AMD FirePro W4100 vs AMD Radeon R7 M460 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M460 scores 6612 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD FirePro W4100 scores 5478. The R7 M460 leads by 20.7% in this test.

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages compare?

A: The R7 M460 has an average benchmark score of 6612, placing it in the 38th percentile of all GPUs. The FirePro W4100 averages 5987 across its OpenCL and Vulkan results, sitting in the 34th percentile.

Q: What memory bus width does each card use?

A: The Radeon R7 M460 uses a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro W4100 uses a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, giving it nearly double the memory throughput.

Q: Which GPU supports Vulkan?

A: Both support Vulkan 1.2.170. The FirePro W4100 has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 6496, while no Vulkan score is recorded for the R7 M460.

Q: What are the power requirements of the FirePro W4100?

A: The FirePro W4100 has a 50 W TDP, requires no power connectors, and its suggested PSU is 250 W. No TDP or power connector data is recorded for the R7 M460.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The FirePro W4100 has 512 shading units, compared to 384 on the R7 M460. The FirePro also has 32 TMUs and 16 ROPs, versus 24 TMUs and 8 ROPs on the R7 M460.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next design. The Radeon R7 M460 uses the Meso chip built on GCN 3.0, while the FirePro W4100 uses the Cape Verde chip built on GCN 1.0. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, and their transistor counts are very close: 1,550 million for the R7 M460 and 1,500 million for the FirePro. Die sizes are similarly matched at 125 mm² and 123 mm² respectively, yielding transistor densities of 12.4M / mm² and 12.2M / mm².

The architectural split shows up in feature support. The R7 M460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro W4100 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The R7 M460 also records FP16 performance at 786.4 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, whereas no FP16 figure is recorded for the FirePro.

Raw compute resources favor the FirePro. It packs 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The R7 M460 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. Yet the R7 M460 achieves higher FP32 throughput at 786.4 GFLOPS versus 645.1 GFLOPS, thanks to a boost clock of 1024 MHz. The FirePro has no recorded base or boost clock, so its lower FP32 figure likely stems from a more conservative clock profile.

Memory architecture differs significantly. The FirePro W4100 runs a 128-bit GDDR5 bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the R7 M460 is constrained to a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s. Both cards carry 2 GB of GDDR5, but the FirePro's effective memory speed is 4 Gbps versus 4.5 Gbps on the R7 M460. The wider bus more than compensates for the slightly slower memory clock.

The FirePro is a workstation card with a 50 W TDP, single-slot design, no power connectors, and a 250 W suggested PSU. It measures 171 mm (6.7 inches) in length and 69 mm (2.7 inches) in height, and provides four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The R7 M460 has no recorded TDP, slot width, power connectors, or display outputs, reflecting its mobile-oriented design. The FirePro connects via PCIe 3.0 x16, while the R7 M460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8.

Release timing also separates them. The FirePro W4100 launched on 2014-08-12, and the R7 M460 on 2016-05-14. Both are end-of-life products. The FirePro's predecessor is FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris. The R7 M460's predecessor is Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile.

The Verdict

The benchmark data draws a clear line between these two cards. If your priority is raw OpenCL compute in a mobile or low-profile context, the Radeon R7 M460 wins outright. Its 6612 OpenCL score beats the FirePro's 5478 by 20.7%, and its average benchmark score of 6612 sits in the 38th percentile, above the FirePro's 34th percentile average of 5987.

But the FirePro W4100 is not without reason to exist. Its 128-bit memory bus delivers 64.00 GB/s, nearly double the R7 M460's 36.00 GB/s. For workloads that are bandwidth-sensitive rather than compute-bound, that wider pipe matters. The FirePro also supports Vulkan with a recorded score of 6496, a feature set the R7 M460 cannot match in the database. Its four mini-DisplayPort outputs and single-slot form factor make it a practical choice for multi-display workstation setups that require a low-profile card.

