AMD FirePro W7100 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a consistent advantage for the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH across both tested workloads. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Vega M GH scores 27,125 against the FirePro W7100’s 24,182, a 12.2% lead. The Vulkan test widens that gap slightly: the Vega M GH posts 31,268 versus 27,529, a 13.6% margin. Both wins are decisive, and the delta is larger in Vulkan, suggesting the newer architecture scales better with modern compute APIs.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the Vega M GH averages 29,197, which places it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The FirePro W7100 averages 25,856, sitting in the 71st percentile. That three-percentile gap is modest, but the raw score difference is meaningful: the Vega M GH is roughly 13% faster on average. The nearest rival to the Vega M GH is the AMD FirePro W8000 at 29,211 (0% delta), followed by the Intel Arc A370M at 29,175 (0.1% slower), the AMD Radeon RX 470 at 28,996 (0.7% slower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6800M at 28,874 (1.1% slower). For the FirePro W7100, the closest competitor is the AMD FirePro D700 at 25,842 (0.1% slower), then the AMD Radeon R9 M395X at 25,891 (0.1% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile at 25,740 (0.5% slower), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 at 25,726 (0.5% slower).

The per-test results reinforce the average: the Vega M GH wins both head-to-head matchups, and the FirePro W7100 has no recorded victory in these two benchmarks. The Vulkan margin of 13.6% is particularly telling, as it indicates the Vega M GH’s GCN 4.0 implementation handles draw calls and compute dispatch more efficiently than the older GCN 3.0 design. The OpenCL result, while narrower, still shows a solid double-digit advantage. No single metric favors the FirePro W7100 in this comparison.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH outperforms the AMD FirePro W7100 in both recorded benchmarks. If the task is raw compute throughput in OpenCL or Vulkan, the Vega M GH is the stronger part. Its average score of 29,197 exceeds the FirePro W7100’s 25,856 by about 13%, and it holds a higher percentile rank (74th vs 71st) across the entire GPU database. The FirePro W7100’s only consolation is that its nearest rivals are similarly close in score, meaning the W7100 is not an outlier in its class; it sits in a tight cluster around 25,700 to 25,900.

However, the choice is not purely about speed. The FirePro W7100 offers 8 GB of GDDR5 memory versus the Vega M GH’s 4 GB of HBM2. For workloads that are capacity-bound, such as large datasets or high-resolution textures, the FirePro W7100 may hold an advantage despite lower throughput. The Vega M GH counters with higher bandwidth: 204.8 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s, and a much wider 1024-bit bus versus 256-bit. So for latency-sensitive or bandwidth-hungry tasks, the Vega M GH is clearly superior. The FirePro W7100 also draws more power at 150 W versus 100 W, but it is a single-slot card with standard display outputs, while the Vega M GH is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with portable-device-dependent outputs.

In practical terms, the Vega M GH is the pick for compute performance in a compact, power-efficient package. The FirePro W7100 is the pick for legacy compatibility, higher memory capacity, and workstation-style connectivity. Neither part is current; both are marked end-of-life. But based strictly on the recorded numbers, the Vega M GH wins the performance crown.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and are built on different processes. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH uses the Polaris 22 chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The AMD FirePro W7100 uses the Tonga chip with GCN 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This process shrink is significant: the Vega M GH packs 5,000 million transistors into a 208 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.0 million per mm². The FirePro W7100 also has 5,000 million transistors, but spread over a much larger 366 mm² die, giving a density of only 13.7 million per mm². That density gap explains why the Vega M GH achieves higher performance at lower power.

The memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The Vega M GH uses 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus, running at 800 MHz with 1600 Mbps effective, delivering 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro W7100 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, running at 1250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective, delivering 160.0 GB/s. The Vega M GH has a narrower capacity but far wider bus and higher bandwidth. The FirePro W7100’s memory clock is higher, but the bus width difference dominates.

Compute resources also differ. The Vega M GH has 1,536 shading units, 96 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 raster operation pipelines (ROPs). The FirePro W7100 has more shading units (1,792) and more TMUs (112), but only 32 ROPs. Despite having fewer shaders, the Vega M GH achieves higher pixel rate (76.16 GPixel/s versus 29.44 GPixel/s) and higher texture rate (114.2 GTexel/s versus 103.0 GTexel/s). The FP32 throughput is 3.656 TFLOPS for the Vega M GH versus 3.297 TFLOPS for the FirePro W7100, and both offer FP16 at a 1:1 ratio. The Vega M GH’s higher clock speeds (1063 MHz base, 1190 MHz boost) versus the FirePro W7100’s unlisted clocks contribute to this advantage.

