AMD FirePro M5100 vs Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 Comparison

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 and AMD FirePro M5100 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but they represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, yet the decision between them is not purely about raw speed. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, architectural choices, and practical use cases to determine which GPU suits specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, where the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 delivers a score of 9082 against the AMD FirePro M5100’s 6830. This results in a 33% advantage for the Intel part, a decisive margin in a compute-oriented test. The delta is substantial enough to place these GPUs in different performance tiers, despite their similar overall percentile rankings.

Looking at the wider benchmark context, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5258, a test the FirePro M5100 does not appear in. This additional data point suggests the Intel solution is not only faster in OpenCL but also has a functional modern API path that the AMD part lacks in this dataset. The average benchmark score for the Intel GPU is 7170, which is 340 points higher than the AMD’s 6830, reinforcing the OpenCL result.

The nearest rival data provides further perspective. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580’s average score of 7170 sits within a tight cluster: it is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (7171, 0% delta), slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (7157, 0.2% delta), and marginally behind the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7203, -0.5% delta). The AMD FirePro M5100, with an average of 6830, is in a lower band, trading blows with the AMD Radeon R7 M370 (6764, 1% delta) and falling 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (6946). The Intel part’s nearest rivals are all faster or equal, while the AMD part’s rivals include slower options, confirming the performance gap between the two.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental difference lies in their origins. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on the Skylake GT4e chip, using Intel’s Generation 9.0 architecture and a 14 nm+ process node. It relies on the system’s main memory, with a shared bus and system-dependent bandwidth. In contrast, the AMD FirePro M5100 is a discrete mobile workstation GPU based on the Venus chip, using the older GCN 1.0 architecture and a 28 nm process from TSMC. It has dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth.

The compute resources are configured differently. The Intel GPU has 576 shading units, 72 texture mapping units (TMUs), and only 9 render output units (ROPs). Its texture rate is 72.00 GTexel/s, which is unusually high relative to its pixel rate of 9.000 GPixel/s. The AMD part has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, yielding a pixel rate of 12.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 31.00 GTexel/s. The Intel chip excels at texture-heavy work, while the AMD chip is better balanced for pixel output.

Clock speeds also diverge sharply. The Intel GPU runs at a base of 350 MHz with a boost of 1000 MHz, while the AMD GPU operates at a base of 725 MHz and a boost of 775 MHz. The AMD part’s higher base clock helps it in sustained workloads, but the Intel part’s boost clock gives it a peak advantage. The Intel GPU’s FP32 throughput is 1,152.0 GFLOPS, and it also supports FP16 at 2.304 TFLOPS (2:1); the AMD part only lists FP32 at 992.0 GFLOPS, with no FP16 data available.

The Intel part is a 15 W IGP with a Ring Bus interface, meaning it shares power and bandwidth with the CPU. The AMD part is an MXM Module with a MXM-A (3.0) interface, designed for replaceable mobile workstation slots. API support also differs: the Intel GPU supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the AMD GPU supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Intel part’s newer Vulkan revision and higher DirectX feature level suggest better long-term driver support for modern titles.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 wins decisively in compute benchmarks. Its 33% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and its Vulkan score of 5258 indicate strong performance in general-purpose GPU compute tasks, which is relevant for OpenCL-based rendering, video encoding, and scientific workloads. Its high texture rate of 72.00 GTexel/s also suggests an advantage in texture-bound scenarios, such as certain game effects or image processing filters. The 72 TMUs are a clear strength, allowing the Intel part to handle complex shader work involving multiple texture samples per pixel.

The AMD FirePro M5100, while slower overall, has specific hardware advantages. Its 16 ROPs and 12.40 GPixel/s pixel rate are superior to the Intel part’s 9 ROPs and 9.000 GPixel/s, which matters for fill-rate-limited tasks like high-resolution rendering or heavy anti-aliasing. The dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth is a significant advantage over the Intel part’s system-shared memory, as it avoids competing with the CPU for bandwidth and provides more consistent latency. This makes the AMD part more suitable for applications that require stable, predictable memory performance, such as professional CAD or 3D modeling with large textures that fit within 2 GB.

The AMD part’s higher base clock of 725 MHz versus the Intel’s 350 MHz also means it likely sustains performance better in long-running workloads that do not allow the Intel GPU to reach its 1000 MHz boost. For users who prioritize compatibility with standard MXM laptop slots, the AMD part is the only choice, as the Intel IGP is motherboard-dependent.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous on raw performance: the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 is the faster GPU. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 33%, has a higher average benchmark score (7170 vs 6830), and offers a Vulkan path that the AMD part lacks. Users who need maximum OpenCL compute throughput should choose the Intel part, provided their system can support an IGP with shared memory and the associated bandwidth limitations.

The AMD FirePro M5100 is the better choice for specific, fill-rate-sensitive professional workloads. Its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 frame buffer and higher pixel rate make it more reliable for tasks that require consistent memory access and high-resolution output, such as legacy workstation applications that are not optimized for shared-memory architectures. It also fits into MXM modules, which is a hardware requirement for certain laptops.

From the data, the Intel part’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (-0.5% delta), placing it in the mid-range of modern integrated and older discrete GPUs. The AMD part’s rivals, like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (2% delta) and AMD Radeon R5 M240 (-2.1% delta), are clearly lower-performance parts. The Intel GPU is a generation ahead in process node (14 nm+ vs 28 nm) and architecture (Generation 9.0 vs GCN 1.0), which explains its compute advantage despite being an IGP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 scores 9082, while the AMD FirePro M5100 scores 6830, giving the Intel part a 33% lead.

Q: Does the AMD FirePro M5100 have a Vulkan benchmark result?

A: No. The data only lists a Geekbench OpenCL score for the AMD part. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 has both OpenCL (9082) and Vulkan (5258) results.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The Intel part uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the AMD part has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 has 640 shading units, compared to 576 on the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 uses a 14 nm+ process, while the AMD FirePro M5100 uses a 28 nm process.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 has a pixel rate of 12.40 GPixel/s, which is higher than the Intel part’s 9.000 GPixel/s.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 | AMD FirePro M5100 |

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

| Architecture | Generation 9.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm+ | 28 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | Not listed | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | Not listed | 123 mm² |

| Base Clock | 350 MHz | 725 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | 775 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 72.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 576 | 640 |

| TMUs | 72 | 40 |

| ROPs | 9 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 9.000 GPixel/s | 12.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 72.00 GTexel/s | 31.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,152.0 GFLOPS | 992.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 2.304 TFLOPS (2:1) | Not listed |

| TDP | 15 W | Not listed |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Bus Interface | Ring Bus | MXM-A (3.0) |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2015-08-31 | 2013-10-15 |