AMD FirePro W5100 vs AMD Radeon Vega 11 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 and AMD FirePro W5100 occupy very different positions in the GPU landscape, and the benchmark data shows a clear split: the Vega 11 wins in OpenCL compute, while the FirePro W5100 wins in Vulkan performance. Overall, the Vega 11 posts a higher average benchmark score of 14,352 compared to 12,847 for the FirePro W5100, placing it at the 56th percentile of all GPUs versus the 52nd percentile for the FirePro. The Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built into Picasso chips, designed for low-power systems, while the FirePro W5100 is a dedicated single-slot workstation card with its own 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. The data indicates that users prioritizing raw OpenCL throughput should favor the Vega 11, while those needing stronger Vulkan performance or dedicated video memory should choose the FirePro W5100.

The Verdict

The recorded measurements show that the AMD Radeon Vega 11 and AMD FirePro W5100 each win exactly one head-to-head benchmark. The Vega 11 takes Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 13,392 against 11,888 for the FirePro W5100, a margin of 12.7%. The FirePro W5100 counters in Geekbench Vulkan with 13,805 versus 12,273 for the Vega 11, a difference of 11.1% in its favor. This balanced split means the choice depends entirely on the workload.

For users running OpenCL-based applications, the Vega 11 is the stronger option. Its 1.971 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power exceeds the 1,428.5 GFLOPS of the FirePro W5100, and the benchmark confirms this advantage. The Vega 11 also achieves a higher texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s compared to 44.64 GTexel/s for the FirePro. However, the FirePro W5100 offers dedicated memory, 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth, which the Vega 11 lacks entirely, as it relies on system-shared memory with bandwidth described as system dependent.

For Vulkan workloads, the FirePro W5100 is the clear winner. Its score of 13,805 beats the Vega 11's 12,273 by 11.1%. This suggests better driver optimization or hardware scheduling for Vulkan in the older GCN 2.0 architecture. Users running modern Vulkan-based games or compute workloads should choose the FirePro W5100.

Looking at the broader database, the Vega 11 sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which averages 14,373, a difference of only 0.1%. It also matches closely with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14,385, 0.2% behind) and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14,315, 0.3% ahead). The FirePro W5100, meanwhile, is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831, 0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 (12,830, 0.1% ahead). These rival comparisons show that neither card is a performance outlier; both sit in the mid-range of the database.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The AMD Radeon Vega 11 uses GCN 5.0 architecture on a Picasso chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The AMD FirePro W5100 uses GCN 2.0 architecture on a Bonaire chip, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This generational gap explains several performance characteristics. The Vega 11 integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². The FirePro W5100 has 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, with a density of 13.0 million per mm². The newer process node allows the Vega 11 to pack more than twice the transistors into a slightly larger die.

The Vega 11 is an IGP with no dedicated memory, no power connectors, and a 15 W TDP. It uses system-shared memory for both capacity and bandwidth, with the memory clock described as system shared. The FirePro W5100 is a single-slot dedicated card with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, a 128-bit bus, 96.00 GB/s bandwidth, and a 50 W TDP. It requires a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the Vega 11 has no suggested PSU listed. The FirePro W5100 also has a PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface, while the Vega 11 uses an IGP bus interface.

Shading unit counts are similar but not identical. The Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The FirePro W5100 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the Vega 11 achieves higher FP32 throughput due to its higher clock speeds. The 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, only a memory clock of 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The Vega 11's boost clock drives its higher pixel rate of 11.20 GPixel/s and texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s, while the FirePro W5100 achieves 14.88 GPixel/s but only 44.64 GTexel/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the Vega 11 with a significant 12.7% advantage. Its score of 13,392 versus 11,888 for the FirePro W5100 aligns with the FP32 compute figures: 1.971 TFLOPS versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS. The Vega 11's higher texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s versus 44.64 GTexel/s also contributes to this OpenCL win. The Vega 11's 704 shading units, while fewer than the FirePro's 768, operate at much higher clocks, producing more total work per second.

The Geekbench Vulkan test flips the result. The FirePro W5100 scores 13,805, beating the Vega 11's 12,273 by 11.1%. This is notable because the Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro W5100 only supports Vulkan 1.2.170. Despite the newer API version on the Vega 11, the FirePro W5100 delivers better real-world Vulkan performance in this test. The FirePro's dedicated GDDR5 memory with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth may help in Vulkan workloads that are memory-intensive, whereas the Vega 11's system-shared memory bandwidth is system dependent and potentially a bottleneck.

