AMD FirePro M5100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Comparison

The Verdict

The data separates these two clearly. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti is the stronger performer in the recorded measurements, taking the only head-to-head benchmark with a 15.3% lead. It belongs to the GeForce 600 generation, launched on 2012-10-08, and sits at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs in the database. The AMD FirePro M5100, a mobile workstation part from the FirePro Mobile (Mx100) generation released on 2013-10-15, trails at the 38th percentile. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 6830 is the only benchmark recorded for it, and that score is 15.3% behind the GTX 650 Ti's 7877 in the same test.

For a desktop builder, the GTX 650 Ti is the choice if you want the higher average benchmark score. Its average across all recorded tests is 8053, versus 6830 for the FirePro M5100. That is a substantial gap. The GTX 650 Ti also has a second recorded benchmark, Geekbench Vulkan at 8229, which we can compare to its own OpenCL result. The FirePro M5100 has no Vulkan entry, so it cannot match that kind of versatility in the database.

The AMD FirePro M5100 does have one clear advantage in the recorded specifications: memory capacity. It carries 2 GB of GDDR5, double the 1024 MB on the GTX 650 Ti. If your workload is memory-capacity bound, not bandwidth bound, that matters. The GTX 650 Ti counters with higher memory bandwidth at 86.40 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s, so it moves data faster even though it holds less.

Who should pick which? If you need the highest raw compute numbers, the GTX 650 Ti wins on every measured benchmark. If you need double the frame buffer in a mobile MXM form factor, the FirePro M5100 is the only option that provides it. The GTX 650 Ti is end-of-life, as is the FirePro M5100, so neither is a future-proof pick. The data simply says the NVIDIA part is faster, and the AMD part holds more memory.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti, with an average of 8053 across its recorded benchmarks. The AMD FirePro M5100 averages 6830. The GTX 650 Ti also sits at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro M5100 sits at the 38th.

Q: How does the GTX 650 Ti compare to the FirePro M5100 in OpenCL?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 650 Ti scores 7877 against 6830 for the FirePro M5100. That is a 15.3% advantage for the NVIDIA part.

Q: Does the FirePro M5100 have any specification advantage?

A: Yes, memory capacity. The FirePro M5100 has 2 GB of GDDR5, while the GTX 650 Ti has 1024 MB. The NVIDIA card has higher bandwidth, 86.40 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s, but holds half the data.

Q: What is the transistor and die size difference?

A: The GTX 650 Ti packs 2,540 million transistors on a 221 mm² die. The FirePro M5100 has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. Both use a 28 nm TSMC process, but the AMD chip has a higher transistor density at 12.2M per mm² versus 11.5M per mm².

Q: Are these cards still in production?

A: No. Both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The GTX 650 Ti was released on 2012-10-08, and the FirePro M5100 on 2013-10-15.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The FirePro M5100 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the GTX 650 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 650 Ti has a newer Vulkan version at 1.2.175 versus 1.2.170 for the FirePro M5100.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti uses the GK106S chip built on the Kepler architecture. It is part of the GeForce 600 generation. The AMD FirePro M5100 uses the Venus chip built on GCN 1.0, belonging to the FirePro Mobile (Mx100) generation. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but their internal designs differ significantly.

Transistor counts show the scale of that difference. The GK106S contains 2,540 million transistors on a 221 mm² die, giving a density of 11.5M per mm². The Venus chip holds 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, with a density of 12.2M per mm². The NVIDIA chip is physically larger and has more transistors, but the AMD chip is more densely packed.

The compute resources diverge in count and configuration. The GTX 650 Ti has 768 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 14.85 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 59.39 GTexel/s. The FirePro M5100 has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 12.40 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 31.00 GTexel/s. The GTX 650 Ti has more shading units, double the TMUs, and higher fill rates across the board.

FP32 throughput follows the same pattern. The GTX 650 Ti delivers 1,425.4 GFLOPS, while the FirePro M5100 delivers 992.0 GFLOPS. Neither GPU has recorded RT cores, tensor cores, or FP16 data, so ray tracing and tensor workloads are not supported by either part.

Form factor and interface reflect their different intended markets. The GTX 650 Ti is a desktop card with a single-slot design, a PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface, and display outputs of 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.4a. The FirePro M5100 is an MXM Module using the MXM-A (3.0) interface, and its display outputs are listed as portable device dependent. This is a mobile workstation part, not a desktop card.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is memory capacity. The GTX 650 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5, while the FirePro M5100 has 2 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 128 bit bus width. Bandwidth favors the NVIDIA card: 86.40 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s. The memory clocks also differ, with the GTX 650 Ti running at 1350 MHz (5.4 Gbps effective) and the FirePro M5100 at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective).

Clock speeds are only recorded for the FirePro M5100. It has a base clock of 725 MHz and a boost clock of 775 MHz. The GTX 650 Ti has no base or boost clock listed, so direct clock comparisons are not possible from the recorded data.

