AMD FirePro S10000 vs AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Comparison

The AMD FirePro S10000 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT represent two very different eras of AMD GPU design: a 2012 server-oriented dual-chip card built on GCN 1.0 versus a 2023 consumer RDNA 3 part. The benchmark data is unambiguous in the head-to-head tests: the RX 7800 XT wins both recorded comparisons by massive margins, though both cards sit at the 76th percentile of all GPUs. The FirePro S10000's average score of 32,388 is only 0.7% below the RX 7800 XT's 32,619, but that aggregate masks the enormous gap seen in the direct compute tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two directly comparable benchmarks are Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In OpenCL, the RX 7800 XT scores 139,381 against the FirePro S10000's 30,631. That is a 78% advantage for the newer card, meaning the FirePro S10000 delivers roughly a quarter of the RX 7800 XT's compute performance in this workload. The Vulkan test tells a similar story: RX 7800 XT scores 143,060 versus 34,145 for the FirePro S10000, a 76.1% lead. In both cases, the delta is negative from the FirePro's perspective, and the RX 7800 XT is the decisive winner.

These head-to-head results are stark, but the average benchmark scores from the database are much closer. The FirePro S10000's average of 32,388 places it just 0.7% below the RX 7800 XT's 32,619. Among its nearest rivals, the FirePro S10000 sits between the FirePro S9300 X2 (32,540, -0.5%) and the RX 7800 XT itself (32,619, -0.7%). The RX 7800 XT, in turn, is 0.7% above the FirePro S10000 and only 0.2% below the FirePro S9300 X2. This suggests that the two cards are statistically similar in overall aggregate performance, yet the specific compute benchmarks show a dramatic separation. The FirePro S10000's OpenCL and Vulkan scores are far below its own average, while the RX 7800 XT's scores are far above its average, indicating that the newer architecture scales much better on these particular workloads.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, the RX 7800 XT wins both available tests. The FirePro S10000 has zero wins in this comparison. That is the entirety of the direct evidence. However, the data also reveals where each card might be preferable in practical terms, even if those areas are not directly benchmarked. The RX 7800 XT carries 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 624.1 GB/s bandwidth, while the FirePro S10000 has 3 GB of GDDR5 at 240.0 GB/s. For large datasets or high-resolution textures, the RX 7800 XT's memory capacity and bandwidth are clearly superior. The RX 7800 XT also has a lower TDP of 263 W versus 375 W, meaning it consumes less power for substantially higher performance. The FirePro S10000's only advantage in the specifications is its 384-bit memory bus, but that is offset by the much lower effective speed and capacity.

The RX 7800 XT also supports modern API features: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus the FirePro's DirectX 12 (11_1), and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.2.170. The FirePro S10000 does have a higher pixel rate in terms of raw numbers? Actually no: the RX 7800 XT's pixel rate is 233.3 GPixel/s versus 30.40 GPixel/s for the FirePro. So the RX 7800 XT wins on every measured performance metric. The only area where the FirePro S10000 could be considered a "win" is in its legacy status: it is end-of-life, while the RX 7800 XT is active. But from a benchmark perspective, the RX 7800 XT is the clear choice for any workload represented by OpenCL or Vulkan.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT has an average score of 32,619, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD FirePro S10000's 32,388.

Q: What is the FP32 performance difference?

A: The RX 7800 XT delivers 37.32 TFLOPS, while the FirePro S10000 delivers 3.405 TFLOPS — a more than tenfold difference.

Q: How much memory and bandwidth does each card have?

A: The RX 7800 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth; the FirePro S10000 has 3 GB of GDDR5 with 240.0 GB/s.

Q: Do both cards support ray tracing?

A: No. The RX 7800 XT has 60 RT cores, while the FirePro S10000 has none (RT cores are listed as null).

Q: What are the launch MSRPs?

A: The FirePro S10000 had a launch MSRP of 3,599 USD, and the RX 7800 XT had a launch MSRP of 499 USD.

Q: Which card is currently in production?

