AMD FirePro M4000 vs AMD Radeon R7 M460 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data records a single head-to-head comparison between these two mobile graphics solutions, and it is decisive. The AMD Radeon R7 M460 wins the only contested test, the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, with a score of 6612 against the AMD FirePro M4000's 5537. That translates to a 19.4% advantage for the R7 M460, a substantial margin in a compute-oriented workload that stresses general-purpose GPU performance.

The R7 M460's win is not merely a matter of clock speed or raw shader count, though those factor into the result. Its 384 shading units operate at a base clock of 730 MHz with a boost up to 1024 MHz, and the architecture is built around GCN 3.0, a newer design generation than the FirePro M4000's GCN 1.0. The FirePro M4000, by contrast, fields 512 shading units but lacks a recorded base or boost clock in the database, and its GCN 1.0 architecture is older. The data indicates that the newer, smaller shader count of the R7 M460, combined with a higher boost clock, produces better OpenCL throughput than the older, wider design of the FirePro M4000.

Where the FirePro M4000 might appear to have a theoretical edge is in memory bandwidth and pixel throughput. Its 128-bit memory bus, paired with 1024 MB of GDDR5, delivers 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the R7 M460's 64-bit bus and 36.00 GB/s. The FirePro M4000 also records a higher pixel rate at 10.80 GPixel/s versus 8.192 GPixel/s, and a higher texture rate is not recorded, but the R7 M460 posts 24.58 GTexel/s against the FirePro M4000's 21.60 GTexel/s. These specification differences do not translate into a benchmark win for the FirePro M4000, as the sole recorded test favors the R7 M460.

The percentile rankings reinforce the gap. The R7 M460 sits at the 38th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the FirePro M4000 sits at the 32nd. That six-point spread, while modest, aligns with the observed 19.4% benchmark delta. The nearest rivals for each card also show where they land in the broader competitive landscape. The R7 M460 is bracketed by the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698, 1.3% ahead of the R7 M460) and the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581, 0.5% behind), with the Intel UHD Graphics P750 at 6554 (0.9% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M at 6513 (1.5% behind). The FirePro M4000's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M500M (5604, 1.2% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508, 0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501, 0.7% ahead), and the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483, 1.0% behind).

In practical terms, the R7 M460 is the stronger compute performer, while the FirePro M4000's advantages in memory bandwidth and pixel rate suggest it might handle certain memory-bound or fill-rate-heavy tasks better, though no benchmark in the database confirms this. The data only shows one test, and that test belongs to the R7 M460.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M460 scores 6612, while the AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537. The R7 M460 leads by 19.4% in this test.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two cards?

A: The R7 M460 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, while the R7 M460 has 384 shading units. Despite having fewer shading units, the R7 M460 wins the recorded benchmark.

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

A: The R7 M460 uses GCN 3.0 based on the Meso chip, while the FirePro M4000 uses GCN 1.0 based on the Chelsea chip. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process by TSMC.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals in percentile ranking?

A: The R7 M460 is at the 38th percentile of all GPUs, with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 being its closest rival at 6698 (1.3% higher). The FirePro M4000 is at the 32nd percentile, with the NVIDIA Quadro M500M as its closest rival at 5604 (1.2% higher).

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The FirePro M4000 has a recorded TDP of 33 W, while the R7 M460 has no TDP value listed in the database. The FirePro M4000 also uses an MXM Module slot width with no power connectors, while the R7 M460's slot width and power connectors are not recorded.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations within AMD's GCN family. The R7 M460 is built on GCN 3.0 and uses the Meso chip, while the FirePro M4000 uses GCN 1.0 with the Chelsea chip. Both are fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process, and the transistor counts are nearly identical: 1,550 million for the Meso chip and 1,500 million for the Chelsea chip. Die sizes are also close, at 125 mm² for the R7 M460 and 123 mm² for the FirePro M4000, resulting in transistor densities of 12.4M per mm² and 12.2M per mm², respectively.

The shading unit counts differ significantly. The FirePro M4000 carries 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The R7 M460 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Despite having fewer units across the board, the R7 M460's newer architecture and higher boost clock deliver better compute performance in the recorded benchmark. The R7 M460's boost clock reaches 1024 MHz with a base of 730 MHz, while the FirePro M4000 has no recorded clocks for either base or boost, making direct clock comparison impossible from the data.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The R7 M460 uses a 64-bit bus with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and a bandwidth of 36.00 GB/s. The FirePro M4000 uses a 128-bit bus with 1024 MB of GDDR5 and a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s. The FirePro M4000's wider bus and higher bandwidth are notable, but they do not translate into a win in the OpenCL test. The R7 M460's memory operates at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective), while the FirePro M4000's memory runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Feature support also differs. The R7 M460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), indicating a lower feature level. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The R7 M460 reports FP16 performance at 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio with FP32), while the FirePro M4000 has no FP16 figure recorded. FP32 performance is 786.4 GFLOPS for the R7 M460 and 691.2 GFLOPS for the FirePro M4000, a 13.8% advantage for the newer card.

