GPU Comparison

The AMD FirePro S10000 and the AMD Radeon RX 570 are both end-of-life graphics cards from AMD, but they were built for very different purposes and eras. The FirePro S10000 is a dual-GPU server-class compute card from late 2012, while the RX 570 is a mainstream consumer card from 2017. The recorded benchmark data shows a clear overall winner, but the story is more nuanced when you look at the architecture and intended workloads. This analysis uses only the measured scores and specifications in the database to compare the two.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains two head-to-head benchmark comparisons between these cards: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In both tests, the AMD Radeon RX 570 wins decisively.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 570 scores 32,084 points, while the FirePro S10000 scores 30,631 points. That is a delta of -4.5% for the FirePro, meaning the RX 570 is about 4.5% faster in this compute workload. The margin is modest but consistent. OpenCL is a general-purpose compute API, and the RX 570’s newer architecture and higher clock speeds give it an edge despite the FirePro’s dual-GPU design.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a much larger gap. The RX 570 scores 42,752 points, while the FirePro S10000 scores 34,145 points. That is a delta of -20.1% for the FirePro, meaning the RX 570 leads by over 20% in this graphics-heavy API test. Vulkan is a low-overhead graphics and compute API, and the RX 570’s support for Vulkan 1.3 versus the FirePro’s 1.2.170 likely contributes to this significant advantage. The FirePro’s older GCN 1.0 architecture simply does not handle Vulkan as efficiently as the RX 570’s GCN 4.0 design.

Across the two recorded head-to-head tests, the RX 570 wins both. The database shows 0 wins for the FirePro S10000 and 2 wins for the RX 570. The average benchmark score for the RX 570 is 28,766, while the FirePro S10000 has an average benchmark score of 32,388. However, this average is based on different sets of tests. The FirePro’s average is pulled from its two Geekbench scores, while the RX 570’s average includes additional tests like 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and Geekbench Metal, which skew the average lower. The head-to-head scores are the more reliable comparison.

Looking at the percentile rankings, the FirePro S10000 sits at the 77th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 570 sits at the 74th percentile. This means the FirePro is ranked higher overall in the database, but that ranking includes its dual-GPU compute strengths and the specific benchmark suite used. In direct head-to-head comparisons, the RX 570 is the faster card.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 570 wins in both recorded benchmarks, so it is the clear choice for general compute and graphics tasks. Its Vulkan performance is particularly strong, with a 20.1% lead over the FirePro. This makes it better for modern gaming, especially titles that use Vulkan. The RX 570 also has higher raw compute throughput: its FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS, while the FirePro S10000 delivers 3.405 TFLOPS. That is a substantial 50% difference in theoretical floating-point performance, and it shows up in the OpenCL and Vulkan results.

The RX 570 also has more shading units (2,048 versus 1,792) and more texture mapping units (128 versus 112). Its texture rate is 159.2 GTexel/s versus 106.4 GTexel/s for the FirePro. Its pixel rate is 39.81 GPixel/s versus 30.40 GPixel/s. These numbers all point to the RX 570 being the faster card for rasterization and compute tasks.

The FirePro S10000, however, has some advantages in specific areas. It has a larger memory bus: 384-bit versus 256-bit on the RX 570. This gives it a higher memory bandwidth of 240.0 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s, despite having slower memory clocks (5 Gbps effective versus 7 Gbps effective). For workloads that are memory-bandwidth bound, the FirePro might hold an edge, but the RX 570’s higher clocks and newer architecture compensate in most real-world tests.

The FirePro also has a higher average benchmark score in the database (32,388 versus 28,766) and a higher percentile ranking (77th versus 74th). This suggests that in the full database suite, the FirePro performs better than the RX 570, likely due to its dual-GPU configuration and compute-oriented design. The FirePro supports DirectX 12 (11_1) while the RX 570 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), but the RX 570’s newer feature set is more relevant for modern software.

For compute-heavy professional workloads, the FirePro’s dual-GPU design and higher memory bandwidth could be advantageous, but the recorded benchmarks do not show it winning any head-to-head tests against the RX 570. The RX 570 wins on raw compute speed and API efficiency.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 570 is the faster card in the head-to-head benchmarks. It wins Geekbench OpenCL by 4.5% and Geekbench Vulkan by 20.1%. If you are choosing between these two for a system that will run modern games or general compute tasks, the RX 570 is the better choice. Its higher FP32 performance (5.095 TFLOPS versus 3.405 TFLOPS) and higher clock speeds (base 1168 MHz versus 825 MHz, boost 1244 MHz versus 950 MHz) translate directly into better benchmark results.

The FirePro S10000 is not without merit. Its 384-bit memory bus and 240.0 GB/s bandwidth are impressive, and its average benchmark score is higher in the database. But those strengths do not show up in the head-to-head tests. The FirePro’s dual-GPU architecture likely causes scaling issues in modern APIs, and its older GCN 1.0 design does not support Vulkan 1.3 like the RX 570 does.

