AMD FirePro W5130M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only benchmark pairing available in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is extraordinarily close. The AMD FirePro W5130M scores 4904, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 scores 4893. This gives the AMD part a win by a margin of just 0.2%. In practical terms, this is a statistical tie — the delta is far below the noise floor of typical benchmark variance. The data shows that both GPUs land within 0.5% of each other, with the AMD FirePro W5130M holding a razor-thin edge.

Looking at the broader competitive context reinforces how tight this pairing is. The AMD FirePro W5130M's nearest rival list includes the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB at 4901 (0.1% ahead of the FirePro), the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 itself at 4893 (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon R7 M265 at 4929 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Radeon R7 M360 at 4931 (0.5% ahead). From the GTS 450's perspective, its nearest rivals include the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB at 4901 (0.2% ahead of the GTS 450), the FirePro W5130M at 4904 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX at 4867 (0.5% behind), and the Radeon R7 M265 at 4929 (0.7% ahead).

The head-to-head benchmark table confirms a single entry: Geekbench OpenCL, with the AMD FirePro W5130M winning 1 test and the GTS 450 winning 0. However, the magnitude of that win is minimal. A 0.2% delta translates to a difference of only 11 points. This is not a case of one card decisively outclassing the other; rather, the data indicates that in this specific compute workload, the two GPUs are effectively interchangeable in performance.

The percentile rankings also reflect this near-parity. The AMD FirePro W5130M sits at the 29th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 sits at the 28th percentile. That one-percentile gap aligns with the 0.2% benchmark delta — a marginal edge for the AMD part, but not a meaningful tier separation.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro W5130M wins the only benchmark conducted, Geekbench OpenCL, by 0.2%. This suggests a slight advantage in OpenCL compute workloads, which are common in professional rendering, physics simulation, and general-purpose GPU compute tasks. The FirePro's architecture, GCN 1.0, is designed with compute throughput in mind, and the data supports that positioning — albeit narrowly.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 wins no benchmarks in this data set. However, the absence of a win does not mean it is uncompetitive. Its score of 4893 is within 0.2% of the FirePro, and within 0.7% of the fastest rival listed (AMD Radeon R7 M265 at 4929). In real-world terms, the GTS 450 is not losing these workloads by any meaningful margin. The data shows a dead heat, with the GTS 450 trailing only slightly.

For use-case split, the data supports only one differentiation: if a workload is specifically optimized for OpenCL and the user must choose between these two, the AMD FirePro W5130M has a measurable, if tiny, edge. For any other workload not captured in this benchmark set, the data provides no basis to declare a winner. The user should consider other factors — such as driver support, feature set, or system compatibility — since raw compute performance is essentially equal.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is substantial, even though their benchmark scores align closely. The AMD FirePro W5130M uses the Tropo chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 uses the GF106 chip built on Fermi architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 28 nm versus 40 nm. The AMD part is built on a considerably more advanced manufacturing process, which allows it to pack more transistors into a smaller area.

Transistor counts tell an interesting story. The FirePro W5130M contains 1,500 million transistors on a die size of 123 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million transistors per mm². The GTS 450 contains 1,170 million transistors on a much larger die of 238 mm², yielding a density of just 4.9 million per mm². The AMD chip is more than twice as dense, which reflects the newer process technology. Despite having 28% more transistors, the AMD die is roughly half the physical size.

The compute resource allocation differs dramatically. The FirePro W5130M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GTS 450 has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The AMD part has 2.67 times more shading units, while TMU and ROP counts are identical. This suggests the FirePro is designed to feed its shader array more heavily, while the GTS 450's Fermi architecture balances fewer shaders with the same texture and pixel throughput.

Memory clocks also differ. The FirePro W5130M runs its GDDR5 memory at 1000 MHz, yielding 4 Gbps effective. The GTS 450 runs its GDDR5 at 902 MHz, yielding 3.6 Gbps effective. The AMD memory clock is about 11% higher. Combined with identical 128-bit bus widths, this gives the FirePro a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s versus 57.73 GB/s for the GTS 450 — a 10.9% advantage for AMD.

The API support shows a clear generational gap. The FirePro W5130M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTS 450 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and has no Vulkan support listed. The lack of Vulkan on the GTS 450 is a meaningful limitation for modern workloads, while the FirePro's Vulkan 1.2.170 support opens compatibility with contemporary engines and compute frameworks.

The bus interface also differs: the FirePro W5130M uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTS 450 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The newer PCIe standard doubles the per-lane bandwidth, which can matter for data transfer between system memory and GPU memory, particularly in compute workloads that stream data.

