AMD FirePro M4000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the AMD FirePro M4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 compare in raw benchmark performance?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 scores 4893. The FirePro M4000 wins this head-to-head comparison by a delta of 13.2%.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each GPU relative to all GPUs in the database?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 sits at the 32nd percentile, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 is at the 28th percentile. This indicates the FirePro M4000 outperforms a slightly larger share of the overall GPU population.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density, and what does that imply?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000, built on a 28 nm process, packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450, on a 40 nm process, has 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, resulting in only 4.9 million per square millimeter. The FirePro M4000 is far more densely packed.

Q: What are the memory specifications for both cards?

A: Both GPUs feature 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus. The AMD FirePro M4000 operates at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 runs at 902 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective) for a bandwidth of 57.73 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has higher power consumption and what form factor does each use?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 has a TDP of 106 W and uses a dual-slot form factor with a 6-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The AMD FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W, uses an MXM module slot, and requires no power connectors.

Q: How do the nearest rivals compare for each GPU in terms of average scores?

A: For the AMD FirePro M4000, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 at 5508 (0.5% lower), followed by the GTX 765M at 5501 (0.7% lower). For the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450, the closest rival is the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX at 4867 (0.5% higher), with the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB at 4901 (0.2% lower).

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but narrow choice depending on the use case. The AMD FirePro M4000 wins the only recorded benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 5537 against 4893, a 13.2% advantage. It also holds a higher percentile ranking (32nd versus 28th) and offers substantially better memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s versus 57.73 GB/s). For any workload that leans on OpenCL compute, the FirePro M4000 is the stronger pick.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450, however, is not without merit. Its nearest rival scores are tightly clustered, with the AMD FirePro W5130M at 4904 and the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB at 4901, both within 0.2% of the GTS 450's score. This suggests the GTS 450 is competitively positioned within its own performance tier, even if it trails the FirePro M4000. The GTS 450 also has a higher texture rate (25.06 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s), which could matter in texture-bound scenarios.

For a mobile workstation or compact system where power draw is a concern, the FirePro M4000 is the obvious choice: 33 W versus 106 W TDP, no power connectors, and an MXM module form factor. For a desktop build with a 300 W PSU and a dual-slot slot available, the GTS 450 offers a slightly higher texture throughput and a launch MSRP of 129 USD, but the benchmark data shows it is slower in overall compute. The verdict is straightforward: the AMD FirePro M4000 wins on measured performance and efficiency, while the GTS 450 is a legacy desktop option with a narrower compute advantage in texture rate alone.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole recorded head-to-head benchmark is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The AMD FirePro M4000 delivers 5537 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 delivers 4893 points. This translates to a delta of 13.2% in favor of the FirePro M4000. In practical terms, this means the FirePro M4000 completes OpenCL workloads roughly 13% faster than the GTS 450, a meaningful gap for compute-heavy tasks like rendering or simulation.

The FirePro M4000 also posts a higher average benchmark score (5537) compared to the GTS 450 (4893), reinforcing the head-to-head result. The percentile data aligns: the FirePro M4000 ranks at the 32nd percentile, while the GTS 450 ranks at the 28th. While neither card is near the top of the database, the FirePro M4000 occupies a slightly higher tier.

When examining the nearest rivals, the FirePro M4000's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 at 5508 (0.5% lower), meaning the FirePro M4000 edges out a modern entry-level laptop GPU. The GTS 450's closest rival is the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX at 4867 (0.5% higher), indicating the GTS 450 is competitive with a mobile integrated-class part. The GTS 450 also sits within 0.2% of the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB at 4901, though that comparison is purely on OpenCL score and not representative of overall GPU capability.

