AMD FirePro W7000 vs AMD Radeon HD 7790 Comparison

The AMD FirePro W7000 and the AMD Radeon HD 7790 occupy different corners of the GPU landscape, despite sharing a manufacturer, a 28 nm process node from TSMC, and a GCN lineage. The database places the FirePro W7000 at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, while the Radeon HD 7790 sits at the 61st percentile. That two-point gap in percentile ranking translates into a clear separation in raw compute and memory performance, but the story is not one-directional. Each card was built for a different purpose, and the recorded benchmarks, specifications, and architectural details reveal where one decisively outperforms the other.

Where Each One Wins

The FirePro W7000 is the workstation-class contender. Its average benchmark score of 19905 across the recorded tests places it well above the Radeon HD 7790’s average of 17666. In Geekbench OpenCL, the FirePro W7000 scores 17808, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it reaches 22001. These are the only two benchmark entries for the FirePro W7000, and both reflect workloads that stress general-purpose compute, memory bandwidth, and parallel throughput. The Radeon HD 7790 has a single recorded benchmark, Geekbench Metal, with a score of 17666. That result is lower than both of the FirePro W7000’s scores, but it is not a direct apples-to-apples comparison because Metal is a different API than OpenCL or Vulkan.

Where the Radeon HD 7790 wins is in efficiency and physical footprint. The database shows a TDP of 85 W for the HD 7790 versus 150 W for the FirePro W7000. The HD 7790 requires a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the FirePro W7000 asks for 450 W. The HD 7790 is a dual-slot card measuring 183 mm in length, while the FirePro W7000 is single-slot but longer at 242 mm. For a compact system or a build constrained by power delivery, the HD 7790 is the more accommodating option. It also carries a newer architecture revision, GCN 2.0, versus the FirePro W7000’s GCN 1.0, which suggests a more refined implementation of the same fundamental design.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the 28 nm process at TSMC, but the silicon underneath is entirely different. The FirePro W7000 uses the Pitcairn chip, a GCN 1.0 design, while the Radeon HD 7790 uses the Bonaire chip, a GCN 2.0 design. The transistor counts reflect the size disparity: the FirePro W7000 packs 2,800 million transistors into a 212 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 13.2 million per square millimeter. The HD 7790 uses 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, with a density of 13.0 million per square millimeter. The density figures are nearly identical, but the FirePro W7000 has a physically larger and more complex chip.

The compute resources differ substantially. The FirePro W7000 has 1280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The HD 7790 has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That means the FirePro W7000 has 43% more shading units, 43% more TMUs, and double the ROP count. The pixel rate tells the same story: 30.40 GPixel/s for the FirePro W7000 versus 16.00 GPixel/s for the HD 7790. Texture rate is 76.00 GTexel/s versus 56.00 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput, a key metric for compute workloads, is 2.432 TFLOPS for the FirePro W7000 and 1.792 TFLOPS for the HD 7790. The FirePro W7000 is simply a larger, more capable compute engine.

Memory is another major divider. The FirePro W7000 comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7790 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 96.00 GB/s. The memory clock for the FirePro W7000 is listed as 1200 MHz with 4.8 Gbps effective, while the HD 7790 runs at 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective. Despite the higher memory clock on the HD 7790, the narrower bus cuts its bandwidth to roughly 62% of the FirePro W7000’s. For large datasets, 4 GB versus 1 GB is a decisive advantage for the workstation card.

API support also differs. The FirePro W7000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the HD 7790 supports DirectX 12 (12_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170. The HD 7790’s higher DirectX feature level suggests it was designed with gaming in mind, while the FirePro W7000’s lower feature level reflects its professional focus from an earlier generation.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database does not contain any direct head-to-head benchmark entries between these two cards. Instead, the comparison relies on their individual recorded scores and their positions relative to other GPUs. The FirePro W7000’s average benchmark score of 19905 is 2239 points higher than the HD 7790’s 17666, a difference of roughly 12.7%. In the OpenCL test, the FirePro W7000 scores 17808, which is 142 points higher than the HD 7790’s Metal score of 17666. That is a narrow margin, but the Vulkan score of 22001 for the FirePro W7000 is a much larger gap, 4335 points above the HD 7790’s single result.

The nearest rivals in the database provide context for these numbers. The FirePro W7000’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA Tesla K40m with an average score of 19885, just 0.1% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT follows at 19765, 0.7% behind, and the AMD FirePro D300 at 19637, 1.4% behind. The NVIDIA Quadro K5200 rounds out the group at 19602, 1.5% behind. This places the FirePro W7000 in a cluster of professional and high-end consumer GPUs, all within 1.5% of each other. The HD 7790, by contrast, sits near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17639, which is 0.2% behind, and the AMD Radeon 780M at 17588, 0.4% behind. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17551 is 0.7% behind, while the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 at 17789 is actually 0.7% ahead of the HD 7790. The HD 7790’s rivals are a mix of modern integrated graphics, entry-level discrete cards, and older prosumer parts, all clustered within a 1.4% band.

