AMD FirePro W5000 vs AMD Radeon 880M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The AMD Radeon 880M scores 31,285, while the AMD FirePro W5000 scores 9,803. This gives the 880M a 68.7% advantage, a massive gap that defines the entire head-to-head picture. The FirePro W5000 has zero wins in the recorded data, while the 880M takes the only head-to-head win.

Looking at broader positioning, the FirePro W5000 sits at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9,803. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (average score 9,780, a 0.2% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9,832, a -0.3% delta), and the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 (9,846, a -0.4% delta). This places the FirePro W5000 in a tight cluster where it trades blows with older high-end workstation and desktop parts, essentially matching them within a fraction of a percent.

The Radeon 880M, by contrast, lands at the 43rd percentile, with an average score of 8,436 across all its recorded benchmarks. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (8,427, a 0.1% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (8,458, a -0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon HD 8870M (8,462, a -0.3% delta). The 880M's average is dragged down by its diverse test suite, which includes low DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 results (97 and 31 on PassMark, respectively), but its OpenCL score of 31,285 is the standout metric.

The raw OpenCL delta is the clearest signal: the 880M is not merely faster, it is in a different performance class for compute workloads. The FirePro W5000's 1,267.2 GFLOPS FP32 peak versus the 880M's 4.454 TFLOPS FP32 peak reinforces this, though the benchmark delta is the more direct evidence.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from completely different architectural eras and design philosophies. The FirePro W5000 uses the Pitcairn chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, a 28 nm TSMC design from the FirePro GCN (Wx000) generation. It packs 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.2 million per square millimeter. The Radeon 880M uses the Strix Point chip on RDNA 3.5 architecture, a 4 nm TSMC design from the Navi III IGP (Strix Point Mobile) generation. It contains 34,000 million transistors on a 233 mm² die, giving a density of 145.9 million per square millimeter. The density difference is enormous: the 880M crams over ten times more transistors per area, a direct result of the process node leap from 28 nm to 4 nm.

Shading unit counts are identical at 768, and TMUs match at 48. However, the ROP count differs: the FirePro W5000 has 32 ROPs, while the 880M has only 16. Despite half the ROPs, the 880M achieves a higher pixel rate of 46.40 GPixel/s versus the FirePro's 26.40 GPixel/s, because its boost clock is far higher. The texture rate tells the same story: the 880M delivers 139.2 GTexel/s versus 39.60 GTexel/s for the FirePro.

The 880M adds hardware features the FirePro lacks: it has 12 ray tracing cores, while the FirePro has none. The 880M also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32 (4.454 TFLOPS for both), whereas the FirePro has no recorded FP16 capability. The 880M's FP32 peak of 4.454 TFLOPS is 3.5 times the FirePro's 1,267.2 GFLOPS.

Memory architecture is fundamentally different. The FirePro uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The 880M uses system shared memory, with its bus width and bandwidth listed as system dependent. The FirePro's memory clock is 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective), while the 880M's memory clock is simply "System Shared".

The FirePro is a discrete card with a single-slot design, 75 W TDP, and no power connectors, requiring a 250 W suggested PSU. The 880M is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 15 W TDP, no slot width, and no power connectors. The FirePro uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the 880M uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

API support differs significantly. The FirePro supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The 880M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 880M's DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set includes ray tracing and mesh shaders, which the FirePro cannot access.

The Verdict

The data points to one clear conclusion: the Radeon 880M is the superior compute and modern workload GPU. Its OpenCL score of 31,285 is 68.7% higher than the FirePro W5000's 9,803. Its FP32 throughput of 4.454 TFLOPS dwarfs the FirePro's 1,267.2 GFLOPS. It supports ray tracing, DirectX 12 Ultimate, and Vulkan 1.4, while the FirePro is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The 880M also does this at a 15 W TDP versus 75 W, making it dramatically more efficient.

The FirePro W5000's only advantages are its dedicated memory (2 GB GDDR5 with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth versus system shared) and its higher ROP count (32 versus 16). It also has a higher percentile rank (47th versus 43rd) and a higher average benchmark score in its recorded suite (9,803 versus 8,436), but that average is skewed by the 880M's inclusion of legacy DirectX 9/10 tests where the 880M scores very low (97 and 31 on PassMark).

