about 49%. This suggests that Vulkan workloads run particularly well on this architecture. However, the FirePro M4000 has no Vulkan score, so a direct comparison there is impossible. For OpenCL, the FirePro is the clear winner.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides context. The FirePro M4000 is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508), 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501), and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483). It trails the NVIDIA Quadro M500M by 1.2% (5604). These are all close scores, meaning the FirePro M4000 sits in a competitive band for its era. The Radeon R7 Graphics, by contrast, sits 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 (4979) and 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB (4970), while trailing the AMD Radeon R5 M430 by 0.4% (5018) and the AMD FirePro W4170M by 0.7% (5034). Its average benchmark score of 4998 is close to all these rivals, showing that the Radeon R7 Graphics performs at a similar level to those parts despite being an IGP.

In summary, the FirePro M4000 is the stronger compute part with a 37.9% OpenCL lead, but the Radeon R7 Graphics offers Vulkan support and a lower TDP. The choice depends on whether the workload uses OpenCL (choose FirePro) or Vulkan (choose Radeon), and whether the system can accommodate a discrete MXM module or needs an integrated solution.