GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M and AMD Radeon 540 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but they represent vastly different design philosophies and eras. Benchmark data from the database shows the Quadro K4100M holds a decisive lead in the single shared test, while the Radeon 540 counters with a more modern feature set and superior efficiency metrics. The following analysis breaks down their respective positions based strictly on the provided facts.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but nuanced conclusion. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M wins decisively. It scores 9,149 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 47.9% higher than the Radeon 540’s 6,184 in the same test. This is a substantial margin that establishes the older NVIDIA card as the raw compute performance leader in this comparison.

However, the Radeon 540 is not without its arguments. While it loses the compute battle, it does so while consuming half the power (50 W TDP vs. 100 W TDP) and offering a much newer feature baseline. The Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the Quadro K4100M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. For users requiring modern API support, the Radeon is the only viable choice.

The average benchmark scores reflect a closer overall picture. The Quadro K4100M has an average benchmark score of 7,906, while the Radeon 540 sits at 7,673. This difference of 3% is relatively small, suggesting that in a broader suite of tests, the two cards would be more competitive than the OpenCL result alone indicates. Both are placed in the 41st percentile of all GPUs.

In summary: The Quadro K4100M is the choice for raw compute performance in legacy applications. The Radeon 540 is the choice for modern API compatibility and lower power consumption. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports a use-case-specific decision.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is significantly faster, scoring 9,149 compared to the AMD Radeon 540’s 6,184. This represents a 47.9% advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The Quadro K4100M has an average benchmark score of 7,906, which is 3% higher than the Radeon 540’s average of 7,673. The database lists the Quadro as having a -0.2% delta against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460, while the Radeon 540 has a -0.6% delta against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.

Q: Which card supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon 540 supports the newer APIs. It has DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M has DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon also supports OpenGL 4.6, same as the Quadro.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The AMD Radeon 540 has a 50 W TDP, which is exactly half of the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M’s 100 W TDP. The Radeon also has a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the Quadro has no suggested PSU listed.

Q: Which card has more memory and bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M has significantly more. It features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 540 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 32-bit bus, yielding 24.00 GB/s.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The AMD Radeon 540 is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The Radeon’s die is 103 mm², while the Quadro’s is 294 mm².

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is based on the Kepler architecture, specifically the GK104 chip, and belongs to the Quadro Kepler-M (Kx100M) generation. It is manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, packing 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 12.0M / mm². The Kepler architecture is a mature design, evidenced by its predecessor being the Quadro Fermi-M and its successor being the Quadro Maxwell-M.

In contrast, the AMD Radeon 540 is built on the much newer GCN 4.0 architecture, using the Lexa chip. It comes from the Polaris (RX 500) generation and is produced on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This newer process allows it to fit 2,200 million transistors into a much smaller 103 mm² die, achieving a higher transistor density of 21.4M / mm². The Radeon’s predecessor is Arctic Islands and its successor is Vega.

The compute capabilities reflect these architectural differences. The Quadro K4100M boasts 1,152 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, delivering 1.627 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The Radeon 540 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, resulting in 908.5 GFLOPS of FP32 performance. Crucially, the Radeon 540 has a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio, offering 908.5 GFLOPS of FP16 performance, while the Quadro has no listed FP16 capability. The Radeon also has a higher pixel rate (18.93 GPixel/s) despite its lower texture rate (28.39 GTexel/s) compared to the Quadro’s pixel rate of 16.94 GPixel/s and texture rate of 67.78 GTexel/s.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal stark contrasts in every major category. The most obvious difference is memory: the Quadro K4100M has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon 540 has only 1024 MB on a 32-bit bus with 24.00 GB/s. This is a 4x difference in capacity and a 4.26x difference in bandwidth.

Clock speeds also differ. The Quadro K4100M has a fixed base and boost clock of 706 MHz, with memory clocked at 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective). The Radeon 540 has no listed base or boost clocks, but its memory runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). This means the Radeon’s memory is faster per-pin, but the narrow bus severely limits total bandwidth.

Physical and interface specifications are also divergent. The Quadro K4100M is an MXM Module with an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface, while the Radeon 540 is a Single-slot card with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The Radeon’s display outputs are listed as 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, whereas the Quadro’s are described as "Portable Device Dependent." The Radeon has a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the Quadro has none listed. Both have no power connectors. The TDP difference is notable: 50 W for the Radeon versus 100 W for the Quadro.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M scores 9,149, while the AMD Radeon 540 scores 6,184. The delta is a massive 47.9% in favor of NVIDIA. This is the single biggest win in this comparison and defines the compute performance hierarchy.

Looking at other benchmarks individually, the picture is more mixed. The Quadro K4100M also has a Geekbench Metal score of 6,662, a test the Radeon 540 does not appear in. Conversely, the Radeon 540 has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 9,162, a test the Quadro does not appear in. These results suggest that the Radeon 540 is particularly strong in Vulkan workloads, potentially offsetting its OpenCL deficit in applications that utilize that API.

The average benchmark scores tell a story of overall parity. The Quadro’s average of 7,906 puts it 1.7% behind the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 and 1.8% behind the GeForce GTX 650 Ti, according to its nearest rival data. The Radeon 540’s average of 7,673 places it 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 and 1.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 250. These rival comparisons show that while the OpenCL gap is huge, the overall performance envelope of both cards is similar when considering a broader benchmark suite.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the data, the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is the clear winner in compute-heavy OpenCL workloads. Its 47.9% lead in that specific test is the largest performance delta recorded in this comparison, and its 1.627 TFLOPS FP32 performance dwarfs the Radeon’s 908.5 GFLOPS. This card is the obvious pick for applications that rely heavily on OpenCL compute, such as certain types of scientific simulation or data processing. Its larger 4 GB memory pool and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth also make it the better choice for workloads that require holding large datasets in video memory.

The AMD Radeon 540 wins in every category related to modernity and efficiency. Its 50 W TDP is half that of the Quadro, making it the superior choice for power-constrained systems. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, which are more recent API versions than the Quadro’s DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. For gaming or applications built on these newer APIs, the Radeon is the only card that can fully utilize them. Its 1:1 FP16 ratio (908.5 GFLOPS) is a feature the Quadro lacks entirely, and its superior pixel rate of 18.93 GPixel/s suggests it may handle certain pixel-bound tasks more efficiently. The Radeon also offers a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the Quadro is limited to an MXM-B interface and dependent display outputs. The Radeon 540 is the winner for users prioritizing API support, power efficiency, and modern connectivity.