AMD FirePro W5000 vs AMD Radeon HD 8870M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a single OpenCL benchmark result for this pairing, and the AMD FirePro W5000 takes it decisively. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the FirePro W5000 scores 9803 against the Radeon HD 8870M's 8462, a delta of 15.8% in favor of the desktop workstation card. That is not a marginal win; it is a substantial gap that places the two firmly in different performance tiers despite sharing the same GCN 1.0 architecture.

Context from the database makes the FirePro W5000's position clearer. Its 9803 average score sits within a tight cluster of NVIDIA professional and consumer parts: the GeForce GTX 1070 averages 9780 (a 0.2% deficit), the Quadro M2000M averages 9832 (a 0.3% advantage for the Quadro), and the Quadro 6000 averages 9846 (a 0.4% advantage). The Tesla M10 trails at 9724, putting the FirePro W5000 0.8% ahead. This means the W5000 is essentially neck-and-neck with those four NVIDIA cards in raw OpenCL compute, which is a strong result for a 2012 workstation GPU.

The Radeon HD 8870M, by contrast, sits in a lower neighborhood. Its 8462 average is 0.1% ahead of the GeForce MX330 (8458), 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon 880M (8436), and 0.4% ahead of the GeForce GTX 675MX (8427). The Intel Arc A380 tops it by 1.1% at 8558. So while the 8870M is competitive within its own bracket, that bracket is meaningfully below the W5000's. The 15.8% win for the FirePro W5000 is the only head-to-head data point, and it is a clean sweep: one win for the FirePro, zero for the Radeon.

Where Each One Wins

Looking strictly at the benchmark results, the AMD FirePro W5000 wins the only recorded test. There is no scenario in the data where the Radeon HD 8870M comes out ahead. The OpenCL score reflects general-purpose compute throughput, and the W5000's 1,267.2 GFLOPS FP32 rate versus the 8870M's 992.0 GFLOPS explains the direction of the result. The W5000 also posts a higher texture rate at 39.60 GTexel/s versus 31.00 GTexel/s, and a much higher pixel rate at 26.40 GPixel/s versus 12.40 GPixel/s.

For workloads that stress fill rate, the W5000 is nearly twice as fast on paper, which aligns with its 32 ROPs against the 8870M's 16. For texture-heavy tasks, the advantage is smaller but still clear. Compute workloads, as measured by OpenCL, favor the W5000 by that 15.8% margin. The 8870M does have a base clock of 725 MHz and a boost of 775 MHz, while the W5000 lists no base or boost clock in the database, so clock-for-clock comparisons are not possible. But the outcome is unambiguous: every measurable performance metric in the pack favors the desktop card.

The 8870M's only structural advantages are practical rather than performance-based. It is a mobile part, which implies lower power draw and smaller physical footprint, though the database does not record a TDP or dimensions for it. The W5000 is a single-slot desktop card with a 75 W TDP and no power connectors, requiring a 250 W suggested PSU. For a laptop user, the 8870M is the only option of the two; for a desktop builder, the W5000 is the only option. In raw compute, the W5000 wins outright.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture and are built on TSMC's 28 nm process, so the fundamental instruction set and feature baseline are the same. The differences come from the silicon itself. The FirePro W5000 uses the Pitcairn chip, while the Radeon HD 8870M uses Venus. Pitcairn is a larger die at 212 mm² with 2,800 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 13.2 million per mm². Venus is smaller at 123 mm² with 1,500 million transistors and a density of 12.2 million per mm².

The larger Pitcairn die feeds a wider configuration: 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Venus scales down to 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That ROP difference is the most dramatic architectural split, and it shows up directly in the pixel rate numbers. The memory subsystem also diverges sharply. The W5000 uses a 256-bit bus with 2 GB of GDDR5 and bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, while the 8870M uses a 128-bit bus with 2 GB of GDDR5 and only 72.00 GB/s. Both run GDDR5, but the wider bus gives the W5000 a 42% bandwidth advantage.

Neither chip has dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, which is expected for GCN 1.0 parts. The API support is identical: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The 8870M's memory clock is recorded at 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective, while the W5000's memory clock is 800 MHz with 3.2 Gbps effective; despite the lower clock, the W5000's wider bus delivers far more bandwidth. Generation labels differ: the W5000 belongs to the FirePro GCN (Wx000) line, and the 8870M belongs to the Solar System (HD 8800M) line. The 8870M's predecessor is London and successor is Gem System, while the W5000's predecessor is FirePro Terascale and successor is Radeon Pro Polaris.