Power and physical specifications differ by design intent. The GTX 650 Ti has a TDP of 110 W, a single-slot width, a 1x 6-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. Its length is 145 mm (5.7 inches). The FirePro M5100 has no TDP, no power connector, no suggested PSU, and no dimensions recorded. It is an MXM module, so these figures are not applicable in the same way.

API support shows a minor split. The FirePro M5100 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), one step above the GTX 650 Ti's DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 650 Ti supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the FirePro M5100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 650 Ti has a slight edge in Vulkan version, and the FirePro M5100 has a slight edge in DirectX feature level.

Release timing and market position differ as well. The GTX 650 Ti launched on 2012-10-08 with a launch MSRP of 149 USD. The FirePro M5100 launched on 2013-10-15 with no launch MSRP recorded. The GTX 650 Ti's predecessor is the GeForce 500 series and its successor is the GeForce 700 series. The FirePro M5100's predecessor is FirePro Mobility and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti scores 7877, and the AMD FirePro M5100 scores 6830. The delta is 15.3% in favor of the NVIDIA part. That is the only direct comparison available, and it establishes the GTX 650 Ti as the faster GPU in compute workloads measured by OpenCL.

The GTX 650 Ti also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 8229. The FirePro M5100 has no recorded Vulkan result, so this cannot be compared head-to-head. However, it shows the GTX 650 Ti performs well across multiple API types. Its Vulkan score is higher than its OpenCL score, suggesting the Kepler architecture responds well to the Vulkan workload in the database.

Looking at nearest rivals gives context for both GPUs. The GTX 650 Ti, with an average score of 8053, sits within 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (8040) and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 (8039). It is 0.2% ahead of the GTX 650 Ti Boost (8067) and 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GRID K2 (8080). These are tight margins, meaning the GTX 650 Ti is a mid-pack performer among its closest competition.

The FirePro M5100 averages 6830. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R7 M370 at 6764 (1% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M at 6946 (1.7% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 at 6698 (2% behind), and the AMD Radeon R5 M240 at 6975 (2.1% ahead). The FirePro M5100 is clustered with lower-end mobile and entry-level desktop parts, and its position within that group is near the middle. The GTX 650 Ti, by contrast, sits in a cluster of much faster GPUs, including workstation and high-end mobile parts.

The percentile ranks confirm the gap. The GTX 650 Ti is at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro M5100 is at the 38th. That is a four-percentile-point difference, which aligns with the 15.3% OpenCL delta. The GTX 650 Ti is not a high-end part, but it clearly outranks the FirePro M5100 in the database's overall hierarchy.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti wins on every recorded benchmark. In Geekbench OpenCL, it beats the FirePro M5100 by 15.3%. It also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 8229, which is higher than its own OpenCL score, while the FirePro M5100 has no Vulkan entry at all. For any workload measured by Geekbench, the GTX 650 Ti is the stronger choice.

The GTX 650 Ti also wins on compute throughput. Its FP32 output is 1,425.4 GFLOPS, versus 992.0 GFLOPS for the FirePro M5100. Its texture rate of 59.39 GTexel/s is nearly double the FirePro M5100's 31.00 GTexel/s. Its pixel rate of 14.85 GPixel/s exceeds the 12.40 GPixel/s of the AMD part. Memory bandwidth favors the NVIDIA card at 86.40 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s. These are not close races; the GTX 650 Ti leads by substantial margins in raw throughput.

The AMD FirePro M5100 wins on memory capacity. It holds 2 GB of GDDR5, double the 1024 MB of the GTX 650 Ti. For workloads that need to keep larger datasets resident on the GPU, such as certain professional or compute tasks, that capacity advantage is real. The tradeoff is bandwidth: the FirePro M5100 moves data at 72.00 GB/s, which is slower than the GTX 650 Ti's 86.40 GB/s. You get more storage but slower access.

The FirePro M5100 also wins on DirectX feature level, supporting DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the GTX 650 Ti's DirectX 12 (11_0). This is a minor edge, one feature level in the DirectX 12 specification. It does not offset the compute deficit, but it is a recorded difference.

The form factor is a decisive differentiator for certain use cases. The FirePro M5100 is an MXM module, designed for portable devices. The GTX 650 Ti is a single-slot desktop card with a 145 mm length, a 6-pin power connector, and a 300 W suggested PSU. If you are upgrading a mobile workstation with an MXM-A slot, the FirePro M5100 is the applicable part. If you are building a desktop, the GTX 650 Ti is the applicable part. The data does not show a scenario where these two compete for the same socket.

Use-case split, then, is straightforward. Compute performance, fill rates, bandwidth, and Vulkan support all favor the GTX 650 Ti. Memory capacity and DirectX feature level favor the FirePro M5100. The GTX 650 Ti is the faster GPU in the database's measurements. The FirePro M5100 is the one to consider only when the MXM form factor and 2 GB capacity are hard requirements.