API support is similar but not identical. Both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The Vega M GH supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro W7100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The FirePro W7100 has a longer physical footprint at 241 mm (9.5 inches) and 111 mm (4.4 inches) height, while the Vega M GH is an IGP with no slot dimensions. The FirePro W7100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, a single-slot form factor, one 6-pin power connector, and a suggested 450 W PSU; the Vega M GH has no power connectors and uses an IGP bus interface.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH scores 27,125 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 12.2% higher than the AMD FirePro W7100’s 24,182.

Q: Which GPU is faster in Vulkan?

A: The Vega M GH scores 31,268 in Geekbench Vulkan, a 13.6% lead over the FirePro W7100’s 27,529.

Q: Does the FirePro W7100 have more memory?

A: Yes, the FirePro W7100 has 8 GB of GDDR5, while the Vega M GH has 4 GB of HBM2. However, the Vega M GH has higher bandwidth at 204.8 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The Vega M GH has a 100 W TDP, while the FirePro W7100 has a 150 W TDP. The FirePro W7100 requires a 450 W suggested PSU and one 6-pin power connector; the Vega M GH is an IGP with no connectors.

Q: Which GPU has better API support for Vulkan?

A: The Vega M GH supports Vulkan 1.3, while the FirePro W7100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Vega M GH’s average score of 29,197 is nearly identical to the AMD FirePro W8000 (29,211, 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the Intel Arc A370M (29,175, 0.1% slower). The FirePro W7100’s average of 25,856 is within 0.1% of the AMD FirePro D700 (25,842) and 0.1% behind the AMD Radeon R9 M395X (25,891).

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH wins in every recorded benchmark, so the performance case is clear. It excels in bandwidth-sensitive workloads due to its 204.8 GB/s HBM2 memory and 1024-bit bus. Its higher pixel rate (76.16 GPixel/s) and texture rate (114.2 GTexel/s) make it better suited for fill-rate-heavy tasks like high-resolution rendering or complex shader effects. The FP32 throughput of 3.656 TFLOPS gives it a 10.9% edge over the FirePro W7100’s 3.297 TFLOPS, which matters for compute workloads such as physics simulations or machine learning inference. The Vega M GH also supports Vulkan 1.3, making it more future-proof for modern games and compute applications. Its lower 100 W TDP and IGP form factor make it a fit for compact or power-constrained systems, provided the display outputs are compatible with the host device.

The AMD FirePro W7100 wins on capacity and connectivity. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory is double the Vega M GH’s 4 GB, which is critical for workloads that exceed 4 GB working sets, such as large 3D scenes, video editing timelines, or multi-GPU rendering. It has 1,792 shading units and 112 TMUs, which are higher counts than the Vega M GH, though the Vega M GH’s higher clocks compensate in practice. The FirePro W7100 offers four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, making it a ready-made workstation solution for multi-monitor setups. It uses a standard PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and is a single-slot card, so it can drop into any desktop with a 450 W PSU. Its Vulkan support is older (1.2.170), but for legacy OpenGL or DirectX 12 workloads, it remains functional. The FirePro W7100’s predecessor is FirePro Terascale, and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris, indicating a clear workstation lineage.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The Vega M GH uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the FirePro W7100 uses a 28 nm process at TSMC. Both have 5,000 million transistors, but the Vega M GH’s die is 208 mm² versus 366 mm² for the FirePro W7100, resulting in transistor densities of 24.0M/mm² and 13.7M/mm², respectively. The Vega M GH has a base clock of 1063 MHz and boost clock of 1190 MHz; the FirePro W7100 has no listed base or boost clocks. Memory clocks differ: the Vega M GH runs at 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective), while the FirePro W7100 runs at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The memory bus is 1024-bit for the Vega M GH versus 256-bit for the FirePro W7100, and the memory types are HBM2 versus GDDR5.

The compute units differ: the Vega M GH has 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the FirePro W7100 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Pixel rate is 76.16 GPixel/s versus 29.44 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 114.2 GTexel/s versus 103.0 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 are both 3.656 TFLOPS for the Vega M GH and 3.297 TFLOPS for the FirePro W7100. TDP is 100 W versus 150 W. The Vega M GH is an IGP with no power connectors, while the FirePro W7100 is a single-slot card with one 6-pin connector and a 450 W suggested PSU. The bus interface is IGP for the Vega M GH versus PCIe 3.0 x16 for the FirePro W7100. Display outputs are portable-device-dependent for the Vega M GH versus 4x DisplayPort 1.2 for the FirePro W7100. The FirePro W7100 has physical dimensions of 241 mm (9.5 inches) length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) height; the Vega M GH has none listed. Vulkan version is 1.3 for the Vega M GH versus 1.2.170 for the FirePro W7100. Release dates are 2018-01-31 for the Vega M GH and 2014-08-11 for the FirePro W7100. Both are end-of-life.