AMD FirePro W5100 vs AMD Radeon Pro 555 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 555 and AMD FirePro W5100 represent two distinct generations of AMD's professional GPU lineup, separated by over three years of architectural evolution. The Radeon Pro 555, built on the 14nm Polaris 21 chip with GCN 4.0, is a mobile-focused IGP designed for Apple's MacBook Pro lineup, while the FirePro W5100, based on the 28nm Bonaire chip with GCN 2.0, is a single-slot workstation card from 2014. Despite the generational gap, their benchmark scores tell a nuanced story: the newer Radeon Pro 555 achieves an average benchmark score of 13,407, edging out the FirePro W5100's 12,847 by approximately 4.4%. However, head-to-head results reveal the FirePro W5100 wins both available comparisons, taking the Geekbench OpenCL test 11,888 to 11,682 (a 1.7% margin) and the Vulkan test 13,805 to 12,303 (a 10.9% margin). This creates an interesting paradox where the newer card holds a higher overall average, yet loses every direct comparison in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 13,407 on average, compared to the AMD FirePro W5100's 12,847. This places the Radeon Pro 555 at the 54th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro W5100 sits at the 52nd percentile.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the head-to-head OpenCL test?

A: The AMD FirePro W5100 wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark with a score of 11,888, while the AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 11,682. The delta is -1.7% from the Radeon Pro 555's perspective, indicating a narrow but decisive victory for the older card.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 81.60 GB/s bandwidth and 1275 MHz memory clock (5.1 Gbps effective). The AMD FirePro W5100 doubles the capacity to 4 GB of GDDR5, also on a 128-bit bus, but with higher bandwidth at 96.00 GB/s and a 1500 MHz memory clock (6 Gbps effective).

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The AMD FirePro W5100 achieves 14.88 GPixel/s, while the AMD Radeon Pro 555 delivers 13.60 GPixel/s. The FirePro W5100 also leads in texture rate at 44.64 GTexel/s versus 40.80 GTexel/s for the Radeon Pro 555.

Q: What API version support differs between the two cards?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but they differ in Vulkan support. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the AMD FirePro W5100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 has a TDP of 75 W and is an integrated graphics product (IGP) with no power connectors. The AMD FirePro W5100 has a lower TDP of 50 W, is a single-slot card, also requires no power connectors, and has a suggested PSU rating of 250 W.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 is built on the Polaris 21 chip using GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. It packs 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.4 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the AMD FirePro W5100 uses the Bonaire chip with GCN 2.0 architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It contains 2,080 million transistors spread across a larger 160 mm² die, resulting in a lower transistor density of 13.0 million per square millimeter. This represents a significant efficiency leap for the newer part, with the Radeon Pro 555 achieving nearly double the transistor density on a much smaller die.

Both GPUs share identical core configurations: 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The compute capabilities, however, diverge. The Radeon Pro 555 delivers 1,305.6 GFLOPS of FP32 performance and matches this with 1,305.6 GFLOPS of FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio. The FirePro W5100 offers slightly higher FP32 throughput at 1,428.5 GFLOPS but has no listed FP16 capability. Clock speeds also differ, with the FirePro W5100's memory running at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus the Radeon Pro 555's 1275 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective).

The physical form factors could not be more different. The Radeon Pro 555 is an IGP with no slot width, designed to be integrated into a portable device with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." The FirePro W5100 is a single-slot card measuring 173 mm in length and 111 mm in height, featuring four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The bus interface also differs: the Radeon Pro 555 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the FirePro W5100 uses the full PCIe 3.0 x16. Both cards are end-of-life products, but their release dates span from March 2014 for the FirePro W5100 to June 2017 for the Radeon Pro 555.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear but counterintuitive picture. Despite being three years newer and built on a more advanced 14nm process with GCN 4.0, the AMD Radeon Pro 555 loses both head-to-head benchmark comparisons to the older AMD FirePro W5100. The FirePro W5100's advantage is most pronounced in Vulkan, where it scores 13,805 against the Radeon Pro 555's 12,303, a 10.9% lead. In OpenCL, the margin narrows to just 1.7%, with the FirePro W5100 scoring 11,888 versus 11,682.

However, the Radeon Pro 555's higher average benchmark score of 13,407 (versus 12,847) suggests it may perform better across a broader range of workloads not captured in the head-to-head tests. The newer card also offers Vulkan 1.3 support, whereas the FirePro W5100 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170. For users prioritizing raw single-test performance, the FirePro W5100 is the stronger choice. For those needing the latest API support, lower power consumption relative to performance, and a more modern architecture, the Radeon Pro 555 has merits—though its 75 W TDP is actually higher than the FirePro W5100's 50 W.

