AMD FirePro M4000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data presents a clear, single-test comparison: the GeForce GTX 580M and the FirePro M4000 are both measured using the Geekbench OpenCL workload, and the NVIDIA part wins the only recorded head-to-head test. That gives the GTX 580M one win and the FirePro M4000 zero wins in the database's direct comparison.

The GeForce GTX 580M posts a Geekbench OpenCL score of 6389, which places it in the 37th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The FirePro M4000, by contrast, scores 5537 and sits in the 32nd percentile. This 15.4% delta in the head-to-head test is the entire basis for the use-case split: if the workload is OpenCL compute, the GTX 580M is the stronger part. The FirePro M4000 does not win any recorded benchmark, so there is no measured scenario in the database where it takes the lead.

That said, the two cards occupy different design philosophies that matter beyond the raw score. The GTX 580M is built on NVIDIA's Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF114 chip, while the FirePro M4000 uses AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture with the Chelsea chip. The FirePro M4000 has more shading units (512 versus 384) and a smaller process node (28 nm versus 40 nm), but the GTX 580M compensates with a much wider memory bus (256 bit versus 128 bit) and nearly double the memory bandwidth (96.00 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s). These architectural differences do not translate into a win for the AMD card in the recorded data, but they do shape what each GPU is suited for in a qualitative sense.

The GTX 580M also has a higher texture rate (39.68 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s) and higher FP32 throughput (952.3 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS). The FirePro M4000 counters with a slightly higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 9.920 GPixel/s) and a lower thermal envelope (33 W versus 100 W). For workloads that are bandwidth-bound or shader-heavy, the GTX 580M's specifications align with its benchmark win. For thermally constrained mobile chassis, the FirePro M4000's lower power draw is a clear qualitative advantage, though it does not show up as a score advantage in the database.

The nearest rivals in the database reinforce this picture. The GTX 580M's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE, which matches its average score of 6389 with a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 trails by 0.9%, and the AMD Radeon R7 M350 trails by 1%. The FirePro M4000's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M500M, which actually leads it by 1.2%, along with the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (0.5% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (0.7% ahead). This means the FirePro M4000 is not only behind the GTX 580M in the head-to-head, it is also slightly behind several comparable mobile GPUs in its own percentile neighborhood.

The Verdict

The database's measurements point to one straightforward conclusion: for OpenCL compute performance, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M is the superior part, with a 15.4% advantage over the AMD FirePro M4000 in the sole head-to-head benchmark. The GTX 580M also holds higher percentile placement (37th versus 32nd), higher FP32 compute, higher texture rate, and double the memory bandwidth. Anyone choosing between these two strictly on the basis of measured performance should pick the GTX 580M.

However, the verdict is not purely about scores. The FirePro M4000 draws only 33 W compared to the GTX 580M's 100 W, a substantial difference for mobile workstations where thermal headroom and battery life are primary constraints. The FirePro M4000 also supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 580M has no Vulkan support recorded in the database. The GTX 580M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) while the FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), a minor API version advantage for the AMD part. If the workload is OpenCL compute and power draw is not a limiting factor, the GTX 580M is the clear choice. If the system must operate within a very tight power budget or requires Vulkan, the FirePro M4000 becomes the more sensible option despite its lower score.

The data does not support any scenario where the FirePro M4000 wins on raw performance. Its zero wins in the head-to-head, its lower percentile, and its lower average score all point the same direction. The GTX 580M wins the benchmark comparison, but the FirePro M4000 wins on efficiency and API support. The verdict depends on which of those factors matters more to the user.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains exactly one head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M scores 6389 while the AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537. The delta is 15.4%, with the GTX 580M as the winner.

Contextualizing this score against each card's nearest rivals makes the result more meaningful. The GTX 580M's average score of 6389 ties the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE exactly (0% delta), runs 0.3% behind the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell (which scores 6407), and sits 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 (6330) and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M350 (6327). The FirePro M4000's score of 5537 places it 1.2% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M500M (5604), 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508), 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501), and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483).

