AMD FirePro W5100 vs AMD Radeon RX 570X Comparison

AMD Radeon RX 570X vs AMD FirePro W5100: a head-to-head comparison between a late-generation Polaris gaming card and an early GCN workstation part. The benchmark data reveals a decisive performance gulf, but the architectural and feature-set differences tell a more nuanced story for specific workloads. The RX 570X leads in every measured category, yet the W5100's low power draw and compact size remain relevant for constrained environments.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is lopsided. The AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38,939 points, while the AMD FirePro W5100 manages 11,888 points. That translates to a 227.5% advantage for the RX 570X — meaning it delivers more than three times the compute performance in this test. This is not a marginal win; it is a generational gap made visible through raw numbers.

Beyond that single head-to-head result, the broader benchmark suite reinforces the same conclusion. The RX 570X’s average benchmark score is 13,871, against the W5100’s 12,847. Although the average score gap is narrower (roughly 8%), the OpenCL result dominates the comparison because it directly exercises both cards’ compute pipelines. The RX 570X also holds a 55th percentile position among all GPUs, while the W5100 sits at the 52nd percentile — a modest but consistent edge in overall standing.

Individual test scores further illustrate the split. The RX 570X posts a Passmark G3D score of 1,923 and a Passmark G2D score of 750. The W5100 lacks comparable Passmark results in the data, so its only other recorded metric is a Geekbench Vulkan score of 13,805 — which still falls far short of the RX 570X’s OpenCL output. The RX 570X’s nearest rivals in average score include the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13,821, delta 0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (13,745, delta 0.9%), placing it in solid mid-range company. The W5100’s rivals — the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831, delta 0.1%) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 (12,830, delta 0.1%) — are similarly clustered, but at a lower performance tier.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different eras of AMD GPU design, which explains much of the performance gap. The RX 570X uses the Polaris 20 chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 5,700 million transistors onto a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter. The W5100, by contrast, uses the Bonaire chip from GCN 2.0, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It contains 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, with a density of 13.0 million per square millimeter. The newer node and higher density give the RX 570X a fundamental architectural advantage.

Compute resources differ by a similar order of magnitude. The RX 570X fields 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The W5100 offers 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That is roughly 2.7 times more shaders, 2.7 times more TMUs, and double the ROPs on the RX 570X. Clock speeds reinforce this: the RX 570X runs at a 1168 MHz base and 1244 MHz boost, while the W5100’s clocks are not listed in the data — but its pixel rate of 14.88 GPixel/s and texture rate of 44.64 GTexel/s are far below the RX 570X’s 39.81 GPixel/s and 159.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute output tells the same story: 5.095 TFLOPS for the RX 570X versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS for the W5100.

Memory is another major divider. The RX 570X carries 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. Effective memory speeds are 7 Gbps versus 6 Gbps, respectively. The RX 570X also supports FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, while the W5100 has no FP16 data listed. Both cards support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but the RX 570X runs Vulkan 1.3 compared to the W5100’s Vulkan 1.2.170.

Physical and power characteristics diverge sharply. The RX 570X is a dual-slot card with a 150 W TDP and requires a 1x 6-pin power connector, with a suggested 450 W power supply. It measures 241 mm in length. The W5100 is a single-slot card with a 50 W TDP, no power connectors, and a suggested 250 W power supply. It spans just 173 mm by 111 mm. Display outputs also differ: the RX 570X offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the W5100 provides 4x DisplayPort 1.2.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 570X is the superior performer in nearly every measurable way. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 227.5% higher, its average benchmark score is higher, and its percentile rank is better. For any compute-heavy workload — OpenCL-based rendering, simulation, or data processing — the RX 570X is the clear choice, provided the system can accommodate its 150 W TDP and dual-slot footprint.

The AMD FirePro W5100, however, is not without justification in specific scenarios. Its 50 W TDP means it can run without auxiliary power connectors, and its single-slot, 173 mm length makes it suitable for compact or legacy systems where space and power delivery are constrained. Its 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs support multi-monitor setups, though at an older standard than the RX 570X’s DisplayPort 1.4a.

Pick the RX 570X if you need raw compute throughput, higher memory bandwidth, or modern API support like Vulkan 1.3. Pick the W5100 if your priority is minimal power draw, small physical footprint, and the ability to drive multiple displays from a low-profile card. The benchmark results do not recommend the W5100 for performance-sensitive tasks; they only validate it as a low-power utility option.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X wins decisively, scoring 38,939 in Geekbench OpenCL versus the FirePro W5100’s 11,888 — a 227.5% difference.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 570X has an average benchmark score of 13,871, while the W5100 averages 12,847. The RX 570X also ranks at the 55th percentile of all GPUs, versus the 52nd for the W5100.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both cards support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6. However, the RX 570X supports Vulkan 1.3, while the W5100 only reaches Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RX 570X has a 150 W TDP and requires a 1x 6-pin power connector. The W5100 has a 50 W TDP and needs no power connectors, with a suggested 250 W power supply versus 450 W for the RX 570X.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, compared to 768 on the W5100. The RX 570X also has 128 TMUs and 32 ROPs, versus 48 TMUs and 16 ROPs on the W5100.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 570X wins in all performance-oriented categories. It dominates in OpenCL compute (38,939 vs 11,888), FP32 throughput (5.095 TFLOPS vs 1,428.5 GFLOPS), texture fill rate (159.2 GTexel/s vs 44.64 GTexel/s), and pixel fill rate (39.81 GPixel/s vs 14.88 GPixel/s). Its 8 GB memory capacity and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth make it better suited for large datasets and high-resolution textures. It also supports FP16 compute at 1:1 with FP32, a feature the W5100 lacks entirely. For gaming, rendering, or any GPU-accelerated application that can utilize its resources, the RX 570X is the only viable option between the two.

The AMD FirePro W5100 wins in physical and power efficiency. Its 50 W TDP is one-third of the RX 570X’s 150 W, and it requires no external power connector, making it drop-in compatible with older or low-wattage systems. Its single-slot design and 173 mm length allow installation in compact chassis where the RX 570X’s 241 mm dual-slot body would not fit. The W5100 also offers four DisplayPort outputs, which can drive up to four monitors simultaneously, whereas the RX 570X’s output configuration includes only three DisplayPort 1.4a ports plus one DVI and one HDMI. For a multi-display office setup or a headless compute node where power is scarce, the W5100 has a clear niche — but it is a niche defined by constraints, not performance.