AMD FirePro W5100 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data splits cleanly between the two GPUs. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 takes the win with a score of 12,525 against the AMD FirePro W5100’s 11,888, a 5.4% advantage. This compute-oriented workload favors the integrated Vega part, which pairs a newer GCN generation with a higher FP32 throughput figure. The OpenCL result is the only test where the RX Vega 11 leads, and it does so by a margin that is meaningful for general-purpose GPU compute tasks.

In contrast, the AMD FirePro W5100 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test. Its score of 13,805 edges out the RX Vega 11’s 13,543, a delta of 1.9%. Vulkan is a lower-overhead graphics API, and the discrete W5100’s dedicated memory subsystem appears to give it an edge in this specific workload. The margin is narrow, but it is consistent with the W5100’s role as a workstation card with its own 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, which avoids the system-shared memory bottleneck that can affect an IGP.

The aggregate data reinforces this split. The RX Vega 11 posts an average benchmark score of 14,385 across its three recorded tests (Metal, OpenCL, Vulkan), while the W5100 averages 12,847 across its two recorded tests. The RX Vega 11 also sits at the 56th percentile among all GPUs in the database, versus the W5100’s 52nd percentile. So while the W5100 wins the Vulkan head-to-head, the Vega IGP holds a broader performance lead when all available test results are considered.

For use-case selection, the data suggests the RX Vega 11 is the better choice for OpenCL-heavy applications, where its 5.4% lead in that test can translate to faster compute workloads. The FirePro W5100, meanwhile, is the pick for Vulkan-based graphics workloads, where its 1.9% margin, though slim, represents a genuine advantage. The W5100’s workstation heritage, with its dedicated video memory and DisplayPort outputs, also makes it more suitable for multi-display professional setups, though the benchmark numbers alone do not quantify that.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different points in AMD’s GCN lineage. The Radeon RX Vega 11 uses the Picasso chip with GCN 5.0 architecture, built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The FirePro W5100 uses the Bonaire chip with GCN 2.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This generational gap shows up in several measured specs.

Transistor counts differ substantially. The RX Vega 11 integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². The FirePro W5100 carries 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, for a density of 13.0 million per mm². The Vega part is denser and newer, which helps explain its higher FP32 throughput despite being an integrated solution.

Shading unit counts are close: 704 on the RX Vega 11 versus 768 on the W5100. Texture mapping units are 44 versus 48, again favoring the W5100 slightly. But the ROP count is where the W5100 pulls ahead decisively: 16 ROPs versus just 8 on the Vega IGP. This affects pixel fill rate, and indeed the W5100’s pixel rate is 14.88 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the RX Vega 11. The texture rate tells the opposite story: the Vega IGP posts 61.60 GTexel/s, well above the W5100’s 44.64 GTexel/s, thanks to its higher clock behavior.

Clock behavior is another key divergence. The RX Vega 11 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. The FirePro W5100 has no base or boost clock listed in the database, but its memory clock is 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective. The Vega IGP uses system-shared memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent, while the W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. This dedicated memory is a structural advantage for the discrete card.

The RX Vega 11 also supports FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, posting 3.942 TFLOPS FP16, while the W5100 has no FP16 figure recorded. FP32 performance favors the Vega IGP at 1.971 TFLOPS versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS for the W5100. API support is similar in DirectX and OpenGL, but the Vega IGP supports Vulkan 1.3 while the W5100 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170. DirectX versions differ slightly: 12 (12_1) for the Vega versus 12 (12_0) for the W5100.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 averages 14,385 across its three recorded tests, while the AMD FirePro W5100 averages 12,847 across two tests.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RX Vega 11 scores 12,525, beating the W5100’s 11,888 by 5.4%.

Q: Which GPU wins the Vulkan benchmark?

A: The FirePro W5100 scores 13,805, ahead of the RX Vega 11’s 13,543, a margin of 1.9%.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each card?

A: The RX Vega 11 uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. The FirePro W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more ROPs?

A: The FirePro W5100 has 16 ROPs, double the RX Vega 11’s 8 ROPs.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: The RX Vega 11 is built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the FirePro W5100 uses a 28 nm process at TSMC.

Specification Differences

The table below lists only the fields where the two GPUs differ, based on the recorded data.

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 | AMD FirePro W5100 |

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

| Chip | Picasso | Bonaire |

| Architecture | GCN 5.0 | GCN 2.0 |

| Generation | Vega IGP (Picasso) | FirePro GCN (Wx100) |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 4,940 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 210 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 23.5M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 300 MHz | None recorded |

| Boost Clock | 1400 MHz | None recorded |

| Memory Clock | System Shared | 1500 MHz, 6 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 704 | 768 |

| TMUs | 44 | 48 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 11.20 GPixel/s | 14.88 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 61.60 GTexel/s | 44.64 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1.971 TFLOPS | 1,428.5 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1) | None recorded |

| TDP | 15 W | 50 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Single-slot |

| Suggested PSU | None recorded | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | 4x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.2.170 |

| Dimensions (Length) | None recorded | 173 mm / 6.8 inches |

| Dimensions (Height) | None recorded | 111 mm / 4.4 inches |

| Release Date | 2019-07-06 | 2014-03-30 |

| Predecessor | GCN 3.0 IGP | FirePro Terascale |

| Successor | Vega II IGP | Radeon Pro Polaris |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 56 | 52 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains two recorded comparisons, and each GPU wins one. The Geekbench OpenCL test is the larger divergence. Here, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 12,525 against the FirePro W5100’s 11,888, yielding a 5.4% delta. This is the RX Vega 11’s only win, but it is the more decisive one. The FP32 throughput difference likely drives this result: the Vega IGP posts 1.971 TFLOPS versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS for the W5100, a gap of roughly 38%. OpenCL workloads that scale with raw compute throughput would naturally favor the Vega part.

The Vulkan test is closer. The FirePro W5100 scores 13,805, while the RX Vega 11 scores 13,543. The delta is 1.9% in favor of the W5100. This is a narrow margin, but it is consistent across the recorded data. Vulkan’s low-overhead nature tends to reward memory bandwidth and dedicated resources, and the W5100’s 96.00 GB/s dedicated GDDR5 bandwidth gives it an edge over the Vega IGP’s system-shared memory. The W5100 also has double the ROP count (16 versus 8), which could help in rasterization-heavy Vulkan workloads.

Looking at the wider benchmark context, the RX Vega 11’s average score of 14,385 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373, a 0.1% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14,404, a -0.1% delta). The FirePro W5100’s average of 12,847 sits near the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831, a 0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon 740M (12,870, a -0.2% delta). This places the Vega IGP in a higher performance tier overall, despite losing the Vulkan head-to-head.

The wins are evenly split at one apiece, but the magnitude matters. The RX Vega 11’s OpenCL win is nearly three times larger in percentage terms than the W5100’s Vulkan win. For users prioritizing compute workloads, the Vega IGP is the clear choice. For Vulkan-specific graphics, the W5100 offers a slim but real advantage. The data does not support a single overall winner; instead, it points to workload-dependent selection, with the newer integrated part holding a broader edge in the aggregate metrics.