AMD FirePro S9300 X2 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 Comparison

The AMD FirePro S9300 X2 and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 are separated by over four years of architecture evolution, yet the data reveals a fascinating split in their capabilities. The FirePro, a dual-GPU server monster from the GCN era, still holds a lead in one specific compute workload, while the RX 6800, built on modern RDNA 2, dominates in graphics-oriented APIs. Benchmark results show a clear generational divide, with each card winning a decisive head-to-head matchup.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two cards split their direct comparisons exactly one win apiece, but the margins and contexts could not be more different. In Geekbench OpenCL, the FirePro S9300 X2 posts a score of 27,971, which is 14.1% higher than the RX 6800’s 24,508. This is a significant victory for the older server card, indicating that its raw compute architecture, with 4,096 shading units, remains highly effective in this particular API. The win is notable because the RX 6800’s average benchmark score across all tests is higher, yet in this specific workload, the FirePro’s design prevails.

The reverse is true in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 6800 delivers a crushing 115,107 score against the FirePro’s 37,109. This is a delta of -67.8% from the FirePro’s perspective, meaning the RX 6800 is roughly three times faster. This enormous gap highlights the modern architecture’s superior graphics pipeline and driver optimization for contemporary APIs. The FirePro was never designed for consumer gaming or real-time rendering workloads, and the Vulkan result underscores that limitation. The RX 6800’s score here is not just a win; it is a generational obliteration.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the RX 6800’s average score across 11 tests is 30,095, placing it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, which scores 29,945, a delta of 0.5% in the RX 6800’s favor. It also edges out the RTX 2080 Ti (29,783) by 1%. The FirePro S9300 X2, with an average score of 32,540 across just two tests, sits in the 77th percentile. Its closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE at 32,456, a 0.3% delta, and it trails the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME (32,601) by a mere 0.2%. These close margins suggest that the FirePro’s high average is buoyed by its strong OpenCL showing, while the RX 6800’s average is dragged down by weaker Passmark scores in legacy DirectX tests.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two cards is vast. The FirePro S9300 X2 is built on the GCN 3.0 architecture, using the "Capsaicin" chip, and is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This older node houses 8,900 million transistors on a 596 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 14.9M per mm². In contrast, the RX 6800 uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 21 chip, manufactured on a much more advanced 7 nm process. It packs 26,800 million transistors onto a 520 mm² die, achieving a density of 51.5M per mm². This three-and-a-half-fold increase in density is the primary driver of the RX 6800’s efficiency and performance advantages.

The core configurations tell a story of specialization versus versatility. The FirePro boasts 4,096 shading units and 256 TMUs, but only 64 ROPs. The RX 6800 has fewer shading units (3,840) and TMUs (240), but significantly more ROPs (96). Critically, the RX 6800 includes 60 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the FirePro. This explains the massive Vulkan performance gap, as the newer card is designed for real-time effects and modern rendering pipelines. The FirePro’s higher shader count, however, gives it an edge in raw parallel compute, which manifests in the OpenCL result.

Memory subsystems also differ fundamentally. The FirePro uses 4 GB of HBM on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6800 uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, also delivering 512.0 GB/s. While bandwidth is identical, the capacity difference is massive—the RX 6800 has four times the memory. The FirePro’s memory clock is listed at 500 MHz (1000 Mbps effective), while the RX 6800 runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), showcasing the newer card’s faster memory technology. This capacity advantage is crucial for modern workloads and high-resolution textures.

Clock speeds are another stark contrast. The FirePro has no listed base or boost clock, which is typical for server parts that prioritize consistent compute over variable performance. The RX 6800, however, has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 1815 MHz, and a boost clock of 2105 MHz. These high frequencies, combined with the RDNA 2 architecture, produce a pixel rate of 202.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 505.2 GTexel/s. The FirePro’s rates are much lower at 62.40 GPixel/s and 249.6 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute figures follow suit: the RX 6800 delivers 16.17 TFLOPS, more than double the FirePro’s 7.987 TFLOPS. The RX 6800 also supports FP16 at 32.33 TFLOPS (2:1), a feature the FirePro does not list.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture of two different worlds. The AMD FirePro S9300 X2 is a compute-focused relic that still holds value in specific OpenCL workloads, as evidenced by its 14.1% lead over the RX 6800 in that test. Its dual-GPU design and high shader count made it a server workhorse, but its lack of display outputs, 4 GB memory, and absence of ray tracing hardware severely limit its relevance today. Its average benchmark score of 32,540 is higher than the RX 6800’s 30,095, but this is heavily skewed by its narrow benchmark suite.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 is the clear all-rounder, with a 67.8% advantage in Vulkan, 16 GB of memory, and a modern feature set including DirectX 12 Ultimate support. Its 75th percentile ranking, while slightly below the FirePro’s 77th, is based on a much more comprehensive set of 11 benchmarks. The RX 6800 is the better choice for anyone needing a graphics card that can handle modern APIs, ray tracing, and large datasets. The FirePro remains a niche curiosity for legacy compute tasks, but the RX 6800 is the superior product for virtually every modern use case. For a system builder, the RX 6800’s 250 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU also make it more manageable than the FirePro’s 300 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro S9300 X2 has a higher average benchmark score of 32,540 compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6800’s 30,095. However, the FirePro’s score is based on only two benchmarks, while the RX 6800’s is based on eleven.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 has 4 GB of HBM. Both cards offer the same memory bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s.

Q: Does either card support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 has 60 ray tracing cores. The AMD FirePro S9300 X2 has no ray tracing cores listed in its specifications.

Q: What is the performance difference in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 115,107 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 67.8% higher than the AMD FirePro S9300 X2’s score of 37,109. This indicates a massive advantage for the RX 6800 in this API.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 has a transistor density of 51.5M per mm², which is significantly higher than the AMD FirePro S9300 X2’s 14.9M per mm². This is due to the RX 6800’s smaller 7 nm process node compared to the FirePro’s 28 nm node.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro S9300 X2 wins in the niche of legacy compute acceleration. Its 14.1% lead in Geekbench OpenCL makes it a candidate for specific scientific or professional workloads that rely heavily on this API. Its 4,096 shading units and 4096-bit memory bus are tailored for throughput in compute-heavy tasks. It is also the only card of the two with a higher average benchmark score, but this is misleading given the limited test set. Its dual-slot design and 2x 8-pin power connectors are typical for a server card, but the lack of display outputs means it is strictly for compute nodes, not workstations.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 wins in every other measurable category. Its 67.8% Vulkan advantage makes it the clear choice for gaming, real-time rendering, and any application that leverages modern graphics APIs. The 16 GB memory capacity is essential for high-resolution textures and large models. The inclusion of ray tracing cores opens up hardware-accelerated effects that the FirePro cannot handle. Its higher pixel rate (202.1 GPixel/s vs 62.40 GPixel/s) and texture rate (505.2 GTexel/s vs 249.6 GTexel/s) translate to better fill rates in rasterization-heavy scenes. The RX 6800 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, whereas the FirePro is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0). For any user building a system for gaming, content creation, or general-purpose GPU compute on modern APIs, the RX 6800 is the definitive winner.