AMD FirePro W600 vs AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has a significantly higher average benchmark score of 7203, compared to the AMD FirePro W600's 6223. This represents a 19.5% advantage in the head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in their nearest rival standings?

A: The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile sits at the 39th percentile of all GPUs and trades blows with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (0.3% behind), GeForce GTX 560 SE (0.4% ahead), and Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (0.5% ahead). The FirePro W600 sits at the 36th percentile and is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 6950, while trailing the NVIDIA Quadro K620 by 0.9%.

Q: What are the manufacturing process differences?

A: The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the FirePro W600 uses a larger 28 nm process at TSMC. The Vega chip integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, whereas the FirePro packs 1,500 million transistors on a smaller 123 mm² die.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each card?

A: The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses system-shared memory with bandwidth described as system dependent. The FirePro W600 has dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports more display outputs?

A: The FirePro W600 is a dedicated workstation card with six mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is an integrated GPU whose display outputs are portable device dependent, meaning the number and type of outputs vary by the laptop or device it is built into.

Q: What are the API support differences?

A: Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6. The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro W600 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The Vega also supports DirectX 12_1 features, whereas the FirePro is limited to DirectX 11_1.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses GCN 5.0, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the FirePro W600 uses the original GCN 1.0, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This generational gap explains several key differences in their design and capabilities.

The Vega 8 Mobile integrates 4,940 million transistors across a 210 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. The FirePro W600 contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, with a density of 12.2 million per square millimeter. The newer process node allows the Vega to pack more than three times the transistors into a die that is less than twice the size.

Both GPUs share the same core compute configuration: 512 shading units and 32 texture mapping units. However, the FirePro W600 has 16 ROPs, double the 8 ROPs found on the Vega 8 Mobile. This difference in ROP count directly impacts pixel throughput, which is reflected in their respective pixel rates.

The memory architecture differs fundamentally. The Vega 8 Mobile is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) that relies on system-shared memory, with bandwidth dependent on the host system's memory configuration. The FirePro W600 is a discrete card with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 64.00 GB/s of fixed bandwidth. This makes the FirePro's memory performance predictable and consistent, while the Vega's depends entirely on the laptop's RAM.

The FirePro W600 draws 75 W and requires a 250 W power supply, whereas the Vega 8 Mobile consumes only 25 W as an integrated part of the CPU package. The FirePro is a single-slot card measuring 168 mm in length, while the Vega has no slot width, power connectors, or bus interface beyond its IGP integration.

In terms of API support, the Vega 8 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro W600 supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The Vega's newer architecture also includes FP16 support at 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the FirePro has no FP16 capability listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one head-to-head benchmark result between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL test. The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile scores 7435, while the FirePro W600 scores 6223. This gives the Vega a 19.5% advantage, a substantial margin that reflects the generational leap between GCN 5.0 and GCN 1.0.

The Vega's 7435 OpenCL score places it in the 39th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 at 7222 (0.3% behind the Vega), the GeForce GTX 560 SE at 7171 (0.4% behind), and the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7170 (0.5% behind). Interestingly, the GeForce GTX 970 also appears in this group with a score of 7157, trailing the Vega by 0.6%. The Vega thus sits right at the edge of a cluster of older desktop discrete GPUs, performing comparably to them despite being an integrated solution.

The FirePro W600's 6223 OpenCL score places it in the 36th percentile. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 6950 at 6210, which the FirePro edges out by 0.2%. The NVIDIA Quadro K620 at 6282 is 0.9% ahead of the FirePro. Notably, the FirePro's rival list includes two NVIDIA cards with identical scores: the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102 and RTX 5070 Ti SUPER, both at 6270, which are 0.7% ahead of the FirePro. This is an unusual pairing that suggests the FirePro's OpenCL performance is comparable to these much newer cards in this specific workload.

The 19.5% delta between the Vega and FirePro is significant. To put it in context, the Vega's lead over the FirePro is larger than the FirePro's lead over the HD 6950 (0.2%) or the Vega's lead over the GTX 560 SE (0.4%). The benchmark data clearly shows that the newer integrated GPU outperforms the older discrete workstation card in raw compute throughput.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every physical and performance specification category:

