AMD FirePro M4150 vs AMD Radeon R8 M445DX Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single OpenCL benchmark for both parts, and the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX holds a decisive edge. In Geekbench OpenCL, the R8 M445DX scores 4727 points, while the AMD FirePro M4150 scores 4013 points. That is a 17.8% advantage for the newer part, a substantial gap in raw compute throughput. To put that in context, the R8 M445DX sits at the 27th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the FirePro M4150 lands at the 24th percentile. A three-percentile difference may sound modest, but the actual score delta shows the R8 M445DX is clearly the faster chip in this workload.

The nearest rivals for each card help frame the results. The R8 M445DX is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon R5 M335, which scores 4752, a difference of only -0.5%. It also trades blows with the NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4684, +0.9%) and the AMD Radeon R5 M255 (4788, -1.3%). Interestingly, the R8 M445DX is only 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB in this particular OpenCL test, which shows how workload-specific these scores can be. The FirePro M4150, meanwhile, sits within a tight cluster around its own score: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M is 0.5% behind, the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is 0.9% ahead, the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 is 1.2% ahead, and the NVIDIA GeForce 830M is 1.4% ahead. Both cards occupy crowded neighborhoods in the lower-mid range of the database, but the R8 M445DX sits on the higher end of that neighborhood.

When the two are compared directly, the head-to-head table shows the R8 M445DX winning the only recorded benchmark. There are no tests in the database where the FirePro M4150 comes out ahead. The 17.8% margin is not a narrow one; it is a consistent, meaningful lead in the compute workload measured. The R8 M445DX also posts a higher pixel rate (8.168 GPixel/s versus 5.720 GPixel/s) and a higher texture rate (20.42 GTexel/s versus 17.16 GTexel/s), reinforcing the idea that the score gap reflects real architectural throughput differences rather than a single test quirk.

Where Each One Wins

The R8 M445DX wins the only benchmark in the database, so the use-case split is one-sided in the recorded data. Its OpenCL score of 4727 versus 4013 suggests it is the better choice for general compute tasks that rely on OpenCL, such as image processing, physics simulation, or any workload that can offload parallel math to the GPU. The higher pixel rate and texture rate also point toward better performance in fill-rate-limited scenarios, which typically appear in older games or in applications that draw many simple textures at high resolution. The R8 M445DX also has a newer architecture, GCN 3.0, compared to the FirePro M4150's GCN 1.0, and newer architectures often handle modern instruction sets more efficiently, even when raw shader counts are similar.

The FirePro M4150, however, is not without its own advantages. It has a dedicated 1024 MB GDDR5 memory pool with a 128-bit bus and 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The R8 M445DX, by contrast, uses system-shared memory, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." For workloads that are sensitive to memory latency or that need predictable, dedicated VRAM allocation, the FirePro M4150's fixed memory setup could be the more stable option. Its MXM Module form factor also means it is a replaceable, serviceable unit, whereas the R8 M445DX is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) soldered into the platform. The FirePro M4150 also supports PCIe 3.0 x8 as its bus interface, while the R8 M445DX uses the IGP bus, which ties its performance to the host CPU and system memory architecture. In short, the R8 M445DX wins on raw compute and fill rates, while the FirePro M4150 wins on having its own dedicated memory and a modular, replaceable design.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for compute performance: the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX. Its 17.8% OpenCL advantage over the FirePro M4150 is the only head-to-head result in the database, and it also wins on pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput (653.4 GFLOPS versus 549.1 GFLOPS). Anyone choosing between these two strictly for OpenCL compute or for fill-rate-bound graphics work should select the R8 M445DX based on the recorded measurements. The R8 M445DX also supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro M4150 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1), which matters for modern game titles and DX12-based applications.

The FirePro M4150 is the better choice only in specific, non-performance contexts. If the system requires dedicated GDDR5 memory with a fixed 64.00 GB/s bandwidth and a 128-bit bus, the FirePro M4150 offers that in a way the shared-memory R8 M445DX cannot. If the laptop or workstation needs a replaceable MXM Module rather than an integrated part, the FirePro M4150 is the only one of the two that qualifies. But for raw speed, the verdict is unambiguous: the R8 M445DX is ahead in every measured metric that reflects computational throughput.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX than the AMD FirePro M4150 in OpenCL?

