AMD FirePro W4190M vs AMD Radeon R7 Graphics Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics and the AMD FirePro W4190M are two very different answers to the same low-end graphics question, and the recorded benchmark data makes the gap between them easy to quantify. The Radeon R7 Graphics is an integrated GPU built on the Spectre Lite chip within AMD's GCN 2.0 architecture, appearing in the Kaveri generation of accelerated processors. The FirePro W4190M is a discrete mobile workstation part, the Opal chip, built on the older GCN 1.0 architecture and delivered as an MXM module. Both are end-of-life products, both come from AMD, and both share an identical shading configuration of 384 shaders, 24 texture units, and 8 render outputs. Yet the discrete part wins the one benchmark the two share, and the data explains why.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct comparison between these two parts, and it goes decisively to the FirePro W4190M. In Geekbench OpenCL, the FirePro W4190M scores 4505 against 4015 for the Radeon R7 Graphics, a gap of 10.9 percent in favor of the discrete chip. The head-to-head tally in the database stands at one win for the FirePro and zero for the integrated GPU.

The context around each card's broader results sharpens that picture. The Radeon R7 Graphics carries an average benchmark score of 4989 across its recorded runs, sitting at the 29th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its Vulkan result of 5980 in Geekbench is the stronger of its two entries, and that pulls the average up noticeably above its OpenCL figure. The FirePro W4190M's average is 4505, derived from its lone OpenCL result, placing it at the 26th percentile of all GPUs.

Those percentile positions tell an interesting story. Despite losing the direct OpenCL comparison, the Radeon R7 Graphics ranks slightly higher overall because of its Vulkan performance, which the FirePro does not have a recorded result for. The integrated part's OpenCL score of 4015 is clearly its weaker workload, while the Vulkan score of 5980 is dramatically stronger, a 49 percent spread between the two API tests within the same chip.

The rival clustering reinforces how close these two sit in the grand scheme. The Radeon R7 Graphics trades blows with the NVIDIA Quadro 4000, the AMD Radeon R5 M430, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB, and the AMD FirePro W4170M, all within a fraction of a percent of its average. The FirePro W4190M's neighborhood includes the AMD Radeon R7 M260, the Intel HD Graphics P530, the AMD Radeon RX 560, and the AMD Radeon R5 M230, all within roughly two percent of its score. Both cards occupy the same crowded low-performance tier of the database, separated by modest margins in aggregate but with the FirePro clearly ahead in the one test they both ran.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split between these two parts is generational in one direction and categorical in another. The Radeon R7 Graphics uses GCN 2.0, the second revision of AMD's Graphics Core Next design, implemented on the Spectre Lite chip as part of the Kaveri generation of integrated graphics. The FirePro W4190M uses GCN 1.0, the first revision, on the Opal chip, and belongs to the FirePro Mobile Wx100M family of workstation parts.

Both are fabricated on a 28 nm process, but at different foundries. The integrated GPU was made by GlobalFoundries, the discrete part by TSMC. The die economics diverge sharply: the Spectre Lite chip packs 2,410 million transistors into a 245 mm² die, giving a density of 9.8 million transistors per square millimeter. The Opal chip fits 950 million transistors into just 77 mm², a density of 12.3 million transistors per square millimeter. Note that the integrated GPU's die is an accelerated processing unit die shared with the CPU, which explains the much larger area and transistor count.

Feature support differs at the API level in a way that favors the integrated part. The Radeon R7 Graphics reports DirectX 12 at the 12_0 feature level, while the FirePro W4190M tops out at DirectX 12 with the 11_1 feature level. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170, so the meaningful modern-API difference is confined to DirectX feature level.

The lineage also runs in different directions. The Radeon R7 Graphics succeeded the TeraScale 3 IGP and was itself followed by the GCN 3.0 IGP. The FirePro W4190M descended from FirePro Mobility and was succeeded by the Radeon Pro Mobile line. Release timing differs by more than a year: the integrated GPU arrived on 16 February 2014, the FirePro on 11 November 2015.

