AMD Radeon HD 8870M vs AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is the clear performance victor over the AMD Radeon HD 8870M, delivering a 186.2% higher score in the only common benchmark. This is a generational leap, not a marginal improvement. The WX 5100 is a desktop workstation card from 2016, while the HD 8870M is an older mobile chip from 2013, and the data reflects this chasm in capability.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark result between these two GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this compute-focused workload, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 scores 24,217 points, while the AMD Radeon HD 8870M scores 8,462 points. The delta is a staggering 186.2% in favor of the WX 5100. This means the WX 5100 is nearly three times faster in raw OpenCL compute performance, a metric that strongly correlates with general-purpose GPU tasks like rendering, simulation, and data processing.

This single result tells the entire story of the head-to-head comparison. The WX 5100’s score of 24,217 dwarfs the HD 8870M’s 8,462, showing that in any workload that can leverage OpenCL, the newer card will finish tasks in a fraction of the time. The HD 8870M has no counter-victory; it wins zero benchmarks in this comparison. While the WX 5100 has a richer benchmark suite with scores in Vulkan, DirectX, and PassMark, the HD 8870M only has the one OpenCL result, making a multi-test comparison impossible. The data that does exist is unambiguous: the WX 5100 is an overwhelmingly faster GPU.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 wins in every measurable category present in the data. Its compute advantage is its primary strength, as evidenced by the 186.2% lead in OpenCL. This translates directly to wins in professional applications that rely on GPU compute, such as 3D rendering, video encoding, and scientific calculations. The card’s higher average benchmark score of 8,863 points, compared to the HD 8870M’s 8,462, further solidifies its overall performance edge, even when considering all available tests.

The AMD Radeon HD 8870M does not have a single benchmark win against the WX 5100. Its only advantage is historical context; it was a mobile GPU designed for laptops in 2013, whereas the WX 5100 is a desktop workstation part. Looking at its rivals, the HD 8870M is competitive within its own generation, sitting just 0.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 and 0.4% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX. However, against the WX 5100, it is outclassed in every way. For users with a modern application that can use the WX 5100’s compute power, there is no scenario where the HD 8870M is the better choice based on performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are separated by two full generations of AMD’s Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The Radeon Pro WX 5100 is built on GCN 4.0, while the Radeon HD 8870M uses the original GCN 1.0. This architectural leap is paired with a major process node shrink: the WX 5100 is manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, whereas the HD 8870M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC. The newer process allows the WX 5100 to pack 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². In contrast, the HD 8870M has only 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, for a density of 12.2 million per mm².

These physical differences translate into a massive core configuration advantage. The WX 5100 features 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 render output units (ROPs). The HD 8870M is far more modest, with 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Memory is another point of separation. The WX 5100 comes with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s. The HD 8870M has just 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing only 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. Clock speeds are closer, but the WX 5100 still has an edge; it has a base clock of 713 MHz and a boost clock of 1,086 MHz, while the HD 8870M runs at 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost.

Feature support also differs. The WX 5100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the HD 8870M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Vulkan support is also better on the newer card, with the WX 5100 supporting Vulkan 1.3 compared to the HD 8870M’s Vulkan 1.2.170. The WX 5100 also has a significantly higher pixel rate (34.75 GPixel/s vs 12.40 GPixel/s) and texture rate (121.6 GTexel/s vs 31.00 GTexel/s), and its FP32 compute is rated at 3.892 TFLOPS, a nearly fourfold increase over the HD 8870M’s 992.0 GFLOPS. The WX 5100 also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, a feature the HD 8870M lacks.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is dramatically faster, scoring 24,217 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the HD 8870M’s 8,462, a 186.2% lead.

Q: How much memory do these cards have?

A: The WX 5100 has 8 GB of GDDR5, while the HD 8870M has 2 GB of GDDR5. The WX 5100 also has a wider 256-bit bus versus the HD 8870M’s 128-bit bus.

Q: What are the architecture generations of these GPUs?

A: The WX 5100 is based on GCN 4.0 architecture, while the HD 8870M is based on the original GCN 1.0 architecture.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The WX 5100 has a higher average benchmark score of 8,863, compared to the HD 8870M’s 8,462.

Q: What is the process node for each chip?

A: The WX 5100 is built on a 14 nm process, while the HD 8870M uses a 28 nm process.

Q: Does the HD 8870M win any benchmarks against the WX 5100?

A: No. The HD 8870M has zero wins in the head-to-head comparison; the WX 5100 wins all available tests.

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal: the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is the superior product. Its 186.2% lead in OpenCL performance makes it the only choice for any workload that can utilize GPU acceleration. The WX 5100’s 8 GB of memory and higher bandwidth also make it far more suitable for modern, memory-intensive applications. The HD 8870M, despite being a capable part in its own time, is simply outclassed by every measurable metric.

For a professional or prosumer user who needs a workstation GPU for rendering, compute, or multi-display setups, the WX 5100 is the obvious pick. Its 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, 75 W TDP, and single-slot design make it a flexible and efficient addition to a workstation. The HD 8870M, with its 2 GB memory and lower compute power, would bottleneck in any such scenario. It is best suited for legacy systems or basic tasks. The verdict is simple: choose the WX 5100 for any serious workload; the HD 8870M is a relic by comparison.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 | AMD Radeon HD 8870M |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 28 nm |

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

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Base Clock | 713 MHz | 725 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1086 MHz | 775 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 160.0 GB/s | 72.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 640 |

| TMUs | 112 | 40 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 34.75 GPixel/s | 12.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 121.6 GTexel/s | 31.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 3.892 TFLOPS | 992.0 GFLOPS |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.2.170 |

| TDP | 75 W | Not specified |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | Not specified |

| Power Connectors | None | Not specified |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | Not specified |

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

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | Not specified |