The 15.4% gap between the two cards is larger than any of the differences among their nearest rivals, which are all within roughly 1% of each other. This indicates that the GTX 580M and FirePro M4000 are not closely matched in this workload; the NVIDIA part sits in a distinctly higher performance tier. The GTX 580M's advantage in FP32 compute (952.3 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS) and texture rate (39.68 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s) are the architectural factors most consistent with its OpenCL win. The FirePro M4000's higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s versus 9.920 GPixel/s) does not translate into a benchmark victory in the recorded data.

The GTX 580M also has a memory bandwidth advantage of 96.00 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s, driven by its 256-bit bus versus the FirePro M4000's 128-bit bus. Memory bandwidth is often a critical factor in OpenCL workloads, which may help explain the magnitude of the score difference. The FirePro M4000 does have more shading units (512 versus 384) and a smaller die (123 mm² versus 332 mm²), but those advantages are not sufficient to overcome the NVIDIA card's compute and bandwidth leads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M scores 6389, while the AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537. The GTX 580M wins by 15.4%.

Q: How does the FirePro M4000 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro M4000's score of 5537 is 1.2% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M500M (5604), 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508), and 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501). It is 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483).

Q: What is the power draw difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 580M has a TDP of 100 W, while the FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W. The FirePro M4000 draws significantly less power.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 580M has a bandwidth of 96.00 GB/s with a 256-bit bus and 2 GB of GDDR5 memory. The FirePro M4000 has 64.00 GB/s with a 128-bit bus and 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: Does the FirePro M4000 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the FirePro M4000 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 580M has no Vulkan support listed in the database.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: The GTX 580M is built on a 40 nm process at TSMC, while the FirePro M4000 uses a 28 nm process at TSMC. The FirePro M4000 also has a higher transistor density at 12.2M per mm² versus 5.9M per mm² for the GTX 580M.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different architectural generations. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF114 chip, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The AMD FirePro M4000 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture with the Chelsea chip, also produced by TSMC but on a smaller 28 nm process. The process node difference is substantial: the GTX 580M has a die size of 332 mm² with 1,950 million transistors, while the FirePro M4000 packs 1,500 million transistors into just 123 mm². This yields transistor densities of 5.9M per mm² for the NVIDIA part and 12.2M per mm² for the AMD part.

The compute resources are organized differently. The GTX 580M has 384 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The AMD card has more shading units but fewer TMUs and ROPs. The resulting fill rates reflect this: the GTX 580M achieves a texture rate of 39.68 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 9.920 GPixel/s, while the FirePro M4000 achieves 21.60 GTexel/s and 10.80 GPixel/s. The FP32 compute figures also favor the NVIDIA card: 952.3 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The GTX 580M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth with memory clocked at 750 MHz (3 Gbps effective). The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s with memory clocked at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The NVIDIA card has double the bus width and 50% more bandwidth, while the AMD card runs its memory at a higher effective speed.

API support differs as well. The GTX 580M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support recorded. The FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD card has a slightly higher DirectX feature level and adds Vulkan support entirely.

Power and packaging also separate the two. The GTX 580M has a TDP of 100 W, while the FirePro M4000 is rated at just 33 W. Both use MXM modules, but the GTX 580M uses the MXM-B (3.0) interface while the FirePro M4000 uses the MXM-A (3.0) interface. Neither card requires external power connectors, and both have display outputs that are dependent on the portable device they are installed in. The GTX 580M belongs to the GeForce 500M generation with a release date of June 2011, while the FirePro M4000 belongs to the FirePro Mobile (Mx000) generation with a release date of June 2012. The GTX 580M's predecessor is the GeForce 400M and its successor is the GeForce 600M; the FirePro M4000's predecessor is FirePro Mobility and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile. Both parts are end-of-life.