AMD FirePro M4000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M Comparison

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M and the AMD FirePro M4000 represent two distinctly different design philosophies from their respective manufacturers, despite both being built on the same 28 nm TSMC process node. The GTX 770M is powered by the GK106 chip, which utilizes NVIDIA's Kepler architecture, while the FirePro M4000 uses the Chelsea chip based on AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture. This architectural split has profound implications for how each GPU handles workloads.

The GTX 770M's GK106 die is substantially larger, measuring 221 mm² with 2,540 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 11.5M per mm². In contrast, the FirePro M4000's Chelsea die is 123 mm² with 1,500 million transistors, achieving a slightly higher density of 12.2M per mm². The larger die allows NVIDIA to pack significantly more compute resources: the GTX 770M features 960 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs, while the FirePro M4000 scales down to 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs.

Clock behavior also differs markedly. The GTX 770M has explicit base and boost clocks of 706 MHz and 797 MHz respectively, allowing dynamic frequency scaling under load. The FirePro M4000 lists no base or boost clock in the database, suggesting a fixed or differently managed clock strategy. Memory clocks are nearly identical, with the GTX 770M at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) and the FirePro M4000 at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystem is another key differentiator. The GTX 770M ships with 3 GB of GDDR5 across a 192-bit bus, delivering 96.19 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a narrower 128-bit bus, capping bandwidth at 64.00 GB/s. That is a 50% raw bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA, which becomes critical in texture-heavy and high-resolution workloads.

Feature support shows a generation gap in API readiness. The GTX 770M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. While both reach DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, the Vulkan versions differ slightly, with NVIDIA's implementation being more recent.

Both GPUs are MXM modules, but they use different bus interfaces: the GTX 770M uses MXM-B (3.0) while the FirePro M4000 uses MXM-A (3.0). This means they are not physically interchangeable in the same laptop chassis, as the MXM form factor variants have different dimensions and connector layouts. Both are classified as end-of-life products, with the GTX 770M released on May 29, 2013 and the FirePro M4000 released on June 26, 2012.

Power consumption reveals another strategic divergence. The GTX 770M has a TDP of 75 W, while the FirePro M4000 draws only 33 W. That is a 42 W gap, which translates to substantially lower heat output and potentially longer battery life for AMD's offering. Neither GPU requires external power connectors, relying entirely on the MXM slot for power delivery.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous about raw performance: the GTX 770M wins the single head-to-head test, the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, with a score of 8552 against the FirePro M4000's 5537. That represents a 54.5% advantage for NVIDIA. The database records one win for the GTX 770M and zero for the FirePro M4000.

However, the choice between these two GPUs depends heavily on the intended use case, and the data supports different conclusions for different scenarios.

For users seeking maximum compute throughput, the GTX 770M is the clear choice. Its average benchmark score of 6000 places it at the 35th percentile among all GPUs, while the FirePro M4000's average of 5537 sits at the 32nd percentile. The GTX 770M also has triple the memory capacity (3 GB versus 1024 MB) and nearly 50% more memory bandwidth, which matters for larger datasets and higher resolution textures.

For users prioritizing power efficiency and battery life in a mobile workstation, the FirePro M4000's 33 W TDP versus the GTX 770M's 75 W TDP makes it the more thermally restrained option. The FirePro M4000 also supports DirectX 12 (11_1) compared to the GTX 770M's DirectX 12 (11_0), which may matter for specific compatibility requirements.

The data suggests that the GTX 770M is the stronger performer in absolute terms, but the FirePro M4000 is not without merit for constrained power envelopes. The rival comparisons reinforce this: the GTX 770M sits within 0.2% of the AMD FirePro W4100 and NVIDIA Quadro K4000M, while the FirePro M4000 is just 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 and 0.7% ahead of the GTX 765M. Neither GPU is a league leader, but the GTX 770M consistently lands in a higher performance tier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is decisively one-sided. The GTX 770M scores 8552, while the FirePro M4000 scores 5537. The delta is 54.5%, meaning NVIDIA's GPU delivers over half again as much OpenCL compute performance. This is a substantial margin that reflects the underlying hardware disparity: the GTX 770M has nearly double the shading units (960 versus 512), more than double the texture units (80 versus 32), and 50% more ROPs (24 versus 16).

