GPU Comparison

The AMD FirePro W4100 and AMD Radeon HD 8730M are both end-of-life, 28 nm GCN 1.0 parts from the same foundry, yet they target fundamentally different segments of the market. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark, and the results are counterintuitive: the mobile-oriented Radeon HD 8730M outperforms the professional FirePro W4100 in raw compute. This analysis breaks down where each card wins, what architectural differences explain the results, and what the numbers imply for potential users.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results reveal a clear, albeit narrow, split. The AMD Radeon HD 8730M wins the only direct comparison available, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 5955 against the FirePro W4100’s 5478. This is an 8% lead for the mobile part. However, the FirePro W4100 has its own claim to victory in the form of a second benchmark result. The FirePro W4100 posts a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6496, a test that the Radeon HD 8730M does not have a recorded score for. Therefore, in the available data, the FirePro W4100 wins the API-specific Vulkan workload by default, while the Radeon HD 8730M wins the OpenCL compute test.

The use-case split is stark. The Radeon HD 8730M, being a mobile GPU from the Solar System (HD 8700M) generation, appears optimized for raw compute throughput in OpenCL. The FirePro W4100, with its four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs and single-slot design, is clearly built for professional multi-display workstation environments. Its Vulkan score suggests it handles modern graphics APIs more efficiently, even if its raw OpenCL compute is lower. The data implies that the FirePro W4100 is the better choice for professional visualization and CAD workloads that leverage Vulkan, while the Radeon HD 8730M is a more capable general-purpose compute chip.

Another way to frame this is through the lens of their nearest rivals. The FirePro W4100 has an average benchmark score of 5987, placing it in the 34th percentile of all GPUs. It sits directly between the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (5986, 0% delta) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (5996, -0.2% delta). This indicates the FirePro W4100 is a mid-pack performer, essentially tied with a professional mobile Quadro. The Radeon HD 8730M, with an average score of 5955, also sits in the 34th percentile, but its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K620M (5957, 0% delta). The HD 8730M is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 8750M and 0.4% behind the Intel UHD Graphics 730. This suggests the Radeon HD 8730M is a slightly lower-tier performer, hovering near integrated graphics levels, despite its OpenCL win over the FirePro W4100.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the GCN 1.0 architecture and are manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but the silicon itself is fundamentally different. The FirePro W4100 uses the Cape Verde chip, a larger and more complex design. Cape Verde packs 1,500 million transistors onto a 123 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.2M / mm². In contrast, the Radeon HD 8730M uses the Mars chip, which is significantly smaller at 77 mm² and contains only 950 million transistors, yielding a nearly identical density of 12.3M / mm². This die size difference is crucial; the FirePro W4100 has over 50% more transistors to work with.

The core configurations reflect this disparity. The FirePro W4100 has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 render output units (ROPs). The Radeon HD 8730M is cut down substantially, with 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. This means the FirePro W4100 has 33% more shading units and TMUs, and double the ROPs. The memory subsystems also diverge. The FirePro W4100 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, achieving a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s. The Radeon HD 8730M also has 2 GB, but it uses slower DDR3 memory on the same 128-bit bus, resulting in a bandwidth of just 28.80 GB/s. This is a massive 55% bandwidth deficit for the mobile chip.

Clock speeds further separate them. The Radeon HD 8730M has a base clock of 650 MHz and a boost clock of 700 MHz. The FirePro W4100 has no base or boost clock listed, but its memory runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the Radeon HD 8730M’s memory runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The combination of more cores, higher memory clocks, and wider memory bandwidth on the FirePro W4100 should theoretically make it the faster card. Yet, the benchmark data contradicts this expectation, which points to either driver maturity, thermal throttling, or the specific nature of the OpenCL test favoring the smaller chip.

The bus interface also differs: the FirePro W4100 uses a full PCIe 3.0 x16 connection, while the Radeon HD 8730M is limited to PCIe 3.0 x8. This halved link bandwidth could affect data transfer in some workloads, though it is less impactful for compute-bound tasks. The FirePro W4100 also has a defined 50 W TDP and requires a 250 W suggested PSU, whereas the Radeon HD 8730M’s TDP and power requirements are not listed in the data, which is typical for mobile parts where system-level power is managed differently.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head result is the most revealing piece of data. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon HD 8730M scores 5955, while the AMD FirePro W4100 scores 5478. This is an 8% delta in favor of the Radeon, a surprising outcome given the FirePro’s superior specifications. The FirePro W4100 has 512 shading units versus 384, 32 TMUs versus 24, 16 ROPs versus 8, and more than double the memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s). With these advantages, the FirePro should theoretically be significantly faster in compute workloads. The data suggests that the OpenCL benchmark may be sensitive to memory latency or specific instruction paths where the smaller Mars chip excels, or that the FirePro’s drivers are not optimized for raw OpenCL compute in the way the consumer-oriented Radeon drivers are.

