AMD FirePro M4000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows a single head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M takes the win outright. Its score of 6513 places it 17.6% ahead of the AMD FirePro M4000’s 5537. That means in compute workloads using OpenCL, the NVIDIA part is decisively faster, and there is no benchmark category in the database where the AMD FirePro M4000 emerges victorious.

Looking at the broader performance context, the GTX 670M sits at the 38th percentile among all GPUs, while the FirePro M4000 sits at the 32nd percentile. This 6-percentile gap reinforces the GTX 670M’s position as the stronger all-around performer in the database’s recorded measurements. The NVIDIA card’s nearest rivals include the GeForce GT 555M (avg score 6493, only 0.3% behind) and the Quadro M5000M (avg score 6481, 0.5% behind), which shows the GTX 670M is clustered tightly with mid-range mobile parts. The FirePro M4000, by contrast, sits near the GeForce MX130 (5508, 0.5% ahead) and the GTX 765M (5501, 0.7% ahead), placing it in a lower performance tier.

For use-case selection, the GTX 670M is the clear choice when the workload is OpenCL compute acceleration, such as general-purpose GPU tasks or applications that leverage the shading units heavily. The FirePro M4000’s advantage is not in raw performance but in its much lower power envelope, a fact that the benchmark scores do not capture but the specification differences reveal. The data suggests that for users prioritizing maximum compute throughput on a mobile MXM module, the GTX 670M is the superior option. For users prioritizing efficiency and lower thermal output, the FirePro M4000 has a structural advantage, even if it loses the compute battle.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M is built on the GF114 chip, which uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture and is fabricated on TSMC’s 40 nm process. The AMD FirePro M4000 uses the Chelsea chip, built on GCN 1.0 architecture and fabricated on a more advanced 28 nm process. This process gap is significant: the GTX 670M packs 1,950 million transistors into a 332 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 5.9 million per mm². The FirePro M4000, despite having 1,500 million transistors, fits them into a much smaller 123 mm² die, achieving a density of 12.2 million per mm². The 28 nm node clearly allows AMD to pack over twice the transistor density into a die that is less than half the size.

The shading unit counts differ substantially. The GTX 670M has 336 shading units, 56 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster operation units (ROPs). The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This is a classic architectural split: the NVIDIA Fermi design uses fewer, larger cores per SM, while the AMD GCN design uses a wider array of smaller cores. The result is that the FirePro M4000 has 52.4% more shading units, but the GTX 670M has 75% more TMUs and 50% more ROPs. In practice, the GTX 670M’s higher texture and pixel rates (33.49 GTexel/s and 8.372 GPixel/s, respectively) versus the FirePro M4000’s 21.60 GTexel/s and 10.80 GPixel/s show that the NVIDIA card excels in texture-bound work, while the AMD card has a slight edge in pixel fill rate.

Another key difference is the memory subsystem. The GTX 670M comes with 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing 64.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA card’s memory clock is listed at 750 MHz (3 Gbps effective), while the AMD card runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GTX 670M compensates for its lower memory clock with a wider bus, resulting in 12.5% more bandwidth. The GTX 670M also has 50% more memory capacity, which matters for larger datasets in compute workloads.

API support also differs. Both GPUs support DirectX 12, but the GTX 670M is capped at feature level 11_0, while the FirePro M4000 reaches 11_1. OpenGL 4.6 is supported by both. The FirePro M4000 adds Vulkan 1.2.170 support, while the GTX 670M has no Vulkan entry in the database. This makes the AMD card more future-proof for modern cross-platform compute and graphics APIs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M scores 6513 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 17.6% higher than the AMD FirePro M4000’s 5537.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of power consumption?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M has a TDP of 75 W. The AMD part consumes less than half the power of the NVIDIA part.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M provides 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which is higher than the AMD FirePro M4000’s 64.00 GB/s. This is achieved with a 192-bit bus despite a lower memory clock.

