AMD FirePro M4000 vs AMD Radeon R7 M445 Comparison

The AMD FirePro M4000 and AMD Radeon R7 M445 are both end-of-life mobile GPUs from AMD, but they target different priorities. The data shows the FirePro M4000 is the faster part in raw compute, while the Radeon R7 M445 counters with a larger memory pool and a more modern graphics core. The FirePro M4000 wins the only head-to-head benchmark, but the R7 M445 is not without its own arguments.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro M4000 wins on sheer computational throughput. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 5537 places it 3.3% ahead of the Radeon R7 M445’s 5358. The FirePro’s lead is built on a wider execution engine: 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation pipelines, compared to 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs on the R7 M445. This translates to higher peak rates — 691.2 GFLOPS FP32 versus 588.8 GFLOPS, 21.60 GTexel/s versus 18.40 GTexel/s, and 10.80 GPixel/s versus 7.360 GPixel/s. The FirePro M4000 also enjoys a larger memory bus (128-bit vs 64-bit), which doubles its bandwidth to 64.00 GB/s despite both using GDDR5 at the same 1000 MHz / 4 Gbps effective speed.

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 wins on capacity and interface modernity. It ships with 4 GB of GDDR5, four times the 1024 MB on the FirePro M4000. It also uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface, whereas the FirePro M4000 relies on an MXM-A (3.0) module connector. The R7 M445’s chip, Meso, is built on GCN 3.0 architecture, a full generation newer than the FirePro’s GCN 1.0 (Chelsea). This newer architecture brings DirectX 12 (12_0) support, while the FirePro M4000 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The benchmark split is lopsided: the FirePro M4000 claims 1 win, the R7 M445 claims 0. However, the percentile rankings are close — the FirePro sits at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs, while the R7 M445 sits at the 31st. The FirePro’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508, +0.5%) and the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483, +1%). The R7 M445’s nearest rivals include the Intel UHD Graphics P630 (5370, -0.2%) and the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5322, +0.7%). The data indicates the FirePro M4000 is a compute-first part, while the R7 M445 is a capacity-first part.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different generations of AMD’s graphics core. The FirePro M4000 uses the Chelsea chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC with 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The Radeon R7 M445 uses the Meso chip, also on TSMC’s 28 nm node, but with 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die. The transistor densities are nearly identical: 12.2M / mm² for the FirePro versus 12.4M / mm² for the R7 M445.

The architectural jump from GCN 1.0 to GCN 3.0 is significant. The R7 M445’s GCN 3.0 core supports DirectX 12 (12_0), a feature level the older GCN 1.0 cannot match — the FirePro M4000 tops out at DirectX 12 (11_1). The newer architecture also enables FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio (588.8 GFLOPS), while the FirePro M4000 lists no FP16 capability. Both parts support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The memory subsystems differ fundamentally. The FirePro M4000 pairs a 128-bit bus with 1024 MB of GDDR5, yielding 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The R7 M445 pairs a 64-bit bus with 4 GB of GDDR5, yielding 32.00 GB/s. The R7 M445’s four-fold capacity advantage comes at the cost of half the bandwidth. Clock speeds also differ: the R7 M445 has a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 920 MHz, while the FirePro M4000’s base and boost clocks are not specified in the data.

The physical form factors diverge as well. The FirePro M4000 is an MXM Module with no power connectors and a 33 W TDP. The R7 M445 is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no listed TDP or power connectors, and it connects via PCIe 3.0 x8. Both have portable-device-dependent display outputs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 3.3% higher than the Radeon R7 M445’s 5358.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5, while the Radeon R7 M445 has 4 GB of GDDR5.

Q: Which GPU has a wider memory bus?

A: The FirePro M4000 uses a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The R7 M445 uses a 64-bit bus, delivering 32.00 GB/s.

Q: What are the architectural generations of the two GPUs?

A: The FirePro M4000 is built on GCN 1.0 with the Chelsea chip. The R7 M445 is built on GCN 3.0 with the Meso chip.

Q: Which GPU supports a higher DirectX feature level?

