AMD FirePro W4100 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX130 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear split between the two GPUs depending on the workload. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 scores 6102, while the AMD FirePro W4100 scores 5478. This gives the MX130 a 10.2% lead in this particular benchmark. The OpenCL result favors NVIDIA's architecture for compute tasks that rely on this API, and the margin is substantial enough to be considered a meaningful advantage in that specific test.

However, the situation reverses entirely in the Geekbench Vulkan test. The AMD FirePro W4100 scores 6496, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 scores 4914. This represents a 32.2% advantage for the AMD card, a much larger margin than NVIDIA's OpenCL lead. The Vulkan result is particularly striking because it shows that the FirePro W4100 can nearly match its own OpenCL score while the MX130 drops by over 1000 points when switching APIs. The data indicates that AMD's GCN architecture handles Vulkan workloads with significantly greater efficiency relative to NVIDIA's Maxwell architecture in this comparison.

When looking at the average benchmark scores, the AMD FirePro W4100 achieves 5987, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 achieves 5508. The difference in averages reflects the asymmetric nature of the wins: AMD's Vulkan win is larger in percentage terms than NVIDIA's OpenCL win, but NVIDIA's OpenCL score is higher in absolute terms. The FirePro W4100 sits at the 34th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the MX130 sits at the 32nd percentile. The AMD card's nearest rival in the database is the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M with an average score of 5986, putting the FirePro W4100 essentially level with that workstation-class card. The MX130's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M at 5501, again nearly identical. Both cards occupy a similar performance tier overall, but the distribution of their strengths differs considerably.

Where Each One Wins

The workload split is straightforward based on the two available benchmarks. The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 wins in OpenCL compute tasks. Its score of 6102 places it ahead of the FirePro W4100 by 10.2%, and this advantage likely stems from the higher FP32 throughput of the MX130, which the database records at 913.2 GFLOPS compared to the FirePro W4100's 645.1 GFLOPS. The MX130 also has a higher texture rate at 28.54 GTexel/s versus 20.16 GTexel/s for the AMD card. For applications that use OpenCL for general-purpose GPU computing, the data suggests NVIDIA holds the edge.

The AMD FirePro W4100 wins decisively in Vulkan. The 32.2% lead in the Vulkan benchmark is the single largest performance margin recorded between these two cards. The FirePro W4100's Vulkan score of 6496 is higher than the MX130's OpenCL score, meaning the AMD card outperforms the NVIDIA card in Vulkan by a wider margin than the NVIDIA card outperforms AMD in OpenCL. The FirePro W4100 also has a larger memory bus at 128 bit versus 64 bit, which gives it a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s compared to the MX130's 40.10 GB/s. For Vulkan-based workloads, which tend to be more sensitive to memory bandwidth, this difference likely contributes to the large performance gap.

The data also shows that the AMD FirePro W4100 has a higher pixel rate at 10.08 GPixel/s versus 9.512 GPixel/s for the MX130, a small but consistent advantage. The FirePro W4100 has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs, while the MX130 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The AMD card's larger ROP count may explain its pixel rate advantage, while the MX130's higher clock speeds, 1189 MHz boost versus no boost clock listed for the FirePro W4100, explain its FP32 and texture rate advantages.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and manufacturers. The AMD FirePro W4100 uses the Cape Verde chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 uses the GM108S chip built on Maxwell architecture, also fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Both cards use the same process node and foundry, which makes their architectural differences the primary factor in their performance characteristics.

The transistor counts differ notably. The FirePro W4100 contains 1,500 million transistors on a die size of 123 mm², giving it a transistor density of 12.2 million transistors per mm². The MX130 contains 1,020 million transistors on a die size of 77 mm², giving it a transistor density of 13.2 million transistors per mm². The NVIDIA chip is more densely packed, but the AMD chip is physically larger and contains more total transistors.

