AMD FirePro W5000 vs NVIDIA GeForce 945M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains a single OpenCL benchmark comparison between the AMD FirePro W5000 and the NVIDIA GeForce 945M. The AMD FirePro W5000 scores 9,803 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce 945M scores 8,099 points. This yields a 21% performance advantage for the AMD FirePro W5000 in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The win count in the head-to-head comparison is 1 for the AMD part and 0 for the NVIDIA part.

Looking at the wider context, the AMD FirePro W5000 sits in the 47th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in the recorded data are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 at 9,780 points (0.2% behind the FirePro), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M at 9,832 points (0.3% ahead), the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 at 9,846 points (0.4% ahead), and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 at 9,724 points (0.8% behind). The FirePro W5000 effectively trades blows with these cards, sitting within a narrow band of roughly 1% of all four rivals.

The NVIDIA GeForce 945M, by contrast, holds the 42nd percentile in the database. Its nearest recorded rivals include the NVIDIA GRID K2 at 8,080 points (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon R9 M360 at 8,129 points (0.4% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost at 8,067 points (0.4% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M at 8,135 points (0.4% ahead). The GeForce 945M occupies a lower performance tier than the FirePro W5000, and the 21% gap between the two in the head-to-head test reflects that positioning.

The single benchmark result is decisive: the AMD FirePro W5000 outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce 945M by a wide margin in OpenCL compute workloads. There are no recorded tests where the NVIDIA part wins, so the data gives a clean sweep for the AMD card.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers and different architectural generations. The AMD FirePro W5000 uses the Pitcairn chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, part of the FirePro GCN (Wx000) generation. The NVIDIA GeForce 945M uses the GM107 chip built on Maxwell architecture, part of the GeForce 900M generation. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process, so the process node itself is identical.

Transistor counts differ notably. The AMD chip contains 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². The NVIDIA chip contains 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, with a density of 12.6M per mm². The AMD die is larger and packs more transistors, which correlates with its higher compute throughput in the benchmark data.

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. The FirePro W5000 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GeForce 945M uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering only 28.80 GB/s. That is a substantial bandwidth gap, nearly 3.6 times in favor of the AMD card, and it likely contributes to the OpenCL score difference.

Compute resources also differ. The FirePro W5000 has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation pipelines. The GeForce 945M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The AMD card has more of each resource type, with the ROP count being exactly double the NVIDIA part. The pixel rate reflects this: 26.40 GPixel/s for the FirePro versus 16.32 GPixel/s for the GeForce. Texture rates are closer: 39.60 GTexel/s for AMD versus 40.80 GTexel/s for NVIDIA, meaning the NVIDIA part actually has a slight edge in texture throughput. Floating point performance is also close: 1,267.2 GFLOPS for the FirePro versus 1,305.6 GFLOPS for the GeForce, again a narrow NVIDIA advantage.

Clock behavior differs as well. The FirePro W5000 has no recorded base or boost clock, with memory running at 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective). The GeForce 945M has a base clock of 928 MHz, a boost clock of 1,020 MHz, and memory at 900 MHz (1,800 Mbps effective). The NVIDIA chip runs at higher clock speeds, which helps explain its competitive texture and FP32 rates despite fewer resources.

API support shows some divergence. Both cards support DirectX 12, but the FirePro W5000 is rated at 12 (11_1) while the GeForce 945M is rated at 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6. For Vulkan, the FirePro W5000 supports version 1.2.170, while the GeForce 945M supports version 1.4. The NVIDIA part has a newer Vulkan implementation.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the AMD FirePro W5000 wins the only benchmark test, the Geekbench OpenCL score, by 21%. This indicates a clear advantage in compute-heavy workloads that utilize OpenCL, such as general-purpose GPU computing, rendering tasks, or scientific simulations. The FirePro W5000 also has a much higher memory bandwidth (102.4 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s) and double the ROP count, which suggests advantages in memory-bound workloads and fill-rate-sensitive scenarios.

The NVIDIA GeForce 945M, while losing the overall benchmark, shows strengths in specific measured specifications. Its texture rate of 40.80 GTexel/s exceeds the AMD part's 39.60 GTexel/s. Its FP32 throughput of 1,305.6 GFLOPS is higher than the FirePro's 1,267.2 GFLOPS. These numbers suggest the GeForce 945M could perform competitively in texture-heavy or raw floating-point tasks, even though its overall OpenCL score is lower. The higher clocks (boost up to 1,020 MHz) and newer Vulkan API support (version 1.4) are additional areas where the NVIDIA part has a technical edge.

For gaming workloads, the data does not include specific game benchmarks, but the specification differences point to certain conclusions. The FirePro W5000's larger memory bus and higher bandwidth favor high-resolution textures and memory-intensive scenes. The GeForce 945M's higher texture rate and FP32 output favor shader-heavy effects and texture filtering. The GeForce 945M also consumes the same 75 W TDP as the FirePro W5000, so power efficiency per frame is likely better on the NVIDIA side given its higher clocks.

