AMD FirePro M6100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti vs AMD FirePro M6100

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti and AMD FirePro M6100 represent two vastly different eras of GPU design, separated by over three years of architectural evolution. The GTX 1070 Ti, built on Pascal, delivers desktop-class performance with an average benchmark score of 14,277, while the FirePro M6100, a mobile workstation part based on GCN 2.0, trails with an average score of 13,354. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, but the FirePro’s niche positioning and the GTX 1070 Ti’s raw horsepower make this comparison more nuanced than a simple score gap suggests.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti scores 14,277 on average, compared to 13,354 for the AMD FirePro M6100. That is a 923-point gap, or roughly 6.9% higher, placing the GTX 1070 Ti in the 56th percentile of all GPUs versus the FirePro’s 54th percentile.

Q: How do the two compare in the only shared benchmark test?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 1070 Ti scores 49,219 against the FirePro M6100’s 13,354. The GTX 1070 Ti leads by 268.6%, a massive margin that reflects the generational leap in compute throughput.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU according to the data?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti’s closest competitor is the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14,315, 0.3% higher), followed by the AMD Radeon Vega 11 (14,352, 0.5% higher). The FirePro M6100 sits within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon Pro 555 (13,407) and within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (13,376).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti features 2,432 shading units, while the FirePro M6100 has 896. That is 1,536 more shading units on the NVIDIA part, contributing directly to its higher FP32 throughput of 8.186 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS.

Q: What memory configurations do the two GPUs offer?

A: The GTX 1070 Ti comes with 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro M6100 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No. Both are listed as end-of-life. The GTX 1070 Ti was released on November 1, 2017, while the FirePro M6100 launched on May 26, 2014, making the AMD part over three years older.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is stark. The GTX 1070 Ti uses the GP104 chip built on TSMC’s 16 nm process, packing 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die. The FirePro M6100 uses the Emerald chip on a 28 nm process, with 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. The density advantage is clear: the GTX 1070 Ti achieves 22.9 million transistors per mm² versus 13.0 million on the FirePro.

Pascal architecture brings several feature-level improvements over GCN 2.0. The GTX 1070 Ti supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the FirePro M6100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The higher DirectX feature level on the NVIDIA part indicates better support for advanced rendering techniques.

The compute capabilities diverge sharply. The GTX 1070 Ti delivers 8.186 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the FirePro M6100 manages 1.971 TFLOPS — a 4.15x advantage for NVIDIA. The GTX 1070 Ti also lists FP16 performance at 127.9 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), a figure not provided for the FirePro. Texture and pixel rates follow the same pattern: 255.8 GTexel/s and 107.7 GPixel/s for the GTX 1070 Ti, versus 61.60 GTexel/s and 17.60 GPixel/s for the FirePro.

Memory architecture reflects their different target markets. The GTX 1070 Ti’s 8 GB GDDR5 with 256.3 GB/s bandwidth suits high-resolution gaming and content creation. The FirePro M6100’s 2 GB GDDR5 with 96.00 GB/s is more constrained, though its MXM-B (3.0) interface and portable-device-dependent display outputs indicate a mobile workstation design. The GTX 1070 Ti uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface with 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the FirePro relies on MXM-B and portable device outputs.

Power requirements differ enormously. The GTX 1070 Ti has a 180 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, one 8-pin power connector, and a 450 W suggested PSU. The FirePro M6100 has no listed TDP, uses an MXM module form factor, and requires no power connectors — typical for a laptop part.

The Verdict

The data points to one clear conclusion for raw performance: the GTX 1070 Ti is in a different league. Its 268.6% lead in Geekbench OpenCL over the FirePro M6100 is not incremental — it is transformative. Anyone needing maximum compute throughput, high-bandwidth memory, or modern API support should choose the GTX 1070 Ti without hesitation.

However, the FirePro M6100 has its own rationale. Its MXM form factor, zero external power connectors, and portable-device-dependent outputs make it suitable for mobile workstations where the GTX 1070 Ti’s dual-slot, 267 mm length and 180 W TDP are physically impossible. The FirePro also sits closer to its rivals in the benchmark database — its average score of 13,354 is within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon Pro 555 and 0.2% of the AMD Radeon HD 8950M — suggesting it performs competitively within its mobile workstation segment.

The percentile rankings reinforce this split: the GTX 1070 Ti sits at the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro M6100 is at the 54th. The GTX 1070 Ti’s nearest rivals include the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (0.3% higher) and AMD Radeon Vega 11 (0.5% higher), showing it trades blows with integrated and entry-level discrete parts. The FirePro’s nearest rivals are all AMD mobile parts, indicating its competitive set is narrow and specialized.

