AMD Radeon HD 8790M vs AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 and the AMD Radeon HD 8790M represent two very different eras of AMD graphics, and the benchmark data confirms a decisive generational gap. The Pro WX 4100 outperforms the HD 8790M by a wide margin in every recorded test, with the data showing leads of 251.6% in OpenCL and 193.8% in Vulkan. This is not a close contest; it is a clear case of a modern professional GPU (GCN 4.0) overwhelming an older mobile part (GCN 1.0).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 has an average benchmark score of 6330, while the AMD Radeon HD 8790M scores 5691. The Pro WX 4100 also holds a higher percentile rank among all GPUs, sitting at the 37th percentile compared to the HD 8790M's 33rd.

Q: How much faster is the Pro WX 4100 in Vulkan performance?

A: In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the Pro WX 4100 scores 18703, which is 193.8% higher than the HD 8790M's score of 6365. This indicates the Pro WX 4100 delivers nearly three times the Vulkan performance.

Q: What are the key differences in memory specifications?

A: The Pro WX 4100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 96.00 GB/s, while the HD 8790M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s. Both use a 128-bit memory bus.

Q: Which GPU has a smaller manufacturing process node?

A: The Pro WX 4100 is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, whereas the HD 8790M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC. The smaller node contributes to the Pro WX 4100's higher transistor density of 24.4M per mm² compared to 12.3M per mm².

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The Pro WX 4100 features 1024 shading units, while the HD 8790M has only 384. This difference in core configuration is a primary driver of the performance gap.

Q: What is the release date difference between the two?

A: The HD 8790M was released on 2013-03-31, while the Pro WX 4100 was released on 2016-11-09. The Pro WX 4100 is the newer product by several years.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 is the superior product for any workload that relies on compute or modern graphics APIs. It wins both head-to-head benchmark tests, with a 251.6% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL and a 193.8% advantage in Geekbench Vulkan. Users seeking maximum performance for professional applications, particularly those that leverage OpenCL or Vulkan, should choose the Pro WX 4100. Its higher average score of 6330, compared to 5691, places it in a higher performance tier.

The Radeon HD 8790M, while end-of-life and lacking the same compute horsepower, is a mobile MXM module. Its lower power footprint and portable device dependent display outputs might make it a consideration only for legacy systems or specific form factors where the Pro WX 4100's single-slot, 168 mm design cannot fit. However, from a pure performance standpoint, the HD 8790M is outclassed. The Pro WX 4100 is the clear pick for anyone prioritizing benchmark scores, compute throughput, or modern API support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a total wipeout for the AMD Radeon HD 8790M, with the Pro WX 4100 winning both of the available head-to-head tests.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Pro WX 4100 scored 17642, while the HD 8790M managed only 5017. This translates to a delta of 251.6%. This massive gap suggests that the Pro WX 4100's architecture is far more efficient at general-purpose compute tasks, a critical factor for professional rendering, simulation, and data processing.

The Geekbench Vulkan test tells a similar story. The Pro WX 4100 achieved a score of 18703, compared to 6365 for the HD 8790M. The 193.8% delta shows that the newer GPU is not just faster in raw compute, but also in low-level graphics API performance, which is increasingly important for modern game engines and real-time applications. The Pro WX 4100's support for Vulkan 1.3, versus the HD 8790M's Vulkan 1.2.170, also provides a software advantage.

These results confirm that the Pro WX 4100 is not just slightly better; it is in a different performance class. The HD 8790M's scores are closer to its own nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (with a delta of -0.5%), than they are to the Pro WX 4100.

Specification Differences

The most fundamental difference lies in the core configuration. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 is equipped with 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. In contrast, the AMD Radeon HD 8790M has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. This 2.67x increase in shader count is the primary reason for the Pro WX 4100's superior throughput.

Memory capacity also differs significantly. The Pro WX 4100 offers 4 GB of GDDR5, double the HD 8790M's 2 GB. Memory bandwidth follows suit, with the Pro WX 4100 delivering 96.00 GB/s compared to 64.00 GB/s. Even though the memory clock is higher on the Pro WX 4100 (1500 MHz vs 1000 MHz), the bus width remains the same at 128-bit.

Clock speeds are also higher on the newer card. The Pro WX 4100 has a base clock of 1125 MHz and a boost clock of 1201 MHz, while the HD 8790M operates at 850 MHz base and 900 MHz boost. The Pro WX 4100's pixel rate is 19.22 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 76.86 GTexel/s, dwarfing the HD 8790M's 7.200 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast. The Pro WX 4100 is built on the GCN 4.0 architecture using the Baffin chip, while the HD 8790M uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Mars chip. This generational leap is reflected in the manufacturing process: the Pro WX 4100 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, whereas the HD 8790M is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC.

The process shrink allows the Pro WX 4100 to pack 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 24.4M per mm². The HD 8790M, by contrast, contains only 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, giving it a density of 12.3M per mm². This means the Pro WX 4100 has over three times the transistor count in a larger, but more densely packed, package.

Feature support also differs. The Pro WX 4100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 8790M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The Pro WX 4100 also has a dedicated FP16 performance rating of 2.460 TFLOPS (1:1), while the HD 8790M has no listed FP16 capability, indicating a lack of optimized half-precision compute.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100:

The Pro WX 4100 wins all measured benchmarks, making it the superior choice for compute-heavy professional workloads. Its 251.6% lead in OpenCL makes it ideal for tasks like GPU-accelerated rendering, scientific simulations, and video encoding that rely on general-purpose compute. Its 193.8% lead in Vulkan positions it for modern real-time graphics, especially in professional visualization tools and upcoming game engines. The 4 GB memory capacity and higher bandwidth also provide more headroom for larger datasets and textures.

AMD Radeon HD 8790M:

The HD 8790M does not win any benchmark in the recorded data. Its only potential advantage is its form factor as an MXM module, which allows for integration into portable devices and specific laptop chassis where the Pro WX 4100's single-slot, 168 mm length is unsuitable. Its lower power requirements, while not quantified in the data, are implied by its mobile designation. However, for any performance metric recorded in the database, the HD 8790M falls far behind, making it a poor choice for any task where speed is a priority.