AMD FirePro M4150 vs AMD Radeon R5 M420 Comparison

The AMD FirePro M4150 and AMD Radeon R5 M420 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions built on the same GCN 1.0 architecture, but they represent different design philosophies: the FirePro targets workstation mobility via an MXM module, while the Radeon is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) for mainstream laptops. Benchmark data shows a narrow but consistent edge for the FirePro, though the specifications reveal significant trade-offs in memory configuration and compute resources.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it shows the AMD FirePro M4150 edging out the AMD Radeon R5 M420 by a margin of 1.4%. The FirePro scores 4013 points against the Radeon's 3956 points. This is a slim victory, but it positions the FirePro in a slightly higher performance tier. Notably, the Radeon R5 M420’s score of 3956 places it exactly on par with the NVIDIA GeForce 830M, which scores 3957 with a deltaPct of 0%. The FirePro M4150, by contrast, is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M (which scores 4033) and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2.

The larger context comes from the nearest rivals. The FirePro M4150 sits at the 24th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon R5 M420 sits at the 23rd percentile. This one-percentile gap translates into a 1.4% delta in the direct comparison, which is within the margin of noise for many workloads but still a consistent win in the data. The FirePro also shows a 1.2% advantage over the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 (which scores 3964), while the Radeon R5 M420 is 0.2% behind that same Quadro. In practical terms, the FirePro M4150 is the faster card in this pairing, but the difference is too small to change the class of workloads either part can handle.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD FirePro M4150 wins with a score of 4013, which is 1.4% higher than the AMD Radeon R5 M420’s score of 3956.

Q: How does each GPU compare to the NVIDIA GeForce 830M?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 M420 is effectively tied with the GeForce 830M, showing a deltaPct of 0%. The AMD FirePro M4150 is 1.4% ahead of the GeForce 830M.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The FirePro M4150 uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon R5 M420 uses 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, delivering only 16.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and texture units?

A: The FirePro M4150 has 384 shading units and 24 texture mapping units (TMUs). The Radeon R5 M420 has fewer, with 320 shading units and 20 TMUs.

Q: Are both GPUs based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both are built on GCN 1.0 architecture and use a 28 nm process node from TSMC. However, they use different chips: the FirePro uses "Opal" while the Radeon uses "Jet".

Q: Do they support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Architecture Differences

Despite sharing the GCN 1.0 architecture and the 28 nm TSMC process node, the two GPUs diverge sharply in their physical implementation. The AMD FirePro M4150 uses the "Opal" chip, which contains 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die. The AMD Radeon R5 M420 uses the smaller "Jet" chip, with 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die. Interestingly, both achieve the same transistor density of 12.3M per mm², indicating a similar design efficiency despite the size difference.

The compute resources differ correspondingly. The FirePro M4150 packs 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The Radeon R5 M420 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and the same 8 ROPs. This gives the FirePro a 20% advantage in shading units and TMUs, which is reflected in its texture rate of 17.16 GTexel/s versus the Radeon’s 17.00 GTexel/s. However, the Radeon R5 M420 has a higher pixel rate at 6.800 GPixel/s, compared to the FirePro’s 5.720 GPixel/s, likely due to its higher clock speeds.

Clock speeds are a key differentiator. The Radeon R5 M420 has a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 850 MHz. The FirePro M4150 has no listed base or boost clock, only a memory clock of 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The Radeon’s memory clock is also 1000 MHz, but at 2 Gbps effective, reflecting its slower DDR3 memory. In terms of raw FP32 compute, the two are nearly identical: the FirePro delivers 549.1 GFLOPS, while the Radeon delivers 544.0 GFLOPS. The FirePro’s higher shader count is almost exactly offset by the Radeon’s higher clock speed.

The memory subsystems could not be more different. The FirePro M4150 uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon R5 M420 uses 4 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding only 16.00 GB/s. This is a 4x difference in bandwidth, which is the most significant architectural gap between the two. The Radeon’s larger frame buffer (4 GB vs 1 GB) is its only memory advantage, but the DDR3 interface severely limits its ability to feed the GPU cores.

Form factor also distinguishes them. The FirePro M4150 is an MXM Module, a removable graphics card standard for laptops. The Radeon R5 M420 is an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor), meaning it is part of the system chipset and shares system-level resources. Both use a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface, and both have display outputs that are "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they rely on the laptop’s integrated panel and ports.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear, if narrow, verdict in favor of the AMD FirePro M4150. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 1.4%, and it holds a higher percentile ranking (24th vs 23rd). Its nearest rivals are slightly stronger: it is only 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M, whereas the Radeon R5 M420’s best comparison is a tie with the GeForce 830M. For users seeking maximum compute performance in a mobile workstation context, the FirePro M4150 is the better choice.

However, the Radeon R5 M420 is not without its own merits, particularly for different use cases. Its 4 GB of DDR3 memory, while slow, offers four times the capacity of the FirePro’s 1 GB GDDR5. For workloads that are capacity-bound rather than bandwidth-bound—such as holding larger textures or datasets in video memory—the Radeon could be the more practical option. Its higher pixel rate (6.800 GPixel/s vs 5.720 GPixel/s) also suggests it may handle certain rasterization tasks more efficiently.

The choice ultimately depends on the priority. For raw OpenCL compute and memory bandwidth, the FirePro M4150 is the winner, with a 4x bandwidth advantage and a 1.4% benchmark lead. For larger memory capacity and a more integrated, power-efficient form factor (IGP vs MXM), the Radeon R5 M420 has its place. But in a straight performance comparison, the FirePro M4150 is the faster part.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro M4150 | AMD Radeon R5 M420 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Opal | Jet |

| Generation | FirePro Mobile (Mx100) | Gem System (R5 M400) |

| Transistors | 950 million | 690 million |

| Die Size | 77 mm² | 56 mm² |

| Base Clock | — | 780 MHz |

| Boost Clock | — | 850 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 16.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 320 |

| TMUs | 24 | 20 |

| Pixel Rate | 5.720 GPixel/s | 6.800 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 17.16 GTexel/s | 17.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 549.1 GFLOPS | 544.0 GFLOPS |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | IGP |

| Release Date | 2013-10-15 | 2016-05-14 |

| Predecessor | FirePro Mobility | Solar System |

| Successor | Radeon Pro Mobile | Polaris Mobile |