AMD FirePro S10000 vs AMD Radeon RX 470 Comparison

AMD FirePro S10000 and AMD Radeon RX 470 represent two distinct generations of AMD graphics hardware, separated by nearly four years of architectural evolution. The FirePro S10000, released in late 2012, targets professional server workloads with its dual-GPU Tahiti design, while the RX 470, launched in mid-2016, serves the mainstream gaming market with a single Ellesmere chip. The benchmark database records only two shared tests between these cards: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. Both results favor the RX 470, making the comparison straightforward in raw compute terms, though the FirePro S10000 retains advantages in memory bandwidth and professional feature support that the raw scores do not capture.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the AMD Radeon RX 470 scoring 33,568 points against the FirePro S10000's 30,631 points. This represents an 8.7% advantage for the RX 470, a meaningful gap in compute workloads that rely on OpenCL acceleration. The RX 470 achieves this despite having a narrower 256-bit memory bus and lower total memory bandwidth of 211.2 GB/s compared to the FirePro S10000's 384-bit bus and 240.0 GB/s. The younger card compensates through higher clock speeds: its 926 MHz base and 1206 MHz boost clocks substantially exceed the FirePro S10000's 825 MHz base and 950 MHz boost. Additionally, the RX 470 packs 2,048 shading units versus 1,792 on the FirePro S10000, and its 4.940 TFLOPS FP32 throughput outpaces the FirePro's 3.405 TFLOPS by roughly 45%.

The Geekbench Vulkan test amplifies the RX 470's lead further. The RX 470 scores 39,884 points, while the FirePro S10000 manages 34,145 points, a 14.4% difference. Vulkan represents a modern low-level API, and the RX 470's GCN 4.0 architecture with Vulkan 1.3 support handles it more efficiently than the FirePro S10000's GCN 1.0 design, which supports Vulkan 1.2.170. This larger delta in Vulkan compared to OpenCL suggests the architectural gap widens when software takes advantage of newer API features. The RX 470's texture rate of 154.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 38.59 GPixel/s also exceed the FirePro S10000's 106.4 GTexel/s and 30.40 GPixel/s, consistent with the younger card's higher raw throughput.

When placed against their respective nearest rivals, both cards sit near the middle of their performance clusters. The FirePro S10000's average benchmark score of 32,388 places it within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon Pro 570X (32,176) and just 0.2% below the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (32,456). The RX 470's average score of 28,996 sits 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28,874) and 0.6% below the Intel Arc A370M (29,175). Notably, the FirePro S10000's average score across all recorded benchmarks is higher than the RX 470's average, despite losing both head-to-head tests. This discrepancy arises because the FirePro S10000 has only two recorded benchmark entries, both compute-focused, while the RX 470 includes additional tests like 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (842 points) and Geekbench Metal (41,690 points), which drag down its average when combined with the compute scores.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result for the RX 470, at 842 points, represents a modern gaming workload that the FirePro S10000 has no recorded equivalent for. Similarly, the Geekbench Metal score of 41,690 on the RX 470 has no counterpart in the FirePro S10000's database entries. These additional tests indicate the RX 470 was evaluated across a broader range of applications, including graphics-heavy scenarios, while the FirePro S10000's recorded data focuses exclusively on OpenCL and Vulkan compute.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the AMD Radeon RX 470 is the clear winner in compute performance, taking both head-to-head tests with margins of 8.7% in OpenCL and 14.4% in Vulkan. Its higher shading unit count, faster clocks, and modern GCN 4.0 architecture deliver measurable advantages in these workloads. The RX 470 also offers 4 GB of memory versus 3 GB on the FirePro S10000, which benefits larger datasets in compute tasks.

The FirePro S10000 retains specific advantages that matter in professional contexts. Its 240.0 GB/s memory bandwidth exceeds the RX 470's 211.2 GB/s, and its dual-GPU configuration suggests multi-display or multi-device scenarios where the older card's design might excel. The FirePro S10000 also supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and OpenGL 4.6, matching the RX 470's OpenGL support, though the RX 470 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, offering newer API capabilities. The launch MSRP of the FirePro S10000 was 3,599 USD, positioning it as a professional workstation product, whereas the RX 470 launched at 179 USD, though pricing considerations fall outside this analysis.

Users requiring maximum compute throughput per dollar in modern API workloads should choose the RX 470 based on its benchmark victories. Users needing higher memory bandwidth for bandwidth-sensitive professional applications, or those constrained to older software stacks that favor GCN 1.0, may still find the FirePro S10000 viable, but the data shows the RX 470 outperforms it in both shared benchmarks.

Architecture Differences

The FirePro S10000 uses the Tahiti chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process by TSMC. This chip integrates 4,313 million transistors across a 352 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.3 million transistors per square millimeter. The RX 470 uses the Ellesmere chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, built on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. Ellesmere packs 5,700 million transistors into a smaller 232 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter, roughly double that of Tahiti. This density improvement reflects the process node shrink and architectural refinements.

