AMD FirePro W5130M vs AMD Radeon Vega 3 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two AMD parts cleanly along workload lines. The AMD FirePro W5130M wins the only directly comparable compute test, Geekbench OpenCL, by a decisive 23.7% margin. That result places the FirePro in a higher performance tier overall, with an average benchmark score of 4904 versus 4268 for the Radeon Vega 3. The FirePro also sits at the 29th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the Vega 3 lands at the 25th percentile, a modest but measurable gap in overall standing.

The Radeon Vega 3, however, has one advantage the FirePro cannot match: it appears in three separate benchmark entries. The database records Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan results for the Vega 3, while the FirePro only has an OpenCL result. This means the Vega 3 is the only one of the two with recorded cross-API performance data, giving it broader coverage in the database despite its lower raw scores. Its Metal score of 4880 is particularly notable, nearly matching the FirePro's OpenCL result of 4904 despite the Vega 3's otherwise lower compute output.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward. For pure OpenCL compute throughput, the FirePro W5130M is the clear winner, and its 947.2 GFLOPS FP32 peak and dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 frame buffer with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for workloads that need sustained memory bandwidth. The Vega 3, as an integrated part with system-shared memory, is better positioned for lightweight, API-flexible tasks where the presence of Vulkan and Metal support matters more than peak compute.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different eras of AMD's GCN family. The FirePro W5130M uses the Tropo chip built on GCN 1.0, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. The Vega 3 uses the Picasso chip on GCN 5.0, built by GlobalFoundries on a 12 nm process. That chip contains 4,940 million transistors across a 210 mm² die, for a density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. The Vega 3's die is not entirely GPU logic, since Picasso is an APU that integrates CPU cores alongside the graphics block, but the transistor budget is substantially larger.

The compute resources differ sharply. The FirePro carries 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The Vega 3 has only 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 4 ROPs. That is a 2.7x advantage in shader count for the FirePro, which explains much of its compute lead. Clock speeds tell a different story. The FirePro runs at a 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost, while the Vega 3 has a 300 MHz base and an 1100 MHz boost. The Vega 3's boost clock is 175 MHz higher, but its much smaller shader array cannot compensate for the raw unit count deficit.

Memory architecture is fundamentally different. The FirePro uses dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 3 uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth figure. The FirePro's fixed memory bandwidth is a major advantage in bandwidth-sensitive tasks, while the Vega 3's shared memory model is typical of integrated graphics.

API support also differs. The FirePro supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Vega 3 therefore has a newer DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version, while the FirePro has the older feature set. The Vega 3 also lists FP16 at 844.8 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the FirePro has no recorded FP16 capability. The Vega 3's power envelope is listed at 15 W TDP with no power connectors, while the FirePro has no TDP figure in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL. The FirePro W5130M scores 4904 against the Vega 3's 3963, a 23.7% delta in favor of the FirePro. This is a substantial margin for a single compute test, and it aligns with the FirePro's much larger shader array and dedicated memory subsystem.

The FirePro's nearest rivals in the database give context to its score. It sits 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, which scores 4901, and 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 at 4893. It trails the AMD Radeon R7 M265 by 0.5% (4929) and the AMD Radeon R7 M360 by 0.5% (4931). These deltas are tiny, meaning the FirePro lands in a cluster of GPUs with nearly identical OpenCL performance. Its 29th percentile ranking reflects that crowded mid-low field.

The Vega 3's nearest rivals bracket it differently. It sits 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (4282), 0.6% behind the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295), 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4241), and 1.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 (4335). The RTX 4070 GDDR6 comparison is notable only for the small delta; the database places a modern high-end card within 1.5% of the Vega 3 in average score, which underscores how low the Vega 3's overall compute output is. The Vega 3's average of 4268 is 636 points below the FirePro's 4904.

The Vega 3's other recorded results show API variance. Its Metal score of 4880 is close to its OpenCL score of 3963, but its Vulkan score of 3961 is nearly identical to its OpenCL result. The Metal result is 917 points higher than the Vulkan result, a 23.2% swing within the same GPU. This suggests the Vega 3's Metal driver path is substantially more efficient than its Vulkan or OpenCL paths, at least in Geekbench. The FirePro has no Metal or Vulkan results in the database, so no cross-API comparison is possible for it.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ on nearly every specification field. The FirePro is a discrete mobile workstation part based on GCN 1.0 with the Tropo chip, while the Vega 3 is an integrated GPU on the Picasso APU using GCN 5.0. Process nodes differ: 28 nm TSMC for the FirePro, 12 nm GlobalFoundries for the Vega 3. Transistor counts are 1,500 million versus 4,940 million, and die sizes are 123 mm² versus 210 mm².

Clock behavior is inverted. The FirePro has a 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost. The Vega 3 has a 300 MHz base and 1100 MHz boost. The Vega 3's boost clock is higher, but its base clock is dramatically lower. Shader resources favor the FirePro: 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs versus 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 4 ROPs. Pixel rate is 14.80 GPixel/s for the FirePro against 4.400 GPixel/s for the Vega 3. Texture rate is 29.60 GTexel/s versus 13.20 GTexel/s. FP32 is 947.2 GFLOPS versus 422.4 GFLOPS. The Vega 3 adds FP16 at 844.8 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, a capability the FirePro does not list.

Memory is a fundamental split. The FirePro has 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth and a 1000 MHz memory clock (4 Gbps effective). The Vega 3 uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth and no dedicated VRAM. The FirePro connects via PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Vega 3 is an IGP with no bus interface beyond the integrated path. The Vega 3 lists a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, and motherboard-dependent display outputs. The FirePro has no TDP, slot width, or display output data in the database.

API versions differ. The FirePro supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. Release dates are also different: the FirePro launched on 2015-10-01, the Vega 3 on 2019-11-19. Both are end-of-life, with the FirePro's predecessor listed as FirePro Mobility and successor as Radeon Pro Mobile, while the Vega 3's predecessor is GCN 3.0 IGP and successor is Vega II IGP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD FirePro W5130M scores 4904 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 23.7% ahead of the Radeon Vega 3's 3963.

Q: Does the Radeon Vega 3 have any benchmark advantage?

A: It has broader API coverage. The database records Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan results for the Vega 3, with a Metal score of 4880, while the FirePro only has an OpenCL result.

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The FirePro W5130M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Vega 3 has 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 4 ROPs.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The FirePro has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 3 uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Vega 3 boosts to 1100 MHz, while the FirePro boosts to 925 MHz. The FirePro has a higher base clock at 900 MHz versus 300 MHz for the Vega 3.

Q: How do the two compare in average benchmark score?

A: The FirePro averages 4904 and sits at the 29th percentile of all GPUs. The Vega 3 averages 4268 and sits at the 25th percentile.