AMD FirePro M5100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data positions the AMD FirePro M5100 as the faster mobile GPU in this pairing, but the margin is narrow. In the sole head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test, the FirePro M5100 scores 6830 against 6493 for the GeForce GT 555M, a 5.2% advantage. That is a meaningful but hardly overwhelming lead, placing the AMD part in the 38th percentile of all GPUs versus the NVIDIA part's 37th percentile. The FirePro M5100 also edges out the GT 555M in its nearest-rival context: the AMD card sits 1% ahead of the Radeon R7 M370 and 2% ahead of the GeForce GT 1010, while the NVIDIA card is nearly tied with the Quadro M5000M (0.2% ahead) and the Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (0.3% ahead). For a user choosing strictly on compute performance, the FirePro M5100 is the pick. However, the GT 555M's 35 W TDP is explicitly listed, whereas the FirePro M5100 has no TDP figure in the data, so power-conscious buyers have only one side of that comparison quantified. The FirePro M5100 also brings modern API support, including Vulkan 1.2.170, which the GT 555M lacks entirely. The verdict: the FirePro M5100 wins on raw score, API completeness, and memory bandwidth, while the GT 555M remains a lower-power option with a longer history on the market, having launched in 2011 versus the FirePro's 2013 release.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD FirePro M5100 scores 6830, which is 5.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M's 6493 in the head-to-head benchmark.

Q: How does the FirePro M5100 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: It is 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M370 (6764), 2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698), and 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (6946).

Q: Does the GeForce GT 555M support Vulkan?

A: No. The data lists Vulkan as null for the GT 555M, while the FirePro M5100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The FirePro M5100 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The FirePro M5100, built on a 28 nm process, has a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². The GT 555M, on a 40 nm process, has 4.9M per mm².

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The FirePro M5100 sits in the 38th percentile of all GPUs, while the GT 555M sits in the 37th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and foundry processes. The AMD FirePro M5100 uses the Venus chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M uses the GF106 chip based on Fermi architecture, also from TSMC but on a larger 40 nm process. It contains 1,170 million transistors spread across a 238 mm² die, giving a density of just 4.9M per mm². The process advantage is clear: AMD fits 28% more transistors into roughly half the die area.

The compute resources differ sharply. The FirePro M5100 has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GT 555M has only 144 shading units and 24 TMUs, though it matches the 16 ROPs. This disparity in shader count explains the large gap in raw throughput: the FirePro M5100 delivers 992.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 339.8 GFLOPS for the GT 555M. The AMD part also has a significant pixel rate advantage at 12.40 GPixel/s versus 3.540 GPixel/s, and a texture rate of 31.00 GTexel/s versus 14.16 GTexel/s.

The memory subsystems are architecturally different as well. The FirePro M5100 uses GDDR5 memory running at an effective 4.5 Gbps, while the GT 555M uses DDR3 at an effective 1800 Mbps. Both use a 128-bit bus, but the FirePro's faster memory type gives it 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth versus 28.80 GB/s for the GT 555M — a 2.5x advantage. The FirePro M5100 also doubles the frame buffer capacity at 2 GB versus 1024 MB.

API support reveals another architectural divide. The FirePro M5100 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. This reflects the newer GCN design's forward-looking feature set. The bus interface also differs: the FirePro M5100 uses MXM-A (3.0), while the GT 555M uses PCIe 2.0 x16.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The process node is 28 nm for AMD versus 40 nm for NVIDIA. Transistor count is 1,500 million versus 1,170 million, and die size is 123 mm² versus 238 mm². Transistor density is 12.2M per mm² versus 4.9M per mm². The FirePro M5100 has a base clock of 725 MHz and a boost clock of 775 MHz; the GT 555M has no base or boost clocks listed. Memory clocks are 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) for AMD versus 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) for NVIDIA.

