AMD FirePro M6100 vs AMD Radeon RX 5500M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark between the AMD Radeon RX 5500M and the AMD FirePro M6100 is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The RX 5500M scores 38,725, while the FirePro M6100 scores 13,354. That translates to a 190% delta in favor of the newer card, meaning the RX 5500M delivers nearly triple the raw compute throughput in this workload. This is not a marginal generational bump; it is a categorical leap in performance.

The overall benchmark averages tell a similar story, though the gap narrows considerably. The RX 5500M has an average benchmark score of 13,356, while the FirePro M6100 sits at 13,354 — a difference of just 0.1% in favor of the RX 5500M when all available tests are aggregated. This near-identical average is somewhat misleading, because the RX 5500M has ten benchmark entries across multiple API tests, whereas the FirePro M6100 has only a single OpenCL score. The FirePro's average is essentially its one data point, while the RX 5500M's average is pulled down by several low-scoring DirectX tests (Passmark DX10 at 39, DX11 at 35, DX12 at 28). In the one test where both cards are measured under identical conditions, the RX 5500M dominates.

Looking at the nearest rivals list, both cards occupy the same percentile rank of 54 among all GPUs. Their closest competitors are nearly identical in average score: the AMD Radeon HD 8950M scores 13,376 (0.1% above the RX 5500M and 0.2% above the FirePro M6100), the AMD Radeon Pro 555X scores 13,321 (0.3% below both), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 13,407 (0.4% above both). The two cards in this comparison are effectively tied in aggregate standing, yet the head-to-head OpenCL result reveals that the RX 5500M's compute capability is in a different class entirely. The FirePro M6100's single benchmark shows it matching the RX 5500M only when the latter's weaker API-specific results are averaged in.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the direct head-to-head benchmark comparison?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5500M wins the only shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 38,725 versus the FirePro M6100's 13,354 — a 190% advantage.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 5500M has an average benchmark score of 13,356, and the FirePro M6100 has 13,354. The difference is 0.1%, with the RX 5500M marginally ahead.

Q: What is the percentile rank of each card among all GPUs?

A: Both the AMD Radeon RX 5500M and the AMD FirePro M6100 have a percentile rank of 54 out of all GPUs.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RX 5500M has 1,408 shading units, while the FirePro M6100 has 896 shading units.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The RX 5500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro M6100 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the process node for each card?

A: The RX 5500M is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC, while the FirePro M6100 uses a 28 nm process, also at TSMC.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. The RX 5500M is based on the Navi 14 chip using RDNA 1.0 architecture, part of the Navi Mobile (RX 5000M) generation. The FirePro M6100 uses the Emerald chip with GCN 2.0 architecture, belonging to the FirePro Mobile (Mx100) generation. This represents a jump from GCN 2.0 to RDNA 1.0, a fundamental redesign of the shader and compute pipeline.

The manufacturing process differs dramatically: the RX 5500M is fabricated on a 7 nm node at TSMC, whereas the FirePro M6100 uses a 28 nm node at the same foundry. The transistor counts reflect this: the RX 5500M packs 6,400 million transistors into a 158 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 40.5M per mm². The FirePro M6100 contains 2,080 million transistors on a slightly larger 160 mm² die, with a density of just 13.0M per mm². The RX 5500M fits more than three times the transistors into a smaller area.

Compute resources scale accordingly. The RX 5500M has 1,408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro M6100 has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. The RX 5500M's pixel rate is 52.64 GPixel/s versus 17.60 GPixel/s for the FirePro, and its texture rate is 144.8 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance shows the RX 5500M achieving 4.632 TFLOPS FP32, while the FirePro M6100 manages 1.971 TFLOPS. The RX 5500M also supports FP16 at 9.265 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), whereas the FirePro M6100 has no listed FP16 capability.

Memory architecture also differs fundamentally. The RX 5500M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the FirePro M6100 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus width but only reaches 96.00 GB/s. The RX 5500M runs memory at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the FirePro runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The RX 5500M's memory clock is nearly 2.5 times faster in effective data rate.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. The RX 5500M has a base clock of 1375 MHz, a boost clock of 1645 MHz, and a game clock of 1448 MHz; the FirePro M6100 has no listed base, boost, or game clocks. The RX 5500M has a TDP of 85 W, while the FirePro M6100 has no TDP listed. The RX 5500M uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, whereas the FirePro M6100 uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface and comes in an MXM Module slot width. The RX 5500M has no slot width listed.

In terms of API support, the RX 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 RX 5500M's DirectX feature level is one tier higher (12_1 vs 12_0), and its Vulkan version is newer. Both cards have no RT cores, no tensor cores, no power connectors required, and display outputs that are portable-device dependent.

Release timing separates them by more than five years: the RX 5500M launched on 2019-10-06, while the FirePro M6100 launched on 2014-05-26. The RX 5500M's predecessor is Polaris Mobile, while the FirePro M6100's predecessor is FirePro Mobility. The FirePro M6100 has a listed successor, Radeon Pro Mobile, while the RX 5500M has no successor listed. Both are end-of-life production status. Neither has a launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion for anyone choosing between these two cards: the AMD Radeon RX 5500M is the superior performer in the only directly comparable workload. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 38,725 versus 13,354 for the FirePro M6100 represents a 190% advantage, which is not a marginal improvement but a generational leap. The RX 5500M also offers double the memory capacity (4 GB vs 2 GB), more than triple the bandwidth (224.0 GB/s vs 96.00 GB/s), and more than double the FP32 compute (4.632 TFLOPS vs 1.971 TFLOPS).

The overall average benchmark scores are nearly identical — 13,356 for the RX 5500M and 13,354 for the FirePro M6100 — but this is an artifact of the benchmark set. The RX 5500M's average includes multiple low DirectX scores, while the FirePro M6100 has only one OpenCL result. On the merits of the shared test, the RX 5500M wins outright. The FirePro M6100's only advantage is its MXM module form factor, which may be relevant for specific laptop designs, but in raw performance terms it is outclassed. Neither card has a launch MSRP, so pricing cannot factor into the verdict. For any workload measured by OpenCL compute, the RX 5500M is the clear choice.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon RX 5500M: The head-to-head OpenCL benchmark is the only direct comparison, and the RX 5500M wins it by 190%. Its 1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs provide substantially higher pixel and texture throughput. The 4 GB GDDR6 memory with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth offers double the capacity and more than double the bandwidth of the FirePro M6100. The 7 nm process with 6,400 million transistors enables 4.632 TFLOPS FP32 compute, more than double the FirePro's 1.971 TFLOPS. The RX 5500M also supports FP16 computation at 9.265 TFLOPS, which the FirePro M6100 cannot do at all. Its newer API support (DirectX 12_1, Vulkan 1.4) gives it compatibility with more recent software features.

AMD FirePro M6100: The FirePro M6100 does not win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, as the data shows one win for the RX 5500M and zero for the FirePro. Its only listed benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL at 13,354, is identical to its average score, indicating no other tests were run. The FirePro's advantages are structural rather than performance-based: it uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface in an MXM Module form factor, which may be required for certain laptop chassis designs. Its 28 nm process and 2 GB GDDR5 memory are older technologies but might be compatible with legacy systems that cannot support PCIe 4.0. In terms of benchmark results, the FirePro M6100 has no demonstrated win over the RX 5500M.