A: The R7 M445 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro M4000 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, compared to 320 on the R7 M445.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification. The most impactful differences are:

• Architecture: GCN 1.0 (FirePro M4000) vs GCN 3.0 (R7 M445)
• Chip: Chelsea (FirePro M4000) vs Meso (R7 M445)
• Transistors: 1,500 million (FirePro M4000) vs 1,550 million (R7 M445)
• Die Size: 123 mm² (FirePro M4000) vs 125 mm² (R7 M445)
• Clocks: FirePro M4000 has no listed base/boost; R7 M445 has 780 MHz base / 920 MHz boost
• Memory Size: 1024 MB (FirePro M4000) vs 4 GB (R7 M445)
• Memory Bus Width: 128 bit (FirePro M4000) vs 64 bit (R7 M445)
• Memory Bandwidth: 64.00 GB/s (FirePro M4000) vs 32.00 GB/s (R7 M445)
• Shading Units: 512 (FirePro M4000) vs 320 (R7 M445)
• TMUs: 32 (FirePro M4000) vs 20 (R7 M445)
• ROPs: 16 (FirePro M4000) vs 8 (R7 M445)
• Pixel Rate: 10.80 GPixel/s (FirePro M4000) vs 7.360 GPixel/s (R7 M445)
• Texture Rate: 21.60 GTexel/s (FirePro M4000) vs 18.40 GTexel/s (R7 M445)
• FP32 Performance: 691.2 GFLOPS (FirePro M4000) vs 588.8 GFLOPS (R7 M445)
• FP16 Performance: Not listed (FirePro M4000) vs 588.8 GFLOPS 1:1 (R7 M445)
• TDP: 33 W (FirePro M4000) vs not listed (R7 M445)
• Slot Width: MXM Module (FirePro M4000) vs IGP (R7 M445)
• Bus Interface: MXM-A (3.0) (FirePro M4000) vs PCIe 3.0 x8 (R7 M445)
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_1) (FirePro M4000) vs 12 (12_0) (R7 M445)
• Release Date: 2012-06-26 (FirePro M4000) vs 2016-05-14 (R7 M445)
• Predecessor: FirePro Mobility (FirePro M4000) vs Solar System (R7 M445)
• Successor: Radeon Pro Mobile (FirePro M4000) vs Polaris Mobile (R7 M445)

The transistor density is nearly identical (12.2M / mm² vs 12.4M / mm²), and both use the same 28 nm TSMC process. Both also share the same memory type (GDDR5) and memory clock (1000 MHz / 4 Gbps effective).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the FirePro M4000 wins decisively. The FirePro scores 5537 against the R7 M445’s 5358, a delta of 3.3%. This margin aligns with the underlying compute specifications. The FirePro’s 512 shading units outnumber the R7 M445’s 320 by 60%, and its FP32 throughput of 691.2 GFLOPS is 17.4% higher than the R7 M445’s 588.8 GFLOPS. The texture rate difference is 21.60 GTexel/s versus 18.40 GTexel/s, and the pixel rate difference is 10.80 GPixel/s versus 7.360 GPixel/s.

However, the R7 M445’s bandwidth deficit is stark. With a 64-bit bus, it delivers only 32.00 GB/s, half of the FirePro’s 64.00 GB/s. This means that even though the R7 M445 has four times the memory capacity, it cannot feed its shading units as quickly. The R7 M445’s boost clock of 920 MHz partially compensates, but the architectural advantage of GCN 3.0 does not overcome the raw execution resource gap in this benchmark.

The percentile data puts the FirePro M4000 in a slightly higher tier. It ranks at the 32nd percentile of all GPUs, while the R7 M445 ranks at the 31st. The FirePro’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M500M, scores 5604 (-1.2% relative to the FirePro), while its closest competitor below is the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 at 5508 (+0.5%). The R7 M445’s nearest rival is the Intel UHD Graphics P630 at 5370 (-0.2%), and it only leads the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M by 0.9% (5308). The FirePro M4000’s 3.3% win over the R7 M445 is consistent with its position one percentile higher.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear pick for compute-oriented workloads: the AMD FirePro M4000. It wins the only benchmark, offers 60% more shading units, delivers double the memory bandwidth, and produces higher pixel and texture rates. Its 691.2 GFLOPS FP32 performance is 17.4% above the R7 M445, and its 10.80 GPixel/s pixel rate is over 46% higher. The FirePro M4000 also holds a 1-percentile advantage in the global GPU ranking.

The AMD Radeon R7 M445 is the choice when memory capacity matters more than throughput. Its 4 GB GDDR5 frame buffer is four times larger, which is critical for workloads that need to store large datasets locally. Its GCN 3.0 architecture also brings DirectX 12 (12_0) support and FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio, features the GCN 1.0 FirePro M4000 lacks. The R7 M445’s PCIe 3.0 x8 interface is also a more modern system integration point than the MXM-A (3.0) slot.

For a mobile workstation replacement, the FirePro M4000’s 33 W TDP and MXM Module form factor suggest a more power-conscious, upgradeable design. The R7 M445’s IGP form factor implies a soldered, system-on-chip integration. Neither part is current — both are end-of-life — but the FirePro M4000’s superior compute metrics make it the stronger performer in the head-to-head data. The R7 M445 is the better fit for applications that exhaust memory quickly, despite its lower bandwidth and fewer execution units.