AMD FirePro M5100 vs AMD Radeon HD 8790M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data includes one direct comparison between these two AMD mobile graphics solutions. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD FirePro M5100 scores 6830, while the AMD Radeon HD 8790M scores 5017. That gives the FirePro M5100 a decisive 36.1% advantage, the only head-to-head benchmark in the database. This is not a marginal victory; it is a substantial gap that separates the two parts clearly in compute workloads.

Looking at the broader database context, the FirePro M5100 sits at the 38th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 6830. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R7 M370 at 6764 (1% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M at 6946 (1.7% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 at 6698 (2% slower), and the AMD Radeon R5 M240 at 6975 (2.1% faster). The FirePro M5100 essentially trades blows with these parts, landing within a narrow 4% band overall.

The Radeon HD 8790M, by contrast, sits at the 33rd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 5691. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 at 5712 (0.4% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX at 5721 (0.5% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti at 5731 (0.7% faster), and the NVIDIA Quadro M500M at 5604 (1.6% slower). The HD 8790M is competitive with these parts, but the entire cluster sits well below the FirePro M5100's performance tier.

The data shows a clear stratification: the FirePro M5100 outperforms the HD 8790M by over a third in OpenCL compute, and its percentile ranking is 5 points higher. While both are end-of-life mobile parts, the performance difference is large enough to matter for any compute-oriented task.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture: GCN 1.0, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The foundry and process node are identical, which means the differences come down to silicon size, transistor count, and configuration.

The FirePro M5100 uses the Venus chip, which packs 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. That yields a transistor density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. The Radeon HD 8790M uses the Mars chip, with 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, giving a density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. The density is nearly identical, but the FirePro M5100 has roughly 58% more transistors and a 60% larger die. This is the core reason for the performance gap.

The shading resources differ substantially. The FirePro M5100 has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units. The HD 8790M has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. That means the FirePro M5100 has 67% more shading units, 67% more TMUs, and double the ROP count. These are raw throughput resources, and the benchmark results reflect them.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The HD 8790M runs at a base clock of 850 MHz and a boost clock of 900 MHz. The FirePro M5100 runs at 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost. The HD 8790M has higher clocks, but not enough to compensate for its smaller configuration. The FirePro M5100 achieves higher pixel and texture rates: 12.40 GPixel/s and 31.00 GTexel/s, versus 7.200 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s for the HD 8790M. In FP32 compute, the FirePro M5100 delivers 992.0 GFLOPS, while the HD 8790M delivers 691.2 GFLOPS.

Memory configurations are similar in capacity and type, but not in bandwidth. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. The FirePro M5100 runs its memory at 1125 MHz, which translates to 4.5 Gbps effective and 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 8790M runs at 1000 MHz, or 4 Gbps effective, yielding 64.00 GB/s. The FirePro M5100 has a 12.5% bandwidth advantage.

The API support is identical: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both are MXM modules with an MXM-A (3.0) bus interface, and both have display outputs described as portable device dependent. The HD 8790M lists no power connectors, while the FirePro M5100 does not list power connector details. Neither part has published TDP figures in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The FirePro M5100 wins the only direct benchmark in the database, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 36.1%. That is a large margin, and it is consistent with the architectural advantages: more shading units, more TMUs, more ROPs, and higher memory bandwidth. For compute-heavy tasks such as OpenCL acceleration, rendering, or scientific workloads that can use the GPU's shader array, the FirePro M5100 is clearly the stronger choice.

The Radeon HD 8790M, despite its lower overall score, has some points in its favor. Its base clock of 850 MHz and boost clock of 900 MHz are higher than the FirePro M5100's 725 MHz and 775 MHz. For workloads that are latency-sensitive or that do not scale perfectly with shader count, the higher clocks could help. The HD 8790M also has a smaller die at 77 mm², which historically suggests lower power draw, although the database does not list TDP values for either card. The HD 8790M's transistor density is slightly higher at 12.3M per mm² versus 12.2M, though this is negligible in practice.

