AMD FirePro W4170M vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M scores 2680. That is an 87.8% advantage for the AMD part, meaning the FirePro delivers nearly double the raw compute throughput in this workload.

Looking at the broader benchmark averages, the gap narrows but still favors AMD. The FirePro W4170M carries an average benchmark score of 5034 across its recorded tests, placing it in the 30th percentile of all GPUs. The GeForce GT 645M averages 4411 across its three recorded tests (OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan), placing it in the 26th percentile. The difference in average scores is 623 points, or roughly 14.1% in favor of the AMD part.

The GeForce GT 645M does have one notable bright spot: its Geekbench Metal score of 5679 is the highest single benchmark result between the two cards. However, the database only records a Metal test for the NVIDIA part; the AMD card has no Metal result listed. In Vulkan, the GT 645M scores 4875, which is close to the AMD's OpenCL result of 5034, but no direct Vulkan score exists for the FirePro to compare against.

Among the nearest rivals, the AMD FirePro W4170M sits very close to several other AMD mobile parts. It trails the AMD Radeon R7 M340 and AMD Radeon R7 240 by 0.6% (both score 5063), while leading the AMD Radeon R5 M430 by 0.3% (5018) and the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics by 0.7% (4998). The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M, by contrast, leads the NVIDIA GeForce 930M by 0.5% (4388), the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 by 1.2% (4360), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 by 1.8% (4335), while trailing the AMD Radeon R7 M260 by 1.9% (4499). The RTX 4070 GDDR6 result is an outlier in that rival list, showing how benchmark averages can cluster oddly across generations.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural families. The AMD FirePro W4170M uses the GCN 1.0 architecture on the Opal chip, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M uses the Kepler architecture on the GK107 chip. Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process node.

The transistor counts differ substantially. The FirePro packs 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.3 million per mm². The GeForce GT 645M integrates 1,270 million transistors on a larger 118 mm² die, resulting in a lower density of 10.8 million per mm². The NVIDIA chip is physically larger and has more transistors, but the AMD chip achieves higher density.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The FirePro runs at a base clock of 825 MHz with a boost of 900 MHz. The GeForce GT 645M runs lower, at 709 MHz base and 780 MHz boost. Memory clocks also diverge: the FirePro uses 1000 MHz memory with 4 Gbps effective, while the GT 645M uses 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective.

The memory subsystems differ in type and bandwidth. The FirePro uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GT 645M also has 2 GB but uses DDR3 on the same 128-bit bus, yielding only 28.80 GB/s. That is less than half the bandwidth of the AMD part, which helps explain the large OpenCL performance gap.

The API support also differs. The FirePro lists DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GT 645M lists DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support the same OpenGL version, but the AMD card has a higher DirectX feature level, while the NVIDIA card has a slightly newer Vulkan version.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro W4170M wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and it wins by a wide margin. The 87.8% OpenCL delta suggests the FirePro has a substantial advantage in compute-oriented workloads that use OpenCL, such as general-purpose GPU tasks, rendering, and certain scientific or engineering applications. Its GDDR5 memory and higher clock speeds contribute to this result.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M does not win any head-to-head benchmark in the database. However, its Metal score of 5679 is noteworthy. Metal is Apple's graphics API, and a high Metal score indicates strong performance in macOS environments that use Metal acceleration. The GT 645M also posts a Vulkan score of 4875, which is higher than its OpenCL score of 2680. This suggests the NVIDIA part performs better under Vulkan than under OpenCL, even though no direct Vulkan comparison with the FirePro exists.

In terms of pixel and texture throughput, the two cards split the categories. The FirePro has a higher pixel rate at 7.200 GPixel/s versus 6.240 GPixel/s for the GT 645M. However, the GT 645M has a higher texture rate at 24.96 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s for the FirePro. The NVIDIA part also has more texture mapping units (32 vs 24) and more render output units (16 vs 8), while both have 384 shading units.

The FP32 compute figures favor AMD clearly: 691.2 GFLOPS for the FirePro versus 599.0 GFLOPS for the GT 645M. That is a 15.4% advantage in raw single-precision floating-point throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL score?

A: The AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M scores 2680. The AMD card is 87.8% faster in this test.

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

A: The AMD FirePro W4170M has an average benchmark score of 5034. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M has an average benchmark score of 4411, based on its OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan results.

Q: How does memory bandwidth compare between the two?

A: The AMD FirePro W4170M delivers 64.00 GB/s using GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M delivers 28.80 GB/s using DDR3 memory on the same 128-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The AMD FirePro W4170M has a pixel rate of 7.200 GPixel/s. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M has a pixel rate of 6.240 GPixel/s. The AMD part is faster in this metric.

Q: Which GPU has a higher texture fill rate?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M has a texture rate of 24.96 GTexel/s. The AMD FirePro W4170M has a texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA part is faster in this metric.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The AMD FirePro W4170M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M supports DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan, with the NVIDIA card listing Vulkan 1.2.175 versus Vulkan 1.2.170 for the AMD card.

The Verdict

The data points clearly toward the AMD FirePro W4170M for compute-heavy workloads. The 87.8% OpenCL lead is the most significant single metric in the comparison, and the AMD card also holds advantages in FP32 throughput (691.2 GFLOPS vs 599.0 GFLOPS), pixel rate (7.200 GPixel/s vs 6.240 GPixel/s), and memory bandwidth (64.00 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s). The FirePro's GDDR5 memory is a major factor here, as it provides more than double the bandwidth of the GT 645M's DDR3.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M is not without merit. Its Metal score of 5679 is higher than any benchmark result recorded for the AMD card, and its Vulkan score of 4875 shows respectable API-specific performance. The GT 645M also has a higher texture rate (24.96 GTexel/s vs 21.60 GTexel/s), more TMUs (32 vs 24), and more ROPs (16 vs 8). For applications that rely on texture throughput or run through Metal, the NVIDIA part may hold its own.

However, the overall benchmark average favors AMD: 5034 versus 4411, a 14.1% gap. The percentile ranking also favors the FirePro, sitting at the 30th percentile versus the GT 645M's 26th percentile. The NVIDIA card is closer to its nearest rivals, with deltas under 2% in either direction, while the AMD card sits within a very tight cluster of AMD R7-class parts.

The FirePro W4170M is the stronger choice for OpenCL compute tasks and general GPU throughput. The GeForce GT 645M is the better option if the target environment is Metal-based or if texture-bound workloads dominate, given its higher texture rate and TMU count. The database records only one head-to-head test, and AMD wins it decisively. That result, combined with the average scores, makes the FirePro the recommended pick for most use cases.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro W4170M | NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M |

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

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Kepler |

| Chip | Opal | GK107 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 950 million | 1,270 million |

| Die Size | 77 mm² | 118 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.3M / mm² | 10.8M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 825 MHz | 709 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 900 MHz | 780 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz, 4 Gbps effective | 900 MHz, 1800 Mbps effective |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| TMUs | 24 | 32 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 7.200 GPixel/s | 6.240 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 21.60 GTexel/s | 24.96 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 691.2 GFLOPS | 599.0 GFLOPS |

| TDP | Not listed | 32 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | IGP |

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

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

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | 1.2.175 |

| Release Date | 2015-04-22 | 2012-09-30 |

| Predecessor | FirePro Mobility | GeForce 500M |

| Successor | Radeon Pro Mobile | GeForce 700M |

| Average Benchmark Score | 5034 | 4411 |

| Percentile | 30 | 26 |