AMD FirePro M5100 vs AMD Radeon R7 M460 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 scores 6830, while the AMD Radeon R7 M460 scores 6612. The FirePro M5100 leads by 3.3% in this single head-to-head benchmark.

Q: How does each GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro M5100 is 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M370 (6764) and 2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698), but trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (6946) by 1.7% and the AMD Radeon R5 M240 (6975) by 2.1%. The Radeon R7 M460 is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581) and 0.9% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554), but falls 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698) and 1.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513).

Q: What are the architectural generations of these two GPUs?

A: The FirePro M5100 is built on GCN 1.0 architecture with the Venus chip, while the Radeon R7 M460 uses GCN 3.0 architecture with the Meso chip. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process node.

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

A: The FirePro M5100 has 640 shading units and 40 TMUs, whereas the Radeon R7 M460 has 384 shading units and 24 TMUs. The FirePro M5100 also doubles the ROP count at 16 versus 8.

Q: How do the memory subsystems differ between the two cards?

A: Both have 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, but the FirePro M5100 uses a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon R7 M460 uses a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s bandwidth. Memory clock is identical at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective).

Q: What is the release date and production status of each?

A: The FirePro M5100 was released on 2013-10-15 and is end-of-life, with its successor being Radeon Pro Mobile. The Radeon R7 M460 was released on 2016-05-14, is also end-of-life, and its successor is Polaris Mobile.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next architecture. The FirePro M5100 is built on GCN 1.0, a first-generation design that established the foundation for AMD's compute-oriented GPU architecture. The Radeon R7 M460, by contrast, uses GCN 3.0, a later revision that brought architectural refinements and improved feature support.

The chip designs reflect this generational gap. The FirePro M5100 uses the Venus chip, while the Radeon R7 M460 uses the Meso chip. Both are fabricated by TSMC on the same 28 nm process, and their transistor counts are closely matched: 1,500 million for Venus versus 1,550 million for Meso. Die sizes are similarly close, at 123 mm² and 125 mm² respectively, yielding transistor densities of 12.2M / mm² and 12.4M / mm².

The most significant architectural divergence lies in the compute unit configuration. The FirePro M5100 packs 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Radeon R7 M460, despite being a newer architecture, has fewer resources: 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. This is a substantial difference in raw execution hardware, and it directly impacts the pixel and texture rates.

The FirePro M5100 achieves a pixel rate of 12.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 31.00 GTexel/s. The Radeon R7 M460, with its smaller resource pool, delivers 8.192 GPixel/s and 24.58 GTexel/s. These figures show that the older architecture retains a clear throughput advantage in fixed-function work.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The FirePro M5100 runs at a base of 725 MHz with a boost of 775 MHz. The Radeon R7 M460 has a slightly higher base of 730 MHz but a much higher boost of 1024 MHz. That boost advantage helps the newer card close some of the gap in raw compute, but not enough to overcome the larger resource deficit.

FP32 compute performance reflects the balance: the FirePro M5100 delivers 992.0 GFLOPS against 786.4 GFLOPS for the Radeon R7 M460. Notably, the Radeon R7 M460 also supports FP16 at 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1), a feature the FirePro M5100 does not list.

In terms of API support, the FirePro M5100 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the Radeon R7 M460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0). Both offer OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The newer GCN 3.0 architecture thus provides a more complete DirectX 12 feature set, even though it has fewer execution units.

The bus interfaces also differ: the FirePro M5100 uses MXM-A (3.0) and comes as an MXM Module, whereas the Radeon R7 M460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The FirePro's form factor is designed for modular mobile workstations, while the Radeon targets more conventional laptop integration.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but narrow victory for the AMD FirePro M5100. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, it outscores the AMD Radeon R7 M460 by 3.3%, with scores of 6830 versus 6612. This margin is modest, but it is consistent across the architectural comparison.

The FirePro M5100 wins because it has substantially more execution hardware. It carries 640 shading units versus 384, 40 TMUs versus 24, and 16 ROPs versus 8. Its memory bandwidth is exactly double: 72.00 GB/s over a 128-bit bus, against 36.00 GB/s over a 64-bit bus. These are not marginal differences; they are structural advantages that show up in pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput.

The Radeon R7 M460, however, is not without merit. Its GCN 3.0 architecture brings a higher boost clock of 1024 MHz, which is 249 MHz above the FirePro's boost. It also supports DirectX 12 (12_0), a more complete implementation than the FirePro's 12 (11_1). For workloads that rely on newer API features or benefit from higher clock speeds, the Radeon may hold its own.

