AMD FirePro W4170M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single direct comparison between these two mobile graphics solutions: the Geekbench OpenCL compute test. In that benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti returns a score of 18,129, while the AMD FirePro W4170M records 5,034. This gives the NVIDIA part a decisive 72.2% advantage, a margin that dwarfs the differences seen among either card's nearest rivals.

To put that gap in context, the FirePro W4170M's closest competitors in the database are separated by less than one percent. The AMD Radeon R5 M430 trails it by just 0.3%, while both the AMD Radeon R7 M340 and the AMD Radeon R7 240 sit only 0.6% behind. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics is a mere 0.7% ahead. The FirePro W4170M thus occupies a tightly packed cluster of entry-level mobile parts, where a few hundred points separate neighbors. The GTX 1050 Ti, by contrast, sits in a different tier entirely: its nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% behind), the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% behind), the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (1.1% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (1.8% ahead), all cluster near its score but none approach the FirePro's output.

The 72.2% delta between the two cards in this comparison is not a marginal edge; it is a generational and architectural chasm. The GTX 1050 Ti more than triples the FirePro's OpenCL output. In practical terms, the database shows that workloads relying on OpenCL compute acceleration will see dramatically shorter execution times on the NVIDIA part. The FirePro's score of 5,034 places it at the 30th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 1050 Ti, despite its far higher raw score, sits at the 25th percentile. This percentile inversion reflects the distribution of benchmark scores across the entire database: the GTX 1050 Ti's average benchmark score of 4,193 is pulled down by its other test results (including DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, DirectX 12, G2D, G3D, and compute tests), whereas the FirePro has only the single OpenCL entry recorded. The head-to-head comparison, however, leaves no ambiguity about which card is faster in the one test both took.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the superior performer in the single benchmark where both cards were measured. The FirePro W4170M wins zero head-to-head tests; the GTX 1050 Ti wins all of them. Anyone choosing between these two for compute-heavy tasks, based strictly on the recorded measurements, should select the NVIDIA card without hesitation.

The GTX 1050 Ti's OpenCL score of 18,129 versus the FirePro's 5,034 represents a 260% increase in raw output. When the database's nearest-rival data is examined, the FirePro W4170M's performance bracket is populated by parts like the Radeon R5 M430 and Radeon R7 M340, which are firmly entry-level mobile GPUs. The GTX 1050 Ti, despite its lower overall percentile (25% versus 30%), belongs to a different performance neighborhood, one where its closest peers include the Quadro K2100M and Quadro K3000M, professional mobile parts with their own reputations.

The FirePro W4170M's only recorded advantage is its percentile ranking, which reflects the limited benchmark data available for it. But percentile placement does not change the outcome of the direct comparison. For users who need OpenCL compute performance, the GTX 1050 Ti is the only rational choice from these two options. The FirePro's 2 GB memory, 384 shading units, and 64 GB/s bandwidth cannot compensate for the GTX 1050 Ti's 4 GB memory, 768 shading units, and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth in the compute workloads captured by the database.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the GTX 1050 Ti wins the only head-to-head benchmark: Geekbench OpenCL. This single test covers general-purpose GPU compute, including workloads like image processing, physics simulations, and data-parallel tasks. The NVIDIA card's 72.2% lead in this test suggests it will handle OpenCL-accelerated applications with substantially more headroom.

The FirePro W4170M, conversely, has no recorded wins in any head-to-head comparison. Its strengths, if any, are not captured in the database's measurements. The card's specifications hint at its intended role: it is an MXM module with no power connectors, a 28 nm process node, and a die size of 77 mm² with 950 million transistors. This is a low-power, compact part designed for embedded or thin-and-light professional laptops. Its 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 64 GB/s bandwidth is modest by modern standards but sufficient for its era.

The GTX 1050 Ti, by contrast, is a dual-slot card with a 145 mm length and 111 mm height, designed for standard laptop chassis or small-form-factor desktops. Its 4 GB memory and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth double the FirePro's memory capacity and nearly double its bandwidth. The NVIDIA card also supports a wider range of APIs: DirectX 12 (12_1) versus the FirePro's DirectX 12 (11_1), and Vulkan 1.4 versus the FirePro's Vulkan 1.2.170. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6.

