AMD FirePro M6100 vs AMD Radeon Pro 5500M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two mobile AMD workstation GPUs into very different performance classes. The AMD FirePro M6100, based on the older GCN 2.0 architecture, has a single recorded OpenCL score of 13,354. The AMD Radeon Pro 5500M, built on RDNA 1.0, scores 31,088 in the same OpenCL test, a decisive 57% advantage. That single head-to-head result gives the Radeon Pro 5500M one win and the FirePro M6100 zero wins across the shared benchmark.

The Radeon Pro 5500M also has a much wider benchmark portfolio in the database. It records scores in Metal (38,235), Vulkan (35,134), and several PassMark tests including DirectX 9 (96), DirectX 10 (36), DirectX 11 (42), DirectX 12 (29), G2D (648), G3D (6,732), and GPU compute (3,240). The FirePro M6100 has no recorded scores for any of these tests. So while the FirePro M6100 can be evaluated only through OpenCL, the Radeon Pro 5500M shows clear strength across modern graphics APIs and compute workloads.

For use-case segmentation, the Radeon Pro 5500M is the obvious pick for any workload that hits OpenCL, Metal, or Vulkan. Its Metal score of 38,235 is particularly relevant for macOS-based workflows, and its Vulkan score of 35,134 indicates strong cross-platform API performance. The FirePro M6100, with only 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and a 128-bit bus, is suited only for lighter, legacy compute tasks where OpenCL is the sole API. The data shows no scenario where the FirePro M6100 wins; the Radeon Pro 5500M dominates every recorded metric.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different eras and design philosophies. The FirePro M6100 uses the Emerald chip built on GCN 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm TSMC process. It packs 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 13.0 million per mm². The Radeon Pro 5500M uses the Navi 14 chip with RDNA 1.0 architecture, built on a 7 nm TSMC process. It contains 6,400 million transistors on a 158 mm² die, for a density of 40.5 million per mm². The node shrink more than triples transistor density while keeping the die size nearly identical.

The memory subsystems differ substantially. The FirePro M6100 has 2 GB of GDDR5 running at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective), yielding 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth over a 128-bit bus. The Radeon Pro 5500M has 8 GB of GDDR6 at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective), yielding 192.0 GB/s over the same 128-bit bus. That is double the bandwidth and four times the capacity, a critical advantage for texture-heavy or large-dataset workloads.

Compute resources also favor the newer part. The FirePro M6100 has 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 5500M has 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Clock speeds are not fully listed for the FirePro M6100 (no base or boost given), but the Radeon Pro 5500M has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1450 MHz. The resulting pixel rate for the Radeon Pro 5500M is 46.40 GPixel/s versus 17.60 GPixel/s for the FirePro M6100. Texture rate is 139.2 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 4.454 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS. The Radeon Pro 5500M also supports FP16 at 8.909 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), a feature absent from the FirePro M6100's listed specs.

Both cards use portable device dependent display outputs and require no external power connectors. The FirePro M6100 is an MXM Module with an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface; the Radeon Pro 5500M uses PCIe 4.0 x8. DirectX support differs: the FirePro M6100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the Radeon Pro 5500M supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both list OpenGL 4.6, but Vulkan versions differ, 1.2.170 for the FirePro M6100 and 1.4 for the Radeon Pro 5500M. The FirePro M6100 is marked end-of-life with a 2014 release date; the Radeon Pro 5500M is also end-of-life with a 2019 release date.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The FirePro M6100 scores 13,354, while the Radeon Pro 5500M scores 31,088. The delta is -57%, meaning the Radeon Pro 5500M is roughly 2.3 times faster in raw compute throughput. This is the largest single gap recorded between the two cards.

To contextualize the FirePro M6100's OpenCL result, the nearest rivals in the database are all within a narrow band. The AMD Radeon RX 5500M scores 13,356 (a 0% delta), the AMD Radeon HD 8950M scores 13,376 (-0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro 555X scores 13,321 (0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 13,407 (-0.4% delta). The FirePro M6100 sits essentially tied with these GPUs, all hovering near 13,300 to 13,400. Its percentile ranking among all GPUs is 54, indicating a mid-pack position for the full database.

