AMD FirePro W5000 vs AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data offers only one direct head-to-head comparison, but it is a decisive one. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M scores 29,252, while the AMD FirePro W5000 scores 9,803. This gives the Radeon Pro 5300M a massive 198.4% performance advantage. That is not a marginal win; it is a near-tripling of raw compute throughput in a general-purpose GPU workload.

Looking at the broader picture, the Radeon Pro 5300M's average benchmark score across all tests is 10,013. The FirePro W5000's average is 9,803. While the averages are close, the FirePro W5000 only has a single benchmark result in the data, so its average is skewed. The Radeon Pro 5300M has a much wider range of scores, from 25 in Passmark DirectX 12 to 33,626 in Geekbench Metal, showing it is a more versatile performer across different API workloads.

When placed against its nearest rivals, the Radeon Pro 5300M sits in a tight cluster. It is 0.3% behind the NVIDIA Quadro K5100M, 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M, and 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon R9 M375. The FirePro W5000 similarly sits within a narrow band of competitors: it is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, 0.3% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, and 0.4% behind the NVIDIA Quadro 6000. Neither card dramatically outpaces its immediate competition, but the head-to-head result removes any ambiguity about which of these two is faster.

The Radeon Pro 5300M also shows strength in the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 27,912, and in Geekbench Metal with 33,626. The FirePro W5000 has no comparable results in those tests, so the data cannot show a direct comparison there. However, the FirePro W5000's OpenCL score of 9,803 is far below the Radeon Pro 5300M's OpenCL score, indicating the architectural gap between them is substantial in compute-oriented tasks.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M is significantly faster, scoring 29,252 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 9,803 for the AMD FirePro W5000. That represents a 198.4% performance delta in favor of the Radeon Pro 5300M.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest competitors?

A: The Radeon Pro 5300M's average score of 10,013 puts it within 0.6% of the AMD Radeon R9 M375 and 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M. The FirePro W5000's average of 9,803 puts it 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 and 0.4% behind the NVIDIA Quadro 6000.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The Radeon Pro 5300M has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro W5000 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. Despite the narrower bus, the Radeon Pro 5300M has nearly double the memory bandwidth.

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No. Both the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M and the AMD FirePro W5000 are marked as end-of-life products in the data.

Q: What is the form factor difference between the two?

A: The FirePro W5000 is a single-slot card measuring 183 mm in length and 111 mm in height, with display outputs of 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2. The Radeon Pro 5300M has no listed dimensions and its display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," indicating it is designed for mobile or integrated use.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The Radeon Pro 5300M has a pixel rate of 40.00 GPixel/s, while the FirePro W5000 has a pixel rate of 26.40 GPixel/s. The Radeon Pro 5300M is about 51.5% faster in this specific metric.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M wins in every measurable category where both cards have data. In the single head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, it wins by 198.4%. Its texture rate of 100.0 GTexel/s is more than double the FirePro W5000's 39.60 GTexel/s. Its FP32 throughput of 3.200 TFLOPS is roughly 2.5 times the FirePro W5000's 1,267.2 GFLOPS. The Radeon Pro 5300M also supports FP16 with 6.400 TFLOPS (2:1), while the FirePro W5000 has no FP16 capability listed.

The AMD FirePro W5000 does have some redeeming qualities based on the data. It is a single-slot desktop card with a shorter length of 183 mm, making it easier to fit in compact workstations. It also has a lower TDP of 75 W compared to the Radeon Pro 5300M's 85 W, and its suggested PSU rating is 250 W. The FirePro W5000 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, which is a full-width connection, whereas the Radeon Pro 5300M uses PCIe 4.0 x8. For systems with older motherboards, the FirePro W5000's x16 interface may be more universally compatible, though the Radeon Pro 5300M's PCIe 4.0 support offers higher bandwidth potential on newer platforms.

In terms of API support, the Radeon Pro 5300M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the FirePro W5000 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the Radeon Pro 5300M supports Vulkan 1.4 versus Vulkan 1.2.170 on the FirePro W5000. For modern workloads that leverage newer DirectX features or the latest Vulkan extensions, the Radeon Pro 5300M is the clear choice.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially in core specifications. The Radeon Pro 5300M has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro W5000 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 5300M therefore has 66.7% more shading units and 66.7% more TMUs, while matching the ROP count.

