AMD FirePro W4100 vs NVIDIA GeForce 940M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro W4100 and NVIDIA GeForce 940M split their two recorded benchmark tests exactly one win apiece, but the nature of those wins tells a clear story about their intended roles. In OpenCL compute workloads, the GeForce 940M takes the lead with a score of 6018 against 5478 for the FirePro W4100, a 9% advantage. However, in Vulkan graphics workloads, the FirePro W4100 dominates with a score of 6496 versus 4549 for the GeForce 940M, a substantial 42.8% margin.

The data indicates that the FirePro W4100 is the stronger choice for graphics API performance, particularly in modern low-level rendering interfaces. The GeForce 940M, by contrast, shows its strength in general-purpose compute through OpenCL. This split suggests that users prioritizing rendering workloads, such as CAD viewports or GPU-accelerated graphics pipelines, would see better results from the AMD card. Users focused on compute tasks, such as OpenCL-based acceleration in productivity software, would find the NVIDIA part more responsive.

Looking at average benchmark scores, the FirePro W4100 lands at 5987, while the GeForce 940M averages 5284. This places the AMD card roughly 13% ahead in overall measured performance, despite losing the OpenCL test. The FirePro W4100 also sits at the 34th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GeForce 940M sits at the 31st percentile. The FirePro W4100's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M at 5986, the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 at 5982, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server at 5996, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M at 6000, all within a fraction of a percent. The GeForce 940M's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M at 5308, the NVIDIA GeForce 930A at 5317, the NVIDIA GeForce 840M at 5322, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M at 5236, again all tightly clustered.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages and target different form factors. The AMD FirePro W4100 uses the Cape Verde chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The die measures 123 mm² and contains 1,500 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M uses the GM107 chip built on Maxwell architecture, also on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Its die is larger at 148 mm² with 1,870 million transistors, producing a slightly higher density of 12.6 million per square millimeter.

Memory configurations differ significantly. The FirePro W4100 pairs its 2 GB GDDR5 memory with a 128 bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth at a memory clock of 1000 MHz. The GeForce 940M also has 2 GB, but it uses DDR3 memory on a 64 bit bus, resulting in just 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth at 900 MHz. That is a 4.4x bandwidth advantage for the AMD card, a gap that heavily influences its Vulkan performance.

Both GPUs share identical core counts in several respects: 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. The GeForce 940M compensates with higher raw throughput rates. Its pixel rate is 17.57 GPixel/s versus 10.08 GPixel/s for the FirePro W4100, and its texture rate is 35.14 GTexel/s versus 20.16 GTexel/s. In theoretical FP32 compute, the GeForce 940M reaches 1,124.4 GFLOPS, while the FirePro W4100 manages 645.1 GFLOPS. The NVIDIA part's base clock of 1020 MHz and boost clock of 1098 MHz give it a substantial frequency advantage over the AMD card, whose base and boost clocks are not recorded in the database.

Power and physical specifications also diverge. The FirePro W4100 is a single-slot card with a 50 W TDP and no power connectors, requiring a suggested 250 W power supply. It uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and offers four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The GeForce 940M is an MXM module with a 75 W TDP, also without power connectors, and its display outputs are listed as portable device dependent. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and a newer Vulkan 1.4. Release dates place the FirePro W4100 in August 2014 and the GeForce 940M in March 2015, with both now marked end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct comparisons between these GPUs, and the results are sharply contrasting. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce 940M scores 6018 against 5478 for the AMD FirePro W4100. The delta is 9% in favor of NVIDIA. This aligns with the GeForce 940M's higher FP32 throughput of 1,124.4 GFLOPS and its faster pixel and texture rates. For compute tasks that scale with raw shader output, the NVIDIA part holds a clear edge.