The Radeon Pro 5500M's broader benchmark suite shows a different performance profile. Its OpenCL score of 31,088 places it well above the FirePro M6100, but its average benchmark score across all tests is 11,528, which is lower than its OpenCL result due to the inclusion of lower PassMark scores. The nearest rivals for the Radeon Pro 5500M include the NVIDIA Tesla K20c (average 11,479, delta 0.4%), the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT (average 11,627, delta -0.8%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (average 11,680, delta -1.3%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M (average 11,261, delta 2.4%). The Radeon Pro 5500M's percentile is 51, just slightly lower than the FirePro M6100's 54, despite being far faster in OpenCL. This reflects the different benchmark mixes: the Radeon Pro 5500M runs many more tests, some of which are less favorable, such as the PassMark DirectX 12 score of 29.

In the PassMark suite, the Radeon Pro 5500M shows a peculiar pattern: DirectX 9 scores 96, DirectX 10 scores 36, DirectX 11 scores 42, and DirectX 12 scores 29. The G3D score is 6,732, the G2D score is 648, and GPU compute is 3,240. These numbers indicate strong rasterization performance in legacy APIs but weaker scaling in newer DirectX versions. The FirePro M6100 has no comparable PassMark data, so cross-referencing is impossible. The recorded data clearly favors the Radeon Pro 5500M for OpenCL, and its additional API results show it handles Metal and Vulkan well, with scores of 38,235 and 35,134 respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5500M scores 31,088 in Geekbench OpenCL, compared to 13,354 for the AMD FirePro M6100. The Radeon Pro 5500M leads by 57%.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The FirePro M6100 has 2 GB of GDDR5 with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 5500M has 8 GB of GDDR6 with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the architecture and process node differences?

A: The FirePro M6100 uses GCN 2.0 on a 28 nm process with 2,080 million transistors. The Radeon Pro 5500M uses RDNA 1.0 on a 7 nm process with 6,400 million transistors.

Q: Does the Radeon Pro 5500M support more APIs?

A: Yes. The Radeon Pro 5500M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The FirePro M6100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Radeon Pro 5500M also has recorded Metal and Vulkan benchmark scores.

Q: Which GPU has higher shader and texture throughput?

A: The Radeon Pro 5500M has 1,536 shading units and 96 TMUs, delivering 139.2 GTexel/s. The FirePro M6100 has 896 shading units and 56 TMUs, delivering 61.60 GTexel/s.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each?

A: The FirePro M6100 has an average benchmark score of 13,354. The Radeon Pro 5500M has an average benchmark score of 11,528, which is pulled down by its PassMark results despite higher OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan scores.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M outperforms the AMD FirePro M6100 in every recorded metric. The OpenCL gap is 57%, and the Radeon Pro 5500M additionally provides working Metal, Vulkan, and PassMark scores that the FirePro M6100 lacks entirely. For any modern workload, whether OpenCL compute, Metal-based rendering, or Vulkan gaming, the Radeon Pro 5500M is the superior choice.

The FirePro M6100's only strengths are its age and simplicity. It is a 28 nm part with 2 GB of memory, a 128-bit bus, and 1.971 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. Its nearest rivals in the database all score within 0.4% of its OpenCL result, meaning it sits in a crowded mid-range of older mobile GPUs. Its 54th percentile ranking is slightly higher than the Radeon Pro 5500M's 51st, but that is a statistical artifact of the Radeon Pro 5500M's broader test suite, not an indication of real-world superiority.

Who should pick the FirePro M6100? Only a user constrained to legacy OpenCL-only software that cannot run on newer drivers or hardware, and who needs a MXM module form factor. The database shows no performance scenario where the FirePro M6100 wins.

Who should pick the Radeon Pro 5500M? Anyone who needs 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, double the bandwidth, 4.454 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, and support for modern APIs including DirectX 12 (12_1), Vulkan 1.4, and Metal. Its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface and 7 nm efficiency (85 W TDP) make it a far more capable mobile workstation GPU. The verdict from the recorded benchmarks is clear: choose the Radeon Pro 5500M for any demanding task, and treat the FirePro M6100 as a legacy fallback only.