Memory capacity is 2 GB versus 1024 MB, with GDDR5 versus DDR3 types. Bandwidth is 72.00 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s on the same 128-bit bus width. Shading units are 640 versus 144, TMUs are 40 versus 24, and ROPs are 16 for both. Pixel rate is 12.40 GPixel/s versus 3.540 GPixel/s, texture rate is 31.00 GTexel/s versus 14.16 GTexel/s, and FP32 compute is 992.0 GFLOPS versus 339.8 GFLOPS. The GT 555M has a listed TDP of 35 W; the FirePro M5100 has no TDP listed. The FirePro M5100 uses an MXM Module slot width with an MXM-A (3.0) bus interface, while the GT 555M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The FirePro M5100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170; the GT 555M has no Vulkan support. The FirePro M5100 was released in 2013, the GT 555M in 2011.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD FirePro M5100 wins with a score of 6830 against the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M's 6493. The delta is 5.2%. That single result is the entire direct comparison, but it aligns with the broader performance indicators from the specification sheets.

The 5.2% gap in OpenCL compute is modest compared to the dramatic differences in theoretical throughput. The FirePro M5100's FP32 rate of 992.0 GFLOPS is roughly three times the GT 555M's 339.8 GFLOPS, and its texture rate of 31.00 GTexel/s is more than double the 14.16 GTexel/s. Yet the real-world benchmark delta is only 5.2%, suggesting that the OpenCL workload may be limited by factors other than raw shader throughput — possibly memory latency, driver overhead, or the specific kernel characteristics. The GT 555M's smaller shader count but similar ROP count (16 for both) may help it in certain workloads.

Looking at nearest rivals reinforces the picture. The FirePro M5100's 6830 score is 1% above the Radeon R7 M370 (6764) and 2% above the GeForce GT 1010 (6698), but 1.7% below the GeForce GTX 675M (6946). The GT 555M's 6493 score is 0.2% above the Quadro M5000M (6481), 0.3% above the Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6476), 0.3% below the GeForce GTX 670M (6513), and 0.9% below the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554). These narrow margins place both GPUs in a tightly clustered performance band around the 37th-38th percentile of all GPUs, meaning neither card is a standout in absolute terms.

The wins tally is lopsided: the FirePro M5100 takes 1 win and the GT 555M takes 0 wins in the head-to-head set. That single win, however, is the only data point, so the interpretation should be cautious. The FirePro M5100's advantage in OpenCL is real but not overwhelming, and the GT 555M's lower TDP of 35 W could make it preferable in thermally constrained laptops.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro M5100 wins in raw compute performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 6830 beats the GT 555M's 6493 by 5.2%, placing it in the 38th percentile versus the 37th. It also wins decisively on memory bandwidth at 72.00 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s, which benefits memory-intensive workloads. The 2 GB frame buffer double's the GT 555M's 1024 MB, helping with larger textures or higher-resolution scenes. The Vulkan 1.2.170 support gives it access to modern graphics APIs that the GT 555M cannot use. The FirePro M5100's 640 shading units and 992.0 GFLOPS FP32 throughput provide a theoretical compute advantage that shows up in the OpenCL result. Its 28 nm process with 12.2M transistors per mm² indicates a more efficient design in terms of density.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M wins in power efficiency, at least based on available data. Its 35 W TDP is explicitly listed, while the FirePro M5100 has no TDP figure, so the NVIDIA part is the only one with a quantified power envelope. This makes it a safer choice for thinner or older laptops where thermal headroom is limited. The GT 555M also holds its own in the nearest-rival comparison, with a 0.2% edge over the Quadro M5000M and a 0.3% edge over the Radeon Vega 10 Mobile, showing that despite its age (2011 release), it remains competitive within its performance class. Its PCIe 2.0 x16 interface may be more compatible with older motherboards or MXM slots that lack PCIe 3.0 support. The GT 555M's 16 ROPs match the FirePro M5100's, so fill-rate-bound operations may not see as large a gap as compute-bound ones.

For gamers or general users, the FirePro M5100's higher memory bandwidth and larger frame buffer make it the better choice for modern titles that demand more VRAM. For users of legacy applications or those constrained by power budgets, the GT 555M's 35 W TDP and established driver maturity from the GeForce 500M generation might be more suitable. The data does not include gaming benchmarks, so the OpenCL lead should not be overinterpreted for gaming scenarios. Workstation users running OpenCL-accelerated applications would favor the FirePro M5100, given its 5.2% lead and Vulkan support. Ultimately, the FirePro M5100 wins on performance and features, while the GT 555M wins on the only power specification available.