For a desktop gamer or workstation user, the choice is obvious: the GTX 1070 Ti, with its 8 GB VRAM and 8.186 TFLOPS. For a laptop manufacturer needing a low-power, compact module, the FirePro M6100 remains a viable option, though its 2 GB memory and 1.971 TFLOPS will limit demanding workloads.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification:

• Process Node: GTX 1070 Ti uses 16 nm; FirePro M6100 uses 28 nm.
• Transistors: GTX 1070 Ti has 7,200 million; FirePro M6100 has 2,080 million.
• Die Size: GTX 1070 Ti is 314 mm²; FirePro M6100 is 160 mm².
• Transistor Density: GTX 1070 Ti achieves 22.9M / mm²; FirePro M6100 has 13.0M / mm².
• Base Clock: GTX 1070 Ti runs at 1607 MHz; FirePro M6100 has no listed base clock.
• Boost Clock: GTX 1070 Ti boosts to 1683 MHz; FirePro M6100 has no listed boost clock.
• Memory Clock: GTX 1070 Ti runs at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective); FirePro M6100 at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective).
• Memory Size: GTX 1070 Ti has 8 GB; FirePro M6100 has 2 GB.
• Memory Bus Width: GTX 1070 Ti uses 256 bit; FirePro M6100 uses 128 bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: GTX 1070 Ti delivers 256.3 GB/s; FirePro M6100 delivers 96.00 GB/s.
• Shading Units: GTX 1070 Ti has 2,432; FirePro M6100 has 896.
• TMUs: GTX 1070 Ti has 152; FirePro M6100 has 56.
• ROPs: GTX 1070 Ti has 64; FirePro M6100 has 16.
• Pixel Rate: GTX 1070 Ti at 107.7 GPixel/s; FirePro M6100 at 17.60 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: GTX 1070 Ti at 255.8 GTexel/s; FirePro M6100 at 61.60 GTexel/s.
• FP32: GTX 1070 Ti at 8.186 TFLOPS; FirePro M6100 at 1.971 TFLOPS.
• FP16: GTX 1070 Ti at 127.9 GFLOPS (1:64); FirePro M6100 has no listed FP16.
• TDP: GTX 1070 Ti at 180 W; FirePro M6100 has no listed TDP.
• Slot Width: GTX 1070 Ti is dual-slot; FirePro M6100 is an MXM module.
• Power Connectors: GTX 1070 Ti needs 1x 8-pin; FirePro M6100 requires none.
• Suggested PSU: GTX 1070 Ti requires 450 W; FirePro M6100 has none listed.
• Bus Interface: GTX 1070 Ti uses PCIe 3.0 x16; FirePro M6100 uses MXM-B (3.0).
• Display Outputs: GTX 1070 Ti has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a; FirePro M6100 is portable-device dependent.
• DirectX Support: GTX 1070 Ti supports 12 (12_1); FirePro M6100 supports 12 (12_0).
• Vulkan Support: GTX 1070 Ti supports 1.4; FirePro M6100 supports 1.2.170.
• Dimensions: GTX 1070 Ti is 267 mm long, 112 mm high, 40 mm wide; FirePro M6100 has no listed dimensions.
• Release Date: GTX 1070 Ti launched November 1, 2017; FirePro M6100 launched May 26, 2014.
• Launch MSRP: GTX 1070 Ti was 399 USD; FirePro M6100 has no listed MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The GTX 1070 Ti scores 49,219, while the FirePro M6100 scores 13,354. That is a 268.6% advantage for the NVIDIA part, meaning the GTX 1070 Ti delivers roughly 3.7 times the OpenCL compute performance. This aligns with the architectural differences: the GTX 1070 Ti’s 2,432 shading units, 8 GB GDDR5, and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth dwarf the FirePro’s 896 shading units, 2 GB GDDR5, and 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

The GTX 1070 Ti wins the head-to-head with 1 win and 0 losses. Its average benchmark score of 14,277 also exceeds the FirePro’s 13,354, though the gap narrows considerably when looking at average scores rather than the single OpenCL test. This discrepancy underscores how workload-dependent these GPUs are: the GTX 1070 Ti’s massive compute lead in OpenCL may not translate to every application, especially those optimized for mobile workstation tasks.

The nearest-rival data provides additional context. The GTX 1070 Ti’s closest competitor, the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, scores 14,315 — just 0.3% higher. This suggests the GTX 1070 Ti performs near the top of its immediate competitive tier, despite its lower percentile ranking. The FirePro M6100, by contrast, is nearly indistinguishable from the AMD Radeon RX 5500M (13,356, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (13,376, 0.2% lower), indicating it is well-matched against contemporary mobile AMD parts.

Benchmark results also show the GTX 1070 Ti’s versatility across different test suites. Its Passmark G3D score of 14,674 and Passmark GPU Compute score of 7,165 demonstrate strong general-purpose and compute performance. The FirePro M6100 lacks these additional benchmark entries, so direct comparisons beyond OpenCL are not possible from the data. The GTX 1070 Ti’s Geekbench Metal score of 22,180 and Vulkan score of 61,006 further highlight its API breadth, though no equivalent FirePro scores exist for comparison.

In practical terms, the GTX 1070 Ti’s wins are overwhelming where compute matters most. The FirePro M6100’s only advantage lies in its form factor and power profile, not performance. For any application that can leverage OpenCL, the GTX 1070 Ti is the clear choice, offering nearly four times the throughput in the one test where both GPUs can be measured directly.