GPU Comparison

The AMD FirePro S10000 and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by nearly a decade of architectural evolution. The data shows a clear generational shift, with the Radeon RX 6700 dominating in every head-to-head benchmark recorded. However, the FirePro S10000 holds a distinct position in the database, with a higher average benchmark score when compared across all recorded tests, a nuance that speaks to the specific workloads each card was designed for.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the head-to-head benchmark results, the Radeon RX 6700 wins unequivocally. The data lists two common tests: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The Radeon RX 6700 wins both, securing a 2-0 victory in the head-to-head matchup. Its lead is substantial, but the nature of that lead differs between the two APIs.

The Radeon RX 6700’s wins are not marginal. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 97,841 against the FirePro S10000’s 30,631, a delta of -68.7% from the perspective of the older card. This indicates the RX 6700 is not just faster, but operates in a different performance class for compute workloads. Similarly, in the Geekbench Vulkan test, the RX 6700 achieves 83,974 points versus the FirePro’s 34,145, a -59.3% delta.

The FirePro S10000, despite losing these direct comparisons, has a higher average benchmark score (32,388) than the RX 6700 (30,433). This discrepancy is due to the different sets of benchmarks each card has been run through. The FirePro’s score is an average of its two recorded tests, both of which are in the 30,000-34,000 range. The RX 6700’s average is pulled down by a wide variety of tests, including older DirectX and Passmark tests where its scores are relatively low compared to its Geekbench results. Therefore, the FirePro’s win is in its consistency across the specific legacy and compute-oriented tests it was subjected to, while the RX 6700’s win is in modern API performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two GPUs is stark. The FirePro S10000 is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Tahiti chip, and was manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. In contrast, the Radeon RX 6700 uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, built on a much more advanced 7 nm process, also at TSMC. This process shrink is a primary driver of the performance difference, allowing for significantly higher clock speeds and efficiency.

The transistor counts tell a dramatic story. The RX 6700 packs 17,200 million transistors on a 335 mm² die, resulting in a density of 51.3M transistors per mm². The FirePro S10000, with 4,313 million transistors on a slightly larger 352 mm² die, has a density of just 12.3M / mm². This over four-fold increase in density for the RX 6700 allows it to house far more compute units in a similar physical space.

The RX 6700 also introduces features that the FirePro S10000 simply lacks. Most notably, the RX 6700 has 36 dedicated ray tracing cores, a hardware feature absent from the GCN 1.0 architecture. The RX 6700 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the FirePro S10000 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). This means the newer card is equipped for modern rendering techniques like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and variable rate shading, while the older card relies on traditional rasterization methods. The FirePro S10000 does support a newer Vulkan version (1.2.170) in its API listing, but the RX 6700’s support for Vulkan 1.4 is more current.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The available head-to-head data is limited to two tests, but the results are decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, which measures general-purpose compute performance, the Radeon RX 6700 scores 97,841. This is more than triple the FirePro S10000’s score of 30,631. The delta of -68.7% for the FirePro shows that the RX 6700 is roughly 3.2 times faster in this specific compute workload.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a similar, though slightly less extreme, outcome. The RX 6700 achieves 83,974 points, while the FirePro S10000 manages 34,145. The delta is -59.3%, meaning the RX 6700 is approximately 2.5 times faster in this graphics and compute API. While the FirePro’s Vulkan score is higher than its OpenCL score, it still falls far short of the RX 6700’s performance in either test. These results clearly indicate that the architectural advantages of RDNA 2.0, including higher clock speeds and more efficient compute units, translate directly into massive performance gains in modern APIs.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal fundamental differences in nearly every category. The most obvious is memory. The Radeon RX 6700 has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro S10000 has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding 240.0 GB/s. While the FirePro has a wider bus, the RX 6700’s faster GDDR6 memory provides more total bandwidth.

Clock speeds also favor the RX 6700 overwhelmingly. Its base clock is 1941 MHz with a boost clock of 2450 MHz, and a game clock of 2174 MHz. The FirePro S10000 operates at a base of 825 MHz and boosts to 950 MHz. This is a massive difference in raw clock speed that contributes heavily to the performance gap. The memory clock is similarly disparate, with the RX 6700 at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) versus the FirePro’s 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

The compute unit configurations are also vastly different. The RX 6700 has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The FirePro S10000 has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and only 32 ROPs. This results in a pixel rate of 156.8 GPixel/s for the RX 6700 versus 30.40 GPixel/s for the FirePro. The texture rate is 352.8 GTexel/s for the RX 6700 versus 106.4 GTexel/s for the FirePro. The FP32 compute is 11.29 TFLOPS for the RX 6700 versus 3.405 TFLOPS for the FirePro, and the RX 6700 also has an FP16 rate of 22.58 TFLOPS, a feature the FirePro does not list.

Power requirements are another major differentiator. The RX 6700 has a TDP of 175 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector and a 450 W power supply. The FirePro S10000, in contrast, has a TDP of 375 W and requires two 8-pin connectors and a 750 W PSU. The physical dimensions also differ, with the FirePro being longer at 305 mm versus the RX 6700’s 267 mm. The RX 6700 also uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while the FirePro is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are different as well, with the FirePro offering 1x DVI and 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the RX 6700 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro S10000 has a higher average benchmark score of 32,388, compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6700’s average of 30,433.

Q: What is the performance difference in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 83,974, while the AMD FirePro S10000 scores 34,145. The RX 6700 is 59.3% ahead of the FirePro S10000 in this test.

Q: Does the Radeon RX 6700 support hardware ray tracing?

A: Yes, the Radeon RX 6700 architecture includes 36 ray tracing cores, a feature not present on the FirePro S10000.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The Radeon RX 6700 has a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s, while the FirePro S10000 has 240.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption?

A: The Radeon RX 6700 has a TDP of 175 W, while the FirePro S10000 has a TDP of 375 W.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The Radeon RX 6700 has a boost clock of 2450 MHz, far exceeding the FirePro S10000’s boost clock of 950 MHz.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear, generational victory for the AMD Radeon RX 6700. In the two benchmark tests they share, it is significantly faster, delivering over three times the performance in OpenCL and over two times in Vulkan. Its architectural advantages, a smaller 7 nm process, higher clocks, more compute units, and dedicated ray tracing hardware, render the FirePro S10000 obsolete for modern workloads. The RX 6700 also achieves this with a much lower TDP of 175 W versus 375 W, making it a more efficient and practical choice.

However, the story is not entirely one-sided. The FirePro S10000’s higher average benchmark score (32,388 vs 30,433) suggests that in the specific set of tests it was run through, it performed very consistently. Furthermore, its higher percentile rank (77th vs 75th) indicates that relative to all other GPUs in the database, it is a slightly more capable part on average. This is likely due to its position as a workstation/server card with a specific driver and workload optimization profile.

Therefore, the choice depends entirely on the user’s context. For any modern gaming, content creation, or general-purpose compute task, the Radeon RX 6700 is the only sensible pick. Its performance in modern APIs is unmatched by the older card. Conversely, the FirePro S10000, with its legacy GCN architecture and high power draw, is a relic. Its higher average score is a statistical artifact of the limited benchmarks it was subjected to, not an indication of real-world superiority. The verdict is that the RX 6700 is the superior GPU by every measure of modern performance, while the FirePro S10000 remains a high-score curiosity in legacy benchmarks.