For users who prioritize compute performance, the GTX 1050 Ti is the clear winner. For users who prioritize the FirePro's specific form factor (MXM module, no power connectors) or its professional FirePro branding, the database offers no performance justification, only the card's existence as an end-of-life product with a 30th percentile ranking.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti scores 18,129, while the AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5,034. The GTX 1050 Ti leads by 72.2%.

Q: How does the FirePro W4170M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro W4170M is within 0.7% of all four nearest rivals: the AMD Radeon R5 M430 (0.3% behind), AMD Radeon R7 M340 (0.6% ahead), AMD Radeon R7 240 (0.6% ahead), and AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (0.7% behind). Its score of 5,034 places it in a tight cluster of entry-level parts.

Q: How does the GTX 1050 Ti compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% behind), NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% behind), NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (1.1% ahead), and AMD Radeon Vega 3 (1.8% ahead). All are within 1.8% of its average score of 4,193.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each card?

A: The FirePro W4170M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 1050 Ti has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.1 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the API support differences?

A: The FirePro W4170M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 1050 Ti supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has more shading units and texture units?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro W4170M has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The GTX 1050 Ti also has higher pixel and texture rates: 44.54 GPixel/s and 66.82 GTexel/s versus 7.200 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural generations and manufacturers. The AMD FirePro W4170M uses the Opal chip based on GCN 1.0, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This architecture dates to AMD's first-generation Graphics Core Next design, which prioritized compute efficiency over raw gaming throughput. The chip contains 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. The FirePro W4170M is part of the FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) generation, released in April 2015, and is now end-of-life.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti uses the GP107 chip based on the Pascal architecture, built on a 14 nm process at Samsung. This is a much newer and denser design: 3,300 million transistors on a 132 mm² die, yielding 25.0 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 1050 Ti belongs to the GeForce 10-series, released in October 2016, and is also end-of-life. Its predecessor is the GeForce 900 series, and its successor is the GeForce 20 series.

The architectural differences explain the performance gap. Pascal's 14 nm process allows for higher clock speeds (1,291 MHz base, 1,392 MHz boost versus 825 MHz base, 900 MHz boost) and more than double the shading units (768 versus 384). The GTX 1050 Ti also has 48 TMUs and 32 ROPs, versus 24 TMUs and 8 ROPs for the FirePro. The NVIDIA card's pixel rate of 44.54 GPixel/s is more than six times the FirePro's 7.200 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 66.82 GTexel/s is over three times the FirePro's 21.60 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is similarly lopsided: 2.138 TFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS.

The GTX 1050 Ti also supports a higher DirectX feature level (12_1 versus 11_1) and a newer Vulkan version (1.4 versus 1.2.170). Its FP16 rate is recorded as 33.41 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the FirePro has no recorded FP16 capability. The memory architecture differs in capacity (4 GB versus 2 GB) but shares the same 128-bit bus width; the GTX 1050 Ti's higher memory clock (1,752 MHz versus 1,000 MHz) gives it nearly double the bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The database records several specification differences between the two cards. The most consequential are in compute resources: the GTX 1050 Ti has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the FirePro W4170M has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Clock speeds favor the NVIDIA part: 1,291 MHz base and 1,392 MHz boost versus 825 MHz base and 900 MHz boost.

Memory capacity doubles from 2 GB on the FirePro to 4 GB on the GTX 1050 Ti, with bandwidth increasing from 64.00 GB/s to 112.1 GB/s. The memory clock is 1,000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) on the AMD card versus 1,752 MHz (7 Gbps effective) on the NVIDIA card. Both use GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus.

The GTX 1050 Ti has a TDP of 75 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the FirePro W4170M has no recorded TDP or suggested PSU. The physical form factors differ: the FirePro is an MXM module with no power connectors, while the GTX 1050 Ti is a dual-slot card measuring 145 mm by 111 mm, also with no power connectors. The bus interface differs: PCIe 3.0 x8 for the FirePro versus PCIe 3.0 x16 for the GTX 1050 Ti. Display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" for the AMD card, while the NVIDIA card offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Process technology differs significantly: 28 nm at TSMC for the FirePro versus 14 nm at Samsung for the GTX 1050 Ti. Transistor count is 950 million versus 3,300 million, die size is 77 mm² versus 132 mm², and transistor density is 12.3M/mm² versus 25.0M/mm². The FirePro's release date is April 2015, while the GTX 1050 Ti's is October 2016. The GTX 1050 Ti has a launch MSRP of 139 USD; the FirePro has no recorded launch MSRP.