For workstation use, the FirePro W5000's FirePro branding and GCN architecture indicate a design intent for professional applications. The GeForce 945M, as a mobile GeForce part, is aimed at consumer laptops. The FirePro W5000's 256-bit memory interface and GDDR5 memory are typical of workstation-class parts, while the GeForce 945M's DDR3 and 128-bit bus are more common in mainstream mobile devices.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification field. The AMD FirePro W5000 uses the Pitcairn chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, while the NVIDIA GeForce 945M uses the GM107 chip with Maxwell architecture. The FirePro W5000 has 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, versus 1,870 million on 148 mm² for the GeForce 945M. Transistor density is 13.2M per mm² for AMD and 12.6M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Memory differs completely: both have 2 GB, but the FirePro uses GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the GeForce uses DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro's memory clock is 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective); the GeForce's is 900 MHz (1,800 Mbps effective). The FirePro has no recorded base or boost clocks, while the GeForce has a 928 MHz base and 1,020 MHz boost.

Compute resources differ: 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs for AMD versus 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs for NVIDIA. Pixel rate is 26.40 GPixel/s for AMD versus 16.32 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rate is 39.60 GTexel/s for AMD versus 40.80 GTexel/s for NVIDIA. FP32 is 1,267.2 GFLOPS for AMD versus 1,305.6 GFLOPS for NVIDIA.

Power and physical specs: both have a 75 W TDP, but the FirePro W5000 is a single-slot card with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the GeForce 945M is an MXM module with no power connectors and no suggested PSU listed. The FirePro W5000 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GeForce 945M uses MXM-B (3.0). Display outputs are 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2 for AMD, versus "Portable Device Dependent" for NVIDIA. The FirePro W5000 measures 183 mm (7.2 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height; the GeForce 945M has no recorded dimensions.

API support: DirectX 12 (11_1) for AMD versus 12 (11_0) for NVIDIA, with OpenGL 4.6 for both. Vulkan is 1.2.170 for AMD versus 1.4 for NVIDIA. Release dates differ: the FirePro W5000 launched on 2012-08-06, while the GeForce 945M launched on 2015-10-26. Both are end-of-life. The FirePro W5000 has a recorded launch MSRP of 599 USD, while the GeForce 945M has no recorded MSRP. The FirePro W5000's predecessor is FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris. The GeForce 945M's predecessor is GeForce 800M and its successor is GeForce 10 Mobile.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000 scores 9,803 points in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce 945M scores 8,099 points, a 21% difference in favor of the AMD card.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two cards?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000 provides 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth using GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The NVIDIA GeForce 945M provides 28.80 GB/s using DDR3 on a 128-bit bus. The AMD card has roughly 3.6 times the memory bandwidth.

Q: What are the transistor counts for each chip?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000's Pitcairn chip contains 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce 945M's GM107 chip contains 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce 945M have any specification advantages?

A: Yes. The GeForce 945M has a higher texture rate (40.80 GTexel/s versus 39.60 GTexel/s), higher FP32 throughput (1,305.6 GFLOPS versus 1,267.2 GFLOPS), and a newer Vulkan API version (1.4 versus 1.2.170). It also has recorded base and boost clocks, which the FirePro W5000 lacks.

Q: What are the pixel fill rates for each GPU?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000 achieves 26.40 GPixel/s, while the NVIDIA GeForce 945M achieves 16.32 GPixel/s. The AMD card has a 62% advantage in pixel throughput.

Q: When did each GPU launch?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000 launched on 2012-08-06, and the NVIDIA GeForce 945M launched on 2015-10-26. Both are now end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly favors the AMD FirePro W5000 in raw OpenCL compute performance. Its 9,803 score versus 8,099 for the GeForce 945M represents a 21% lead, and the FirePro also sits at the 47th percentile in the database, five points higher than the GeForce 945M's 42nd percentile. The AMD card's memory subsystem, with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth and a 256-bit bus, is decisively superior. For any workload that stresses memory throughput or compute parallelism, the FirePro W5000 is the stronger choice.

The NVIDIA GeForce 945M does have redeeming qualities in the recorded specifications. Its higher texture rate and FP32 output mean it is not uniformly slower in every theoretical metric. The newer Vulkan support (version 1.4) and higher clock speeds make it a more modern-feeling part in software compatibility terms. For users who prioritize texture-heavy workloads or need the latest Vulkan features, the GeForce 945M has a case, but the actual benchmark result does not support a performance win.

The FirePro W5000's workstation heritage, with its DisplayPort outputs and single-slot design, makes it suitable for professional environments. The GeForce 945M's MXM form factor and portable-device-dependent outputs make it a laptop component. The data suggests that for any user who can accommodate the FirePro W5000's desktop card format, the AMD part delivers meaningfully better compute performance. The GeForce 945M is the pick only for those constrained to its mobile form factor or those who specifically need its newer Vulkan API. Otherwise, the recorded numbers point squarely to the AMD FirePro W5000.