Where Each One Wins

The FirePro W4190M wins the measured compute comparison. Its 10.9 percent advantage in Geekbench OpenCL is the only head-to-head result available, and the raw hardware numbers back it up. It delivers 691.2 GFLOPS of FP32 compute against 553.0 GFLOPS for the integrated part, a 25 percent advantage in theoretical shading throughput. Its pixel rate of 7.200 GPixel/s beats the integrated GPU's 5.760 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s exceeds the R7's 17.28 GTexel/s. Those advantages flow from its fixed clock speeds: a base of 825 MHz boosting to 900 MHz, whereas the integrated part has no recorded base or boost clock and depends entirely on the host system's configuration.

The FirePro also wins on memory certainty. It carries 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus running at an effective 4 Gbps, yielding 64.00 GB/s of guaranteed bandwidth. The Radeon R7 Graphics shares system memory, so its capacity, type, and bandwidth are all system dependent. For any workload where predictable memory performance matters, the discrete part is the safer proposition on paper.

The Radeon R7 Graphics wins on the Vulkan API, where its Geekbench score of 5980 is the single best number either card posts in the database. That result alone lifts its average above the FirePro's and its percentile ranking two points higher. The integrated part also supports the more recent 12_0 DirectX feature level. In power terms it carries a stated 25 W TDP, while the FirePro's thermal figure is not recorded, though its MXM form factor with no power connectors indicates a self-contained mobile design. Neither card offers ray tracing or tensor hardware.

Specification Differences

The two cards agree on more than they disagree about. Both offer 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, 8 ROPs, 28 nm fabrication, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.2.170, and end-of-life status. The differences are as follows:

• Architecture: GCN 2.0 (Radeon R7 Graphics) versus GCN 1.0 (FirePro W4190M)
• Chip: Spectre Lite versus Opal
• Generation: GCN 2.0 IGP from Kaveri versus FirePro Mobile Wx100M
• Foundry: GlobalFoundries versus TSMC
• Transistors: 2,410 million versus 950 million
• Die size: 245 mm² versus 77 mm²
• Density: 9.8M per mm² versus 12.3M per mm²
• Clocks: none recorded versus 825 MHz base, 900 MHz boost
• Memory: system shared in all respects versus 2 GB GDDR5, 128 bit, 64.00 GB/s
• Form factor: IGP on the motherboard versus MXM module over PCIe 3.0 x8
• TDP: 25 W versus not recorded
• DirectX: 12_0 feature level versus 11_1 feature level
• Outputs: motherboard dependent versus portable device dependent
• Release date: 16 February 2014 versus 11 November 2015

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in benchmarks?

A: The FirePro W4190M wins the shared Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 4505 versus 4015, a 10.9 percent advantage. However, the Radeon R7 Graphics posts a higher overall average score of 4989 versus 4505, helped by a Vulkan result of 5980 that the FirePro has no answer for in the database.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The FirePro W4190M has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus delivering 64.00 GB/s. The Radeon R7 Graphics has no dedicated memory and shares system memory, so its bandwidth and capacity depend entirely on the host platform.

Q: Do they have the same rendering hardware?

A: Yes, on paper. Both have 384 shading units, 24 texture units, and 8 render outputs. The FirePro simply clocks them higher, with a 900 MHz boost clock, which is why its pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 compute all exceed the integrated part's figures.

Q: Which supports newer graphics features?

A: The Radeon R7 Graphics supports DirectX 12 at the 12_0 feature level, while the FirePro W4190M supports DirectX 12 at the 11_1 feature level. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: Are these cards still in production?

A: No. Both are marked end-of-life in the database. The Radeon R7 Graphics was released on 16 February 2014 and was succeeded by the GCN 3.0 IGP. The FirePro W4190M was released on 11 November 2015 and was succeeded by the Radeon Pro Mobile line.

Q: How do they rank against all GPUs?

A: The Radeon R7 Graphics sits at the 29th percentile of all GPUs in the database, the FirePro W4190M at the 26th. Both cluster tightly with rivals within a couple of percent of their averages, placing them firmly in the same entry-level performance tier.