Memory configurations also differ. Both cards have 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, but the FirePro W4100 uses a 128 bit bus while the MX130 uses a 64 bit bus. The FirePro W4100's memory runs at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective speed, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The MX130's memory runs at 1253 MHz with 5 Gbps effective speed, delivering 40.10 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD card has a significant bandwidth advantage due to its wider bus, despite the NVIDIA card's faster memory clock.

The power profiles differ as well. The FirePro W4100 has a TDP of 50 W and is a single-slot card with no power connectors, requiring a suggested power supply of 250 W. The MX130 has a TDP of 30 W and is classified as an IGP, meaning it is integrated into a laptop motherboard rather than being a discrete add-in card. The MX130's bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x4, while the FirePro W4100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The FirePro W4100 offers four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, while the MX130's display outputs are described as portable device dependent, meaning they vary by laptop implementation.

The API support shows subtle differences. Both support DirectX 12, but the FirePro W4100 lists DirectX 12 (11_1) while the MX130 lists DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6. The FirePro W4100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the MX130 supports Vulkan 1.4, a newer version of the API.

The release dates differ by over three years. The FirePro W4100 was released on August 12, 2014, while the MX130 was released on November 16, 2017. Both are now listed as end-of-life products. The FirePro W4100's predecessor is listed as FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris, while the MX130 has no listed predecessor or successor.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear choice based on the intended use case. For OpenCL-based workloads, the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 is the better performer, with a 10.2% advantage over the AMD FirePro W4100. The MX130's higher FP32 throughput and texture rate make it well suited for general-purpose compute tasks that leverage OpenCL. Its lower TDP of 30 W also makes it more appropriate for power-constrained laptop designs.

For Vulkan-based workloads, the AMD FirePro W4100 is the clear winner, with a 32.2% advantage over the MX130. This is a substantial margin, more than three times the size of NVIDIA's OpenCL lead. The FirePro W4100's wider memory bus and higher bandwidth likely contribute to this advantage, as Vulkan workloads often benefit from memory bandwidth. The FirePro W4100 also has more shading units and ROPs, which can help in graphics-heavy Vulkan applications.

For users who need a discrete workstation card with multiple display outputs, the FirePro W4100 offers four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 connections and a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. For users who need a low-power integrated solution for a laptop, the MX130's 30 W TDP and portable device dependent outputs make it the appropriate choice. The average benchmark scores favor the FirePro W4100 at 5987 versus 5508 for the MX130, and the FirePro W4100's percentile ranking is higher at 34 versus 32.

The choice ultimately depends on which API the user's applications rely on. OpenCL users should choose the MX130. Vulkan users should choose the FirePro W4100. Users who need a mix of both may want to consider the average scores, which favor the AMD card.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 wins, scoring 6102 compared to the AMD FirePro W4100's 5478, a 10.2% difference.

Q: Which GPU wins in the Vulkan benchmark?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 wins, scoring 6496 compared to the NVIDIA GeForce MX130's 4914, a 32.2% difference.

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

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has an average benchmark score of 5987, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 has an average of 5508.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has a memory bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s on a 128 bit bus, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 has a memory bandwidth of 40.10 GB/s on a 64 bit bus.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these GPUs?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has a TDP of 50 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 has a TDP of 30 W.

Q: What architectures do these GPUs use?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 uses GCN 1.0 architecture with the Cape Verde chip, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 uses Maxwell architecture with the GM108S chip.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro W4100 | NVIDIA GeForce MX130 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell |

| Chip | Cape Verde | GM108S |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 1,020 million |

| Die Size | 128 mm² | 77 mm² |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz, 4 Gbps effective | 1253 MHz, 5 Gbps effective |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 40.10 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 512 | 384 |

| TMUs | 32 | 24 |

| ROPs | 16 | 8 |

| FP32 | 645.1 GFLOPS | 913.2 GFLOPS |

| Pixel Rate | 10.08 GPixel/s | 9.512 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 20.16 GTexel/s | 28.28 GTex/s |

| TDP | 50 W | 30 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x4 |

| Display Outputs | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 | Portable Device Dependent |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.2.4 |

| Release Date | 2014-08-12 | 2017-11-16 |