GPU Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear picture: the AMD Radeon RX 480 wins both available head-to-head tests decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 480 scores 37,998 against the FirePro S10000's 30,631, a 24.1% advantage. This is a substantial margin in a compute-oriented workload, suggesting the newer architecture extracts far more useful throughput from its hardware.

The gap widens further in Geekbench Vulkan. Here, the RX 480 posts 45,968, while the FirePro S10000 manages 34,145. That is a 34.6% lead for the RX 480. Vulkan is a modern low-level API, and the data indicates the FirePro S10000's older GCN 1.0 design struggles to keep pace where API overhead is minimized and raw hardware efficiency matters most.

Looking at aggregate performance, the RX 480's average benchmark score across all tests is 33,997, placing it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs. The FirePro S10000 averages 32,388, sitting at the 77th percentile. The raw average difference is modest, roughly 1,609 points, but the head-to-head deltas show the RX 480's wins are not narrow squeaks. A 24% OpenCL win and a 34.6% Vulkan win are commanding leads. The RX 480's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT (average 34,133, a -0.4% delta from the RX 480), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (average 34,154, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (average 33,849, +0.4%). These are all close calls, indicating the RX 480 sits in a tight competitive cluster. The FirePro S10000's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (average 32,456, -0.2%), the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 (average 32,540, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 570X (average 32,176, +0.7%). The S10000 holds its own in that group, but the group itself is a step below where the RX 480 competes.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in Vulkan performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 480 wins decisively. It scores 45,968 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 34.6% higher than the AMD FirePro S10000's 34,145. This is the largest performance gap between the two cards in any benchmark.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 480 has an average benchmark score of 33,997 across all tests, while the FirePro S10000 averages 32,388. The RX 480 ranks in the 78th percentile of all GPUs, and the FirePro S10000 ranks in the 77th percentile.

Q: Is the FirePro S10000 competitive in any compute workload?

A: The data shows it is not competitive in the two tests available. In Geekbench OpenCL, the FirePro S10000 scores 30,631 against the RX 480's 37,998, a 24.1% deficit. There are no head-to-head tests where the FirePro S10000 wins.

Q: What does the 24.1% OpenCL delta mean practically?

A: It means that in OpenCL compute tasks, the RX 480 delivers roughly a quarter more performance. For workloads that rely heavily on OpenCL, such as certain scientific simulations or rendering tasks, the RX 480 would complete jobs noticeably faster.

Q: How does the RX 480 compare to its own closest rivals?

A: The RX 480's nearest rival is the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB, which averages 34,154, just 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 560 XT averages 34,133 (-0.4%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S averages 33,849 (+0.4%). The RX 480 is effectively in a dead heat with these cards.

Q: Where does the FirePro S10000 sit relative to its peers?

A: The FirePro S10000's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME, which averages 32,601, only 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro S9300 X2 averages 32,540 (-0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE averages 32,456 (-0.2%). It is competitive within its own tier, but that tier is below the RX 480's.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different eras of AMD's GPU design. The RX 480 uses the Ellesmere chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The FirePro S10000 uses the Tahiti chip with the original GCN 1.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This generational leap is the core of the performance difference.

The RX 480 packs 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6M per mm². The FirePro S10000 has 4,313 million transistors on a much larger 352 mm² die, giving it a density of just 12.3M per mm². The newer process node allows the RX 480 to fit more transistors in less space, which directly contributes to its efficiency and clock speed headroom.

API support also differs. The RX 480 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The FirePro S10000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RX 480's more complete DirectX 12 feature set and newer Vulkan version give it better compatibility with modern games and compute applications. The FP16 compute capability also separates them: the RX 480 delivers 5.834 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1 ratio to FP32), while the FirePro S10000 lists no FP16 support at all. For workloads that leverage half-precision math, the RX 480 has a clear edge.

Specification Differences

The RX 480 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro S10000 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RX 480's extra shading and texture hardware is a direct advantage in pixel and texture-heavy tasks.

Clock speeds differ significantly. The RX 480 runs at a base clock of 1120 MHz with a boost of 1266 MHz. The FirePro S10000 runs at 825 MHz base and 950 MHz boost. Combined with the architectural improvements, the RX 480's higher clocks translate to a large throughput advantage: 5.834 TFLOPS FP32 versus 3.405 TFLOPS.

Memory configurations are also different. The RX 480 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro S10000 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 384-bit bus, but its memory runs at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) versus the RX 480's 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective), resulting in 240.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 480 has more capacity and higher bandwidth despite the narrower bus.

Power and physical specs diverge sharply. The RX 480 has a 150 W TDP with a single 6-pin power connector and a suggested 450 W PSU. The FirePro S10000 has a 375 W TDP, requiring two 8-pin connectors and a 750 W PSU. The RX 480 is 240 mm long (9.4 inches), 95 mm high (3.7 inches), and 35 mm wide (1.4 inches). The FirePro S10000 is 305 mm long (12 inches) and 111 mm high (4.4 inches). Display outputs also differ: the RX 480 offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the FirePro S10000 has 1x DVI and 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2.

The Verdict

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 480 outperforms the AMD FirePro S10000 in both available tests, with margins of 24.1% in OpenCL and 34.6% in Vulkan. The RX 480 also has a higher average benchmark score (33,997 vs 32,388) and a higher percentile ranking (78th vs 77th). There is no test in the data where the FirePro S10000 wins.

The FirePro S10000's only advantages are in its physical and specification sheet. It has a wider 384-bit memory bus, but that does not translate to higher bandwidth (240.0 GB/s vs 256.0 GB/s). It also has a higher launch MSRP of 3,599 USD, compared to the RX 480's 229 USD, but the data shows the cheaper card is faster in every measured metric. The FirePro S10000's higher TDP (375 W vs 150 W) and larger physical footprint offer no performance benefit in these benchmarks.

For anyone choosing between these two, the RX 480 is the clear pick on performance. The data does not support any scenario where the FirePro S10000 is the better choice based on benchmarks or specifications.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon RX 480:

• OpenCL compute: Wins by 24.1% (37,998 vs 30,631). For any workload that uses OpenCL, the RX 480 is substantially faster.
• Vulkan rendering: Wins by 34.6% (45,968 vs 34,145). Modern games and applications using Vulkan will favor the RX 480 heavily.
• Overall average score: Wins by 1,609 points (33,997 vs 32,388).
• FP32 throughput: 5.834 TFLOPS vs 3.405 TFLOPS. Nearly double the raw compute power.
• Memory capacity and bandwidth: 8 GB vs 3 GB, and 256.0 GB/s vs 240.0 GB/s. Better for large textures and datasets.
• Power efficiency: 150 W TDP vs 375 W TDP. Much less power draw and a smaller PSU requirement.

AMD FirePro S10000:

• No benchmark wins: The data shows zero head-to-head wins for this card.
• Memory bus width: 384-bit vs 256-bit. A wider bus, but it does not result in higher bandwidth.
• Physical size: Longer (305 mm vs 240 mm) and taller (111 mm vs 95 mm). Not an advantage, but a notable difference for case compatibility.
• Display outputs: Offers 1x DVI and 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the RX 480 has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The S10000's DVI output may suit legacy setups.

The practical takeaway: the RX 480 wins in every performance category measured. The FirePro S10000 is a product from an earlier generation, and the architectural and process node improvements in the RX 480 make it the superior card in real-world workloads. Use the RX 480 for anything that needs speed; reserve the FirePro S10000 only for niche cases requiring its specific legacy display outputs or its wider memory bus, which offers no measurable benefit in the data.