To put this in perspective, the FirePro W4100’s OpenCL score of 5478 is below its own Vulkan score of 6496. This indicates that the FirePro is much better at handling Vulkan workloads than OpenCL, a trait that aligns with its professional workstation positioning where modern APIs are increasingly important. The Radeon HD 8730M has no Vulkan score, so we cannot make a direct comparison for that API. The delta of -8% for the FirePro in OpenCL is the only direct head-to-head data point, and it is a negative one for the workstation card.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the Radeon HD 8730M’s average (5955) is actually higher than the FirePro W4100’s average (5987)? No, the FirePro’s average is 5987, which is higher due to its strong Vulkan score. The FirePro’s average of 5987 is 32 points higher than the Radeon’s 5955, a 0.5% difference. This means that despite losing the OpenCL test, the FirePro W4100 has a higher overall average benchmark score. This is a critical nuance: the Radeon HD 8730M wins the single compute test, but the FirePro W4100 is the better overall performer when considering all available data.

Specification Differences

The specification table highlights several key differences beyond the core counts and memory type. The FirePro W4100 is a desktop workstation card with a single-slot form factor and no power connectors, drawing a 50 W TDP. The Radeon HD 8730M is a mobile chip with no listed slot width, power connectors, or TDP, reflecting its integration into laptops. The FirePro W4100 has four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, while the Radeon HD 8730M has no display outputs listed, which is typical for a mobile GPU where outputs are handled by the laptop manufacturer.

The FirePro W4100 is longer at 171 mm (6.7 inches) with a height of 69 mm (2.7 inches), whereas the Radeon HD 8730M has no dimensions listed. The FirePro uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the Radeon uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The release dates differ, with the Radeon HD 8730M launching on 2013-03-31 and the FirePro W4100 launching on 2014-08-12. The FirePro’s predecessor is FirePro Terascale, and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris. The Radeon HD 8730M’s predecessor is London, and its successor is Gem System. Both support the same APIs: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Neither has a launch MSRP listed.

The most significant specification differences that impact performance are the memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s), the ROP count (16 vs 8), and the shading unit count (512 vs 384). The FirePro also has a higher pixel rate (10.08 GPixel/s vs 5.600 GPixel/s) and texture rate (20.16 GTexel/s vs 16.80 GTexel/s). Its FP32 performance is 645.1 GFLOPS versus 537.6 GFLOPS for the Radeon. These are all substantial theoretical advantages for the FirePro W4100, yet they do not translate into a win in the OpenCL benchmark.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has an average benchmark score of 5987, which is higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8730M’s 5955, a difference of 32 points.

Q: Why does the Radeon HD 8730M win the OpenCL benchmark despite having fewer cores?

A: The Radeon HD 8730M scores 5955 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the FirePro W4100 scores 5478, an 8% delta. The data does not explain the cause, but it indicates that raw core counts and memory bandwidth do not always predict real-world compute performance.

Q: Does the FirePro W4100 support any API that the Radeon HD 8730M does not?

A: Both GPUs support the same APIs: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. However, the FirePro W4100 has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 6496, while the Radeon HD 8730M has no recorded Vulkan benchmark score.

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

A: The FirePro W4100 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (5986, 0% delta) and is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (5996). The Radeon HD 8730M is tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K620M (5957, 0% delta) and is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 8750M (5970).

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

A: The FirePro W4100 has a memory bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s using GDDR5, while the Radeon HD 8730M has a bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s using DDR3, making the FirePro more than twice as fast in this metric.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The FirePro W4100 has a pixel rate of 10.08 GPixel/s, which is nearly double the Radeon HD 8730M’s 5.600 GPixel/s.

The Verdict

The data paints a complex picture. For pure OpenCL compute, the AMD Radeon HD 8730M is the winner, delivering an 8% higher score in the only head-to-head test. Users running OpenCL-based workloads that are not dependent on memory bandwidth might prefer this card. However, this is a narrow victory. The FirePro W4100 has a higher average benchmark score overall (5987 vs 5955), driven by its strong Vulkan performance of 6496. It also has massive theoretical advantages in memory bandwidth, pixel rate, and texture rate.

The FirePro W4100 is the clear choice for professional workstation tasks. Its four mini-DisplayPort outputs, single-slot design, and superior Vulkan score make it suitable for multi-monitor CAD, visualization, and modern API-based rendering. The Radeon HD 8730M, as a mobile chip, is a more general-purpose compute part that happens to edge out the FirePro in OpenCL. Given that the FirePro has double the ROPs, over twice the bandwidth, and a 64% higher FP32 rating (645.1 GFLOPS vs 537.6 GFLOPS), its OpenCL loss is an anomaly.

The verdict is straightforward. If you need a workstation card for professional graphics and Vulkan-based applications, the FirePro W4100 is the better choice. If you are looking at raw OpenCL compute performance in a mobile context, the Radeon HD 8730M wins the single data point we have. The FirePro’s higher average score and superior specifications suggest it is the more capable overall GPU, but the benchmark data warns against assuming specifications always dictate performance. The Radeon HD 8730M’s win is a reminder that driver optimization and workload characteristics can overturn theoretical advantages.