The HD 8790M has a Vulkan benchmark score of 6365 in the database, while the FirePro M5100 has no Vulkan score recorded. This does not necessarily mean the FirePro M5100 would lose a Vulkan test, but it means the available data only covers the HD 8790M for that API. If Vulkan performance is a priority, the HD 8790M at least has recorded results to reference; the FirePro M5100's Vulkan behavior is unmeasured in this database.

For gaming, neither part is a modern powerhouse, but the FirePro M5100's higher texture rate (31.00 GTexel/s vs 21.60 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (12.40 GPixel/s vs 7.200 GPixel/s) suggest it can handle higher resolutions or more detailed scenes. The HD 8790M's higher clocks might give it an edge in lightly threaded or clock-bound scenarios, but the raw resource advantage of the FirePro M5100 is overwhelming in the recorded data.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two parts:

• Chip: Venus (FirePro M5100) vs Mars (HD 8790M)
• Generation: FirePro Mobile (Mx100) vs Solar System (HD 8700M)
• Transistors: 1,500 million vs 950 million
• Die size: 123 mm² vs 77 mm²
• Transistor density: 12.2M / mm² vs 12.3M / mm²
• Base clock: 725 MHz vs 850 MHz
• Boost clock: 775 MHz vs 900 MHz
• Memory clock: 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) vs 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective)
• Memory bandwidth: 72.00 GB/s vs 64.00 GB/s
• Shading units: 640 vs 384
• Texture mapping units: 40 vs 24
• Raster operation units: 16 vs 8
• Pixel rate: 12.40 GPixel/s vs 7.200 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 31.00 GTexel/s vs 21.60 GTexel/s
• FP32 compute: 992.0 GFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS
• Power connectors: not listed vs None
• Release date: 2013-10-15 vs 2013-03-31
• Predecessor: FirePro Mobility vs London
• Successor: Radeon Pro Mobile vs Gem System
• Percentile vs all GPUs: 38 vs 33
• Average benchmark score: 6830 vs 5691

Fields that are identical include memory size (2 GB), memory type (GDDR5), bus width (128 bit), architecture (GCN 1.0), process node (28 nm), foundry (TSMC), slot width (MXM Module), bus interface (MXM-A 3.0), display outputs, API support, and production status (end-of-life for both).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher clock speed?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8790M runs at 850 MHz base and 900 MHz boost, while the AMD FirePro M5100 runs at 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost. The HD 8790M has the higher clocks.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 has 640 shading units, while the AMD Radeon HD 8790M has 384. That is a 67% advantage for the FirePro M5100.

Q: How much faster is the FirePro M5100 in the recorded OpenCL benchmark?

A: The FirePro M5100 scores 6830 versus 5017 for the HD 8790M, a 36.1% difference in favor of the FirePro M5100.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

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

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 has 72.00 GB/s, while the AMD Radeon HD 8790M has 64.00 GB/s. The FirePro M5100's advantage comes from a higher memory clock of 1125 MHz versus 1000 MHz.

Q: Are these GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are listed as end-of-life. The FirePro M5100 was released on 2013-10-15, and the HD 8790M was released on 2013-03-31.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the AMD FirePro M5100 is the stronger GPU. It wins the only direct benchmark by 36.1%, has a higher average score (6830 versus 5691), and sits at a higher percentile (38 versus 33). Its architectural advantages are substantial: 640 shading units versus 384, 40 TMUs versus 24, 16 ROPs versus 8, and 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth versus 64.00 GB/s.

The Radeon HD 8790M is not without merit. Its higher clocks (850/900 MHz versus 725/775 MHz) could help in clock-bound scenarios, and it has a recorded Vulkan score of 6365, which the FirePro M5100 lacks. It also uses a smaller die (77 mm² versus 123 mm²), which may imply lower power consumption, though the database does not list TDP figures for either card.

For a builder choosing between these two parts today, the FirePro M5100 is the pick for compute performance, OpenCL workloads, and any task that benefits from more shaders and memory bandwidth. The HD 8790M is a reasonable fallback if its higher clocks or smaller footprint matter more, but the benchmark data gives no reason to prefer it on raw performance. Both are end-of-life mobile parts, so availability and system compatibility should guide the final decision, but on the recorded measurements alone, the FirePro M5100 is the clear winner.