The Geekbench Vulkan test flips the outcome dramatically. The AMD FirePro W4100 scores 6496, while the GeForce 940M scores 4549. The delta is 42.8% in favor of AMD, one of the larger margins recorded between GPUs in this class. The FirePro W4100's 64.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth, enabled by GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus, likely plays a decisive role in Vulkan workloads that stress memory throughput. The GeForce 940M's DDR3 memory on a 64 bit bus provides only 14.40 GB/s, a severe limitation for graphics-heavy APIs.

The average benchmark scores reflect these opposing strengths. The FirePro W4100 averages 5987 across its two recorded tests, while the GeForce 940M averages 5284. That 703-point gap in favor of AMD comes entirely from the Vulkan result, which outweighs the OpenCL deficit. The FirePro W4100's average score places it nearly even with the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M at 5986 and the NVIDIA Quadro K4000 at 5982, while trailing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M at 6000 by just 0.2%. The GeForce 940M's average of 5284 sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M at 5308, the NVIDIA GeForce 930A at 5317, and the NVIDIA GeForce 840M at 5322, with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M at 5236 trailing by 0.9%.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 offers 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth from 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M provides only 14.40 GB/s from 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64 bit bus.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in OpenCL compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940M scores 6018 in Geekbench OpenCL, beating the AMD FirePro W4100's 5478 by 9%. This matches the NVIDIA part's higher FP32 throughput of 1,124.4 GFLOPS versus 645.1 GFLOPS.

Q: What explains the AMD card's large Vulkan lead?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 scores 6496 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 42.8% ahead of the GeForce 940M's 4549. The AMD card's GDDR5 memory with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth and 128 bit bus likely provides a significant advantage for Vulkan's memory-intensive rendering paths.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 averages 5987 across its recorded tests, while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M averages 5284. The AMD card sits at the 34th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the 31st percentile for the NVIDIA part.

Q: Do the GPUs share any core specifications?

A: Yes, both the AMD FirePro W4100 and NVIDIA GeForce 940M have 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. Both are built on a 28 nm TSMC process.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has a 50 W TDP and requires a suggested 250 W power supply. The NVIDIA GeForce 940M has a 75 W TDP. Neither card uses power connectors.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct use cases. The AMD FirePro W4100 is the pick for graphics-centric workloads, particularly those using Vulkan. Its 42.8% lead in that benchmark is decisive, and its 64.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth on a 128 bit bus gives it a structural advantage for rendering tasks. The card's four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs and single-slot design also suit professional multi-display setups. Its average benchmark score of 5987 places it above the GeForce 940M by a meaningful margin.

The NVIDIA GeForce 940M is the pick for OpenCL compute workloads. Its 9% lead in that test is backed by higher theoretical throughput: 1,124.4 GFLOPS of FP32, a 17.57 GPixel/s pixel rate, and a 35.14 GTexel/s texture rate. The Maxwell architecture's higher clocks, with a base of 1020 MHz and boost of 1098 MHz, support this advantage. However, the DDR3 memory configuration with only 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth holds the card back in graphics-heavy APIs, as evidenced by its 4549 Vulkan score.

For users who need a balance of compute and graphics, the average scores provide guidance. The FirePro W4100's 5987 average versus the GeForce 940M's 5284 indicates that the AMD card delivers more consistent overall performance across the measured workloads. The GeForce 940M's nearest rivals, including the GeForce GTX 980M at 5308 and the GeForce 840M at 5322, all sit within 0.7% of its average, suggesting it is representative of its mobile GPU class. The FirePro W4100's rivals, including the Quadro K4000M at 5986 and the GTX 770M at 6000, similarly bracket its score within 0.2%.

Both GPUs are end-of-life products, and the choice ultimately depends on the workload. Vulkan rendering or multi-output professional setups favor the AMD FirePro W4100. OpenCL compute tasks favor the NVIDIA GeForce 940M. The benchmark record shows one win each, but the magnitude of the Vulkan victory for AMD outweighs the OpenCL loss for NVIDIA in the aggregate.