Specification Differences

Several specification fields differ between the two GPUs, and these are worth enumerating directly:

• Process node: 28 nm (AMD) versus 40 nm (NVIDIA).
• Transistors: 1,500 million versus 1,170 million.
• Die size: 123 mm² versus 238 mm².
• Transistor density: 12.2M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm².
• Memory clock: 1000 MHz / 4 Gbps effective versus 902 MHz / 3.6 Gbps effective.
• Memory size: 2 GB versus 1024 MB.
• Bandwidth: 64.00 GB/s versus 57.73 GB/s.
• Shading units: 512 versus 192.
• Pixel rate: 14.80 GPixel/s versus 6.264 GPixel/s.
• Texture rate: 29.60 GTexel/s versus 25.06 GTexel/s.
• FP32 performance: 947.2 GFLOPS versus 601.3 GFLOPS.
• TDP: not listed for AMD versus 106 W for NVIDIA.
• Slot width: not listed for AMD versus Dual-slot for NVIDIA.
• Power connectors: not listed for AMD versus 1x 6-pin for NVIDIA.
• Suggested PSU: not listed for AMD versus 300 W for NVIDIA.
• Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 2.0 x16.
• Display outputs: not listed for AMD versus 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a for NVIDIA.
• Dimensions: not listed for AMD versus 210 mm / 8.3 inches length, 111 mm / 4.4 inches height for NVIDIA.
• Vulkan support: 1.2.170 versus null.
• Release date: 2015-10-01 versus 2010-09-12.
• Generation: FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) versus GeForce 400.
• Predecessor: FirePro Mobility versus GeForce 200.
• Successor: Radeon Pro Mobile versus GeForce 500.
• Launch MSRP: not listed for AMD versus 129 USD for NVIDIA (stated once as launch MSRP).

Fields that are identical: manufacturer foundry (TSMC), memory type (GDDR5), memory bus width (128 bit), TMU count (32), ROP count (16), OpenGL support (4.6), DirectX major version (12), and production status (End-of-life).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro W5130M scores 4904 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 scores 4893. The AMD part wins by 0.2%.

Q: How does the AMD FirePro W5130M compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB?

A: The RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB scores 4901, which is 0.1% lower than the FirePro W5130M's 4904. The FirePro holds a marginal lead over this much newer card.

Q: Does the GTS 450 support Vulkan?

A: No. The data lists no Vulkan support for the GTS 450. The FirePro W5130M supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The FirePro W5130M has 64.00 GB/s bandwidth versus 57.73 GB/s for the GTS 450. That is a 10.9% advantage for the AMD part.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The FirePro W5130M has 512 shading units, while the GTS 450 has 192. The AMD part has 2.67 times more.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GTS 450?

A: The launch MSRP is 129 USD. The FirePro W5130M has no launch MSRP listed in the data.

The Verdict

The benchmark data paints a picture of two GPUs from different eras converging on nearly identical compute performance. The AMD FirePro W5130M, released in 2015, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450, released in 2010, both deliver Geekbench OpenCL scores in the 4890-4904 range. The FirePro's 0.2% lead is real but inconsequential for most workloads. The percentile rankings confirm this: 29th for AMD versus 28th for NVIDIA — a one-percentile separation.

For users prioritizing raw OpenCL compute performance, the AMD FirePro W5130M edges out the GTS 450. The data also shows the FirePro has superior specifications that do not translate into a proportional benchmark advantage: it has 2.67 times more shading units, 57% higher FP32 throughput (947.2 GFLOPS versus 601.3 GFLOPS), and roughly 11% more memory bandwidth. The fact that these advantages yield only a 0.2% benchmark delta suggests that the GTS 450's Fermi architecture is surprisingly efficient at extracting performance from its fewer resources, or that the Geekbench OpenCL workload is bound by factors other than raw compute throughput — possibly memory latency or driver overhead.

For users who need Vulkan support, the choice is clear: only the FirePro W5130M provides it. The GTS 450 lacks Vulkan entirely, which limits its usability in modern graphics APIs. The FirePro also has double the memory (2 GB versus 1024 MB), which matters for larger datasets in compute workloads.

However, the GTS 450 has one advantage in the data: it is a dual-slot card with a defined 106 W TDP, a 300 W suggested PSU, and a 1x 6-pin power connector. The FirePro W5130M has no TDP, slot width, or power connector data listed, which means its power requirements are unspecified. For system builders who need predictable power draw, the GTS 450's specifications are fully documented.

The verdict, strictly from the data: choose the AMD FirePro W5130M if compute performance parity is acceptable but you want the newer feature set — Vulkan support, PCIe 3.0, double the memory, and a 28 nm process that suggests better efficiency. Choose the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 if you have a system with a 300 W PSU and a dual-slot slot available, and if you do not need Vulkan. For pure benchmark score, the FirePro wins by 0.2% — a margin that will not be perceptible in any real workload. Both GPUs are end-of-life, so availability and driver support in current operating systems should be verified independently.