The FirePro W5100's 4 GB memory capacity doubles the Radeon Pro 555's 2 GB, making it more suitable for memory-intensive professional workloads. The Radeon Pro 555's IGP form factor limits it to portable devices, while the FirePro W5100's single-slot design with four DisplayPort outputs makes it a flexible workstation component. Ultimately, the FirePro W5100 wins on every direct comparison and offers more memory and bandwidth, while the Radeon Pro 555 wins on overall average score, modern architecture, and API currency.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification category. The process node drops from 28 nm (TSMC) on the FirePro W5100 to 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) on the Radeon Pro 555. Transistor count increases from 2,080 million to 3,000 million, while die size shrinks from 160 mm² to 123 mm². Transistor density jumps from 13.0M/mm² to 24.4M/mm². Memory capacity doubles from 2 GB to 4 GB, although the Radeon Pro 555 has the lower capacity. Memory bandwidth favors the FirePro W5100 at 96.00 GB/s versus 81.60 GB/s, with memory clocks of 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus 1275 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective).

Compute rates favor the FirePro W5100 in pixel output at 14.88 GPixel/s versus 13.60 GPixel/s, and in texture output at 44.64 GTexel/s versus 40.80 GTexel/s. FP32 performance also favors the FirePro W5100 at 1,428.5 GFLOPS versus 1,305.6 GFLOPS. The Radeon Pro 555 uniquely offers FP16 performance at 1,305.6 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the FirePro W5100 has no listed FP16 capability. TDP differs with the Radeon Pro 555 at 75 W and the FirePro W5100 at 50 W. The Radeon Pro 555 is an IGP with no slot width, while the FirePro W5100 is single-slot. Bus interface differs from PCIe 3.0 x8 to PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs range from portable-device-dependent to four DisplayPort 1.2 connectors. The FirePro W5100 has a suggested PSU of 250 W and physical dimensions of 173 mm length and 111 mm height; the Radeon Pro 555 lists no dimensions. Release dates differ from March 2014 to June 2017, and the FirePro W5100 has a predecessor (FirePro Terascale) and successor (Radeon Pro Polaris) while the Radeon Pro 555 lists neither.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows the AMD FirePro W5100 winning both recorded benchmarks, giving it a 2-0 record in wins. The first test, Geekbench OpenCL, is a near-tie: the FirePro W5100 scores 11,888 against the Radeon Pro 555's 11,682, a delta of only -1.7% from the Radeon Pro 555's perspective. This narrow margin suggests the two GPUs are nearly equivalent in OpenCL compute workloads, despite the architectural differences. The Radeon Pro 555's higher transistor density and modern GCN 4.0 design almost compensate for the FirePro W5100's higher clock speeds and memory bandwidth.

The second test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows a more decisive separation. The FirePro W5100 scores 13,805, while the Radeon Pro 555 manages 12,303, giving the older card a 10.9% advantage. This is a significant gap, especially considering the Radeon Pro 555 supports the newer Vulkan 1.3 API compared to the FirePro W5100's Vulkan 1.2.170. The result indicates that the FirePro W5100's higher memory bandwidth (96.00 GB/s versus 81.60 GB/s) and faster memory clock (1500 MHz versus 1275 MHz) provide a tangible benefit in Vulkan workloads, which often stress memory subsystems heavily.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the Radeon Pro 555 also has a Geekbench Metal score of 16,236, a test the FirePro W5100 does not have data for. This Metal result likely contributes to the Radeon Pro 555's higher average score of 13,407 and its better percentile ranking of 54 versus 52. The nearest rivals for each card reinforce their competitive positioning: the Radeon Pro 555 sits within 0.5% of the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (13,376), AMD Radeon RX 5500M (13,356), and AMD FirePro M6100 (13,354), while trailing the NVIDIA P106-090 (13,470) by 0.5%. The FirePro W5100 is similarly close to the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 (12,830) at 0.1% margins, with the AMD Radeon 740M (12,870) slightly ahead and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (12,773) slightly behind.

The wins for the FirePro W5100 in both head-to-head tests, combined with its 4 GB memory capacity and higher bandwidth, make it the stronger performer in direct comparison. The Radeon Pro 555's sole advantage in the head-to-head data is its Metal score, which is not directly comparable. For workloads leveraging Metal, the Radeon Pro 555's 16,236 score is impressive, but without a corresponding FirePro W5100 Metal result, it cannot be directly compared. The data ultimately favors the FirePro W5100 in every measurable head-to-head metric, while the Radeon Pro 555's overall average score benefits from its additional Metal benchmark.