Memory is another major split. The Radeon Pro 5300M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro W5000 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 5300M's memory runs at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective), while the FirePro W5000's memory runs at 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective). The Radeon Pro 5300M's GDDR6 is significantly faster per pin, compensating for the narrower bus.

Clock speeds also differ. The Radeon Pro 5300M has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1250 MHz. The FirePro W5000 has no base or boost clock listed in the data. The Radeon Pro 5300M's boost clock is higher than its base by 25%, giving it headroom under load.

The bus interface differs: the Radeon Pro 5300M uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the FirePro W5000 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. In practice, PCIe 4.0 x8 offers the same bandwidth as PCIe 3.0 x16, so this is not a disadvantage for the newer card. Power delivery also differs: both have no external power connectors, but the Radeon Pro 5300M is rated at 85 W TDP versus 75 W for the FirePro W5000.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is generational. The Radeon Pro 5300M is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture using the Navi 14 chip, while the FirePro W5000 uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Pitcairn chip. The Radeon Pro 5300M is fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC, whereas the FirePro W5000 uses a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. This process shrink is a major factor in the performance difference: the Radeon Pro 5300M packs 6,400 million transistors into a 158 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 40.5M / mm². The FirePro W5000 has 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, for a density of only 13.2M / mm². The Radeon Pro 5300M achieves more than three times the transistor density.

The generation labels confirm the divide: the Radeon Pro 5300M is part of the "Radeon Pro Mac (Navi Mobile)" generation, released on 2019-11-12. The FirePro W5000 belongs to the "FirePro GCN (Wx000)" generation, released on 2012-08-06. That is a seven-year gap in release timing, which explains the architectural leap.

The RDNA 1.0 architecture in the Radeon Pro 5300M is designed for higher compute efficiency per watt and per transistor compared to GCN 1.0. The FirePro W5000's predecessor is listed as "FirePro Terascale," and its successor is "Radeon Pro Polaris," showing it was an intermediate step in AMD's professional GPU lineage. The Radeon Pro 5300M has no listed predecessor or successor in the data.

FP16 support is another architectural differentiator. The Radeon Pro 5300M delivers 6.400 TFLOPS of FP16 performance with a 2:1 ratio to FP32. The FirePro W5000 has no FP16 data listed, which is typical for GCN 1.0 parts that lacked dedicated FP16 throughput. For machine learning inference or workloads that use half-precision math, the Radeon Pro 5300M has a clear capability that the FirePro W5000 simply does not offer.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M is the superior GPU in nearly every measurable way. Its OpenCL score is 198.4% higher than the FirePro W5000's. Its FP32 throughput is 2.5 times higher. Its texture rate is 2.5 times higher. Its pixel rate is 51.5% higher. It has twice the memory capacity, nearly twice the memory bandwidth, and support for newer APIs including DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4.

The FirePro W5000 does have advantages in form factor and power draw. It is a single-slot card with a 75 W TDP and a 250 W suggested PSU, making it an easy drop-in for older workstations. Its 183 mm length and 111 mm height are modest. Its display outputs (1x DVI, 2x DisplayPort 1.2) are concrete and useful for multi-monitor setups. However, these advantages are practical rather than performance-based. For a user on an older platform that only supports PCIe 3.0, the FirePro W5000's x16 interface may be simpler, but the Radeon Pro 5300M's PCIe 4.0 x8 offers the same bandwidth on modern systems.

Given the benchmark results, the Radeon Pro 5300M is the right choice for anyone who needs compute performance, modern API support, or higher memory bandwidth. The FirePro W5000 should only be considered for legacy systems where its single-slot profile, lower TDP, and full-size PCIe x16 interface are hard requirements. The percentile rankings reflect this: the Radeon Pro 5300M sits at the 48th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro W5000 sits at the 47th. Both are mid-pack, but the Radeon Pro 5300M is newer, faster, and better equipped for contemporary workloads. The FirePro W5000's launch MSRP was 599 USD, which is high for its performance level, and that price point further favors the Radeon Pro 5300M in any practical comparison.

The verdict is straightforward: pick the Radeon Pro 5300M for performance, pick the FirePro W5000 only if your chassis or power budget absolutely requires a 75 W, single-slot card. The benchmark data does not support any other conclusion.