AMD FirePro W5130M vs AMD Radeon R5 M230 Comparison

The AMD FirePro W5130M and AMD Radeon R5 M230 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions built on the same GCN 1.0 architecture, but the benchmark data shows a clear hierarchy between them. In the single available OpenCL benchmark, the FirePro W5130M outperforms the Radeon R5 M230 by 7.1%, a margin that separates the two in overall performance percentiles. The FirePro W5130M sits at the 29th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon R5 M230 sits at the 27th, and their nearest rivals reflect this gap, with the FirePro competing against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB and the Radeon R5 M230 rivaling the Intel HD Graphics P530.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD FirePro W5130M scores 4904 points against the AMD Radeon R5 M230’s 4577 points. That is a 7.1% advantage for the FirePro, which is the sole head-to-head win recorded in the data. The FirePro’s score places it 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (4901) and 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4893), while the Radeon R5 M230’s score is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 560 (4569) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel HD Graphics P530 (4560).

The delta between the two AMD parts is significant in context. The FirePro W5130M’s 4904-point result is 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon R7 M265 (4929) and 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon R7 M360 (4931), showing it is at the edge of a performance tier. The Radeon R5 M230, by contrast, is 0.9% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M (4621) and 1.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (4628), indicating it sits lower in the stack. The 7.1% gap between the two reviewed GPUs corresponds to the difference between being competitive with lower-end desktop parts from several generations ago versus being closer to integrated graphics solutions.

The FirePro W5130M wins the only benchmark, and the Radeon R5 M230 wins none. The data shows no scenario in which the Radeon R5 M230 overtakes the FirePro W5130M in raw compute performance. The larger shading unit count and memory bandwidth of the FirePro translate directly into a measurable lead, and the percentile ranking confirms that this is not a statistical fluke but a consistent performance separation.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD FirePro W5130M is faster, scoring 4904 points compared to the AMD Radeon R5 M230’s 4577 points, a 7.1% advantage.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro W5130M is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB and 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450. The Radeon R5 M230 is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 560 and 0.4% ahead of the Intel HD Graphics P530.

Q: What is the performance percentile of each GPU?

A: The FirePro W5130M is in the 29th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon R5 M230 is in the 27th percentile.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX and OpenGL versions?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The FirePro W5130M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon R5 M230 uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The FirePro W5130M has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, while the Radeon R5 M230 has 690 million transistors on a 56 mm² die.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD FirePro W5130M is the superior performer. Its 4904 OpenCL score versus 4577 for the AMD Radeon R5 M230 gives it a 7.1% lead, and it holds a higher percentile ranking at 29% versus 27%. For any workload that relies on general compute performance, the FirePro W5130M is the correct choice.

The Radeon R5 M230 is not without a place, but that place is defined by its physical characteristics rather than performance. It is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 56 mm² die and 690 million transistors, making it a compact solution for portable devices. The FirePro W5130M, with its 123 mm² die and 1,500 million transistors, is a larger and more capable part, but it is also a discrete solution that requires more space and power infrastructure.

For users who need the best possible OpenCL compute from these two options, the FirePro W5130M wins outright. The Radeon R5 M230 is only preferable if the system design demands an integrated solution with a smaller footprint. The benchmark data does not support any performance-based argument for choosing the Radeon R5 M230 over the FirePro W5130M.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The FirePro W5130M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation pipelines, while the Radeon R5 M230 has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The FirePro’s pixel rate is 14.80 GPixel/s versus 4.880 GPixel/s for the Radeon, and its texture rate is 29.60 GTexel/s versus 12.20 GTexel/s. Floating point performance is 947.2 GFLOPS for the FirePro versus 390.4 GFLOPS for the Radeon.

Memory is a major differentiator. The FirePro W5130M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon R5 M230 uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clock is 1000 MHz for both, but the effective data rate is 4 Gbps for the FirePro and 2 Gbps for the Radeon. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the FirePro versus PCIe 3.0 x8 for the Radeon.

The FirePro W5130M has a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 925 MHz, while the Radeon R5 M230 has no listed base or boost clock. The FirePro is a discrete solution, while the Radeon is an IGP with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." The production status is end-of-life for both, but the release dates differ, with the FirePro released in 2015 and the Radeon in 2014.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on GCN 1.0 architecture using a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the underlying chips are different. The FirePro W5130M uses the Tropo chip, while the Radeon R5 M230 uses the Jet chip. The transistor density is nearly identical at 12.2M / mm² for the FirePro and 12.3M / mm² for the Radeon, but the absolute transistor counts diverge sharply: 1,500 million for the FirePro versus 690 million for the Radeon. Die sizes are 123 mm² and 56 mm², respectively.

The FirePro W5130M belongs to the FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) generation, while the Radeon R5 M230 belongs to the Gem System (R5 M200) generation. The FirePro’s predecessor is FirePro Mobility and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile, while the Radeon’s predecessor is Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile. Both support the same API set: DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Neither has ray tracing cores or tensor cores, and neither lists FP16 performance.

The architectural differences are primarily about scale rather than feature sets. The Tropo chip in the FirePro is more than twice the size of the Jet chip in the Radeon, with more than double the transistors, shading units, TMUs, ROPs, and memory bandwidth. The GCN 1.0 architecture is identical, but the FirePro implements it with far more resources, which explains the 7.1% benchmark lead.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro W5130M wins the only benchmark category, Geekbench OpenCL, and by extension wins all compute workloads that scale with shading units, texture throughput, and memory bandwidth. Its 947.2 GFLOPS of FP32 performance and 64.00 GB/s memory bandwidth make it the clear choice for OpenCL-based tasks. The FirePro also wins on pixel rate at 14.80 GPixel/s and texture rate at 29.60 GTexel/s, which are direct consequences of its larger resource allocation.

The AMD Radeon R5 M230 does not win any benchmark category, but it wins on physical integration. As an IGP with a 56 mm² die and 690 million transistors, it is designed for compact portable systems where space and power are constrained. Its 16.00 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for basic display output and light workloads, but the data shows it is 7.1% slower than the FirePro in the one test that matters.

For users choosing between these two for compute-heavy applications, the FirePro W5130M is the only rational pick. For users who need an integrated solution with a smaller transistor budget and die size, the Radeon R5 M230 is the only option that fits that form factor. The benchmark results do not reveal any workload where the Radeon R5 M230 outperforms the FirePro W5130M, so the decision rests entirely on the physical design constraints of the host system.