AMD Radeon HD 8850M vs AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 Comparison

AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 vs AMD Radeon HD 8850M is a decisive matchup. The database records only one shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, and the newer workstation card wins it by a massive margin. The Pro WX 5100 delivers a score of 24217 against 7447 for the HD 8850M, a delta of 225.2%. That is not a close contest; it is a generational stomping. The HD 8850M has no recorded wins in any head-to-head comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole direct comparison available in the database is Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 scores 24217, while the AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447. The Pro WX 5100 outperforms the older mobile chip by 225.2%, meaning it delivers more than three times the compute performance in this specific workload. This result aligns with the overall average benchmark scores: the Pro WX 5100 averages 8863 across all recorded tests, while the HD 8850M averages 7447 from its single entry. The Pro WX 5100 also holds a higher percentile rank, sitting at 44th percentile versus the HD 8850M’s 40th percentile among all GPUs in the database. While the percentile gap is modest, the OpenCL gap is overwhelming, indicating that the Pro WX 5100 is far more capable in GPU compute tasks that leverage OpenCL.

Looking at the broader benchmark suite for the Pro WX 5100, it shows strengths across different APIs. Its Geekbench Metal score is 29003, Vulkan is 26909, and OpenCL is 24217. In Passmark tests, it scores highest in DirectX 9 at 88, followed by DirectX 11 at 36, DirectX 10 at 29, and DirectX 12 at 26. The GPU compute score is 2053, and the G3D score is 5496. The HD 8850M has no corresponding scores for these tests, so the database cannot directly compare them. However, the OpenCL result alone is sufficient to establish a hierarchy: the Pro WX 5100 is the clear performance leader.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD’s Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The Pro WX 5100 uses GCN 4.0, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the HD 8850M uses GCN 1.0, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This process shrink is significant: it allows the Pro WX 5100 to pack 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². The HD 8850M, by contrast, has 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, for a density of 12.2 million per mm². The newer chip is not just smaller per transistor; it is architecturally more advanced.

The Pro WX 5100 features 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 render output units (ROPs). The HD 8850M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. In terms of raw throughput, the Pro WX 5100 achieves a pixel rate of 34.75 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 121.6 GTexel/s. The HD 8850M manages 10.00 GPixel/s and 25.00 GTexel/s. Floating point performance tells the same story: the Pro WX 5100 delivers 3.892 TFLOPS in FP32, while the HD 8850M delivers 800.0 GFLOPS. The Pro WX 5100 also supports FP16 at 3.892 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), a feature the HD 8850M does not list.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The Pro WX 5100 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 8850M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 64.00 GB/s. Clock speeds also favor the newer card: the Pro WX 5100 runs at 713 MHz base and 1086 MHz boost, with memory at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The HD 8850M runs at 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost, with memory at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). Both use PCIe 3.0 x16, but the Pro WX 5100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 8850M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. OpenGL support is identical at 4.6.

Where Each One Wins

The Pro WX 5100 wins in every measurable category where both have data. Its OpenCL score is 225.2% higher, its memory bandwidth is 2.5 times greater, and its FP32 throughput is nearly five times higher. For compute-heavy workloads such as rendering, simulation, or machine learning inference using OpenCL, the Pro WX 5100 is the only rational choice. Its 8 GB frame buffer also allows it to handle larger datasets than the HD 8850M’s 2 GB, which is critical for professional applications like video editing or 3D modeling.

The HD 8850M has no recorded wins. Its only benchmark score is 7447 in OpenCL, which places it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel UHD Graphics 750 (7441, 0.1% difference) and the AMD Radeon R7 350 (7425, 0.3% difference), indicating it performs at the level of integrated or low-end discrete graphics. The Pro WX 5100, by contrast, sits near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746, 1.3% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8743, 1.4% difference) in average score, positioning it as a mid-range workstation part.

For users with legacy systems that require the HD 8850M’s specific power profile or form factor, the card still functions, but it offers no performance advantage. The Pro WX 5100 is a single-slot card with no power connectors and a 75 W TDP, which makes it suitable for workstation builds with limited space and power budget. The HD 8850M is a mobile chip with no listed TDP or dimensions, so direct power comparisons are not possible, but its older architecture suggests it is less efficient per watt.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 in OpenCL?

A: The Pro WX 5100 scores 24217 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the HD 8850M scores 7447. That is a 225.2% difference, meaning the Pro WX 5100 is more than three times faster.

Q: Which GPU has more memory?

A: The Pro WX 5100 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, while the HD 8850M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. The Pro WX 5100 also has higher bandwidth at 160.0 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s.

Q: What architectural generation does each card use?

A: The Pro WX 5100 uses GCN 4.0 on a 14 nm process, while the HD 8850M uses GCN 1.0 on a 28 nm process. The Pro WX 5100 is built at GlobalFoundries, the HD 8850M at TSMC.

Q: Does the HD 8850M have any benchmark wins over the Pro WX 5100?

A: No. In the only head-to-head benchmark recorded, Geekbench OpenCL, the Pro WX 5100 wins. The database shows 1 win for the Pro WX 5100 and 0 wins for the HD 8850M.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The Pro WX 5100 has an average score of 8863 across all recorded tests, while the HD 8850M has an average score of 7447 from its single OpenCL test.

Q: Which card supports newer DirectX and Vulkan versions?

A: The Pro WX 5100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. The HD 8850M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is the superior GPU in every recorded metric. Its OpenCL performance is 225.2% higher, its memory subsystem is larger and faster, and its compute capabilities are several times greater. The HD 8850M, released in 2013, is a legacy mobile chip that now sits at the 40th percentile of all GPUs, comparable to integrated graphics like the Intel UHD Graphics 750. The Pro WX 5100, released in 2016, sits at the 44th percentile and competes with dedicated mid-range cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile.

For any professional workload that relies on OpenCL, the Pro WX 5100 is the only viable option. Its 8 GB memory and 160.0 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for large textures and datasets, while its 3.892 TFLOPS FP32 performance handles compute tasks efficiently. The HD 8850M, with 800.0 GFLOPS and 2 GB memory, is severely limited by comparison. There are no use cases where the recorded data suggests the HD 8850M would be preferable, except perhaps in systems that require its specific mobile form factor, but even then, performance will be a fraction of the Pro WX 5100’s.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights only the fields where the two GPUs differ, based on the database records.

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 | AMD Radeon HD 8850M |

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

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.6M / mm² | 12.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 713 MHz | 575 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1086 MHz | 625 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 160.0 GB/s | 64.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 640 |

| TMUs | 112 | 40 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 34.75 GPixel/s | 10.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 121.6 GTexel/s | 25.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 3.892 TFLOPS | 800.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 3.892 TFLOPS (1:1) | null |

| TDP | 75 W | null |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | null |

| Power Connectors | None | null |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | null |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | null |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2016-11-17 | 2013-03-31 |

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | null |

| Geekbench OpenCL Score | 24217 | 7447 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 8863 | 7447 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 44 | 40 |