AMD FirePro W5130M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Comparison

AMD FirePro W5130M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

The database contains only one directly comparable benchmark between these two mobile graphics processors, and the result is decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti scores 18,129 points, while the AMD FirePro W5130M scores 4,904 points. This represents a 72.9% advantage for the NVIDIA part, a massive gap that underscores fundamental differences in their design goals, hardware resources, and software maturity. While the FirePro is positioned as a professional mobile workstation solution, the GTX 1050 Ti is a consumer-grade part, and the recorded data shows that in raw compute throughput, the consumer card utterly dominates the professional one.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head data point available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti achieves a score of 18,129, compared to the AMD FirePro W5130M's 4,904. This delta of -72.9% from the perspective of the AMD card means the NVIDIA card is roughly 3.7 times faster in this specific workload. The result is not close, and it sets the tone for the entire comparison. The FirePro's score places it near the bottom of the database's percentile rankings, sitting at the 29th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (score 4,901, delta 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (score 4,893, delta 0.2%), and the AMD Radeon R7 M265 (score 4,929, delta -0.5%). These are all older or lower-tier parts, indicating the FirePro's compute performance is roughly on par with entry-level hardware from several generations ago.

In contrast, the GTX 1050 Ti's OpenCL score of 18,129 is far above this cluster. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 4,193, but this includes many other tests where it performs differently. Its percentile ranking is 25th, which is lower than the FirePro's 29th, but this is an artifact of the different benchmark suites used for each card. The GTX 1050 Ti has a much wider range of benchmark results in the database, including strong showings in Geekbench Metal (7,834), Geekbench Vulkan (10,001), and Passmark G3D (6,340). The FirePro has only one recorded benchmark, limiting the depth of the comparison. When looking at the nearest rivals for the GTX 1050 Ti based on its average score, we see the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (score 4,170, delta 0.6%), the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (score 4,151, delta 1%), and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (score 4,241, delta -1.1%). These are all far below the GTX 1050 Ti's OpenCL result, showing that its average is dragged down by other tests, while its OpenCL peak is exceptional.

The data implies that the FirePro is not competitive with the GTX 1050 Ti in general-purpose compute. The 72.9% deficit is not a small margin; it is a chasm. For any workload that relies heavily on OpenCL, the NVIDIA card is the clear winner. There are no benchmark wins for the AMD card in this head-to-head comparison, and the NVIDIA card takes the single available test.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti in the only shared benchmark?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 1050 Ti scores 18,129 compared to the FirePro W5130M's 4,904. The delta is -72.9% for the AMD card, meaning the NVIDIA card is significantly ahead.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The AMD FirePro W5130M has an average benchmark score of 4,904, based on its single recorded test. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has an average score of 4,193 across its multiple recorded benchmarks, which include both low and high scores.

Q: How do these cards rank against all GPUs in the database?

A: The FirePro W5130M sits at the 29th percentile of all GPUs. The GTX 1050 Ti sits at the 25th percentile. Despite the GTX 1050 Ti having a much higher peak score, its average is pulled down by other tests, resulting in a similar percentile ranking.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each card based on average scores?

A: For the FirePro, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (4,901, 0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon R7 M265 (4,929, -0.5% delta). For the GTX 1050 Ti, the closest rivals are the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (4,170, 0.6% delta) and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4,241, -1.1% delta).

Q: Does the FirePro win any benchmark in this comparison?

A: No. The database records zero benchmark wins for the AMD FirePro W5130M in the head-to-head comparison. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti wins the only available test.

Q: Are there other benchmark results for the GTX 1050 Ti that show its strengths?

A: Yes. The GTX 1050 Ti has strong scores in Geekbench Vulkan (10,001), Geekbench Metal (7,834), and Passmark G3D (6,340), though these are not directly compared to the FirePro, which lacks results in those tests.

Architecture Differences

The AMD FirePro W5130M is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, using the Tropo chip, and is manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This is an older, larger process node. The chip contains 1,500 million transistors on a die size of 123 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 12.2M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, in contrast, uses the Pascal architecture with the GP107 chip, built on a 14 nm process at Samsung. This newer node packs 3,300 million transistors into a 132 mm² die, achieving a much higher transistor density of 25.0M per mm². The move to a smaller process node allowed NVIDIA to double the transistor count while keeping the die size similar.