A: The RX 7800 XT is active; the FirePro S10000 is end-of-life.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two cards:

• Chip: Tahiti vs Navi 32
• Architecture: GCN 1.0 vs RDNA 3.0
• Codename: null vs Wheat Nas
• Generation: FirePro Server (Sx000) vs Navi III (RX 7000)
• Process Node: 28 nm vs 5 nm
• Transistors: 4,313 million vs 28,100 million
• Die Size: 352 mm² vs 346 mm²
• Transistor Density: 12.3M / mm² vs 81.2M / mm²
• Base Clock: 825 MHz vs 1295 MHz
• Boost Clock: 950 MHz vs 2430 MHz
• Game Clock: null vs 2124 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) vs 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective)
• Memory Size: 3 GB vs 16 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR5 vs GDDR6
• Memory Bus Width: 384 bit vs 256 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 240.0 GB/s vs 624.1 GB/s
• Shading Units: 1792 vs 3840
• TMUs: 112 vs 240
• ROPs: 32 vs 96
• RT Cores: null vs 60
• Pixel Rate: 30.40 GPixel/s vs 233.3 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 106.4 GTexel/s vs 583.2 GTexel/s
• FP32: 3.405 TFLOPS vs 37.32 TFLOPS
• FP16: null vs 74.65 TFLOPS (2:1)
• TDP: 375 W vs 263 W
• Suggested PSU: 750 W vs 600 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 vs PCIe 4.0 x16
• Display Outputs: 1x DVI, 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 vs 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DisplayPort 2.1
• DirectX: 12 (11_1) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2)
• Vulkan: 1.2.170 vs 1.4
• Length: 305 mm (12 inches) vs 267 mm (10.5 inches)
• Width: null vs 50 mm (2 inches)
• Release Date: 2012-11-11 vs 2023-08-24
• Production Status: End-of-life vs Active
• Predecessor: FirePro Terascale vs Navi II
• Successor: Radeon Pro GCN vs Navi IV
• Launch MSRP: 3,599 USD vs 499 USD

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is fundamental. The FirePro S10000 is built on GCN 1.0 using a 28 nm TSMC process, with 4,313 million transistors on a 352 mm² die. The RX 7800 XT uses RDNA 3.0 on a 5 nm TSMC node, packing 28,100 million transistors into a slightly smaller 346 mm² die. The transistor density jumps from 12.3 million per mm² to 81.2 million per mm², reflecting the massive process improvement.

The compute resources differ by an order of magnitude. The RX 7800 XT has 3,840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, compared to 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs on the FirePro. The RX 7800 XT also adds 60 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the FirePro. The FP32 throughput is 37.32 TFLOPS versus 3.405 TFLOPS, and the RX 7800 XT offers FP16 at 74.65 TFLOPS (2:1), while the FirePro lists no FP16 capability.

Memory architecture is another clear divergence. The FirePro uses a 384-bit GDDR5 interface with 3 GB at 240.0 GB/s. The RX 7800 XT uses a narrower 256-bit GDDR6 interface but achieves 624.1 GB/s due to much higher effective clock speed (19.5 Gbps vs 5 Gbps). The RX 7800 XT also supports modern display outputs (HDMI 2.1a, DisplayPort 2.1) and a PCIe 4.0 bus, while the FirePro has DVI and mini-DisplayPort 1.2 on PCIe 3.0. The API support differs as well: DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 on the RX 7800 XT versus DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170 on the FirePro. These differences reflect a generational leap in both process technology and feature set.

The Verdict

The benchmark data leaves no room for ambiguity. In the two head-to-head tests — Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan — the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT outperforms the AMD FirePro S10000 by 78% and 76.1%, respectively. The RX 7800 XT also wins on every specification that matters for modern workloads: it has over five times the memory capacity, 2.6 times the memory bandwidth, nearly 11 times the FP32 throughput, and a lower TDP. The FirePro S10000's only "advantage" is its wider 384-bit memory bus, but that is rendered irrelevant by the much slower memory clock and smaller capacity.

The aggregate average scores are close (32,388 vs 32,619, a 0.7% difference), but that statistic is misleading because the FirePro's own OpenCL and Vulkan scores are far below its average, while the RX 7800 XT's are far above. For anyone choosing between these two cards based on the available data, the RX 7800 XT is the clear winner. It is an active product, supports modern APIs, includes ray tracing hardware, and delivers dramatically higher performance in compute-oriented benchmarks. The FirePro S10000, being end-of-life and limited to 3 GB of memory, cannot keep pace in any measured category. The verdict is straightforward: the RX 7800 XT is the superior GPU for every workload represented in this comparison.