AMD FirePro S7150 vs AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT Comparison

The AMD FirePro S7150 and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT represent two distinct eras of AMD graphics technology. The data shows a direct split in compute workloads, with the older server card claiming a decisive victory in one synthetic test while the newer consumer card dominates in another. Their average benchmark scores and percentile rankings place them in a similar overall performance tier, but the underlying architectures and specification differences could not be more pronounced. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, architectural shifts, and specification gaps to determine which card is appropriate for which task.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GPUs were directly compared in two synthetic workloads: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The results are starkly contrasting. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD FirePro S7150 scores 26,543, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 16,360. This gives the FirePro S7150 a commanding 62.2% lead in this compute-oriented API test. This is a significant margin, indicating that the older GCN-based architecture handles this particular OpenCL workload with far greater efficiency than the newer RDNA 2.0 design.

The tables turn completely in the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 98,089, obliterating the FirePro S7150’s score of 29,690. The delta is -69.7%, meaning the RX 6750 XT is nearly 3.3 times faster in this specific Vulkan benchmark. This is a massive generational leap in graphics API performance, showcasing the RDNA 2.0 architecture’s superior ability to handle modern, low-level graphics workloads. The data shows a clear split: the FirePro S7150 is optimized for one type of compute task, while the RX 6750 XT excels in modern graphics rendering.

Looking at their overall average benchmark scores, the two cards are closer than the head-to-head results suggest. The FirePro S7150 has an average score of 28,117, while the RX 6750 XT averages 26,011. This places the FirePro S7150 in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with the RX 6750 XT close behind in the 71st percentile. The FirePro S7150’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, with an average score of 28,020 (a 0.3% difference), while the RX 6750 XT sits just 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, which scores 25,891. This suggests that despite the vast architectural differences, their aggregate performance in the database is remarkably similar, with the FirePro S7150 holding a slight edge in the composite score.

The Verdict

The choice between these two cards depends entirely on the workload. From a pure compute perspective, specifically in OpenCL, the AMD FirePro S7150 is the clear winner, outperforming the RX 6750 XT by 62.2%. For users running applications that rely heavily on this API, the FirePro S7150’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and GCN 3.0 architecture provide a tangible advantage. Its 73rd percentile ranking and higher average benchmark score of 28,117 reinforce its strength in these specific tasks.

For any modern graphics workload, particularly those leveraging Vulkan, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the only choice. Its 69.7% lead in the Vulkan benchmark is an overwhelming victory. The RX 6750 XT is also the only card of the two with display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), making it the sole candidate for any interactive or rendering task that requires a monitor. The FirePro S7150 has no outputs, making it strictly a compute or server-side accelerator. The data indicates that the RX 6750 XT is for rendering, gaming, and modern graphics APIs, while the FirePro S7150 is for specialized compute offload in a server environment.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is a story of two different design philosophies. The AMD FirePro S7150 is built on the GCN 3.0 architecture, using the Tonga chip, which is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This chip contains 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 13.7M / mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, using the Navi 22 chip, manufactured on a more advanced 7 nm process, also at TSMC. This newer chip packs 17,200 million transistors into a smaller 335 mm² die, achieving a much higher density of 51.3M / mm².

These architectural shifts lead to different feature sets. The FirePro S7150 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the RX 6750 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The RX 6750 XT also introduces 40 RT cores for hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a feature entirely absent from the FirePro S7150. Furthermore, the RX 6750 XT supports Vulkan 1.4, whereas the FirePro S7150 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170. The RDNA 2.0 architecture also brings a doubling of the FP16 rate relative to FP32, with the RX 6750 XT hitting 26.62 TFLOPS FP16 compared to its 13.31 TFLOPS FP32. The FirePro S7150 also has a 2:1 FP16 ratio, but at a much lower absolute level, with 7.537 TFLOPS FP16 versus 3.768 TFLOPS FP32.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two cards highlight their different roles and generations. The FirePro S7150 is a single-slot, server-oriented card with a 150 W TDP and a single 1x 6-pin power connector, requiring a 450 W power supply. The RX 6750 XT is a dual-slot consumer card with a 250 W TDP, needing both a 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connector, and a recommended 600 W power supply. The newer card is also longer, at 267 mm (10.5 inches) versus 241 mm (9.5 inches) for the FirePro, though it is slightly shorter in height at 110 mm (4.3 inches) versus 111 mm (4.4 inches). The RX 6750 XT also has a defined width of 40 mm (1.6 inches), a figure not listed for the FirePro S7150.

Memory configurations differ significantly. The FirePro S7150 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6750 XT uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, but with a much higher effective speed of 18 Gbps, achieving 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a 2.7x increase in memory bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and modern game engines. The bus interface also advances from PCIe 3.0 x16 on the FirePro to PCIe 4.0 x16 on the RX 6750 XT. Clock speeds are another major differentiator, with the RX 6750 XT having a base clock of 2150 MHz and a boost clock of 2600 MHz, while the FirePro S7150 has no listed base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The RX 6750 XT also has a game clock of 2495 MHz.

The compute unit configurations are also distinct. The FirePro S7150 has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, resulting in a pixel rate of 29.44 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 117.8 GTexel/s. The RX 6750 XT has more of everything: 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, leading to a much higher pixel rate of 166.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 416.0 GTexel/s. The RX 6750 XT also features 40 RT cores. The release dates are also far apart, with the FirePro S7150 launching on 2016-01-31 and the RX 6750 XT on 2022-03-02. Both are now end-of-life products.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD FirePro S7150 is significantly faster in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 26,543 compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT’s 16,360, a 62.2% advantage.

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench Vulkan benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is overwhelmingly faster in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 98,089 versus the FirePro S7150’s 29,690, representing a 69.7% lead for the RX 6750 XT.

Q: Does the AMD FirePro S7150 support hardware ray tracing?

A: No, the FirePro S7150 does not have any RT cores. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the one with 40 RT cores for hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT has a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s, while the AMD FirePro S7150 has a bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s. The RX 6750 XT’s GDDR6 memory provides a 2.7x bandwidth advantage over the FirePro’s GDDR5.

Q: Which card can connect to a display?

A: Only the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT has display outputs, featuring 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The AMD FirePro S7150 has no display outputs, making it a compute-only card.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD FirePro S7150 has a higher average benchmark score of 28,117, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT has an average score of 26,011, placing it in the 71st percentile.