The texture rate is the one metric where the GTS 450 leads: 25.06 GTexel/s versus the FirePro M4000's 21.60 GTexel/s. This is a 16% advantage for the GTS 450 in texture fill, which could benefit certain graphics workloads. However, the FirePro M4000 counters with a higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 6.264 GPixel/s) and higher FP32 compute (691.2 GFLOPS versus 601.3 GFLOPS). The FirePro M4000 leads in most raw compute metrics, while the GTS 450 holds a single fill-rate niche.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The AMD FirePro M4000 packs 512 shading units, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 has 192, a 2.67x difference in favor of the FirePro M4000. Both cards have 32 texture mapping units and 16 raster operation units, so those are identical. The FirePro M4000's FP32 output is 691.2 GFLOPS versus 601.3 GFLOPS for the GTS 450, a 15% advantage.

Memory clocks differ: the FirePro M4000 runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the GTS 450 runs at 902 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective). This yields a bandwidth advantage for the FirePro M4000 at 64.00 GB/s versus 57.73 GB/s, an 11% difference. Both use 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, so capacity and bus width are the same.

Power and physical specifications diverge sharply. The FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W and uses an MXM Module slot with no power connectors, while the GTS 450 has a TDP of 106 W, uses a dual-slot design, requires one 6-pin power connector, and suggests a 300 W PSU. The GTS 450 has defined dimensions of 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height; the FirePro M4000 has no listed dimensions. The GTS 450 uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface, while the FirePro M4000 uses MXM-A (3.0). Display outputs also differ: the GTS 450 offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, whereas the FirePro M4000's outputs are listed as portable device dependent.

Architecture Differences

The AMD FirePro M4000 is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture using the Chelsea chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 uses the Fermi architecture with the GF106 chip, also fabricated at TSMC but on a 40 nm process. This process difference is significant: the FirePro M4000 fits 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, while the GTS 450 fits 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die. The resulting transistor density is 12.2 million per square millimeter for the FirePro M4000 versus 4.9 million for the GTS 450, a 2.5x density advantage.

The FirePro M4000 belongs to the FirePro Mobile (Mx000) generation with a release date of June 2012, while the GTS 450 belongs to the GeForce 400 generation with a release date of September 2010. The FirePro M4000's predecessor is FirePro Mobility and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile; the GTS 450's predecessor is GeForce 200 and its successor is GeForce 500. Both are end-of-life products.

API support differs in two key areas. The FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTS 450 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. The shading unit count difference (512 versus 192) reflects the architectural gap between GCN 1.0 and Fermi, with the FirePro M4000 designed for higher parallel throughput.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro M4000 wins in compute-oriented scenarios. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 5537 is 13.2% higher than the GTS 450's 4893, and its FP32 output of 691.2 GFLOPS exceeds the GTS 450's 601.3 GFLOPS. The pixel rate also favors the FirePro M4000 at 10.80 GPixel/s versus 6.264 GPixel/s, a 72% advantage. Memory bandwidth is another win: 64.00 GB/s versus 57.73 GB/s. For mobile or compact systems, the FirePro M4000's 33 W TDP and lack of power connectors make it the only viable choice, especially in MXM module form factors. The Vulkan 1.2.170 support is a unique feature that the GTS 450 lacks entirely.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 wins in one recorded metric: texture rate. It delivers 25.06 GTexel/s versus the FirePro M4000's 21.60 GTexel/s, a 16% advantage. This could benefit texture-heavy workloads, though the FirePro M4000's higher pixel rate partially offsets this. The GTS 450 also has a defined desktop form factor with a dual-slot design, a 6-pin connector, and a 300 W PSU suggestion, making it a straightforward drop-in for legacy desktop builds. Its display outputs (2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a) are explicit, whereas the FirePro M4000's outputs are dependent on the host device. The GTS 450's launch MSRP of 129 USD is a historical data point, though no comparison to the FirePro M4000's price is possible since that field is null.

In summary, the FirePro M4000 is the winner for compute, efficiency, and memory-bound tasks, while the GTS 450 holds a narrow edge in texture fill rate and offers a conventional desktop package. For any user prioritizing OpenCL performance or low power draw, the FirePro M4000 is the data-backed choice.