What this tells us is that the FirePro W7000 competes with GPUs that are several tiers above the HD 7790 in the database’s ranking. The HD 7790’s closest neighbors are not workstation cards but rather efficient mainstream parts. The percentile gap, 65 versus 61, may seem small, but the average score gap of over 2200 points is substantial. The FirePro W7000’s Vulkan score alone exceeds the HD 7790’s Metal score by nearly 25%, indicating that in cross-platform compute tasks, the older workstation card retains a commanding lead.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split. The AMD FirePro W7000 is the choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute throughput, memory capacity, and bandwidth. Its 4 GB frame buffer, 256-bit bus, and 153.6 GB/s bandwidth make it suited for large datasets, multi-display professional setups with 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, and OpenCL or Vulkan workloads. The pixel rate of 30.40 GPixel/s and texture rate of 76.00 GTexel/s further cement its position as a rendering and compute workhorse. The recorded benchmark scores, particularly the 22001 in Vulkan, show that it can still hold its own against much newer hardware, as evidenced by its nearest rivals being a Tesla K40m and a Radeon RX 6650 XT.

The AMD Radeon HD 7790 is the choice for efficiency and compact builds. Its 85 W TDP, 250 W suggested PSU, and 183 mm length make it far easier to fit into small or power-constrained systems. The GCN 2.0 architecture brings a newer design and DirectX 12 (12_0) support, which matters for modern gaming titles. The 1024 MB memory is limiting, but at 1080p with modest settings, the 896 shading units and 56 TMUs still deliver playable performance. The Metal score of 17666 suggests it handles Apple’s graphics API reasonably well. Its nearest rivals, including the GeForce RTX 4060 and Radeon 780M, indicate that its performance class is now entry-level, but it remains a functional card for legacy systems.

Neither card is in production; both are marked end-of-life. The FirePro W7000 launched on 2012-06-12, and the HD 7790 launched on 2013-03-21. The FirePro W7000’s predecessor is the FirePro Terascale and its successor is the Radeon Pro Polaris. The HD 7790’s predecessor is Northern Islands and its successor is Sea Islands. The FirePro W7000 carried a launch MSRP of 899 USD, while the HD 7790 carried a launch MSRP of 149 USD. Those figures, recorded in the database, explain their original market positions without further commentary.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD FirePro W7000 has an average benchmark score of 19905, while the AMD Radeon HD 7790 has an average of 17666. The FirePro W7000 leads by 2239 points.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two cards?

A: The FirePro W7000 delivers 153.6 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, while the HD 7790 delivers 96.00 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. The FirePro W7000 has roughly 60% more bandwidth.

Q: What is the difference in shading unit count?

A: The FirePro W7000 has 1280 shading units, and the HD 7790 has 896 shading units. This gives the FirePro W7000 a 43% higher count.

Q: Which card supports a higher DirectX feature level?

A: The HD 7790 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the FirePro W7000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). The HD 7790 has the higher feature level.

Q: What are the TDP values for each card?

A: The FirePro W7000 has a TDP of 150 W, and the HD 7790 has a TDP of 85 W. The HD 7790 consumes less power.

Q: How do their nearest rivals compare?

A: The FirePro W7000’s closest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla K40m at 19885, 0.1% behind. The HD 7790’s closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17639, 0.2% behind. The FirePro W7000 competes at a higher performance tier.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD FirePro W7000 | AMD Radeon HD 7790 |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Chip | Pitcairn | Bonaire |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 2.0 |

| Generation | FirePro GCN (Wx000) | Southern Islands (HD 7700) |

| Transistors | 2,800 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 212 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.2M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 1200 MHz, 4.8 Gbps effective | 1500 MHz, 6 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1280 | 896 |

| TMUs | 80 | 56 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 30.40 GPixel/s | 16.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 76.00 GTexel/s | 56.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.432 TFLOPS | 1.792 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 150 W | 85 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | Dual-slot |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 250 W |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.2 | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Dimensions | 242 mm (9.5 inches) | 183 mm (7.2 inches) |

| Release Date | 2012-06-12 | 2013-03-21 |

| Predecessor | FirePro Terascale | Northern Islands |

| Successor | Radeon Pro Polaris | Sea Islands |

| Launch MSRP | 899 USD | 149 USD |