Who should pick which? For users prioritizing raw compute and memory throughput, the FirePro M5100 is the stronger choice. Its 992.0 GFLOPS FP32 performance and 72.00 GB/s bandwidth make it better suited for memory-intensive and shader-heavy tasks. For users who need the latest DirectX 12 feature level or prefer a more modern architecture with FP16 support, the Radeon R7 M460 offers a different trade-off.

The percentile ranking for both is identical at 38, meaning neither card is positioned high in the overall GPU landscape. Both are end-of-life products. The FirePro M5100, despite being older, remains the faster part in this comparison.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro M5100 | AMD Radeon R7 M460 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 3.0 |

| Chip | Venus | Meso |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 1,550 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 125 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.2M / mm² | 12.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 725 MHz | 730 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 775 MHz | 1024 MHz |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 72.00 GB/s | 36.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 384 |

| TMUs | 40 | 24 |

| ROPs | 16 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 12.40 GPixel/s | 8.192 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 31.00 GTexel/s | 24.58 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 992.0 GFLOPS | 786.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | N/A | 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1) |

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Bus Interface | MXM-A (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | N/A |

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

| Predecessor | FirePro Mobility | Solar System |

| Successor | Radeon Pro Mobile | Polaris Mobile |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, where the FirePro M5100 scores 6830 against 6612 for the Radeon R7 M460. The 3.3% delta is the entire story in direct comparison. It is a meaningful win, but not a dominant one.

To contextualize this result, consider each card's position among its nearest rivals. The FirePro M5100 sits between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (6946) and the AMD Radeon R7 M370 (6764). It is 1.7% behind the former and 1% ahead of the latter. The Radeon R7 M460, meanwhile, sits between the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698) and the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581). It is 1.3% behind the GeForce and 0.5% ahead of the Radeon.

The spread of rivals tells a useful story. The FirePro M5100 competes with a mix of older desktop-class and mobile GPUs, and its closest rival on the upside is a higher-end NVIDIA part from a previous generation. The Radeon R7 M460's closest rivals include an integrated Intel GPU, the UHD Graphics P750, which sits just 0.9% behind. This suggests the Radeon's performance class is lower overall.

The benchmark data aligns well with the architectural analysis. The FirePro M5100's advantages in shading units, TMUs, ROPs, and memory bandwidth all contribute to its higher OpenCL score. The Radeon R7 M460's higher boost clock and newer architecture help it stay competitive, but they cannot fully compensate for the hardware deficit.

It is importantly the Geekbench OpenCL test is compute-oriented, so it may favor the FirePro M5100's larger compute array. A gaming or graphics-specific workload could potentially shift the balance, but no such data is available for these two cards.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro M5100 wins in every measured benchmark category. It holds a 3.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, and its hardware specifications point to additional strengths. The 72.00 GB/s memory bandwidth is double the Radeon's 36.00 GB/s, which matters for any workload that streams large amounts of data. The 640 shading units and 16 ROPs give it an edge in pixel-heavy and shader-heavy tasks. Its 992.0 GFLOPS FP32 output is 26% higher than the Radeon's 786.4 GFLOPS.

The FirePro M5100 is the better choice for compute workloads, memory-bandwidth-bound applications, and any task that scales with raw execution resources. Its MXM-A (3.0) form factor also suggests it was designed for professional mobile workstations, where reliability and sustained performance are priorities.

The AMD Radeon R7 M460, while losing the head-to-head, has its own areas of advantage. Its boost clock of 1024 MHz is significantly higher, which can benefit lightly-threaded or latency-sensitive workloads. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), which is a more modern feature level than the FirePro's 12 (11_1). It also offers FP16 compute at 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1), a capability absent from the FirePro's specification sheet.

The Radeon R7 M460 is the better choice for users who need the latest API features, particularly DirectX 12 (12_0) support. Its GCN 3.0 architecture is a generation newer, and its PCIe 3.0 x8 interface is a more standard integration path for laptops. For workloads that leverage FP16 or benefit from newer architectural features, the Radeon may deliver a better experience despite its lower raw throughput.

In summary, the FirePro M5100 wins on performance and memory bandwidth. The Radeon R7 M460 wins on architectural modernity and feature support. The choice depends on whether the user values raw compute power or up-to-date API compatibility.