AMD FirePro M4000 vs AMD Radeon R7 M465 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M465 and AMD FirePro M4000 are both end-of-life mobile GPUs from AMD, but they target different eras and priorities. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, the Radeon R7 M465 wins decisively, but the FirePro M4000 counters with a superior memory subsystem and higher raw throughput in specific areas. The data shows a clear split: the R7 M465 is the faster compute part, while the FirePro M4000 offers architectural advantages that matter for legacy professional workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole direct comparison in the Geekbench OpenCL test shows the AMD Radeon R7 M465 scoring 5841 against the AMD FirePro M4000’s 5537. This yields a 5.5% victory for the R7 M465, a meaningful margin for a single-generation comparison. While neither card is a modern powerhouse — the R7 M465 sits at the 33rd percentile of all GPUs, and the FirePro M4000 at the 32nd — the R7 M465’s lead is consistent with its newer architecture and higher clock speeds.

Breaking down the score, the R7 M465’s advantage comes primarily from its compute throughput. It delivers 786.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is 13.8% higher than the FirePro M4000’s 691.2 GFLOPS. This is a direct result of the R7 M465’s boost clock of 1024 MHz versus the FirePro M4000’s unspecified base and boost clocks — the R7 M465 simply operates at a higher frequency. The R7 M465 also leads in texture rate, posting 24.58 GTexel/s against the FirePro’s 21.60 GTexel/s, a 13.8% advantage that reflects its higher clock speed despite having fewer texture mapping units.

However, the FirePro M4000 is not without its own victories in the underlying data. Its pixel rate of 10.80 GPixel/s is 31.8% higher than the R7 M465’s 8.192 GPixel/s. This is a direct consequence of the FirePro having 16 raster operations pipelines (ROPs) versus the R7 M465’s 8. For fill-rate-bound tasks, the older card holds a clear edge. Additionally, the FirePro M4000’s memory bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s is 77.8% higher than the R7 M465’s 36.00 GB/s, thanks to a 128-bit bus versus the R7 M465’s 64-bit bus. This bandwidth advantage could offset the R7 M465’s compute lead in memory-intensive scenarios.

The R7 M465’s nearest rivals provide context for its score. It trails the AMD Radeon R5 M435 by 0.3% and the Intel UHD Graphics 730 by 1.5%, but beats the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti by 1.9% and the AMD Radeon HD 8730M by 1.9%. The FirePro M4000, meanwhile, sits just 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 and 0.7% ahead of the GeForce GTX 765M, while trailing the NVIDIA Quadro M500M by 1.2%. These figures place both cards in the same performance tier, with the R7 M465 holding a slight overall edge.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher overall benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M465 scores 5841 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 5.5% higher than the AMD FirePro M4000’s 5537.

Q: Does the FirePro M4000 have any performance advantages?

A: Yes. The FirePro M4000 has a 77.8% higher memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s vs 36.00 GB/s) and a 31.8% higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s vs 8.192 GPixel/s), due to its larger memory bus and double the ROPs.

Q: What is the transistor count difference between the two?

A: The R7 M465 has 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, while the FirePro M4000 has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The transistor density is nearly identical at 12.4M / mm² and 12.2M / mm², respectively.

Q: How do the two compare in terms of memory capacity?

A: The R7 M465 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5. Despite having less capacity, the FirePro’s memory is faster in aggregate due to its wider bus.

Q: Which GPU supports a higher DirectX version?

A: The R7 M465 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the physical form factor of each card?

A: The FirePro M4000 is an MXM Module with a MXM-A (3.0) bus interface and no power connectors. The R7 M465 uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different generations of AMD’s Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The R7 M465 is built on GCN 3.0 with the Topaz chip, while the FirePro M4000 uses the older GCN 1.0 with the Chelsea chip. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the architectural generation gap is substantial. The R7 M465 is from the Gem System (R7 M400) generation, released in 2016, while the FirePro M4000 belongs to the FirePro Mobile (Mx000) generation, released in 2012.

The core configurations differ significantly. The R7 M465 has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 ROPs. The FirePro M4000 has more of everything in terms of raw hardware: 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. However, the R7 M465 compensates with a higher boost clock of 1024 MHz, while the FirePro M4000’s clock speeds are not listed. This means the R7 M465 achieves higher FP32 throughput (786.4 GFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS) despite having fewer cores, because each core runs faster.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The R7 M465 uses a 64-bit bus with 2 GB of GDDR5 at 4.5 Gbps effective, yielding 36.00 GB/s. The FirePro M4000 uses a 128-bit bus with 1024 MB of GDDR5 at 4 Gbps effective, yielding 64.00 GB/s. The FirePro’s wider bus is a classic professional-grade design choice, prioritizing bandwidth for large data sets. The R7 M465’s smaller bus is paired with a higher memory clock, but the overall bandwidth is still far lower.

