AMD FirePro M6100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data paints a starkly one-sided picture. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti claims the only shared benchmark test between the two cards, winning the Geekbench OpenCL test outright. That single result, 67,929 versus 13,354, translates to a 408.7% advantage for the NVIDIA card. If you are looking for a GPU that dominates compute workloads, the GTX 1080 Ti is the clear choice based on this measurement.

The AMD FirePro M6100, on the other hand, has no winning benchmark in this dataset. It does have a distinct positioning, however. The M6100 is built for a different environment entirely: it is an MXM module, meaning it is designed for portable workstations where the GTX 1080 Ti, a dual-slot desktop card with a 267 mm length, would never physically fit. The data suggests the FirePro M6100's strength is not raw speed, but rather its form factor and mobile integration. It has zero benchmark wins against the GTX 1080 Ti, but it also occupies a niche the NVIDIA card cannot enter.

The average benchmark score for the GTX 1080 Ti is 15,548, which places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. The FirePro M6100 averages 13,354, sitting in the 54th percentile. While the percentile gap is modest, the average score gap is significant. This means the GTX 1080 Ti is not just faster in one test, it holds a higher average across its full benchmark suite, which includes tests like 3DMark Steel Nomad, PassMark G3D, and multiple Geekbench compute tests. The FirePro M6100 only has one recorded score in the database, so its average is that single OpenCL result.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 15,548, while the AMD FirePro M6100 has an average of 13,354.

Q: What is the performance difference in the only shared benchmark?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 1080 Ti scored 67,929 compared to the FirePro M6100's 13,354, which is a 408.7% difference in favor of the NVIDIA card.

Q: Are these GPUs competitive in their respective markets?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro M6100 is in the 54th percentile. Both are mid-upper tier performers, but the NVIDIA card has a higher overall standing.

Q: What is the FirePro M6100's primary advantage?

A: Its primary advantage is its form factor. It is an MXM module with no power connectors, designed for portable devices, whereas the GTX 1080 Ti is a dual-slot, 267 mm desktop card.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has 11 GB of GDDR5X memory, while the FirePro M6100 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: Which card is based on a newer architecture?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti is based on NVIDIA's Pascal architecture on a 16 nm process, while the FirePro M6100 is based on AMD's GCN 2.0 architecture on a 28 nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains exactly one head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. This test measures raw compute performance for general-purpose tasks. The results are decisive, the GTX 1080 Ti scores 67,929, and the FirePro M6100 scores 13,354. The delta is 408.7%, meaning the NVIDIA card is roughly five times faster in this workload.

This is not a marginal win; it is a categorical one. The GTX 1080 Ti's OpenCL score is more than five times the FirePro's score. The FirePro M6100, with its 2 GB of memory and 96 GB/s of bandwidth, is clearly not designed for compute-heavy tasks. Its 896 shading units and 16 ROPS are a fraction of the GTX 1080 Ti's 3,584 shading units and 88 ROPS. The data shows that compute-heavy applications, like rendering or scientific simulation, would strongly favor the GTX 1080 Ti.

The GTX 1080 Ti also has a richer benchmark portfolio. It has scores for 3DMark Steel Nomad (2,231), PassMark DirectX 11 (151), PassMark GPU Compute (9,632), and Geekbench Vulkan (40,511), among others. The FirePro M6100 only has the one Geekbench OpenCL score. This means the database cannot compare them on other DirectX or Vulkan workloads. The single OpenCL result is the only statistical evidence available, and it heavily favors the NVIDIA card.

Specification Differences

The specifications between these two GPUs are wildly different, reflecting their different purposes. The GTX 1080 Ti is a desktop enthusiast card, the FirePro M6100 is a mobile workstation module. Here are the recorded differences:

• Process Node: The GTX 1080 Ti uses a 16 nm process, while the FirePro M6100 uses a 28 nm process.
• Transistors: The GTX 1080 Ti has 11,800 million transistors, versus 2,080 million for the FirePro M6100.
• Die Size: The GTX 1080 Ti has a 471 mm² die, the FirePro M6100 has a 160 mm² die.
• Memory: The GTX 1080 Ti has 11 GB of GDDR5X, the FirePro M6100 has 2 GB of GDDR5.
• Memory Bus Width: The GTX 1080 Ti has a 352-bit bus, the FirePro M6100 has a 128-bit bus.
• Memory Bandwidth: The GTX 1080 Ti has 484.4 GB/s, the FirePro M6100 has 96.00 GB/s.
• Shading Units: The GTX 1080 Ti has 3,584, the FirePro M6100 has 896.
• Texture Mapping Units: The GTX 1080 Ti has 224, the FirePro M6100 has 56.
• Render Output Units: The GTX 1080 Ti has 88, the FirePro M6100 has 16.
• Floating-Point Performance (FP32): The GTX 1080 Ti is rated at 11.34 TFLOPS, the FirePro M6100 at 1.971 TFLOPS.
• Pixel Rate: The GTX 1080 Ti is rated at 139.2 GPixel/s, the FirePro M6100 at 17.60 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: The GTX 1080 Ti is rated at 354.4 GTexel/s, the FirePro M6100 at 61.60 GTexel/s.
• Slot Width: The GTX 1080 Ti is dual-slot, the FirePro M6100 is an MXM Module.
• Power Connectors: The GTX 1080 Ti requires 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin, the FirePro M6100 has none.
• Bus Interface: The GTX 1080 Ti uses PCIe 3.0 x16, the FirePro M6100 uses MXM-B (3.0).
• Display Outputs: The GTX 1080 Ti has 1x HDMI 2.0 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, the FirePro M6100 is portable device dependent.
• Release Date: The GTX 1080 Ti was released in March 2017, the FirePro M6100 in May 2014.

Architecture Differences

The two chips are built from different architectural philosophies. The GTX 1080 Ti uses the GP102 chip under NVIDIA's Pascal architecture, designed for maximum desktop performance. The FirePro M6100 uses the Emerald chip under AMD's GCN 2.0 architecture, optimized for mobile workstations.

The Pascal architecture is built on a 16 nm process from TSMC, which allows for a massive 11,800 million transistors on a 471 mm² die. The GCN 2.0 architecture, in contrast, uses a 28 nm process, and its 2,080 million transistors fit on a 160 mm² die. This is a major generational gap in manufacturing technology. The newer process node gives the GTX 1080 Ti a higher transistor density of 25.1M per mm², compared to 13.0M per mm² for the FirePro M6100.

The GTX 1080 Ti also supports a wider API set, including DirectX 12 (12_1) versus DirectX 12 (12_0) for the FirePro M6100, and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.2.170. The Pascal chip has a half-precision throughput of 177.2 GFLOPS, which is a 1:64 ratio to its full FP32 rate. The GCN chip has no recorded FP16 capability. The GTX 1080 Ti's memory clock is listed as 1376 MHz with 11 Gbps effective, while the FirePro's memory clock is 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective. The GTX 1080 Ti is clearly built to move massive amounts of data through its 352-bit bus and GDDR5X memory.

The Verdict

The data supports a simple verdict: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the performance king, while the AMD FirePro M6100 is the mobile specialist. The GTX 1080 Ti wins the only available benchmark by 408.7%, has a higher average score (15,548 vs 13,354), and a higher percentile ranking (58th vs 54th). If you are building a desktop system and you need raw compute, the GTX 1080 Ti is the only choice in this comparison. Its 3,584 shading units, 11.34 TFLOPS FP32, and 484.4 GB/s bandwidth make it a beast for any GPU-intensive task.

However, the FirePro M6100 is not without its purpose. It is a mobile part, in an MXM form factor, with no power connectors. It has a 2 GB memory pool and a 128-bit bus, which is sufficient for mobile workstation tasks like CAD or light 3D rendering, but not for high-performance computing. The data shows that if you are on a portable device, you cannot use the GTX 1080 Ti; it simply does not fit. The FirePro M6100, while slower, is the only one of these two that can be installed in a laptop.

The verdict is conditional on the user's environment. For a desktop user seeking maximum performance, the GTX 1080 Ti is the unequivocal winner. For a mobile user, the FirePro M6100 is the only viable option, despite its substantially lower performance. The GTX 1080 Ti is a high-end card, with a launch MSRP of 699 USD, and its performance in the 58th percentile shows it is a strong card when compared to all GPUs. The FirePro M6100's 54th percentile shows it is also above average, but its performance is in a different class entirely. The data is clear: the GTX 1080 Ti is the only choice for performance, while the FirePro M6100 is the only choice for portability.