AMD FirePro W4100 vs AMD FirePro W600 Comparison

The AMD FirePro W600 and AMD FirePro W4100 are two professional workstation graphics cards built on the same fundamental architecture, yet they target distinctly different user needs within the FirePro GCN lineup. Both cards are now end-of-life products, but the benchmark data reveals clear separation in compute performance, physical design, and intended use cases.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward decision based on workload requirements. The AMD FirePro W600 is the compute-oriented choice, delivering a Geekbench OpenCL score of 6223, which is 13.6% higher than the W4100’s 5478 in the same test. This places the W600 at the 36th percentile among all GPUs, while the W4100 sits at the 34th percentile. For users prioritizing raw compute throughput in OpenCL-accelerated applications, the W600 is the definitive pick.

The FirePro W4100, despite its lower compute score, offers a distinct advantage in its physical footprint. It is a more compact card at 171 mm in length and 69 mm in height, compared to the W600’s 168 mm length and 111 mm height. The W4100 is also significantly more power-efficient, with a 50 W TDP versus the W600’s 75 W. This makes the W4100 the better choice for small-form-factor workstations or systems with tight thermal and power constraints, where the modest performance sacrifice is acceptable.

The W600 also wins on display output configuration, offering 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 connections versus the W4100’s 4x. This makes the W600 superior for multi-monitor professional setups that require more than four simultaneous displays. Each card has one clear domain: the W600 for maximum compute and display count, the W4100 for compactness and power efficiency.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the same underlying silicon. They are built on the Cape Verde chip using the GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The transistor count is identical at 1,500 million, and the die size is the same 123 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.2M / mm². Both belong to the FirePro GCN generation, with the W600 in the Wx000 family and the W4100 in the Wx100 family.

The core configuration is also identical. Both cards feature 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 render output units (ROPs). Neither card supports hardware ray tracing or tensor cores, as those features are absent from the data. The memory subsystem is a mirror image as well: 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, with memory clocked at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), producing a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s.

The architectural differences manifest purely in clock-derived performance metrics, not in fundamental hardware composition. The W600 achieves a pixel rate of 12.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 24.00 GTexel/s, while the W4100 comes in at 10.08 GPixel/s and 20.16 GTexel/s respectively. Similarly, FP32 compute is rated at 768.0 GFLOPS for the W600 versus 645.1 GFLOPS for the W4100. These are the only meaningful architectural separations between the two cards.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the W600 wins decisively. The W600 scores 6223, while the W4100 scores 5478. This represents a 13.6% advantage for the W600. In absolute terms, the W600 is 745 points ahead of the W4100.

Contextualizing the W600’s score against its nearest rivals shows it is tightly clustered. The AMD Radeon HD 6950 scores 6210, a 0.2% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102 and RTX 5070 Ti SUPER both score 6270, representing a -0.7% delta from the W600. The NVIDIA Quadro K620 scores 6282, a -0.9% delta. This indicates the W600 is positioned right at the edge of a performance band spanning roughly 6210 to 6282.

The W4100’s benchmark profile is more complex, as it includes both OpenCL and Vulkan scores. In OpenCL, it scores 5478, while in Vulkan it achieves 6496. Its average benchmark score across available tests is 5987. The W4100’s nearest rivals cluster tightly around its average: the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M scores 5986 (0% delta), the Quadro K4000 scores 5982 (0.1% delta), the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server scores 5996 (-0.2% delta), and the GeForce GTX 770M scores 6000 (-0.2% delta).

The 13.6% delta between the two FirePro cards is substantial given their identical core and memory specifications. This gap is attributable entirely to the higher clock-derived rates on the W600, as evidenced by its superior pixel, texture, and FP32 throughput figures.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the AMD FirePro W600 and AMD FirePro W4100:

• Generation: The W600 is in the FirePro GCN (Wx000) family, while the W4100 is in the (Wx100) family.
• Pixel Rate: The W600 delivers 12.00 GPixel/s; the W4100 delivers 10.08 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: The W600 delivers 24.00 GTexel/s; the W4100 delivers 20.16 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Compute: The W600 is rated at 768.0 GFLOPS; the W4100 is rated at 645.1 GFLOPS.
• TDP: The W600 is rated at 75 W; the W4100 is rated at 50 W.
• Display Outputs: The W600 features 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2; the W4100 features 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2.
• Dimensions: The W600 measures 168 mm (6.6 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height with a 20 mm (0.8 inches) width. The W4100 measures 171 mm (6.7 inches) in length and 69 mm (2.7 inches) in height, with no width specified.
• Release Date: The W600 was released on 2012-06-12; the W4100 was released on 2014-08-12.
• Launch MSRP: The W600 had a launch MSRP of 599 USD; the W4100 has no launch MSRP listed.
• Benchmark Scores: The W600 has a single OpenCL score of 6223. The W4100 has an OpenCL score of 5478 and a Vulkan score of 6496, with an average of 5987.
• Percentile: The W600 is at the 36th percentile; the W4100 is at the 34th percentile.

All other specifications, including chip, architecture, process node, foundry, transistors, die size, memory size/type/bus width/bandwidth, shading units, TMUs, ROPs, memory clock, bus interface, API support, power connectors, suggested PSU, and production status, are identical between the two cards.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher compute performance in OpenCL?

A: The AMD FirePro W600 scores 6223 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 13.6% higher than the W4100’s score of 5478.

Q: Are the two cards based on the same chip?

A: Yes, both use the Cape Verde chip with the GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC with 1,500 million transistors.

Q: How do the power requirements compare?

A: The W600 has a TDP of 75 W, while the W4100 has a lower TDP of 50 W. Both cards require a suggested PSU of 250 W and use no external power connectors.

Q: Which card supports more displays?

A: The W600 supports up to 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, whereas the W4100 supports 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.

Q: What is the memory configuration on both cards?

A: Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with a 64.00 GB/s bandwidth and memory clocked at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Q: How does the W4100’s Vulkan performance compare to its OpenCL performance?

A: The W4100 scores 6496 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is significantly higher than its OpenCL score of 5478, resulting in an average benchmark score of 5987.

Q: Which card is more compact for small workstations?

A: The W4100 has a shorter height of 69 mm (2.7 inches) compared to the W600’s 111 mm (4.4 inches), although the W4100 is slightly longer at 171 mm versus 168 mm.