AMD FirePro M5100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M Comparison

# GPU Comparison: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M vs AMD FirePro M5100

The benchmark data places these two mobile workstation class GPUs in clearly different tiers. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M leads in raw compute and overall average scores, while the AMD FirePro M5100 counters with a narrower but significant victory in a specific OpenCL workload. The head-to-head result is a split decision: the GTX 880M wins the aggregate, but the FirePro M5100 takes the single most demanding compute test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one direct head-to-head comparison between these two mobile parts, and it goes to the AMD FirePro M5100. In the geekbench_opencl test, the GTX 880M scored 5,622 points against the FirePro M5100's 6,830. That is a 17.7% margin in favor of the AMD part, a significant gap in a compute oriented workload that often scales well with memory bandwidth and raw shader throughput.

Looking at the broader average scores, the situation flips. The GTX 880M carries an average benchmark score of 8,040 across all recorded tests, while the FirePro M5100 averages 6,830. The NVIDIA part is ahead by roughly 17.7% in this aggregate metric. However, the percentile data tells a more nuanced story. The GTX 880M sits at the 42nd percentile among all GPUs in the database, meaning 58% of recorded parts are faster on average. The FirePro M5100 ranks at the 38th percentile. Neither card is a top-tier performer by current database standards; both are mid-pack mobile parts.

The strongest single metric for the GTX 880M comes from the geekbench_metal test, where it scores 10,458 points. This is a strong result for a Kepler generation chip, and it outpaces its own OpenCL score by a wide margin. The FirePro M5100 does not have a recorded Metal result in the database, so the comparison on modern low level APIs is limited.

Architecture Differences

The silicon differences explain a large part of the performance gap. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M is built on the GK104 chip, a Kepler architecture part manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 3,540 million transistors onto a 294 mm² die, for a transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The AMD FirePro M5100 uses the Venus chip, a GCN 1.0 architecture part, also built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 1,500 million transistors on a much smaller 123 mm² die, yielding a density of 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The density figures are nearly identical, but NVIDIA chose a much larger die to house more than double the transistors, mostly for the larger memory interface and the wider execution width.

The GTX 880M is the more fully featured part. It enables 1,536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro M5100 is cut down substantially in comparison: 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA card also has a 256 bit memory bus with GDDR5 memory running at an effective 5 Gbps, while the AMD part uses a 128 bit bus with GDDR5 at 4.5 Gbps effective. Consequently, memory bandwidth is heavily in NVIDIA's favor: 160.0 GB/s against 72.00 GB/s. The GTX 880M also has more memory capacity at 8 GB, while the FirePro has 2 GB.

Other features differ. The GTX 880M reports a base GPU clock of 954 MHz with a boost up to 993 MHz. The AMD part runs at a 725 MHz base with a 775 MHz boost. The GTX 880M consumes 122 W according to the database, while the FirePro M5100 lists no TDP. API support is also different: the NVIDIA part supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD side lists DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in raw compute?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M has the higher recorded compute: 3.050 TFLOPS FP32 versus 992.0 GFLOPS for the AMD FirePro M5100. The NVIDIA part is roughly 3x faster in peak FP32 throughput, and it also has a much higher pixel rate (31.78 GPixel/s versus 12.40 GPixel/s).

Q: Does the AMD FirePro M5100 win any benchmark?

A: Yes. In the geekbench_opencl test, the AMD part wins decisively. The FirePro M5100 scores 6,830 against the GTX 880M's 5,017, a 17.7% advantage. This suggests that in OpenCL compute workloads, the GCN architecture part is the better pick.

Q: Which card has more memory and bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD FirePro M5100 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus, for 72.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA part has both double the memory capacity and more than double the bandwidth.

Q: Are these cards the same generation?

A: No. The GTX 880M is a GeForce 800M generation part, released as an End-of-life product in March 2014, succeeding the GeForce 700M series. The FirePro M5100 is from the FirePro Mobile (Mx100) generation, released October 2015, and it is also End-of-life. Its predecessor is FirePro Mobility.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M | AMD FirePro M5100 |

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

| Chip | GK104 | Venus |

| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |

| Process | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 3,540 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Density | 12.0M / mm² | 12.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 954 MHz | 725 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 993 MHz | 775 MHz |

| Memory | 8 GB GDDR5 | 2 GB GDDR5 |

| Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Bandwidth | 160.0 GB/s | 72.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1,536 | 640 |

| TMUs | 128 | 40 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 31.78 GPixel/s | 12.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 127.1 GTexel/s | 31.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 3.050 TFLOPS | 992.0 GFLOPS |

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

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M dominates in almost every raw specification category. It wins on FP32 compute (3.050 TFLOPS versus 992.0 GFLOPS), pixel throughput (31.78 GPixel/s versus 12.40 GPixel/s), texture fill rate (127.1 GTexel/s versus 31.00 GTexel/s), memory capacity (8 GB versus 2 GB), and memory bandwidth (160.0 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s). It also has more of every execution unit: 1,536 shading units versus 640, 128 texture units versus 40, and 32 ROPs versus 16. For any workload that stresses raw shading rate, texture filtering, or memory capacity, the NVIDIA part is the clear pick.

The AMD FirePro M5100 wins the OpenCL benchmark decisively. In the geekbench_opencl test, the 6,830 score versus the 5,017 score is a 17.7% advantage. It also has the lower TDP, no power connector requirement, and a smaller die (123 mm² versus 294 mm²), which indicates a more power efficient part. For compute oriented tasks, particularly OpenCL workloads, the AMD part is the better choice.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the choice is workload dependent. If the priority is absolute performance in gaming, high resolution textures, or memory heavy tasks, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M is the stronger part. It is ahead in FP32 compute, pixel rate, texture rate, memory capacity, and memory bandwidth. It is also the only one of these two with a DirectX 12 (11_0) API entry.

If the workload is OpenCL or general compute, the AMD FirePro M5100 is the one to pick. It wins the only recorded head-to-head benchmark by a 17.7% margin, it has a smaller die, lower transistor count, and a higher transistor density. It also supports the same Vulkan 1.2.170 API level. For a workstation card aimed at the same mobile MXM form factor, the AMD part offers a better efficiency and compute performance tradeoff.