AMD FirePro W4170M vs AMD Radeon R5 M230 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct comparison between these two mobile graphics parts: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this measurement, the AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034 points, while the AMD Radeon R5 M230 scores 4577 points. The FirePro W4170M wins by a 10% margin. This is a clear, single-test verdict in favor of the FirePro part.

To contextualize this result, the FirePro W4170M sits at the 30th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M430, which averages 5018 points (a 0.3% deficit), and the AMD Radeon R7 M340, which averages 5063 points (a 0.6% surplus). The FirePro W4170M also edges out the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, which scores 4998 points, by 0.7%. These figures show that the FirePro W4170M is positioned in a tightly contested cluster, where a few percentage points separate it from comparable parts.

The AMD Radeon R5 M230, meanwhile, records a score of 4577 and lands at the 27th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 560, which averages 4569 points (a 0.2% gap), and the Intel HD Graphics P530, which averages 4560 points (a 0.4% gap). The R5 M230 also trails the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M, which scores 4621 points, by 0.9%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, which scores 4628 points, by 1.1%. The R5 M230 is therefore grouped with a different set of competitors, generally lower in absolute performance than the FirePro W4170M's peer group.

The head-to-head delta of 10% is substantial within this context. It places the FirePro W4170M clearly ahead of the R5 M230 in the only benchmark where both are recorded. The R5 M230's closest rivals are all within a 1.1% band of its score, but the FirePro W4170M sits a full 10% higher, indicating a meaningful performance tier separation between the two parts. There are no benchmark wins recorded for the Radeon R5 M230 in any test; the FirePro W4170M claims the sole win.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built by AMD and share the GCN 1.0 architecture. They are fabricated on the same 28 nm process at TSMC, and both use a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface. The API support is identical: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The transistor density is also the same at 12.3M per mm², which follows directly from the shared manufacturing process.

The fundamental difference lies in the silicon itself. The FirePro W4170M uses the Opal chip, while the Radeon R5 M230 uses the Jet chip. The Opal chip contains 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die. The Jet chip is smaller, with 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die. Despite the size difference, the equal transistor density confirms that both chips are scaled versions of the same design philosophy.

The execution resources differ correspondingly. The FirePro W4170M has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster operations pipelines. The Radeon R5 M230 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and also 8 raster operations pipelines. This gives the FirePro W4170M a 20% advantage in shading unit count and a 20% advantage in TMU count, while the ROP count is identical.

Clock behavior also differs. The FirePro W4170M has a base clock of 825 MHz and a boost clock of 900 MHz. The Radeon R5 M230 has no base or boost clock recorded in the database. Memory clocks are recorded for both: the FirePro W4170M runs its memory at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective data rate, while the R5 M230 runs its memory at 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective data rate. The effective rate is twice as high on the FirePro part.

The memory subsystems are a major differentiator. The FirePro W4170M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon R5 M230 uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 16.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro W4170M therefore has four times the memory bandwidth of the R5 M230, a decisive architectural gap that explains much of the benchmark delta.

The form factor also differs. The FirePro W4170M is an MXM module with no power connectors listed. The Radeon R5 M230 is classified as an IGP, meaning it is integrated into the system rather than a discrete module. Both are marked as end-of-life products, with the FirePro W4170M releasing later than the R5 M230. The FirePro W4170M belongs to the FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) generation, while the R5 M230 belongs to the Gem System (R5 M200) generation. Their product lineages also differ: the FirePro W4170M's predecessor is FirePro Mobility and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile, whereas the R5 M230's predecessor is Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile.

Where Each One Wins

The FirePro W4170M wins the only recorded benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 10%. This places it in a performance tier above the R5 M230. The data supports using the FirePro W4170M for workloads that are sensitive to raw compute throughput and memory bandwidth. Its 64.00 GB/s bandwidth versus 16.00 GB/s, its 384 shading units versus 320, and its 691.2 GFLOPS FP32 throughput versus 390.4 GFLOPS all point to a part that is better suited to OpenCL compute tasks, image processing, and any application that can leverage the wider memory bus.

The Radeon R5 M230, with its lower scores and narrower memory interface, is positioned for lighter duties. Its DDR3 memory and 64-bit bus limit its bandwidth to 16.00 GB/s, which constrains performance in bandwidth-heavy scenarios. However, as an IGP, it may be found in more compact or power-constrained systems where a discrete MXM module is not feasible. Its pixel rate of 4.880 GPixel/s and texture rate of 12.20 GTexel/s are lower than the FirePro W4170M's 7.200 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s, respectively, confirming that the R5 M230 is not designed for demanding rendering workloads.

In practical terms, the FirePro W4170M is the choice when the application requires the highest available compute performance in the database's recorded measurements. The R5 M230 is the fallback when the system design dictates an integrated solution, but the benchmark data shows a clear performance penalty for that choice. There are no recorded wins for the R5 M230 in any test, so the database offers no scenario where it outperforms the FirePro W4170M.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034 points, which is 10% higher than the AMD Radeon R5 M230's 4577 points.

Q: How close is the FirePro W4170M to its nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro W4170M is within 0.6% of the AMD Radeon R7 M340 and the AMD Radeon R7 240, and it leads the AMD Radeon R5 M430 by 0.3% and the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics by 0.7%.

Q: What memory types do the two GPUs use?

A: The FirePro W4170M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, while the Radeon R5 M230 uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The FirePro W4170M has a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s, which is four times the Radeon R5 M230's 16.00 GB/s.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The FirePro W4170M has 384 shading units, while the Radeon R5 M230 has 320 shading units.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro W4170M | AMD Radeon R5 M230 |

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

| Chip | Opal | Jet |

| Generation | FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) | Gem System (R5 M200) |

| Transistors | 950 million | 690 million |

| Die Size | 77 mm² | 56 mm² |

| Base Clock | 825 MHz | Not recorded |

| Boost Clock | 900 MHz | Not recorded |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz, 4 Gbps effective | 1000 MHz, 2 Gbps effective |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 16.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 320 |

| Texture Mapping Units | 24 | 20 |

| Pixel Rate | 7.200 GPixel/s | 4.880 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 21.60 GTexel/s | 12.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 691.2 GFLOPS | 390.4 GFLOPS |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | IGP |

| Power Connectors | None | Not recorded |

| Release Date | 2015-04-22 | 2014-01-06 |

| Predecessor | FirePro Mobility | Solar System |

| Successor | Radeon Pro Mobile | Polaris Mobile |

The two parts share the same architecture, process node, foundry, transistor density, bus interface, and API set. All other recorded specifications differ. The FirePro W4170M is consistently the more capable part across compute resources, memory configuration, and clock behavior. The Radeon R5 M230 offers a smaller die, fewer execution units, and a narrower memory path, which aligns with its lower benchmark score and IGP classification.