Who should pick the FirePro S10000? If you need a card for very specific professional compute workloads that are optimized for dual-GPU setups and benefit from the higher memory bandwidth, the FirePro might still have a role. It also has a full-height dual-slot design and supports four mini-DisplayPort outputs, which could be useful in server or multi-display environments. But for gaming or general-purpose compute, the RX 570 is clearly superior.

Who should pick the RX 570? Anyone building a budget gaming PC or a workstation that needs solid Vulkan and OpenCL performance. The RX 570’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory is more than the FirePro’s 3 GB, and its 1x 6-pin power connector is far easier to accommodate than the FirePro’s 2x 8-pin connectors. The RX 570 also has a much lower TDP of 150 W versus 375 W, and its suggested PSU is 450 W versus 750 W. The RX 570 is the practical choice for almost every use case.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro S10000 has an average benchmark score of 32,388, while the AMD Radeon RX 570 has an average of 28,766. The FirePro ranks at the 77th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 570 ranks at the 74th percentile.

Q: How big is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 570 scores 42,752 points, while the FirePro S10000 scores 34,145 points. The FirePro is 20.1% slower in this test.

Q: Does the FirePro S10000 have more memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, the FirePro has a 384-bit memory bus with 240.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 570 has a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 570 compensates with faster memory clocks (7 Gbps effective versus 5 Gbps effective).

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The FirePro S10000 has a TDP of 375 W and requires 2x 8-pin power connectors with a suggested PSU of 750 W. The RX 570 has a TDP of 150 W, requires 1x 6-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 450 W.

Q: Which card supports newer APIs?

A: The RX 570 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 570 has newer DirectX and Vulkan support.

Q: How many shading units does each card have?

A: The FirePro S10000 has 1,792 shading units, while the RX 570 has 2,048 shading units. The RX 570 also has more TMUs (128 versus 112), but both have 32 ROPs.

Architecture Differences

The AMD FirePro S10000 is based on the Tahiti chip using the GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It has 4,313 million transistors on a die size of 352 mm², giving it a transistor density of 12.3 million per mm². The RX 570 is based on the Polaris 20 chip using GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It has 5,700 million transistors on a smaller die of 232 mm², giving it a much higher transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². The newer process node allows the RX 570 to pack more transistors into a smaller area.

The FirePro S10000 belongs to the FirePro Server (Sx000) generation, while the RX 570 belongs to the Polaris (RX 500) generation. The FirePro’s predecessor is FirePro Terascale, and its successor is Radeon Pro GCN. The RX 570’s predecessor is Arctic Islands, and its successor is Vega. These generational differences explain the architectural leaps.

The FirePro S10000 was released on November 11, 2012, while the RX 570 was released on April 17, 2017. That is a gap of roughly four and a half years. In that time, AMD moved from GCN 1.0 to GCN 4.0, which brought significant improvements in shader efficiency, clock speeds, and API support. The RX 570’s FP16 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1), while the FirePro has no listed FP16 performance, indicating the newer card supports half-precision compute more effectively.

The RX 570 also has a higher base clock (1168 MHz versus 825 MHz) and boost clock (1244 MHz versus 950 MHz). This higher clock speed, combined with the newer architecture, explains why the RX 570 wins in compute benchmarks despite having a narrower memory bus. The FirePro’s dual-GPU design is not reflected in the chip specifications, but it is a server-class card with a 375 W TDP and dual-slot cooling.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every key specification. The FirePro S10000 has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the RX 570 has 4 GB. The FirePro uses a 384-bit memory bus, the RX 570 a 256-bit bus. Memory bandwidth is 240.0 GB/s for the FirePro and 224.0 GB/s for the RX 570. Effective memory speed is 5 Gbps for the FirePro and 7 Gbps for the RX 570.

The FirePro has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RX 570 has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RX 570 has higher pixel and texture rates: 39.81 GPixel/s and 159.2 GTexel/s versus 30.40 GPixel/s and 106.4 GTexel/s for the FirePro. FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS for the RX 570 versus 3.405 TFLOPS for the FirePro.

Power consumption differs dramatically: the FirePro draws 375 W, the RX 570 draws 150 W. The FirePro needs 2x 8-pin power connectors and a 750 W PSU, while the RX 570 needs a single 6-pin connector and a 450 W PSU. The FirePro is 305 mm long (12 inches) and 111 mm tall (4.4 inches), while the RX 570 is 241 mm long (9.5 inches). Both are dual-slot cards.

Display outputs also differ. The FirePro has 1x DVI and 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the RX 570 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RX 570 supports newer display standards. The FirePro’s launch MSRP was 3,599 USD, while the RX 570’s launch MSRP was 169 USD, reflecting their different market positions. Both cards are end-of-life, but the RX 570 offers far more performance per watt and per dollar in the recorded benchmarks.