AMD FirePro M5100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 Comparison

The benchmark data presents a close contest between the AMD FirePro M5100 and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010, two end-of-life graphics cards from different eras. While the AMD FirePro M5100 emerges as the victor in the sole head-to-head test, the specifications of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 suggest it was built for a different set of priorities. This analysis will dissect the numbers to understand what each card offers and for whom it might have been intended.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, which measures general-purpose compute performance. In this specific benchmark, the AMD FirePro M5100 scored 6830, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 scored 6698. This gives the AMD FirePro M5100 a 2% advantage over its rival. While this is a clear win for the AMD card, the margin is notably slim. A 2% delta is within the bounds of run-to-run variance for many GPUs, yet the data consistently places the FirePro M5100 ahead.

This single benchmark result places the FirePro M5100 at the top of a tight cluster of its nearest rivals. Its 2% lead over the GT 1010 is mirrored by a 1% lead over the AMD Radeon R7 M370 and a 2.1% loss to the AMD Radeon R5 M240. The GT 1010, on the other hand, sits just behind the FirePro, with a 1% deficit to the R7 M370 and a 1.3% lead over the AMD Radeon R7 M460. The performance parity is striking; the data suggests that in raw OpenCL compute, these two specific cards are functionally equivalent. The 2% delta in the head-to-head is the single most important number, defining the entire performance relationship between the two.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the data, the AMD FirePro M5100 is the winner in the only measured category: OpenCL compute performance. Its score of 6830 is its only victory, and it stands as the definitive benchmark result for this card. This suggests a strength in tasks that leverage general-purpose GPU computing, which could include workloads like video encoding, physics simulations, or certain types of rendering.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010, despite losing the single benchmark, has its own distinct areas of advantage that are not reflected in the OpenCL score. Its specification sheet points to a different kind of win. With a TDP of 30 W and a Single-slot form factor, it is a far more power-efficient and physically compact card. It also uses a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface and requires no external power connectors. The FirePro M5100, by contrast, is an MXM Module, a form factor designed for laptops and mobile workstations, and its TDP is not listed. Therefore, while the FirePro M5100 wins on raw compute, the GT 1010 wins on integration flexibility and energy efficiency, making it a better fit for small-form-factor desktops or as a simple display output card. The data shows a trade-off: performance per watt and physical footprint versus a slight edge in compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in compute benchmarks?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 is faster. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scored 6830 compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010's 6698, a 2% difference.

Q: Are these two graphics cards comparable in performance?

A: Yes, they are very closely matched. The performance difference is a mere 2% in favor of the AMD FirePro M5100. Both cards also have an identical 38th percentile ranking among all GPUs, confirming their similar standing in the broader market.

Q: What is the primary difference in their physical design?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 is an MXM Module, a standard for mobile workstations. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is a Single-slot card with a length of 147 mm (or 5.8 inches), designed for standard desktop cases.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 require a power supply upgrade?

A: The data indicates it is very power-efficient. It has a TDP of 30 W and a suggested PSU of 200 W. It also has no power connectors, suggesting it draws all its power from the motherboard's PCIe slot.

Q: Which card has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100. It has a 128-bit memory bus and a bandwidth of 72.00 GB/s, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 has a 64-bit bus and a bandwidth of 48.06 GB/s.

Q: What is the difference in their release dates?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 was released in 2013, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 was released in 2021.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ significantly in their core specifications, reflecting their different design goals. The AMD FirePro M5100 is built with a 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 has far fewer of these cores, with 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. This massive difference in core counts is partially offset by clock speeds; the GT 1010 has a base clock of 1228 MHz and a boost clock of 1468 MHz, while the FirePro M5100 operates at a much lower 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost. The memory subsystems also differ: the FirePro M5100 uses a 128-bit bus for a bandwidth of 72.00 GB/s, while the GT 1010 is limited to a 64-bit bus and 48.06 GB/s. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5 memory. The GT 1010's memory is rated at 1502 MHz (or 6 Gbps effective) compared to the FirePro's 1125 MHz (or 4.5 Gbps effective). Finally, the form factor and power requirements are distinct: the FirePro M5100 is an MXM Module, while the GT 1010 is a Single-slot card with a 30 W TDP and a 200 W suggested PSU.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. The AMD FirePro M5100 is based on the Venus chip using the GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process by TSMC. This older process node results in a transistor density of 12.2M / mm² across a die size of 123 mm² and a total of 1,500 million transistors. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 uses the GP108 chip with the Pascal architecture, built on a much more modern 14 nm process by Samsung. This allows for a dramatically higher transistor density of 24.3M / mm² on a smaller die of 74 mm², packing 1,800 million transistors, which is more than the AMD chip despite its larger size. This generational leap is also reflected in software support. The GT 1010 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the FirePro M5100 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The GT 1010's newer architecture and manufacturing process give it a clear advantage in efficiency and feature support, even if it cannot translate that into a decisive compute win.

The Verdict

The data suggests that the choice between these two cards is clear and depends entirely on the intended use case. For anyone prioritizing raw compute performance in a mobile or proprietary form factor, the AMD FirePro M5100 is the pick. Its 2% performance lead in OpenCL is its only advantage, but it is the only metric that directly measures performance. This card, with its 72.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth, was designed for workstation tasks where that extra throughput could be beneficial.

For a desktop user building a low-power system, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 is the logical choice. Its 30 W TDP, Single-slot size, and lack of power connectors make it a trivial addition to any system. Its 14 nm Pascal architecture provides a more modern feature set, including Vulkan 1.4 support. The fact that its performance is only 1.9% behind the FirePro M5100, as indicated in its rival data, makes it a far more practical option. The GT 1010 sacrifices a negligible amount of compute power to deliver a much more efficient and easier-to-integrate package. Therefore, the data tells a story of two very different philosophies: one prioritizing performance in a mobile context, the other prioritizing efficiency and simplicity in a desktop context.