Feature support also differs. The R7 M465 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), whereas the FirePro M4000 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The FirePro M4000 is explicitly rated at 33 W TDP and uses an MXM-A (3.0) interface, while the R7 M465 has no listed TDP and uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The FirePro’s display outputs are listed as “Portable Device Dependent,” reflecting its mobile workstation heritage.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for general compute performance: the AMD Radeon R7 M465. Its 5.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is backed by a 13.8% advantage in FP32 throughput and a 13.8% lead in texture rate. For any workload that relies on raw shader compute — such as OpenCL acceleration, physics simulation, or general-purpose GPU tasks — the R7 M465 is the superior choice. Its newer GCN 3.0 architecture also brings full DirectX 12 (12_0) support, which matters for modern gaming and API compatibility.

However, the AMD FirePro M4000 is not obsolete. Its 77.8% higher memory bandwidth and 31.8% higher pixel rate make it the better option for fill-rate-bound and memory-bandwidth-sensitive tasks. If the workload involves large framebuffers, heavy texture streaming, or output to multiple high-resolution displays, the FirePro’s 128-bit bus and 16 ROPs provide a tangible advantage. The FirePro M4000 also has a listed 33 W TDP, which could make it a more predictable power draw for legacy mobile workstation designs, although the R7 M465’s TDP is not specified for comparison.

The production status for both is end-of-life, so this is a choice between legacy parts. For a user with a system that can accept either, the R7 M465 wins the benchmark battle. But for a user with a FirePro-era workstation that requires the MXM-A form factor and its specific power profile, the M4000 remains a functional option. The R7 M465 is the better all-around performer; the FirePro M4000 is the more specialized tool for bandwidth-heavy professional tasks.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

• Chip: R7 M465 uses Topaz; FirePro M4000 uses Chelsea.
• Architecture: R7 M465 is GCN 3.0; FirePro M4000 is GCN 1.0.
• Generation: R7 M465 is Gem System (R7 M400); FirePro M4000 is FirePro Mobile (Mx000).
• Release Date: R7 M465 launched in 2016-05-14; FirePro M4000 launched in 2012-06-26.
• Transistors: R7 M465 has 1,550 million; FirePro M4000 has 1,500 million.
• Die Size: R7 M465 is 125 mm²; FirePro M4000 is 123 mm².
• Transistor Density: R7 M465 is 12.4M / mm²; FirePro M4000 is 12.2M / mm².
• Base Clock: R7 M465 is 730 MHz; FirePro M4000 is not specified.
• Boost Clock: R7 M465 is 1024 MHz; FirePro M4000 is not specified.
• Memory Clock: R7 M465 is 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective); FirePro M4000 is 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).
• Memory Size: R7 M465 has 2 GB; FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB.
• Memory Bus Width: R7 M465 is 64 bit; FirePro M4000 is 128 bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: R7 M465 is 36.00 GB/s; FirePro M4000 is 64.00 GB/s.
• Shading Units: R7 M465 has 384; FirePro M4000 has 512.
• TMUs: R7 M465 has 24; FirePro M4000 has 32.
• ROPs: R7 M465 has 8; FirePro M4000 has 16.
• Pixel Rate: R7 M465 is 8.192 GPixel/s; FirePro M4000 is 10.80 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: R7 M465 is 24.58 GTexel/s; FirePro M4000 is 21.60 GTexel/s.
• FP32: R7 M465 is 786.4 GFLOPS; FirePro M4000 is 691.2 GFLOPS.
• FP16: R7 M465 is 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1); FirePro M4000 is not specified.
• TDP: R7 M465 is not specified; FirePro M4000 is 33 W.
• Slot Width: R7 M465 is not specified; FirePro M4000 is MXM Module.
• Power Connectors: R7 M465 is not specified; FirePro M4000 is None.
• Bus Interface: R7 M465 is PCIe 3.0 x8; FirePro M4000 is MXM-A (3.0).
• Display Outputs: R7 M465 is not specified; FirePro M4000 is Portable Device Dependent.
• DirectX: R7 M465 is 12 (12_0); FirePro M4000 is 12 (11_1).
• Predecessor: R7 M465 is Solar System; FirePro M4000 is FirePro Mobility.
• Successor: R7 M465 is Polaris Mobile; FirePro M4000 is Radeon Pro Mobile.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M465 is the winner for compute-heavy tasks. Its 786.4 GFLOPS FP32 performance and 24.58 GTexel/s texture rate make it better suited for OpenCL workloads, general-purpose GPU computing, and any application that leverages shader cores. Its 2 GB memory capacity is also double that of the FirePro M4000, which helps with larger datasets that fit within a single frame buffer. The R7 M465’s support for DirectX 12 (12_0) gives it modern API compatibility that the FirePro M4000 lacks.

The AMD FirePro M4000 wins in memory-bandwidth-bound and fill-rate-bound scenarios. Its 64.00 GB/s bandwidth is nearly double that of the R7 M465, which is critical for tasks like high-resolution texture mapping, anti-aliasing, and multi-display output. Its 10.80 GPixel/s pixel rate, driven by 16 ROPs, makes it more efficient at rasterizing geometry and writing to framebuffers. For legacy professional applications that were optimized for the FirePro’s 128-bit memory interface, the M4000 may perform better despite its lower compute score. Its 33 W TDP also provides a known power envelope for mobile workstation upgrades, whereas the R7 M465’s power draw is unlisted.