The average benchmark scores reflect the overall balance. The Vega 11 averages 14,352 across three tests (including a Geekbench Metal score of 17,392, which the FirePro cannot run as it has no Metal benchmark recorded). The FirePro W5100 averages 12,847 across two tests. The Vega 11's percentile ranking of 56 versus 52 for the FirePro indicates it sits slightly higher in the overall distribution of all GPUs.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every hardware specification. The Vega 11 uses a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the FirePro W5100 uses a 28 nm process from TSMC. The Vega 11 has 4,940 million transistors versus 2,080 million for the FirePro. Die sizes are 210 mm² and 160 mm², respectively. Transistor density is 23.5M per mm² for the Vega 11 and 13.0M per mm² for the FirePro.

Memory is a major differentiator. The Vega 11 has system-shared memory with no dedicated size, type, bus width, or bandwidth. The FirePro W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 11's memory clock is listed as system shared, while the FirePro's memory runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The FirePro's 16 ROPs double the Vega 11's 8 ROPs, giving it a higher pixel rate of 14.88 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s.

Power requirements differ substantially. The Vega 11 has a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The FirePro W5100 has a 50 W TDP, no power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The Vega 11 is an IGP with no slot width, while the FirePro is single-slot. The FirePro has physical dimensions of 173 mm length and 111 mm height, while the Vega 11 has no dimensions listed. Display outputs also differ: the Vega 11 is motherboard dependent, while the FirePro has 4x DisplayPort 1.2.

API support shows differences. Both support DirectX 12, but the Vega 11 supports version 12_1 while the FirePro supports 12_0. Both support OpenGL 4.6. Vulkan support differs: the Vega 11 supports 1.3, while the FirePro supports 1.2.170. The Vega 11 also has FP16 capability at 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the FirePro has no FP16 data recorded. Release dates differ: the Vega 11 launched in 2019, while the FirePro launched in 2014.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 11 has higher FP32 compute at 1.971 TFLOPS compared to 1,428.5 GFLOPS for the AMD FirePro W5100. This is reflected in the Geekbench OpenCL result, where the Vega 11 scores 13,392 versus 11,888, a 12.7% advantage.

Q: Does the FirePro W5100 have any performance win over the Vega 11?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench Vulkan test, the FirePro W5100 scores 13,805 against 12,273 for the Vega 11, an 11.1% margin. The FirePro also has a higher pixel rate at 14.88 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the Vega 11.

Q: How do the memory systems compare?

A: The Vega 11 uses system-shared memory with no dedicated size, type, or bandwidth, and its bandwidth is system dependent. The FirePro W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The FirePro W5100 has 768 shading units, while the Vega 11 has 704. However, the Vega 11 achieves higher FP32 throughput due to its boost clock of 1400 MHz, compared to no clock data listed for the FirePro.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The Vega 11 has a 15 W TDP with no power connectors and no suggested PSU. The FirePro W5100 has a 50 W TDP, also no power connectors, but a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Q: Which GPU supports newer API versions?

A: The Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro W5100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 wins in OpenCL compute workloads. Its 12.7% lead in Geekbench OpenCL makes it the better choice for applications that rely on OpenCL acceleration. The Vega 11 also has higher texture rate (61.60 GTexel/s versus 44.64 GTexel/s) and higher FP32 throughput (1.971 TFLOPS versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS). It supports FP16 at 3.942 TFLOPS, which the FirePro lacks entirely. The Vega 11's higher average benchmark score of 14,352 and 56th percentile ranking also make it the stronger overall performer in the database. Its 15 W TDP means it consumes far less power than the FirePro's 50 W, making it suitable for low-power integrated systems.

The AMD FirePro W5100 wins in Vulkan performance. Its 11.1% lead in Geekbench Vulkan makes it the better choice for Vulkan-based games and compute. The FirePro also has double the ROPs (16 versus 8), giving it a higher pixel rate of 14.88 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s. Its dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 memory with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth provides consistent memory performance, unlike the Vega 11's system-dependent shared memory. The FirePro's 768 shading units and 48 TMUs exceed the Vega 11's 704 shading units and 44 TMUs. Its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs make it a proper workstation card, while the Vega 11 is motherboard dependent for display outputs. The FirePro also has a lower transistor count of 2,080 million versus 4,940 million, which, combined with its older 28 nm process, suggests a simpler design that may have more mature drivers for certain workloads.

In summary, the Vega 11 is the better choice for OpenCL-heavy tasks and overall compute throughput, while the FirePro W5100 is the better choice for Vulkan workloads and applications that benefit from dedicated video memory. The two GPUs split their head-to-head benchmarks evenly, so the decision should be based on the specific API requirements of the target applications.