AMD FirePro D700 vs AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 Comparison

# AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 vs AMD FirePro D700

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and AMD FirePro D700 split their two head-to-head benchmarks exactly evenly, but they serve fundamentally different purposes. The Vega 20 wins decisively in OpenCL compute with a 12.5% advantage, while the FirePro D700 counters with a 5.6% lead in Vulkan graphics workloads. This is not a simple "newer is better" story—the older FirePro D700 still holds its own in specific API scenarios, making the choice entirely dependent on the target application.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 is the compute-focused winner. In the geekbench_opencl test, it scores 26,679 against the FirePro D700's 23,716, a 12.5% margin. This advantage stems from its modern GCN 5.0 architecture and higher clock speeds, which translate directly into OpenCL performance. For users running GPU-accelerated compute workloads—rendering, simulation, or data processing—the Vega 20 is the clear pick. Its average benchmark score of 27,839 also places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, comfortably above the FirePro D700's 71st percentile and 25,842 average.

The AMD FirePro D700 wins in Vulkan. It scores 27,968 versus the Vega 20's 26,410, a 5.6% advantage. This is notable because the D700 is built on the much older GCN 1.0 architecture from 2014, yet it still outperforms the 2018 Vega 20 in this specific API. The D700's larger memory bus and higher bandwidth—263.0 GB/s versus 189.4 GB/s—likely contribute to this graphics-heavy win. For Vulkan-based applications, the older card remains competitive.

The data also shows a broader pattern. The Vega 20's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which it edges by 1%, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X, which beats it by just 0.5%. The FirePro D700's closest competitor is the AMD FirePro W7100 at a 0.1% difference, and it trails the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 by 0.5%. These tight margins indicate both cards are well-positioned within their respective performance tiers.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 uses the Vega 12 chip built on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process with GCN 5.0 architecture, while the FirePro D700 relies on the Tahiti chip fabricated by TSMC on 28 nm with GCN 1.0. The node shrink from 28 nm to 14 nm is substantial, but the D700 compensates with a physically larger die: 352 mm² containing 4,313 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 12.3M per mm². The Vega 20's die size and transistor count are not listed, but its smaller node and newer design are evident in its 100 W TDP versus the D700's 274 W.

Memory configurations differ sharply. The Vega 20 uses 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus, delivering 189.4 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro D700 uses 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, achieving 263.0 GB/s. The D700's higher bandwidth is a key reason for its Vulkan win, despite the Vega 20's more modern memory type. The Vega 20's memory runs at 740 MHz (1480 Mbps effective), while the D700's memory operates at 1370 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective).

Compute resources also shift. The FirePro D700 has more shading units (2,048 versus 1,280), more TMUs (128 versus 80), and equal ROPs (32 versus 32). Yet the Vega 20 achieves higher pixel rate (41.06 GPixel/s versus 27.20 GPixel/s) and nearly identical texture rate (102.6 GTexel/s versus 108.8 GTexel/s). The Vega 20's FP32 throughput is 3.284 TFLOPS, slightly below the D700's 3.482 TFLOPS, but the Vega 20 adds FP16 support at 6.569 TFLOPS (2:1), which the D700 lacks entirely.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has better OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 wins OpenCL by 12.5%, scoring 26,679 versus the FirePro D700's 23,716 in geekbench_opencl.

Q: Does the older FirePro D700 beat the Vega 20 in any benchmark?

A: Yes. The FirePro D700 wins geekbench_vulkan with 27,968 against the Vega 20's 26,410, a 5.6% advantage.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The FirePro D700 offers 263.0 GB/s across a 384-bit GDDR5 bus, while the Vega 20 provides 189.4 GB/s on a 1024-bit HBM2 bus.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Vega 20 has a 100 W TDP and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor), whereas the FirePro D700 has a 274 W TDP and is a dual-slot card requiring a 600 W suggested power supply.

Q: Which card has better API support?

A: The Vega 20 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The FirePro D700 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores rank them?