For anyone choosing between these, the 880M is the pick unless a legacy discrete card with fixed memory is a hard requirement. The FirePro is end-of-life, launched in August 2012 with a 599 USD launch MSRP. The 880M is active, launched in July 2024, and has no launch MSRP recorded.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro W5000 | AMD Radeon 880M |

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

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | RDNA 3.5 |

| Process node | 28 nm | 4 nm |

| Transistors | 2,800 million | 34,000 million |

| Die size | 212 mm² | 233 mm² |

| Transistor density | 13.2M / mm² | 145.9M / mm² |

| Base clock | None recorded | 400 MHz |

| Boost clock | None recorded | 2900 MHz |

| Memory clock | 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) | System Shared |

| Memory size | 2 GB GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory bus | 256 bit | System Shared |

| Memory bandwidth | 102.4 GB/s | System Dependent |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Ray tracing cores | None | 12 |

| Pixel rate | 26.40 GPixel/s | 46.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 39.60 GTexel/s | 139.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,267.2 GFLOPS | 4.454 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | None recorded | 4.454 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 75 W | 15 W |

| Slot width | Single-slot | IGP |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | None recorded |

| Bus interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Production status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release date | 2012-08-06 | 2024-07-14 |

| Launch MSRP | 599 USD | None recorded |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M scores 31,285 on Geekbench OpenCL, which is 68.7% higher than the AMD FirePro W5000's 9,803.

Q: Does the FirePro W5000 support ray tracing?

A: No. The FirePro W5000 has no ray tracing cores recorded, while the Radeon 880M has 12.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The FirePro W5000 has a 75 W TDP, while the Radeon 880M has a 15 W TDP, making the 880M five times more power-efficient on paper.

Q: Which GPU has more ROPs?

A: The FirePro W5000 has 32 ROPs, while the Radeon 880M has 16. Despite this, the 880M achieves a higher pixel rate (46.40 GPixel/s vs 26.40 GPixel/s) due to its higher clock speed.

Q: What memory does each GPU use?

A: The FirePro W5000 uses 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 880M uses system shared memory, with bandwidth listed as system dependent.

Q: Which GPU has the higher percentile ranking?

A: The FirePro W5000 sits at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, while the Radeon 880M sits at the 43rd percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon 880M wins in every compute-heavy scenario. Its OpenCL performance is 68.7% ahead, its FP32 throughput is 3.5 times higher, and it has ray tracing cores for modern rendering effects. It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, making it the choice for any current-generation gaming or graphics application that can use these APIs. The 880M's 15 W TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light portable devices, since it is an integrated part of the Strix Point chip with no separate power connectors. Its pixel rate of 46.40 GPixel/s and texture rate of 139.2 GTexel/s are both far ahead of the FirePro, so even with fewer ROPs, it rasterizes faster.

The FirePro W5000 wins in scenarios requiring dedicated, fixed memory. Its 2 GB GDDR5 with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth is not dependent on system memory performance, which can be a critical factor in professional workstation environments where memory bandwidth predictability matters. Its 32 ROPs are double the 880M's count, and while the 880M's higher clock overcomes this in pixel rate, the FirePro's architecture is better suited for legacy DirectX 11 workloads. The FirePro also has a higher percentile rank (47th) and a higher average benchmark score (9,803) in its narrower test suite, though that suite lacks the 880M's low legacy DirectX scores. Its single-slot design and PCIe 3.0 x16 interface make it a drop-in discrete card for older desktop workstations. The FirePro launched with a 599 USD MSRP, indicating it was positioned as a professional product, whereas the 880M has no recorded MSRP.

For use-case decisions: pick the Radeon 880M for modern compute, ray tracing, integrated efficiency, and any workload that benefits from Vulkan 1.4 or DirectX 12 Ultimate. Pick the FirePro W5000 only if you require a discrete card with dedicated VRAM, need its specific display outputs (1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2), or are constrained to a PCIe 3.0 slot with a 250 W PSU budget. The data overwhelmingly favors the 880M for performance; the FirePro's only practical edge is its fixed memory design and legacy compatibility.