AMD FirePro M5100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 and AMD FirePro M5100 represent two fundamentally different design philosophies: a desktop performance part versus a mobile workstation component. Benchmark data shows the GTX 970 holds a decisive advantage, with an average benchmark score of 7157 against the FirePro M5100's 6830. The GTX 970 sits at the 39th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro M5100 sits at the 38th, a narrow gap in global standing that belies the massive performance difference in compute workloads. The GTX 970's nearest rivals include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (delta -0.2%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (delta -0.2%), and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (delta -0.6%), placing it in a tightly contested mid-range desktop segment. The FirePro M5100's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R7 M370 (delta 1%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (delta -1.7%), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (delta 2%), showing it competes with older mobile parts.

The Verdict

The data presents an unambiguous picture: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 is the superior performer in every measurable category. In the only direct head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 970 scores 29982 against the FirePro M5100's 6830, a 339% advantage. This is not a marginal difference; it is a generational chasm. The GTX 970 delivers 3.920 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the FirePro M5100 manages only 992.0 GFLOPS — a 3.95x raw compute advantage. Pixel rate tells a similar story: 65.97 GPixel/s versus 12.40 GPixel/s, and texture rate of 122.5 GTexel/s versus 31.00 GTexel/s.

For gamers and general desktop users, the GTX 970 is the clear choice. Its Passmark G3D score of 9638 demonstrates strong DirectX performance across multiple versions (DirectX 9: 143, DirectX 10: 46, DirectX 11: 71, DirectX 12: 41). The FirePro M5100 has no equivalent benchmark data, indicating it was not designed for this workload class. The GTX 970 also offers 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth, versus 2 GB on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s. For workstation users, the FirePro M5100's role is more specialized — it is an MXM module for portable devices, meaning it fits into laptops where the GTX 970's dual-slot, 267 mm length, and 300 W suggested PSU would be impossible.

The GTX 970's architecture is Maxwell 2.0 on a 28 nm process with 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die. The FirePro M5100 uses GCN 1.0 on the same 28 nm process but with only 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The transistor density is comparable (13.1M per mm² versus 12.2M per mm²), but the GTX 970 simply has far more silicon to work with. The verdict is straightforward: if performance is the sole criterion, the GTX 970 wins decisively; if the form factor of an MXM module for portable systems is mandatory, the FirePro M5100 exists because no other option fits.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the GTX 970 in compute workloads?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the GTX 970 scores 29982 versus the FirePro M5100's 6830, a 339% difference. This aligns with the FP32 compute figures: 3.920 TFLOPS for the GTX 970 versus 992.0 GFLOPS for the FirePro M5100.

Q: Which GPU has better memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 970 has 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth from 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The FirePro M5100 has 72.00 GB/s from 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. The GTX 970's memory clock is 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) versus 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) for the FirePro M5100.

Q: Are these GPUs from the same era?

A: No. The GTX 970 was released on 2014-09-18, while the FirePro M5100 came earlier on 2013-10-15. Both are end-of-life products, but the GTX 970 belongs to the GeForce 900 generation with Maxwell 2.0 architecture, while the FirePro M5100 uses GCN 1.0 in the FirePro Mobile (Mx100) generation.

Q: Can the FirePro M5100 fit in a desktop PC?

A: The FirePro M5100 uses an MXM-A (3.0) bus interface and is an MXM Module form factor. Its display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning it relies on the host laptop's display infrastructure. The GTX 970, by contrast, uses PCIe 3.0 x16 and provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.

Q: What is the thermal design difference?

A: The GTX 970 has a TDP of 148 W and requires 2x 6-pin power connectors plus a 300 W suggested PSU. The FirePro M5100 has no listed TDP, power connector, or PSU requirement in the data, consistent with its mobile MXM design where power delivery is handled by the laptop's motherboard.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The GTX 970 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The FirePro M5100 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support the same OpenGL version, but the GTX 970 has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. NVIDIA's GM204 chip uses Maxwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC with 5,200 million transistors spread across a 398 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. AMD's Venus chip uses GCN 1.0 architecture, also on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but with only 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, giving a density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. The GTX 970 has more than 3.4x the transistor count and more than 3.2x the die area.

