AMD FirePro W5170M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database records two shared workloads for these GPUs, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 wins both decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 760 scores 11,299 against the FirePro W5170M's 8,140, a 38.8% advantage. The Vulkan test shows a nearly identical gap: 12,551 versus 9,050, or 38.7% ahead. These are substantial margins, not edge cases, and they hold across both compute APIs, suggesting the difference is structural rather than workload-specific.

Looking at the average benchmark score across all recorded tests, the GTX 760 lands at 9,458, while the FirePro W5170M averages 8,595. That puts the desktop card roughly 10% higher in aggregate. The GTX 760 also sits at the 46th percentile among all GPUs in the database, compared to the 44th percentile for the AMD mobile part. Neither card is a top-tier performer, but the gap is consistent.

The nearest rivals in the database give context. The GTX 760's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK, which averages 9,474, a delta of -0.2% (meaning the TITAN is marginally ahead). The AMD Radeon R7 M380 trails by 1.6%, and the GTX 850M and GTX 465 are 1.7% and 1.8% behind respectively. For the FirePro W5170M, the nearest rival is the Intel Arc A380 at 8,558, a 0.4% gap, with the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 1.1% ahead and the Radeon HD 8870M and GeForce MX330 each 1.6% behind. The FirePro sits in a tighter cluster of similar performers, while the GTX 760 has a slightly clearer separation from its immediate peers.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different design schools. The GTX 760 uses the GK104 chip, built on NVIDIA's Kepler architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The FirePro W5170M uses the Tropo chip, an AMD GCN 1.0 design, also on TSMC's 28 nm node. Both are 28 nm parts, which is where the similarity ends.

Transistor counts diverge sharply. The GTX 760 packs 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, giving a density of 12.0 million transistors per square millimeter. The FirePro W5170M has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, with a density of 12.2M / mm². The density is nearly identical, but the NVIDIA chip is physically more than twice as large in both area and transistor budget. That scale difference shows up in the execution resources.

The GTX 760 has 1,152 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The FirePro W5170M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA part has 80% more shaders, 140% more texture units, and double the ROPs. Clock speeds are closer: the GTX 760 runs at 980 MHz base and 1,032 MHz boost, while the FirePro runs at 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost. The GTX 760's higher clock and far wider execution width combine for a dominant compute advantage.

Memory subsystems also differ. Both have 2 GB of GDDR5, but the GTX 760 uses a 256-bit bus with 192.3 GB/s bandwidth, while the FirePro W5170M has a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s. That is a 2.7x bandwidth disparity. The GTX 760 memory clock is listed at 1,502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), versus 1,125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) for the AMD part. Pixel fill rate is 24.77 GPixel/s versus 14.80 GPixel/s, and texture fill rate is 99.07 GTexel/s versus 37.00 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 2.378 TFLOPS against 1,184.0 GFLOPS.

The GTX 760 lists a 170 W TDP, dual-slot cooling, and two 6-pin power connectors, with a suggested 450 W power supply. The FirePro W5170M is an MXM module with no power connectors listed and no TDP figure. Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the desktop card, MXM-A (3.0) for the mobile part. Display outputs are also distinct, with the GTX 760 offering dual DVI, HDMI 1.4a, and DisplayPort 1.2, while the FirePro's outputs are portable-device dependent. API support is close: both support DirectX 12 (11_0 for NVIDIA, 11_1 for AMD), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan (1.2.175 for NVIDIA, 1.2.170 for AMD).

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 760 wins every recorded benchmark, so the use-case split is mostly about degree and context. For desktop gaming and general compute workloads where power is available and cooling is not a constraint, the GTX 760 is clearly the stronger part. Its 38.8% OpenCL lead and 38.7% Vulkan lead translate directly into faster execution in compute-heavy applications, and the 2.7x memory bandwidth advantage helps in bandwidth-sensitive tasks like texture streaming or large data transfers.

The FirePro W5170M's advantages are not visible in the benchmark data but come from its form factor and design intent. As an MXM module with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent outputs, it is built for professional mobile workstations where the GTX 760's dual-slot desktop footprint and 170 W TDP are not feasible. The FirePro targets sustained, validated performance in certified applications rather than raw throughput, though the recorded scores do not reflect a specialized edge. Its 44th percentile ranking places it just below the GTX 760's 46th, and its nearest rivals are a mix of desktop and mobile parts, indicating it slots into a modest performance tier.

For users with a desktop chassis and a standard power supply, the GTX 760 is the unambiguous choice based on the data. For a mobile workstation requiring an MXM module, the FirePro W5170M is the only option in this pair, and its performance is sufficient for moderate compute tasks but not competitive with the GTX 760. The GTX 760's end-of-life status and 2013 release date (June 24) versus the FirePro's 2014 release (August 24) do not change the performance picture.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 averages 9,458 across all recorded tests, while the AMD FirePro W5170M averages 8,595.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 760 in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 760 scores 11,299 versus the FirePro's 8,140, a 38.8% advantage.

Q: What is the Vulkan performance difference?

A: The GTX 760 scores 12,551, and the FirePro scores 9,050, making the GTX 760 38.7% faster.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same amount of memory?

A: Yes, both have 2 GB of GDDR5, but the GTX 760 uses a 256-bit bus with 192.3 GB/s bandwidth, while the FirePro uses a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GTX 760 has 1,152 shading units, compared to 640 for the FirePro W5170M.

Q: Are both GPUs on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but the GTX 760 has a much larger die (294 mm² versus 123 mm²) and more transistors (3,540 million versus 1,500 million).

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 and the AMD FirePro W5170M:

• Chip: GK104 versus Tropo
• Architecture: Kepler versus GCN 1.0
• Generation: GeForce 700 versus FirePro Mobile (Wx100M)
• Transistors: 3,540 million versus 1,500 million
• Die size: 294 mm² versus 123 mm²
• Transistor density: 12.0M / mm² versus 12.2M / mm²
• Base clock: 980 MHz versus 900 MHz
• Boost clock: 1,032 MHz versus 925 MHz
• Memory clock: 1,502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus 1,125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective)
• Memory bus width: 256 bit versus 128 bit
• Memory bandwidth: 192.3 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s
• Shading units: 1,152 versus 640
• TMUs: 96 versus 40
• ROPs: 32 versus 16
• Pixel rate: 24.77 GPixel/s versus 14.80 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 99.07 GTexel/s versus 37.00 GTexel/s
• FP32: 2.378 TFLOPS versus 1,184.0 GFLOPS
• TDP: 170 W versus not listed
• Slot width: Dual-slot versus MXM Module
• Power connectors: 2x 6-pin versus None
• Suggested PSU: 450 W versus not listed
• Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus MXM-A (3.0)
• Display outputs: 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 versus Portable Device Dependent
• DirectX version: 12 (11_0) versus 12 (11_1)
• Vulkan version: 1.2.175 versus 1.2.170
• Release date: 2013-06-24 versus 2014-08-24
• Predecessor: GeForce 600 versus FirePro Mobility
• Successor: GeForce 900 versus Radeon Pro Mobile
• Launch MSRP: 249 USD versus not listed