AMD FirePro W4300 vs AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT and the AMD FirePro W4300 represent two very different eras of graphics hardware, with the data showing a decisive generational leap. In the single available head-to-head benchmark, the RX 6500 XT delivers over four times the compute performance of the older workstation card, a gap that underscores how far GPU architecture has advanced in the seven years separating their releases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are stark. The Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 48,289 points, while the FirePro W4300 manages just 11,225 points. This represents a 330.2% advantage for the newer card, meaning the RX 6500 XT is roughly 4.3 times faster in this compute workload. The delta is so large that it effectively places these products in different performance classes entirely, despite both carrying 4 GB of VRAM.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the RX 6500 XT’s average benchmark score of 11,842 places it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 at 11,960 (a 1% deficit), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A at 11,998 (1.3% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 at 11,680 (1.4% ahead). This clustering within a few percentage points indicates the RX 6500 XT sits in a highly competitive mid-range performance band, trading blows with several established NVIDIA parts.

The FirePro W4300, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 11,225, placing it in the 50th percentile. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200 with an identical 11,228 score (0% delta), which suggests the W4300 is essentially performance-equivalent to its direct workstation successor. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M scores 11,261 (0.3% ahead), while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q sits at 11,088 (1.2% behind). Despite the W4300’s age, it remains competitive with these other products in the database, though this is a far less impressive position than the RX 6500 XT’s standing.

The RX 6500 XT also shows strength in DirectX workloads, scoring 90 in Passmark’s DirectX 11 test and 108 in DirectX 9, though it drops to 38 in DirectX 12 and just 60 in DirectX 10. Its Passmark G3D score of 9,608 and GPU compute score of 4,456 further illustrate its capabilities. The FirePro W4300 has no equivalent scores available, so the head-to-head comparison rests solely on the OpenCL result, where the RX 6500 XT’s victory is unambiguous.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT than the AMD FirePro W4300 in compute workloads?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 6500 XT scores 48,289 versus the FirePro W4300’s 11,225, a 330.2% difference. This makes the newer card approximately 4.3 times faster in this specific benchmark.

Q: Do both cards have the same amount of memory?

A: Yes, both the RX 6500 XT and the FirePro W4300 feature 4 GB of VRAM. However, the RX 6500 XT uses faster GDDR6 memory with a bandwidth of 143.9 GB/s, while the FirePro W4300 uses GDDR5 with 96.00 GB/s.

Q: Which card has the higher pixel fill rate?

A: The RX 6500 XT has a pixel rate of 90.08 GPixel/s, which is substantially higher than the FirePro W4300’s 14.88 GPixel/s. The newer card also leads in texture rate at 180.2 GTexel/s versus 44.64 GTexel/s.

Q: What is the thermal design power difference between the two?

A: The RX 6500 XT has a TDP of 107 W and requires a 300 W power supply, while the FirePro W4300 has a much lower TDP of 50 W and a 250 W suggested PSU. The FirePro W4300 also draws power entirely from the PCIe slot, while the RX 6500 XT needs a single 6-pin connector.

Q: How do the two cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6500 XT’s average score of 11,842 is within 1.9% of its closest competitors, including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 and GTX 1660. The FirePro W4300’s average of 11,225 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200, with a 0% delta between them.

Q: Which card has better API support?

A: The RX 6500 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the FirePro W4300 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The data makes a clear case for the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT in almost every measurable category. Its 330.2% lead in OpenCL performance is decisive, and it carries significantly higher pixel and texture rates. For any user prioritizing raw compute throughput, particularly in OpenCL-based applications, the RX 6500 XT is the obvious choice. Its 51st percentile ranking and tight competition with the GeForce GTX 1080 and GTX 1660 indicate it holds its own against modern mid-range parts.

The FirePro W4300, however, retains a niche appeal. Its 50 W TDP and single-slot design make it a low-power, space-efficient option for systems where thermal and physical constraints matter. The card requires no external power connectors, simplifying installation in compact workstations. Its 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs also provide multi-display capabilities that the RX 6500 XT’s single HDMI and single DisplayPort setup cannot match. For professional environments needing multiple monitors with minimal power draw, the W4300’s strengths are real, even if its compute performance lags far behind.

The RX 6500 XT wins on architecture, memory bandwidth, pixel throughput, and compute. The FirePro W4300 wins on power efficiency and display output flexibility. Users who need maximum performance should choose the RX 6500 XT. Users with strict power budgets or multi-monitor workstation requirements may find the FirePro W4300’s trade-offs acceptable, provided they can tolerate its significantly lower benchmark scores. The data does not support choosing the W4300 for raw speed, but its specialized characteristics keep it relevant in narrow use cases.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT | AMD FirePro W4300 |

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

| Process Node | 6 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 5,400 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 107 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 50.5M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 143.9 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 2248 MHz (18 Gbps effective) | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |

| Shading Units | 1024 | 768 |

| TMUs | 64 | 48 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 90.08 GPixel/s | 14.88 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 180.2 GTexel/s | 44.64 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 5.765 TFLOPS | 1,428.5 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 107 W | 50 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures from different eras. The RX 6500 XT uses the Navi 24 chip based on RDNA 2.0, manufactured on TSMC’s 6 nm process. This modern node allows for 5,400 million transistors packed into a 107 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 50.5M per mm². The architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, along with 16 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the older card. The RX 6500 XT also supports FP16 compute at 11.53 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, doubling its FP32 throughput.

The FirePro W4300 is based on the Bonaire chip using the GCN 2.0 architecture, built on a much older 28 nm process. This results in 2,080 million transistors spread across a 160 mm² die, with a transistor density of just 13.0M per mm². The GCN architecture lacks ray tracing cores and tensor cores entirely, and its FP16 capabilities are not listed in the data. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and an older Vulkan 1.2.170 specification, though OpenGL 4.6 support matches the newer card.

The RX 6500 XT’s memory subsystem is a mixed bag: it has a narrower 64-bit bus compared to the W4300’s 128-bit bus, but the newer GDDR6 memory at 2248 MHz more than compensates, delivering 143.9 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s. The RX 6500 XT also comes with a base clock of 2310 MHz, a boost clock of 2815 MHz, and a game clock of 2610 MHz, whereas the FirePro W4300’s clock speeds are not specified. The RX 6500 XT was released on 2022-01-18, while the FirePro W4300 dates to 2015-11-30, and the RX 6500 XT carries a launch MSRP of 199 USD.