Q: What are the transistor densities of the two chips?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (GF114) has a transistor density of 5.9 million per mm², while the AMD FirePro M4000 (Chelsea) has a density of 12.2 million per mm², due to the 28 nm process node.

Q: Do both GPUs support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12, but the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M is at feature level 11_0, while the AMD FirePro M4000 is at feature level 11_1. The AMD part also supports Vulkan 1.2.170, which the NVIDIA part does not list.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, compared to 336 on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M. Despite this, the NVIDIA part scores higher in the OpenCL benchmark.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M uses the GF114 chip on a 40 nm process, while the AMD FirePro M4000 uses the Chelsea chip on a 28 nm process. Transistor counts differ at 1,950 million versus 1,500 million, and die sizes are 332 mm² versus 123 mm². The transistor density is 5.9 million per mm² for NVIDIA and 12.2 million per mm² for AMD.

Memory configurations are distinct: the GTX 670M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, while the FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB on a 128-bit bus. Memory clocks are 750 MHz (3 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA and 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for AMD. Bandwidth favors NVIDIA at 72.00 GB/s versus AMD’s 64.00 GB/s.

Shading units favor AMD at 512 versus NVIDIA’s 336. TMUs favor NVIDIA at 56 versus AMD’s 32. ROPs favor NVIDIA at 24 versus AMD’s 16. Pixel rates are 8.372 GPixel/s for NVIDIA and 10.80 GPixel/s for AMD. Texture rates are 33.49 GTexel/s for NVIDIA and 21.60 GTexel/s for AMD. FP32 compute is 803.7 GFLOPS for NVIDIA and 691.2 GFLOPS for AMD.

TDP is a major differentiator: 75 W for NVIDIA, 33 W for AMD. Both use MXM modules, but NVIDIA uses the MXM-B (3.0) interface, while AMD uses MXM-A (3.0). Display outputs are portable-device-dependent for both. API support shows NVIDIA at DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, while AMD reaches DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both are end-of-life products, with the GTX 670M released on 2012-03-21 and the FirePro M4000 on 2012-06-26. The NVIDIA part’s predecessor is GeForce 500M, successor GeForce 700M; AMD’s predecessor is FirePro Mobility, successor Radeon Pro Mobile. Neither has a launch MSRP in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head test is Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M scores 6513, while the AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537. The delta is 17.6% in favor of NVIDIA. This is a substantial margin, and it aligns with the FP32 compute figures: NVIDIA’s 803.7 GFLOPS versus AMD’s 691.2 GFLOPS represents a 16.3% raw compute advantage, close to the observed benchmark delta. The benchmark winner also has more memory bandwidth (72.00 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s) and more TMUs (56 versus 32), which likely contributes to the larger-than-expected gap.

The NVIDIA part’s nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.6% of its score: the GeForce GT 555M at 6493 (0.3% behind), the Quadro M5000M at 6481 (0.5% behind), and the Radeon Vega 10 Mobile at 6476 (0.6% behind). The Intel UHD Graphics P750 at 6554 is 0.6% ahead. This tight clustering suggests the GTX 670M is a middle-of-the-pack performer relative to its contemporaries, but it still beats the FirePro M4000 by a wide margin.

The AMD FirePro M4000’s nearest rivals are also closely packed: the GeForce MX130 at 5508 is 0.5% ahead, the GTX 765M at 5501 is 0.7% ahead, and the Radeon R7 M440 at 5483 is 1% ahead. The Quadro M500M at 5604 leads by 1.2%. This places the FirePro M4000 in a lower performance tier, roughly 15% below the GTX 670M’s cohort. The data shows no benchmark where the FirePro M4000 closes the gap; the 17.6% delta is the only recorded outcome, and it is decisive. For any application relying on OpenCL compute, the GTX 670M is the stronger choice, while the FirePro M4000’s only consolation is its efficiency profile, which the benchmarks do not reward.