The execution resources differ accordingly. The GTX 970 packs 1664 shading units, 104 texture mapping units, and 56 render output units. The FirePro M5100 has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This translates to a pixel rate of 65.97 GPixel/s and texture rate of 122.5 GTexel/s for the GTX 970, versus 12.40 GPixel/s and 31.00 GTexel/s for the FirePro M5100. The GTX 970's clock speeds are also higher: 1050 MHz base and 1178 MHz boost, compared to 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost for the FirePro M5100.

The GTX 970's memory subsystem is fundamentally larger: 4 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro M5100 offers 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s. Neither GPU includes ray tracing cores or tensor cores, and neither lists FP16 performance. The GTX 970 does list a memory clock of 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) versus the FirePro M5100's 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective). These architectural differences explain the performance gap: more transistors, more cores, higher clocks, and wider memory all favor the GTX 970.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The GTX 970 is a dual-slot desktop card measuring 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, while the FirePro M5100 is an MXM Module with no listed dimensions. The GTX 970's bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16; the FirePro M5100 uses MXM-A (3.0). Power requirements diverge sharply: the GTX 970 has a 148 W TDP, 2x 6-pin power connectors, and a 300 W suggested PSU, whereas the FirePro M5100 has no TDP, power connector, or PSU data recorded.

Display connectivity shows the desktop versus mobile split. The GTX 970 outputs via 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2. The FirePro M5100's outputs are "Portable Device Dependent." The GTX 970's memory configuration is 4 GB GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus, 224.4 GB/s bandwidth, and 1753 MHz memory clock. The FirePro M5100 has 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, and 1125 MHz memory clock. The GTX 970's release date is 2014-09-18; the FirePro M5100's is 2013-10-15.

The GTX 970 has a launch MSRP of 329 USD. The FirePro M5100 has no launch MSRP recorded. In terms of generation lineage, the GTX 970 sits in the GeForce 900 series with the GeForce 700 as predecessor and GeForce 10 as successor. The FirePro M5100 is in the FirePro Mobile (Mx100) generation, with FirePro Mobility as predecessor and Radeon Pro Mobile as successor. Both are marked end-of-life. The GTX 970's API support includes DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the FirePro M5100 supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170; both share OpenGL 4.6.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data is sparse but decisive. The single available comparison is Geekbench OpenCL, where the GTX 970 scores 29982 and the FirePro M5100 scores 6830. The delta percentage is 339%, meaning the GTX 970 is more than four times faster in this compute test. This is the only shared benchmark in the data set, and it accounts for the win tally of 1 for the GTX 970 and 0 for the FirePro M5100.

Beyond the direct comparison, the GTX 970's broader benchmark suite illustrates its capability profile. In Passmark G3D, it scores 9638, with component scores of 143 for DirectX 9, 46 for DirectX 10, 71 for DirectX 11, and 41 for DirectX 12. The Passmark G2D score is 764, and the GPU compute score is 4073. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the GTX 970 scores 369. Geekbench results show Metal at 13595, OpenCL at 29982, and Vulkan at 20005. The FirePro M5100 has no data for these tests, only the single Geekbench OpenCL score.

The GTX 970's average benchmark score of 7157 places it near several rivals with tightly clustered scores. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 averages 7170 (delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE averages 7171 (delta -0.2%), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile averages 7203 (delta -0.6%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 averages 7222 (delta -0.9%). This clustering suggests the GTX 970 performs within a narrow band of these parts. The FirePro M5100's average of 6830 places it against the AMD Radeon R7 M370 at 6764 (delta 1%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M at 6946 (delta -1.7%), NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 at 6698 (delta 2%), and AMD Radeon R5 M240 at 6975 (delta -2.1%). The rival deltas indicate the FirePro M5100 is competitive within its mobile segment, but that segment sits far below the GTX 970's performance tier.