• Process Node: 14 nm (Vega) vs 28 nm (FirePro)
• Foundry: GlobalFoundries (Vega) vs TSMC (FirePro)
• Transistors: 4,940 million (Vega) vs 1,500 million (FirePro)
• Die Size: 210 mm² (Vega) vs 123 mm² (FirePro)
• Transistor Density: 23.5M / mm² (Vega) vs 12.2M / mm² (FirePro)
• Clocks: Base 300 MHz, boost 1101 MHz (Vega) vs no base or boost clock listed (FirePro)
• Memory Size: System Shared (Vega) vs 2 GB (FirePro)
• Memory Type: System Shared (Vega) vs GDDR5 (FirePro)
• Memory Bus Width: System Shared (Vega) vs 128 bit (FirePro)
• Memory Bandwidth: System Dependent (Vega) vs 64.00 GB/s (FirePro)
• ROPs: 8 (Vega) vs 16 (FirePro)
• Pixel Rate: 8.808 GPixel/s (Vega) vs 12.00 GPixel/s (FirePro)
• Texture Rate: 35.23 GTexel/s (Vega) vs 24.00 GTexel/s (FirePro)
• FP32: 1,127.4 GFLOPS (Vega) vs 768.0 GFLOPS (FirePro)
• FP16: 2.255 TFLOPS (Vega) vs none (FirePro)
• TDP: 25 W (Vega) vs 75 W (FirePro)
• Slot Width: IGP (Vega) vs Single-slot (FirePro)
• Power Connectors: None (both, but Vega is IGP)
• Suggested PSU: None (Vega) vs 250 W (FirePro)
• Bus Interface: IGP (Vega) vs PCIe 3.0 x16 (FirePro)
• Display Outputs: Portable Device Dependent (Vega) vs 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 (FirePro)
• Dimensions: None (Vega) vs 168 mm x 111 mm x 20 mm (FirePro)
• Release Date: 2019-01-07 (Vega) vs 2012-06-12 (FirePro)

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins on raw compute performance. Its FP32 throughput of 1,127.4 GFLOPS is 46.8% higher than the FirePro's 768.0 GFLOPS. Its texture rate of 35.23 GTexel/s exceeds the FirePro's 24.00 GTexel/s by 46.8% as well. The Vega also has FP16 capability at 2.255 TFLOPS, a feature the FirePro lacks entirely. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Vega's 7435 score beats the FirePro's 6223 by 19.5%, and the Vega holds a higher percentile ranking (39th vs 36th).

The Vega also wins on power efficiency. It draws only 25 W compared to the FirePro's 75 W, a threefold difference. For mobile or compact systems, this makes the Vega the clear choice. Its 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries also gives it a generational advantage in transistor density, making it a more modern design.

The FirePro W600 wins on memory consistency and output capability. It has dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with a fixed 64.00 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the Vega relies on system-shared memory whose bandwidth is system dependent. In scenarios where predictable memory performance is critical, the FirePro's dedicated VRAM is superior.

The FirePro also wins on pixel throughput. Its 12.00 GPixel/s pixel rate is 36.3% higher than the Vega's 8.808 GPixel/s, thanks to its 16 ROPs versus the Vega's 8. This makes the FirePro better suited for tasks that are heavily rasterization-bound at high resolutions.

The FirePro offers six mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, enabling multi-monitor workstation setups. The Vega's display outputs are portable device dependent, meaning it is limited to whatever connections the host laptop provides.

For desktop integration, the FirePro's PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and single-slot form factor make it a straightforward drop-in card. The Vega is an IGP with no separate card footprint, which means it cannot be installed in a desktop system as a discrete component.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear generational gap. The Radeon Vega 8 Mobile outperforms the FirePro W600 by 19.5% in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, delivers 46.8% higher FP32 compute, and does so at one-third the power draw (25 W versus 75 W). Any workload that depends on raw compute throughput, shader performance, or texture fill will favor the Vega.

The FirePro W600 is the better choice for specific professional scenarios. Its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth provides consistent memory performance that the Vega cannot guarantee with system-shared memory. Its 16 ROPs and 12.00 GPixel/s pixel rate make it stronger for pixel-heavy rendering workloads. The six mini-DisplayPort outputs enable multi-monitor configurations that the Vega cannot match in an integrated form factor.

For a mobile or compact system where power efficiency and compute performance matter, the Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is the clear winner. For a workstation requiring dedicated memory, high pixel throughput, and multiple display outputs in a single-slot PCIe card, the FirePro W600 remains relevant despite its age.

The benchmark percentile data reinforces this split: the Vega at the 39th percentile competes with desktop discrete GPUs like the GeForce GTX 750 and GTX 560 SE, while the FirePro at the 36th percentile sits alongside the Radeon HD 6950. The Vega's position among these rivals shows that modern integrated graphics can match older discrete cards. The FirePro's position shows a capable but dated workstation part that still holds its own in its specific niche.

Ultimately, the choice depends on the use case. The data favors the Vega for general compute and efficiency, while the FirePro's unique strengths in memory consistency, pixel rate, and display connectivity make it the pick for specialized workstation deployments.