AMD FirePro W4100 vs AMD FirePro W4170M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a clear, though not overwhelming, advantage for the AMD FirePro W4100 in the single head-to-head test recorded. The W4100 wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark with a score of 5478, which is 8.8% higher than the AMD FirePro W4170M's score of 5034. This makes the W4100 the better choice for compute workloads that rely on OpenCL acceleration.

The AMD FirePro W4170M, despite the lower average benchmark score, does have a theoretical advantage in peak FP32 throughput. Its recorded FP32 performance is 691.2 GFLOPS, which is higher than the W4100's 645.1 GFLOPS. This suggests that in specific, highly optimized compute scenarios that can fully saturate its shading units at the boost clock, the W4170M could potentially close the gap or even take the lead, despite its lower overall benchmark result.

In terms of overall standing, the W4100 sits at the 34th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the W4170M sits at the 30th percentile. This means the W4100 is the stronger performer in general, placing it ahead of a larger portion of the GPU landscape. The W4170M, being a mobile part, is positioned slightly lower in the overall performance hierarchy. The database records a single win for the W4100 and zero for the W4170M in their direct comparison.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 is faster. It scores 5478 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034, giving the W4100 an 8.8% lead.

Q: Is there any metric where the W4170M has a theoretical advantage?

A: Yes, the W4170M has a higher peak FP32 compute rating at 691.2 GFLOPS, compared to the W4100's 645.1 GFLOPS. This does not translate to a benchmark win in the recorded data but indicates a different performance ceiling.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The W4100's average benchmark score of 5987 is virtually tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M, which scores 5986, and the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 at 5982. The W4170M's average score of 5034 is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon R5 M430 but 0.6% behind both the AMD Radeon R7 M340 and the AMD Radeon R7 240.

Q: What generation of architecture do both cards use?

A: Both the AMD FirePro W4100 and the AMD FirePro W4170M are based on the Graphics Core Next (GCN) 1.0 architecture and are built on a 28 nm process node at TSMC.

Q: What kind of memory configuration do they share?

A: Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, resulting in the same 64.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth for each.

Q: What is the form factor of each card?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 is a single-slot, 171 mm long desktop card with four mini-DisplayPort outputs. The AMD FirePro W4170M is an MXM Module, designed for portable devices, with its display outputs dependent on the host system.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct benchmark comparison between the AMD FirePro W4100 and the AMD FirePro W4170M. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the W4100 scores 5478, while the W4170M scores 5034. This result gives the W4100 a decisive 8.8% victory, the only recorded win for either card in their direct comparison.

This margin of 444 points is significant, placing the W4100 clearly ahead in real-world compute performance as measured by this test. The W4100's score is also higher than the average score of its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M, by a small margin. The W4170M's score, while lower, is still competitive within its own segment, landing between the AMD Radeon R5 M430 and the AMD Radeon R7 M340 in the overall database. For users running OpenCL-accelerated tasks, the data indicates that the W4100 is the more capable part.

Specification Differences

The most significant differences between the two cards lie in their core configurations and bus interfaces. The AMD FirePro W4100 is equipped with 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 render output units (ROPs). The AMD FirePro W4170M has a reduced configuration with 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. This difference in core counts directly contributes to the W4100's higher pixel rate of 10.08 GPixel/s versus the W4170M's 7.200 GPixel/s.

Interestingly, the texture fill rate tells a different story. The W4170M achieves 21.60 GTexel/s, which is higher than the W4100's 20.16 GTexel/s. This is due to the W4170M's higher boost clock speed of 900 MHz, compared to the W4100's unspecified base and boost clocks. The W4170M's superior texture rate and the higher FP32 rating suggest that its clock speed is significantly higher, allowing it to compensate for having fewer TMUs.

The bus interface also differs. The W4100 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 connection, while the W4170M uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 connection. This means the W4100 has twice the theoretical bandwidth available for data transfer to the host system. The power profiles are also distinct. The W4100 has a TDP of 50 W and a suggested power supply rating of 250 W, while the W4170M's TDP and suggested PSU are not specified in the database. The W4100 is a standard single-slot card, while the W4170M is an MXM module.

Architecture Differences

Both AMD FirePro cards share the same fundamental architecture. They are built on GCN 1.0 and manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process node. They also share the same graphics API support for DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The primary architectural difference is the underlying chip. The W4100 uses the Cape Verde chip, while the W4170M uses the Opal chip. This distinction leads to a significant difference in the physical hardware. The Cape Verde chip in the W4100 contains 1,500 million transistors on a die size of 123 mm². The Opal chip in the W4170M is much smaller, with 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die. Despite this, the transistor density is nearly identical, at 12.2M / mm² for the W4100 and 12.3M / mm² for the W4170M.

The generation naming also separates them. The W4100 is part of the FirePro GCN (Wx100) series, while the W4170M belongs to the FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) series. This designation reflects their intended usage: a desktop or workstation card versus a mobile component. Their predecessors also differ, with the W4100 succeeding the FirePro Terascale series and the W4170M following the FirePro Mobility series. The future path is also distinct, with the W4100 having a successor in the Radeon Pro Polaris line and the W4170M in the Radeon Pro Mobile line. The W4100 was released earlier, in August 2014, while the W4170M came later in April 2015.