The nearest rivals for each GPU provide additional context. The GTX 770M's average score of 6000 is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6400 (6001, 0% delta), marginally ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (5996, 0.1% delta), and slightly ahead of both the AMD FirePro W4100 (5987, 0.2% delta) and NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (5986, 0.2% delta). This clustering suggests the GTX 770M's average performance is very consistent with a well-established midrange tier.

The FirePro M4000's average score of 5537 places it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508, 0.5% delta) and GTX 765M (5501, 0.7% delta), while trailing the NVIDIA Quadro M500M (5604, -1.2% delta). The negative delta against the Quadro M500M indicates the FirePro M4000 is actually 1.2% slower than that rival, which underscores its position at the lower end of the performance spectrum.

Pixel and texture throughput numbers further illustrate the gap. The GTX 770M achieves 15.94 GPixel/s pixel rate and 63.76 GTexel/s texture rate, while the FirePro M4000 manages 10.80 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s respectively. The texture rate difference is particularly stark, with NVIDIA delivering nearly three times the texel throughput. Floating-point performance follows the same pattern: 1.530 TFLOPS for the GTX 770M versus 691.2 GFLOPS for the FirePro M4000.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs, based solely on the database records:

• Chip: GK106 (NVIDIA) versus Chelsea (AMD)
• Architecture: Kepler versus GCN 1.0
• Generation: GeForce 700M versus FirePro Mobile (Mx000)
• Transistors: 2,540 million versus 1,500 million
• Die Size: 221 mm² versus 123 mm²
• Transistor Density: 11.5M / mm² versus 12.2M / mm²
• Base Clock: 706 MHz versus not listed
• Boost Clock: 797 MHz versus not listed
• Memory Clock: 1002 MHz versus 1000 MHz
• Memory Size: 3 GB versus 1024 MB
• Memory Bus Width: 192 bit versus 128 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 96.19 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s
• Shading Units: 960 versus 512
• TMUs: 80 versus 32
• ROPs: 24 versus 16
• Pixel Rate: 15.94 GPixel/s versus 10.80 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 63.76 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s
• FP32: 1.530 TFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS
• TDP: 75 W versus 33 W
• Bus Interface: MXM-B (3.0) versus MXM-A (3.0)
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_0) versus 12 (11_1)
• Vulkan Support: 1.2.175 versus 1.2.170
• Release Date: May 29, 2013 versus June 26, 2012
• Predecessor: GeForce 600M versus FirePro Mobility
• Successor: GeForce 800M versus Radeon Pro Mobile

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M is significantly faster, scoring 8552 in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark compared to the AMD FirePro M4000's 5537. That is a 54.5% advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The GTX 770M has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5. The GTX 770M also has a wider 192-bit bus and higher bandwidth at 96.19 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The GTX 770M has a TDP of 75 W, while the FirePro M4000 draws only 33 W. This makes the AMD GPU considerably more power-efficient, which could translate to longer battery life in mobile systems.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX and Vulkan versions?

A: Both support DirectX 12, but the FirePro M4000 supports version 12 (11_1) while the GTX 770M supports 12 (11_0). For Vulkan, the GTX 770M supports version 1.2.175 and the FirePro M4000 supports 1.2.170, so NVIDIA's implementation is slightly more recent.

Q: Are these GPUs interchangeable in laptops?

A: No. The GTX 770M uses the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface, while the FirePro M4000 uses MXM-A (3.0). These are different MXM form factors and are not physically compatible with the same chassis.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare to nearby rivals?

A: The GTX 770M's average score of 6000 is statistically tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6400 (6001) and slightly ahead of the AMD FirePro W4100 (5987). The FirePro M4000's average of 5537 is 0.5% ahead of the GeForce MX130 (5508) but 1.2% behind the Quadro M500M (5604).