The FirePro's GCN 1.0 architecture is from an earlier era of AMD graphics design, focused on compute workloads and professional reliability. The GTX 1050 Ti's Pascal architecture is a later design that emphasizes power efficiency and gaming performance. The API support reflects this difference. The FirePro supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 1050 Ti supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The higher DirectX feature level and Vulkan version on the NVIDIA card indicate a more modern feature set.

The FirePro also has a different memory configuration option in its architecture, but the core difference is the fundamental design philosophy. GCN 1.0 was AMD's first generation of unified shader architecture, while Pascal was NVIDIA's mature, highly optimized architecture that scaled well across many product tiers. The FirePro is a mobile workstation part, derived from a desktop GPU design, while the GTX 1050 Ti is a dedicated desktop consumer GPU that was later adapted for mobile use in laptops. The recorded data shows a clear generational and architectural gap.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification difference is the memory subsystem. The AMD FirePro W5130M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, also on a 128-bit bus, but with a much higher bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. This is a 75% increase in memory capacity and a significant boost in bandwidth, which directly impacts texture-heavy and high-resolution workloads.

The compute resources also differ substantially. The FirePro has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The GTX 1050 Ti has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This represents a 50% increase in shader count, a 50% increase in TMUs, and a 100% increase in ROPs. The pixel rate for the FirePro is 14.80 GPixel/s, while the GTX 1050 Ti achieves 44.54 GPixel/s. The texture rate is 29.60 GTexel/s for the FirePro and 66.82 GTexel/s for the GTX 1050 Ti. The FP32 performance is 947.2 GFLOPS for the AMD card and 2.138 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card. The GTX 1050 Ti also has a recorded FP16 performance of 33.41 GFLOPS (1:64), while the FirePro has no recorded FP16 capability.

Clock speeds are another differentiator. The FirePro runs at a base clock of 900 MHz with a boost of 925 MHz. The GTX 1050 Ti runs at a base clock of 1291 MHz with a boost of 1392 MHz. The memory clock for the FirePro is 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the GTX 1050 Ti runs its memory at 1752 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The GTX 1050 Ti also has a defined TDP of 75 W, while the FirePro has no listed TDP in the database. The GTX 1050 Ti is a dual-slot card with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the FirePro has no slot width, power connector, or PSU information recorded. The GTX 1050 Ti has a physical length of 145 mm (5.7 inches) and height of 111 mm (4.4 inches), while the FirePro has no dimensions listed.

The Verdict

The recorded data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the superior performer in the only directly comparable benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, where it leads by 72.9%. The GTX 1050 Ti also has a more modern architecture (Pascal on 14 nm vs GCN 1.0 on 28 nm), double the memory capacity, nearly double the memory bandwidth, more than double the FP32 compute, and higher clock speeds across the board. The FirePro W5130M, despite being a professional workstation card, cannot match the raw performance of the consumer GTX 1050 Ti.

For any user seeking maximum compute performance in OpenCL workloads, the GTX 1050 Ti is the clear choice based on the data. The FirePro's only advantage lies in its professional branding and potentially different driver certification for specific workstation applications, but the benchmark data does not show any performance benefit. The GTX 1050 Ti also has a recorded launch MSRP of 139 USD, which is notable, but the FirePro has no launch MSRP listed. The GTX 1050 Ti is also the newer part, released in October 2016, while the FirePro is from October 2015. Both are end-of-life products, but the GTX 1050 Ti is a generation newer and offers significantly more capability in every measured metric.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti wins in every recorded category that both cards share. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it wins on every architectural and specification comparison available in the database. The GTX 1050 Ti is the better choice for any task involving OpenCL compute, including GPU-accelerated rendering, physics simulations, or any general-purpose GPU computing. Its higher pixel rate (44.54 GPixel/s vs 14.80 GPixel/s) and texture rate (66.82 GTexel/s vs 29.60 GTexel/s) also make it far more capable for traditional 3D rendering and gaming workloads, even though those are not directly benchmarked against the FirePro.

The AMD FirePro W5130M does not win any benchmark in this comparison. Its only recorded score, 4,904 in Geekbench OpenCL, is far below the GTX 1050 Ti's 18,129. However, the FirePro's positioning as a mobile workstation part might mean it has specialized driver support for certain professional applications, but the database does not contain any such tests. Its lower power profile, though not explicitly listed with a TDP, is implied by its lower clock speeds and older architecture, which could make it suitable for thin-and-light mobile workstations where heat and battery life are concerns. But in terms of raw performance, the data shows no area where the FirePro wins. The GTX 1050 Ti is the definitive choice for performance, while the FirePro's only potential edge is in niche professional software certification, which is not reflected in the available benchmark data.