The FirePro S10000's GCN 1.0 design includes 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The RX 470's GCN 4.0 design increases shading units to 2,048 and texture units to 128, while keeping the same 32 ROPs. The RX 470 also specifies FP16 throughput at 4.940 TFLOPS (1:1), meaning it handles half-precision at the same rate as FP32, a capability not listed for the FirePro S10000. The FirePro S10000 belongs to the FirePro Server (Sx000) generation, while the RX 470 belongs to Arctic Islands (RX 400). Their predecessors and successors differ as well: the FirePro S10000 follows FirePro Terascale and leads to Radeon Pro GCN, while the RX 470 follows Pirate Islands and leads to Polaris.

API support shows the generational divide. The FirePro S10000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RX 470 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The newer Vulkan revision on the RX 470 likely contributes to its larger Vulkan benchmark lead. Both cards lack ray tracing and tensor cores, as those features arrived in later architectures. Display outputs differ: the FirePro S10000 provides 1x DVI and 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the RX 470 offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, reflecting newer display standards on the RX 470.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every recorded specification. Process node: 28 nm for the FirePro S10000 versus 14 nm for the RX 470. Foundry: TSMC versus GlobalFoundries. Transistor count: 4,313 million versus 5,700 million. Die size: 352 mm² versus 232 mm². Transistor density: 12.3M per mm² versus 24.6M per mm². Base clock: 825 MHz versus 926 MHz. Boost clock: 950 MHz versus 1206 MHz. Memory clock: 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) versus 1650 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective). Memory size: 3 GB versus 4 GB. Memory bus width: 384 bit versus 256 bit. Memory bandwidth: 240.0 GB/s versus 211.2 GB/s. Shading units: 1,792 versus 2,048. TMUs: 112 versus 128. ROPs remain equal at 32. Pixel rate: 30.40 GPixel/s versus 38.59 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 106.4 GTexel/s versus 154.4 GTexel/s. FP32: 3.405 TFLOPS versus 4.940 TFLOPS. The RX 470 lists FP16 at 4.940 TFLOPS (1:1); the FirePro S10000 lists no FP16 figure. TDP: 375 W versus 120 W. Power connectors: 2x 8-pin versus 1x 6-pin. Suggested PSU: 750 W versus 300 W. Slot width: both dual-slot. Bus interface: both PCIe 3.0 x16. Dimensions: the FirePro S10000 measures 305 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the RX 470 measures 240 mm by 95 mm by 35 mm. Release dates: November 11, 2012 versus August 3, 2016. Production status for both is end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro S10000 has an average benchmark score of 32,388, compared to 28,996 for the AMD Radeon RX 470. However, this average includes different test sets, as the FirePro S10000 has only Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores, while the RX 470 also includes 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and Geekbench Metal results.

Q: How large is the RX 470's lead in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The RX 470 scores 39,884 points versus 34,145 for the FirePro S10000, a 14.4% difference. This is the larger of the two head-to-head margins.

Q: Does the FirePro S10000 have higher memory bandwidth?

A: Yes. The FirePro S10000 provides 240.0 GB/s of bandwidth over a 384-bit bus, while the RX 470 provides 211.2 GB/s over a 256-bit bus. Despite this, the RX 470 wins both compute benchmarks.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two chips?

A: The RX 470's Ellesmere chip achieves 24.6 million transistors per square millimeter, nearly double the FirePro S10000's Tahiti chip at 12.3 million per square millimeter. The RX 470 uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the FirePro S10000 uses 28 nm from TSMC.

Q: Which card supports a newer Vulkan version?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 470 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the AMD FirePro S10000 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. This newer API support may explain part of the RX 470's larger Vulkan benchmark advantage.

Q: How do the two cards compare in FP32 throughput?

A: The RX 470 delivers 4.940 TFLOPS FP32, compared to 3.405 TFLOPS for the FirePro S10000. The RX 470 also lists FP16 at 4.940 TFLOPS (1:1), while the FirePro S10000 has no recorded FP16 figure.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 470 wins in every shared benchmark and in most raw throughput metrics. Its FP32 performance is 45% higher, its texture rate is 45% higher, and its pixel rate is 27% higher. It also wins on shading unit count (2,048 versus 1,792), TMU count (128 versus 112), and all clock speeds. The RX 470's 4 GB memory capacity exceeds the FirePro S10000's 3 GB, and its smaller physical footprint (240 mm length versus 305 mm) and dramatically lower TDP (120 W versus 375 W) make it easier to integrate into standard systems. The lower power draw also means a 300 W suggested PSU versus the FirePro S10000's 750 W requirement.

The AMD FirePro S10000 wins in memory bandwidth (240.0 GB/s versus 211.2 GB/s) and memory bus width (384 bit versus 256 bit). It also has a higher average benchmark score when considering its recorded tests, and it holds a percentile rank of 77 against all GPUs, compared to the RX 470's 74. The FirePro S10000's dual-GPU design and professional FirePro Server lineage suggest it was built for multi-display or compute environments where the 384-bit bus and higher bandwidth matter more than raw API-level compute speed. Its launch MSRP of 3,599 USD reflects a workstation positioning, though pricing is not part of this analysis. For bandwidth-bound workloads that fit within 3 GB of memory, the FirePro S10000's wider bus could provide advantages, but the recorded benchmark data shows the RX 470 outperforming it in both OpenCL and Vulkan compute tests.