Specification Differences

The two cards share several specs: both are 28 nm TSMC parts, both use GCN 1.0, both have 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, both use PCIe 3.0 x16, and both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The differences are what separate them. The FirePro W5000 uses the Pitcairn chip with 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die. The Radeon HD 8870M uses Venus with 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. Transistor density is 13.2M per mm² versus 12.2M per mm².

The W5000 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The 8870M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The W5000's memory runs at 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) over a 256-bit bus for 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The 8870M's memory runs at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) over a 128-bit bus for 72.00 GB/s. Pixel rate is 26.40 GPixel/s for the W5000 and 12.40 GPixel/s for the 8870M. Texture rate is 39.60 GTexel/s versus 31.00 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 1,267.2 GFLOPS versus 992.0 GFLOPS.

The W5000 has a recorded TDP of 75 W, is single-slot, needs no power connectors, and requires a 250 W suggested PSU. The 8870M has no recorded TDP, slot width, power connector, or PSU requirement, reflecting its mobile design. The W5000 is 183 mm long (7.2 inches) and 111 mm tall (4.4 inches), while the 8870M has no recorded dimensions. The W5000 offers 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs; the 8870M has no recorded display outputs. Release dates differ: the W5000 launched in August 2012, the 8870M in March 2013. Both are end-of-life. The W5000 has a launch MSRP of 599 USD; the 8870M has no recorded launch price.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000 scores 9803 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 15.8% higher than the Radeon HD 8870M's 8462.

Q: How does the FirePro W5000 compare to its closest rivals in the database?

A: The W5000's average score of 9803 is 0.2% above the GeForce GTX 1070 (9780), 0.3% below the Quadro M2000M (9832), 0.4% below the Quadro 6000 (9846), and 0.8% above the Tesla M10 (9724).

Q: Where does the Radeon HD 8870M sit relative to its nearest competitors?

A: The 8870M's average of 8462 is 0.1% above the GeForce MX330 (8458), 0.3% above the AMD Radeon 880M (8436), 0.4% above the GeForce GTX 675MX (8427), and 1.1% below the Intel Arc A380 (8558).

Q: Do both cards support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, since both use GCN 1.0 architecture.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The FirePro W5000 has 102.4 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, while the Radeon HD 8870M has 72.00 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. The W5000 offers roughly 42% more bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more shading units and ROPs?

A: The FirePro W5000 has 768 shading units and 32 ROPs, while the Radeon HD 8870M has 640 shading units and 16 ROPs.

The Verdict

The data points to one answer for any compute-focused user: the AMD FirePro W5000 is the stronger GPU. Its 15.8% OpenCL lead over the Radeon HD 8870M is backed by consistent hardware advantages across the board, including more shading units, double the ROPs, a wider memory bus, higher bandwidth, and higher FP32 throughput. The W5000 also sits in a more competitive peer group, trading blows with the GeForce GTX 1070 and Quadro parts, whereas the 8870M is grouped with lower-end MX and older mobile parts.

For a desktop workstation build, the W5000 is the obvious choice. It is a single-slot card with a 75 W TDP, no power connectors, and a 250 W suggested PSU, making it easy to slot into a compact or older system. Its 2 GB of GDDR5 over a 256-bit bus is well matched to its compute and fill rate capabilities. The launch MSRP of 599 USD reflects its workstation positioning, though the card is end-of-life.

The Radeon HD 8870M is a different product for a different context. As a mobile part with no recorded TDP or dimensions, it belongs in laptops where the W5000 cannot physically go. Its 2 GB GDDR5 over a 128-bit bus and 992.0 GFLOPS FP32 are respectable for a mobile GPU of its era, and its OpenCL score is competitive with the GeForce MX330 and the Radeon 880M. But in any direct comparison, the desktop card wins every recorded metric.

The verdict is simple: if you can mount a desktop card, pick the FirePro W5000. If you need a mobile GPU, the 8870M is the only one of the two that fits, and its performance is adequate for its class. There is no scenario in the recorded data where the 8870M outperforms the W5000.