A: The R8 M445DX scores 4727 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the FirePro M4150 scores 4013, a 17.8% advantage for the R8 M445DX.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD FirePro M4150 has 384 shading units, while the AMD Radeon R8 M445DX has 320. Despite fewer shading units, the R8 M445DX still delivers higher FP32 performance (653.4 GFLOPS versus 549.1 GFLOPS).

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The R8 M445DX supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro M4150 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The R8 M445DX uses system-shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The FirePro M4150 has 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The R8 M445DX is within 1.3% of the AMD Radeon R5 M255 (4788), within 0.9% of the NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4684), and 0.5% below the AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4752). The FirePro M4150 is 0.5% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M (4033) and 1.4% above the NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3957).

Q: Which GPU is newer?

A: The R8 M445DX was released on 2016-05-14, while the FirePro M4150 was released on 2013-10-15. Both are now end-of-life products.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The AMD Radeon R8 M445DX is built on GCN 3.0, using the Meso chip, while the AMD FirePro M4150 uses GCN 1.0, built on the Opal chip. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor counts differ substantially. The Meso chip packs 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.4M per mm². The Opal chip is smaller, with 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, for a density of 12.3M per mm². The density is nearly identical, but the R8 M445DX has roughly 63% more transistors to work with.

The shader architectures also differ. The FirePro M4150 has 384 shading units and 24 texture mapping units, while the R8 M445DX has 320 shading units and 20 TMUs. Both have 8 ROPs. Despite having fewer shaders, the R8 M445DX reaches a higher FP32 output (653.4 GFLOPS versus 549.1 GFLOPS) because its clocks run much higher: 780 MHz base and 1021 MHz boost, compared to the FirePro M4150, which has no base or boost clock listed in the database and instead lists only a memory clock of 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The R8 M445DX also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32 (653.4 GFLOPS), while the FirePro M4150 has no FP16 figure recorded.

The R8 M445DX belongs to the "Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400)" generation, which explains its IGP form factor and shared-memory design. The FirePro M4150 belongs to the "FirePro Mobile (Mx100)" generation and uses an MXM Module slot with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The R8 M445DX's predecessor is not listed, but the FirePro M4150's predecessor is FirePro Mobility, and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile. The FirePro M4150 also has a defined memory clock of 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective data rate, while the R8 M445DX's memory clock is listed as "System Shared," meaning it depends entirely on the host platform.

Specification Differences

The specification tables for the two parts diverge in almost every measurable field. Starting with the chip, the R8 M445DX uses the Meso chip on GCN 3.0, while the FirePro M4150 uses the Opal chip on GCN 1.0. The transistor counts are 1,550 million versus 950 million, and die sizes are 125 mm² versus 77 mm². Clock speeds differ sharply: the R8 M445DX has a base clock of 780 MHz and a boost clock of 1021 MHz, while the FirePro M4150 lists no base or boost clocks at all. Memory configurations are fundamentally different: the R8 M445DX uses system-shared memory of no fixed size, type, or bus width, with bandwidth dependent on the system, while the FirePro M4150 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth.

The compute units differ as well. The R8 M445DX has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, while the FirePro M4150 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The R8 M445DX's pixel rate is 8.168 GPixel/s versus 5.720 GPixel/s for the FirePro M4150. Texture rates are 20.42 GTexel/s versus 17.16 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 653.4 GFLOPS for the R8 M445DX and 549.1 GFLOPS for the FirePro M4150. The R8 M445DX also records FP16 at 653.4 GFLOPS (1:1), while the FirePro M4150 has no FP16 entry. Slot width differs: IGP for the R8 M445DX, MXM Module for the FirePro M4150. Bus interfaces are IGP versus PCIe 3.0 x8. DirectX support is 12 (12_0) for the R8 M445DX and 12 (11_1) for the FirePro M4150.

Release dates separate the two by roughly two and a half years: the R8 M445DX launched on 2016-05-14, while the FirePro M4150 launched on 2013-10-15. Both are end-of-life. The FirePro M4150 has a documented predecessor (FirePro Mobility) and successor (Radeon Pro Mobile), while the R8 M445DX has neither listed. The R8 M445DX's generation is "Gem System Hybrid (Rx M400)," and the FirePro M4150's is "FirePro Mobile (Mx100)." No launch MSRP is listed for either part, and neither has a TDP, power connector, suggested PSU, or physical dimensions recorded in the database. Display outputs for both are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting their mobile origins. The only benchmark recorded for both is Geekbench OpenCL, which the R8 M445DX wins by 17.8%.