AMD FirePro W4100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M and AMD FirePro W4100 are two very different products from different eras, and the benchmark data reflects that. The GT 555M is a mobile GPU from 2011, while the FirePro W4100 is a professional workstation card from 2014. In the single head-to-head benchmark available, the GT 555M takes a decisive 18.5% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 6493 against the FirePro's 5478. However, the FirePro W4100 counters with a strong Geekbench Vulkan score of 6496, a test the GT 555M does not even support. The verdict is split: pick the GT 555M if raw OpenCL compute is your sole priority; pick the FirePro W4100 if you need a modern API feature set, more memory, and professional display outputs.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different use cases. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M wins the only direct comparison available, posting an 18.5% higher Geekbench OpenCL score (6493 vs 5478). If your workload is strictly OpenCL compute, the older Fermi chip is the surprising winner here. However, the AMD FirePro W4100 is the more balanced and future-proof option. It nearly matches the GT 555M's OpenCL score in its Vulkan result (6496 vs 6493), and its support for Vulkan 1.2.170 — a feature the GT 555M lacks entirely — makes it the only choice for modern graphics APIs. The FirePro also offers double the memory (2 GB vs 1024 MB) and a faster memory type. For a professional workstation context, the FirePro W4100 is the practical pick. For a pure compute number, the GT 555M wins.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M uses the GF106 chip based on the Fermi architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 40 nm process. It packs 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 4.9M per mm². In contrast, the AMD FirePro W4100 uses the Cape Verde chip based on GCN 1.0, built on a newer 28 nm process. It contains more transistors (1,500 million) but on a much smaller die (123 mm²), achieving a significantly higher transistor density of 12.2M per mm². This architectural generational leap is substantial.

The compute resources differ sharply. The FirePro W4100 has 512 shading units and 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), compared to the GT 555M's 144 shading units and 24 TMUs. Both have 16 raster operation units (ROPs). The FirePro's raw shader count is over 3.5 times higher, yet it loses in OpenCL, indicating the Fermi architecture's efficiency in that specific test. The memory subsystems also diverge: the GT 555M uses 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, while the FirePro W4100 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus. The FirePro's memory clock is 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) versus the GT 555M's 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), leading to a massive bandwidth advantage for the AMD card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a decisive win for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M. The GT 555M scores 6493, while the AMD FirePro W4100 scores 5478. That is an 18.5% delta in favor of NVIDIA. This result is counterintuitive given the FirePro's superior specifications: more shading units (512 vs 144), higher pixel rate (10.08 GPixel/s vs 3.540 GPixel/s), and double the texture rate (20.16 GTexel/s vs 14.16 GTexel/s). The data suggests that the GT 555M's Fermi architecture is exceptionally well-tuned for this particular OpenCL workload, or that the FirePro's drivers were not optimized for it at the time of testing.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the GT 555M's percentile rank is 37, slightly higher than the FirePro's 34. The GT 555M's average benchmark score is 6493, while the FirePro's average drops to 5987 when including its Vulkan result. The FirePro's Vulkan score of 6496 is notable because it is nearly identical to the GT 555M's OpenCL score, showing that the AMD card can reach similar performance levels when using a modern API. The GT 555M has no Vulkan score listed, reinforcing its architectural limitations. In terms of nearest rivals, the GT 555M sits close to the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (6481, 0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6476, 0.3% delta). The FirePro W4100 is statistically tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (5986, 0% delta), showing it is a solid mid-range workstation performer.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal a generational gap. The process node is the biggest divider: the GT 555M uses 40 nm, while the FirePro W4100 uses 28 nm. The AMD chip is smaller (123 mm² vs 238 mm²) despite having more transistors (1,500M vs 1,170M). The FirePro W4100 has a much higher transistor density at 12.2M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm² for the GT 555M. Memory capacity doubles from 1024 MB to 2 GB, and the type upgrades from DDR3 to GDDR5. The memory clock jumps from 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) to 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), and bandwidth more than doubles from 28.80 GB/s to 64.00 GB/s. Both maintain a 128-bit bus width.

Compute throughput is vastly different on paper. The FirePro W4100 delivers 645.1 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, nearly double the GT 555M's 339.8 GFLOPS. Pixel rate is 10.08 GPixel/s versus 3.540 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 20.16 GTexel/s versus 14.16 GTexel/s. The FirePro has 512 shading units and 32 TMUs, dwarfing the GT 555M's 144 shading units and 24 TMUs. The FirePro W4100 has a higher TDP at 50 W versus 35 W, and it is a single-slot card measuring 171 mm (6.7 inches) in length and 69 mm (2.7 inches) in height. It requires no power connectors and suggests a 250 W PSU. The GT 555M is mobile-dependent with "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs, while the FirePro offers 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 2.0 x16 for NVIDIA versus PCIe 3.0 x16 for AMD.

API support is a critical differentiator. The FirePro W4100 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. Both use different generations: the GT 555M is from GeForce 500M, while the FirePro is from FirePro GCN (Wx100). The release dates are separated by over three years, with the GT 555M launching on 2011-07-01 and the FirePro W4100 on 2014-08-12. Both are end-of-life, but their predecessors and successors differ: the GT 555M follows GeForce 400M and precedes GeForce 600M, while the FirePro follows FirePro Terascale and precedes Radeon Pro Polaris.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M wins decisively. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 6493 compared to the AMD FirePro W4100's 5478, an 18.5% difference.

Q: Does the AMD FirePro W4100 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, it supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has no Vulkan support listed in its specifications.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has a 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, which is more than double the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M's 28.80 GB/s. The FirePro uses 2 GB of GDDR5, while the GT 555M uses 1024 MB of DDR3.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has an average benchmark score of 6493, while the AMD FirePro W4100 has an average of 5987, which includes both its OpenCL and Vulkan scores.

Q: Are these GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are listed as end-of-life. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M was released on 2011-07-01, and the AMD FirePro W4100 was released on 2014-08-12.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has a pixel rate of 10.08 GPixel/s, compared to 3.540 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M wins in the OpenCL compute arena. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 6493 is 18.5% higher than the FirePro's 5478, making it the superior choice for applications that rely heavily on OpenCL acceleration. It also achieves a higher percentile rank of 37 versus 34, suggesting it outperforms a larger fraction of the GPU population in this metric. The GT 555M also has a lower TDP at 35 W versus 50 W, making it more power-efficient on paper. For legacy workloads or specific OpenCL compute tasks, the GT 555M is the data-backed winner.

The AMD FirePro W4100 wins in almost every other category. It offers Vulkan 1.2.170 support, which the GT 555M lacks entirely, making it the only option for modern Vulkan-based applications. Its Vulkan score of 6496 practically matches the GT 555M's best OpenCL result. The FirePro has double the memory (2 GB vs 1024 MB) and over double the bandwidth (64.00 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s), which is critical for texture-heavy workloads. It has a much higher FP32 throughput (645.1 GFLOPS vs 339.8 GFLOPS), pixel rate (10.08 GPixel/s vs 3.540 GPixel/s), and texture rate (20.16 GTexel/s vs 14.16 GTexel/s). The FirePro also provides professional display outputs with 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and a single-slot design with no power connectors, making it a practical workstation card. Its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is twice the bandwidth of the GT 555M's PCIe 2.0 x16. For professional visualization, modern API support, or memory-intensive tasks, the FirePro W4100 is the clear choice.