AMD FirePro M6100 vs AMD Radeon Pro 560X Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data positions these two mobile AMD workstation GPUs at similar performance tiers, but with distinct strengths. The AMD Radeon Pro 560X sits at the 57th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the AMD FirePro M6100 rests at the 54th percentile. The FirePro M6100 wins the only directly comparable benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, by a significant margin: it scores 13,354 against the Radeon Pro 560X's 9,663, a 27.6% advantage. However, the Radeon Pro 560X has a much broader benchmark footprint, with recorded scores across Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan, whereas the FirePro M6100 only has an OpenCL result in the database. The Radeon Pro 560X also carries a newer architecture, a smaller process node, and double the memory capacity, making it the more future-proof choice for modern workloads. The FirePro M6100 is the pick for raw OpenCL compute performance in legacy applications, while the Radeon Pro 560X is the better all-rounder for current software stacks, especially those leveraging Metal or Vulkan.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial. The Radeon Pro 560X is built on the Polaris 21 chip using the GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.4M per mm². In contrast, the FirePro M6100 uses the Emerald chip with the older GCN 2.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 2,080 million transistors on a larger 160 mm² die, with a transistor density of just 13.0M per mm². This generational leap gives the Radeon Pro 560X a clear efficiency and density advantage.

The compute resources differ as well. The Radeon Pro 560X has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The FirePro M6100 has fewer shading units at 896, fewer TMUs at 56, but the same 16 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 560X also supports FP16 computation at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, delivering 2.056 TFLOPS in both precisions. The FirePro M6100 has no recorded FP16 capability and offers 1.971 TFLOPS of FP32. API support also shows the newer card's edge: the Radeon Pro 560X supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro M6100 tops out at Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

The memory subsystem tells a similar story. The Radeon Pro 560X comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 94.08 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro M6100 has only 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus, but slightly higher bandwidth at 96.00 GB/s due to a faster 6 Gbps effective memory clock versus the Radeon's 5.9 Gbps. The FirePro also has a higher pixel rate at 17.60 GPixel/s versus 16.06 GPixel/s, though the Radeon counters with a higher texture rate at 64.26 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s. The Radeon Pro 560X is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors, while the FirePro M6100 is an MXM module using the MXM-B (3.0) interface. Both are end-of-life products, but the Radeon Pro 560X was released in 2018, four years after the FirePro M6100's 2014 debut.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records only one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The FirePro M6100 wins decisively with a score of 13,354 against the Radeon Pro 560X's 9,663, a delta of 27.6% in favor of the older card. This is a notable result because the Radeon Pro 560X has a newer architecture, more shading units, and more memory, yet it falls significantly behind in this specific compute test. The data suggests the FirePro M6100's higher memory bandwidth (96.00 GB/s versus 94.08 GB/s) and higher pixel rate (17.60 GPixel/s versus 16.06 GPixel/s) may contribute to its OpenCL advantage, though the exact cause is not recorded in the database.

However, the Radeon Pro 560X has a much richer benchmark profile. It scores 18,763 in Geekbench Metal and 16,819 in Geekbench Vulkan, tests for which the FirePro M6100 has no recorded results. This means the Radeon Pro 560X can be evaluated across multiple modern APIs, while the FirePro M6100's performance in Metal and Vulkan is simply unknown. The average benchmark score for the Radeon Pro 560X is 15,082, based on three tests, while the FirePro M6100's average is 13,354 from a single test. The Radeon Pro 560X's OpenCL result is the outlier in its own suite, dragging its average down; its Metal and Vulkan scores are both well above the FirePro's sole recorded result.

Looking at the nearest rivals in the database provides additional context. The Radeon Pro 560X sits within 1.2% of the AMD Radeon 680M (15,270 average score) and within 0.8% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15,199). It is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (15,063, 0.1% delta) and trails the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15,171) by just 0.6%. The FirePro M6100, meanwhile, is virtually tied with the AMD Radeon RX 5500M at a 0% delta, 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 8950M, 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 555X, and 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 555. This places the FirePro M6100 in the same performance neighborhood as the Radeon Pro 560X's nearest rivals, but the 27.6% OpenCL gap between the two cards themselves is the standout headline.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs, based solely on recorded data:

• Chip: Polaris 21 (Radeon Pro 560X) versus Emerald (FirePro M6100)
• Architecture: GCN 4.0 versus GCN 2.0
• Generation: Radeon Pro Mac (500X Series) versus FirePro Mobile (Mx100)
• Process Node: 14 nm versus 28 nm
• Foundry: GlobalFoundries versus TSMC
• Transistors: 3,000 million versus 2,080 million
• Die Size: 123 mm² versus 160 mm²
• Transistor Density: 24.4M / mm² versus 13.0M / mm²
• Memory Clock: 5.9 Gbps effective versus 6 Gbps effective
• Memory Size: 4 GB versus 2 GB
• Bandwidth: 94.08 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s
• Shading Units: 1,024 versus 896
• TMUs: 64 versus 56
• Pixel Rate: 16.06 GPixel/s versus 17.60 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 64.26 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s
• FP32: 2.056 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS
• FP16: 2.056 TFLOPS (1:1) versus null (no support)
• TDP: 75 W versus null (not recorded)
• Slot Width: IGP versus MXM Module
• Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8 versus MXM-B (3.0)
• Vulkan Support: 1.3 versus 1.2.170
• Release Date: 2018-07-15 versus 2014-05-26
• Predecessor: null versus FirePro Mobility
• Successor: null versus Radeon Pro Mobile

Both cards share the same memory type (GDDR5), bus width (128 bit), ROP count (16), power connector requirement (none), and display outputs (portable device dependent). Neither has recorded RT cores or tensor cores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD FirePro M6100 wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 13,354 against the Radeon Pro 560X's 9,663, a 27.6% advantage.

Q: Does the Radeon Pro 560X support APIs that the FirePro M6100 does not?

A: Yes. The Radeon Pro 560X supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro M6100 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The Radeon Pro 560X has 4 GB of GDDR5, while the FirePro M6100 has 2 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 128-bit memory bus.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The FirePro M6100 has slightly higher memory bandwidth at 96.00 GB/s, compared to the Radeon Pro 560X's 94.08 GB/s, despite the Radeon having double the memory capacity.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each GPU?

A: The Radeon Pro 560X has an average benchmark score of 15,082 across three recorded tests (Metal, OpenCL, Vulkan). The FirePro M6100 has an average of 13,354 from a single OpenCL test.

Q: Which GPU is newer and on a smaller manufacturing process?

A: The Radeon Pro 560X is newer, released in 2018, and built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The FirePro M6100 was released in 2014 and uses a 28 nm process at TSMC.