AMD FirePro W2100 vs AMD Radeon R7 Graphics Comparison

The Verdict

The data splits cleanly between two very different use cases. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, an integrated part of the Kaveri APU, wins the modern API battle decisively. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 5980 crushes the FirePro W2100's 4497 by 33%. For any workload that leans on Vulkan, the R7 Graphics is the clear choice.

The AMD FirePro W2100, a discrete single-slot card, takes the OpenCL crown. It scores 4093 versus 4015 for the R7 Graphics, a narrow 1.9% margin. That is a small but real advantage in compute tasks that use OpenCL. The FirePro also brings dedicated 2 GB DDR3 memory with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth, which makes it a more predictable option for multi-monitor professional setups where system memory sharing is not ideal.

A hard verdict: pick the Radeon R7 Graphics for Vulkan-centric rendering or compute. Pick the FirePro W2100 for OpenCL workloads and for use cases that need a discrete, low-profile card with its own frame buffer. The FirePro's average benchmark score of 4295 sits at the 25th percentile of all GPUs, while the R7 Graphics reaches the 29th percentile with an average of 4998. That 16% overall gap is driven almost entirely by the Vulkan result.

Architecture Differences

The two chips share the same 28 nm process node but come from different foundries and design generations. The Radeon R7 Graphics uses the Spectre Lite die, built on GCN 2.0 architecture and fabricated by GlobalFoundries. The FirePro W2100 uses the Oland chip, built on the older GCN 1.0 architecture and fabricated by TSMC. The R7 Graphics belongs to the GCN 2.0 IGP (Kaveri) generation; the FirePro belongs to the FirePro GCN (Wx100) generation.

Transistor counts differ sharply. The R7 Graphics packs 2,410 million transistors into a 245 mm² die, which works out to 9.8M transistors per square millimeter. The FirePro W2100 has 950 million transistors on a much smaller 77 mm² die, giving it a higher density of 12.3M per square millimeter. The R7's larger, older-density die is an integrated design, while the FirePro's smaller die is a discrete part.

Shading resources favor the R7 Graphics. It carries 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The FirePro W2100 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The R7's pixel rate is 5.760 GPixel/s versus 5.440 GPixel/s for the FirePro, and its texture rate is 17.28 GTexel/s versus 13.60 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 553.0 GFLOPS for the R7 and 435.2 GFLOPS for the FirePro. In every raw throughput metric, the integrated part is ahead.

Memory is where the FirePro pulls ahead in practical terms. The R7 Graphics uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. The FirePro has its own 2 GB DDR3 frame buffer on a 128-bit bus, delivering 28.80 GB/s. The FirePro's memory clock is 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective data rate; the R7's memory clock is listed as "System Shared."

The FirePro W2100 is a single-slot PCIe 3.0 x8 card, 168 mm long and 69 mm tall, with no power connectors and a 26 W TDP. The R7 Graphics is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and a 25 W TDP. Both support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, but the R7's DirectX 12 feature level is 12_0 while the FirePro's is 12 (11_1).

The R7 Graphics has no dedicated display outputs, as they are motherboard-dependent. The FirePro offers 2x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. Both parts are end-of-life. The R7's predecessor is TeraScale 3 IGP and its successor is GCN 3.0 IGP. The FirePro's predecessor is FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics is significantly faster. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 5980 is 33% higher than the FirePro W2100's 4497.

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL?

A: The AMD FirePro W2100 wins by a slight margin. It scores 4093 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 4015 for the R7 Graphics, a 1.9% advantage.

Q: Does the FirePro W2100 have its own memory?

A: Yes. The FirePro W2100 has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The R7 Graphics relies on system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Radeon R7 Graphics has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The FirePro W2100 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs.

Q: What is the power draw of each GPU?

A: The Radeon R7 Graphics is rated at 25 W TDP. The FirePro W2100 is rated at 26 W TDP and the database lists a 200 W suggested PSU for the FirePro.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The R7 Graphics supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12_0, while the FirePro W2100 supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12 (11_1).

Q: Which GPU sits higher in the overall performance percentile?

A: The Radeon R7 Graphics reaches the 29th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 4998. The FirePro W2100 sits at the 25th percentile with an average score of 4295.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every silicon-level specification. The R7 Graphics uses the Spectre Lite chip on GCN 2.0 architecture fabricated by GlobalFoundries, while the FirePro W2100 uses the Oland chip on GCN 1.0 fabricated by TSMC. Transistor counts are 2,410 million versus 950 million, and die sizes are 245 mm² versus 77 mm². Transistor density is 9.8M per mm² for the R7 and 12.3M per mm² for the FirePro.

The R7 Graphics has no base or boost clock listed, and its memory clock is "System Shared." The FirePro W2100 has a 630 MHz base clock, a 680 MHz boost clock, and a 900 MHz memory clock with 1800 Mbps effective data rate. The R7 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs; the FirePro has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs.

Pixel rate is 5.760 GPixel/s for the R7 versus 5.440 GPixel/s for the FirePro. Texture rate is 17.28 GTexel/s versus 13.60 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 553.0 GFLOPS versus 435.2 GFLOPS.

Memory configuration is a major split. The R7 uses system-shared memory, system-shared type, system-shared bus width, and system-dependent bandwidth. The FirePro has 2 GB DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Power and physical specs also diverge. The R7 is an IGP with a 25 W TDP and no slot width. The FirePro is a single-slot card with a 26 W TDP, no power connectors, a 200 W suggested PSU, and a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The FirePro measures 168 mm in length and 69 mm in height. Display outputs are motherboard-dependent for the R7, while the FirePro has 2x DisplayPort 1.2.

DirectX support differs: the R7 is at 12_0, the FirePro at 12 (11_1). Both share OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The R7's release date is earlier, 2014-02-16, versus 2014-08-11 for the FirePro. Both are end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains two head-to-head benchmark comparisons, and each GPU wins one.

The Geekbench OpenCL test belongs to the AMD FirePro W2100. It scores 4093 against 4015 for the Radeon R7 Graphics. The delta is only 1.9%, which puts the two very close in raw compute. This result aligns with the FirePro's dedicated memory and its position among its nearest rivals. The FirePro's average score of 4295 is 0.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M at 4282, 0.6% above the AMD Radeon Vega 3 at 4268, 0.9% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 at 4335, and 1.3% above the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M at 4241. The R7 Graphics, by comparison, sits in a slightly higher performance bracket: its average of 4998 is 0.4% above the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 at 4979, 0.4% below the AMD Radeon R5 M430 at 5018, 0.6% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB at 4970, and 0.7% below the AMD FirePro W4170M at 5034.

The Geekbench Vulkan test is a landslide for the Radeon R7 Graphics. It scores 5980 versus 4497 for the FirePro W2100, a 33% advantage. This is by far the largest margin in either direction. The R7's Vulkan result is what pushes its average benchmark score to 4998, while the FirePro's lower Vulkan score drags its average down to 4295. The overall gap of 703 points, or roughly 16%, is almost entirely a Vulkan story.

The takeaway from the two tests is that the R7 Graphics has a substantial architectural advantage in modern API paths, while the FirePro W2100 holds a narrow edge in the older OpenCL compute path. For a workload that uses Vulkan, the R7 is the better part by a wide margin. For OpenCL-specific tasks, the FirePro is slightly ahead, and it brings the practical benefit of a discrete 2 GB frame buffer. The R7 wins 1 head-to-head test and the FirePro wins 1, but the R7's victory is 33% while the FirePro's is only 1.9%. That asymmetry matters: the R7 is the stronger overall performer, and the FirePro's win is too small to offset its Vulkan deficit.