The bus interface and form factor also differ. The R7 M460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the FirePro M4000 uses MXM-A (3.0). The FirePro M4000 is an MXM Module with no power connectors and a TDP of 33 W, while the R7 M460 has no TDP or power connector data recorded. Display outputs are listed as portable device dependent for the FirePro M4000, while the R7 M460 has no display output data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon R7 M460 scores 6612, while the AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537, giving the R7 M460 a 19.4% advantage. This is a substantial gap in a compute-heavy workload that exercises the GPU's ability to execute general-purpose parallel tasks, not just render graphics.

The 19.4% delta is larger than the differences seen among the nearest rivals for each card. For the R7 M460, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 at 6698, which is only 1.3% ahead. The AMD Radeon HD 7730M trails by 0.5% at 6581, the Intel UHD Graphics P750 trails by 0.9% at 6554, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M trails by 1.5% at 6513. The R7 M460's 19.4% advantage over the FirePro M4000 is far greater than any of these inter-rival differences, suggesting that the architectural gap between the two cards is more significant than the incremental differences among their direct competitors.

For the FirePro M4000, the nearest rivals cluster closely. The NVIDIA Quadro M500M leads by 1.2% at 5604, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 leads by 0.5% at 5508, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M leads by 0.7% at 5501, and the AMD Radeon R7 M440 trails by 1.0% at 5483. The FirePro M4000's score of 5537 places it in the middle of this cluster, roughly 1% away from each neighbor. Against the R7 M460, however, the gap is 19.4%, meaning the FirePro M4000 sits an entire tier below the R7 M460 in compute performance despite having a wider memory bus and more shading units.

The R7 M460's FP32 output of 786.4 GFLOPS versus the FirePro M4000's 691.2 GFLOPS partially explains the benchmark result. The newer card also achieves a higher texture rate of 24.58 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. The FirePro M4000 does lead in pixel rate, 10.80 GPixel/s versus 8.192 GPixel/s, and in memory bandwidth, 64.00 GB/s versus 36.00 GB/s, but these advantages did not manifest in the OpenCL score. The recorded data shows that compute performance, as measured by Geekbench, favors the R7 M460 decisively.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every major specification category. The R7 M460 uses the Meso chip on GCN 3.0, while the FirePro M4000 uses the Chelsea chip on GCN 1.0. The R7 M460 has 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, while the FirePro M4000 has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. Transistor density is 12.4M per mm² for the R7 M460 and 12.2M per mm² for the FirePro M4000.

Clock speeds differ in availability: the R7 M460 has a base clock of 730 MHz and a boost clock of 1024 MHz, while the FirePro M4000 has neither recorded. Memory clocks are 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) for the R7 M460 and 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for the FirePro M4000.

Memory capacity, bus width, and bandwidth all differ. The R7 M460 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth.

The compute units differ as well: the R7 M460 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, while the FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rate is 8.192 GPixel/s for the R7 M460 and 10.80 GPixel/s for the FirePro M4000. Texture rate is 24.58 GTexel/s for the R7 M460 and 21.60 GTexel/s for the FirePro M4000. FP32 is 786.4 GFLOPS for the R7 M460 and 691.2 GFLOPS for the FirePro M4000. FP16 is 786.4 GFLOPS for the R7 M460, with no figure recorded for the FirePro M4000.

The R7 M460 has no TDP recorded, while the FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W. The R7 M460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the FirePro M4000 uses MXM-A (3.0) and is an MXM Module with no power connectors. The FirePro M4000 lists display outputs as portable device dependent, while the R7 M460 has no display output data. DirectX support is 12 (12_0) for the R7 M460 and 12 (11_1) for the FirePro M4000. OpenGL and Vulkan support are identical at 4.6 and 1.2.170, respectively. Release dates differ by nearly four years: the R7 M460 launched on 2016-05-14, while the FirePro M4000 launched on 2012-06-26. Both are end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon R7 M460 as the stronger compute GPU. Its 19.4% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, a 6612 score versus 5537, is decisive and places it in a higher performance tier. The R7 M460 also sits at the 38th percentile of all GPUs, six points above the FirePro M4000's 32nd percentile.

Users who prioritize OpenCL compute performance, whether for general-purpose GPU tasks or applications that leverage the GPU for non-graphics workloads, should choose the R7 M460. Its newer GCN 3.0 architecture, higher boost clock of 1024 MHz, and greater FP32 throughput of 786.4 GFLOPS make it the better option in the recorded benchmark.

The FirePro M4000 retains advantages in memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s versus 36.00 GB/s), pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 8.192 GPixel/s), and shading unit count (512 versus 384). For workloads that are heavily memory-bound or fill-rate-bound, the FirePro M4000's wider 128-bit bus and higher ROP count could theoretically provide benefits, but no benchmark in the database confirms this. The sole recorded test favors the R7 M460.

Given the 38th percentile ranking and the narrow competitive margins among its nearest rivals, the R7 M460 is a mid-to-lower-tier mobile GPU that outperforms its direct predecessor-generation competitor by a wide margin. The FirePro M4000, at the 32nd percentile, sits in a lower performance bracket, closer to entry-level mobile parts like the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 and AMD Radeon R7 M440. The verdict is straightforward: for compute performance, the R7 M460 is the clear choice; for memory bandwidth and pixel throughput, the FirePro M4000 has specification-level advantages that the recorded data does not validate in benchmark form.