Choose the R7 M460 if you need maximum OpenCL throughput from a GCN 3.0 part with higher FP32 and FP16 compute. Choose the FirePro W4100 if you need the memory bandwidth, Vulkan support, or multi-output display capabilities of a dedicated workstation card. Neither card is current, but each still serves a distinct niche in the used market.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M460 | AMD FirePro W4100 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Meso | Cape Verde |

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Generation | Gem System (R7 M400) | FirePro GCN (Wx100) |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 12.2M / mm² |

| Boost Clock | 1024 MHz | Not recorded |

| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz, 4.5 Gbps effective | 1000 MHz, 4 Gbps effective |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 36.00 GB/s | 64.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 512 |

| TMUs | 24 | 32 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 8.192 GPixel/s | 10.08 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 24.58 GTexel/s | 20.16 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 786.4 GFLOPS | 645.1 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not recorded |

| TDP | Not recorded | 50 W |

| Slot Width | Not recorded | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | Not recorded | None |

| Suggested PSU | Not recorded | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Not recorded | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2014-08-12 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | FirePro Terascale |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | Radeon Pro Polaris |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct head-to-head comparison between these two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The Radeon R7 M460 scores 6612 against the FirePro W4100's 5478, a 20.7% advantage. This is not a marginal gap; it is a substantial lead that places the R7 M460 clearly ahead in compute workloads.

Looking at the R7 M460's nearest rivals puts that score in context. It sits 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581), 0.9% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554), 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513), and 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698). The R7 M460 is essentially at parity with a cluster of mid-range mobile and entry-level desktop GPUs, none of which challenge it by more than a couple of percentage points.

The FirePro W4100's nearest rivals tell a different story. Its average score of 5987 is within 0.2% of the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (5986), 0.1% of the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 (5982), 0.2% below the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (5996), and 0.2% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M (6000). This is a tightly grouped field where the FirePro neither dominates nor gets left behind.

The FirePro's Vulkan score of 6496 is worth noting. It is higher than its own OpenCL score and approaches the R7 M460's OpenCL result, suggesting that the Cape Verde architecture responds well to the Vulkan API. However, no Vulkan score is recorded for the R7 M460, so a direct comparison in that API is impossible from the available data.

The wins tally favors the R7 M460 with 1 head-to-head win against 0 for the FirePro. That single win, however, is the OpenCL test where the R7 M460's FP32 advantage (786.4 GFLOPS versus 645.1 GFLOPS) and higher boost clock translate directly into a better compute result.

Where Each One Wins

OpenCL compute: AMD Radeon R7 M460. The 20.7% OpenCL lead is the decisive factor. Higher FP32 throughput (786.4 GFLOPS versus 645.1 GFLOPS) and FP16 support at the same rate make the R7 M460 the better choice for general-purpose compute tasks that rely on shader math rather than memory access patterns.

Bandwidth-bound workloads: AMD FirePro W4100. The 128-bit bus and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth give the FirePro a structural advantage that the R7 M460 cannot overcome. Tasks that stream large datasets, such as certain image processing or data movement operations, will benefit from the wider pipe even if raw FP32 is lower.

Vulkan applications: AMD FirePro W4100. The FirePro has a recorded Vulkan score of 6496, and no Vulkan result exists for the R7 M460. If your software targets Vulkan, the FirePro is the only one of these two with demonstrated performance in that API.

Multi-display workstation use: AMD FirePro W4100. Four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, a single-slot form factor, and no power connectors make it a practical card for a compact workstation chassis. The R7 M460 has no recorded display outputs or slot width, so its multi-display capability is unverified in the database.

Pixel throughput: AMD FirePro W4100. The FirePro's 10.08 GPixel/s pixel rate exceeds the R7 M460's 8.192 GPixel/s, and its 16 ROPs double the R7 M460's 8. For rasterization-heavy tasks that fill the screen with geometry, the FirePro has the edge.

Texture throughput: AMD Radeon R7 M460. The R7 M460 posts 24.58 GTexel/s versus the FirePro's 20.16 GTexel/s, despite having fewer TMUs (24 versus 32). The higher clock speed on the R7 M460 drives this result, making it the better choice for texture-heavy workloads.

Overall percentile ranking: AMD Radeon R7 M460. A 38th percentile standing versus 34th for the FirePro confirms that, on average, the R7 M460 performs at a slightly higher level across the database's recorded benchmarks.