A: The Vega 20 averages 27,839 (73rd percentile), while the FirePro D700 averages 25,842 (71st percentile), a roughly 7.7% gap in favor of the Vega 20.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 | AMD FirePro D700 |

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

| Chip | Vega 12 | Tahiti |

| Architecture | GCN 5.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) | 28 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | Not listed | 4,313 million |

| Die Size | Not listed | 352 mm² |

| Transistor Density | Not listed | 12.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 815 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 1283 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 740 MHz (1480 Mbps effective) | 1370 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB HBM2 | 6 GB GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 1024 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 189.4 GB/s | 263.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1,280 | 2,048 |

| TMUs | 80 | 128 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 41.06 GPixel/s | 27.20 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 102.6 GTexel/s | 108.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 3.284 TFLOPS | 3.482 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 6.569 TFLOPS (2:1) | Not listed |

| TDP | 100 W | 274 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 600 W |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, 1x SDI |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.2.170 |

| Dimensions (Length) | Not listed | 279 mm (11 inches) |

| Release Date | 2018-11-13 | 2014-01-17 |

| Predecessor | Not listed | FirePro Terascale |

| Successor | Not listed | Radeon Instinct |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 73 | 71 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 27,839 | 25,842 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The geekbench_opencl test delivers the largest single victory for the Radeon Pro Vega 20. Its score of 26,679 beats the FirePro D700's 23,716 by 12.5%. This is a substantial margin, especially considering the Vega 20 achieves it with fewer shading units (1,280 versus 2,048) and lower FP32 peak (3.284 TFLOPS versus 3.482 TFLOPS). The advantage likely comes from the newer GCN 5.0 architecture, higher boost clock of 1283 MHz, and FP16 support that can accelerate certain OpenCL workloads. The Vega 20's average score of 27,839 also sits near the AMD Radeon RX 7800M (27,883, just 0.2% behind) and ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27,565, a 1% lead).

The geekbench_vulkan test flips the result. The FirePro D700 scores 27,968, beating the Vega 20's 26,410 by 5.6%. This is the D700's only benchmark win, but it is meaningful. The D700's 263.0 GB/s bandwidth and 384-bit bus appear to give it an edge in Vulkan's memory-heavy graphics workloads. Its nearest rivals in average score include the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 (25,726, a 0.5% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (25,740, a 0.4% difference), showing it remains competitive despite its age. When comparing average scores across all benchmarks, the Vega 20 leads 27,839 to 25,842, a 7.7% overall advantage.

The wins are split 1-1, but the magnitude differs. The Vega 20's OpenCL win is more than twice as large as the D700's Vulkan win. This asymmetry suggests the Vega 20 is the stronger all-around card, while the D700's Vulkan edge is a specific niche.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 as the better overall GPU. It wins the OpenCL benchmark by 12.5%, has a higher average benchmark score (27,839 versus 25,842), and ranks higher in the 73rd percentile versus the D700's 71st. Its 14 nm GCN 5.0 architecture delivers modern features like FP16 support, Vulkan 1.3, and DirectX 12 (12_1), all within a 100 W TDP that is 174 W lower than the D700's 274 W. For compute workloads, the Vega 20 is the unequivocal choice.

However, the FirePro D700 is not obsolete. Its Vulkan win of 5.6% proves that raw bandwidth—263.0 GB/s versus 189.4 GB/s—still matters in specific graphics APIs. With 6 GB of VRAM versus 4 GB, the D700 also offers more memory capacity for large datasets. Its 2,048 shading units and 128 TMUs provide raw parallel throughput that the Vega 20 cannot match, even if the newer architecture extracts more efficiency per unit.

Choose the Vega 20 for OpenCL-heavy compute tasks, modern API support, and power efficiency. Choose the FirePro D700 for Vulkan-based graphics workloads, applications that benefit from higher memory bandwidth, or scenarios requiring more VRAM. The D700's dual-slot form factor and 600 W PSU requirement also make it a workstation-only part, while the Vega 20's IGP design suits portable or space-constrained systems. Both are end-of-life products, but each retains a distinct role in the benchmark data.