AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 vs AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile are both end-of-life graphics solutions from AMD, but they target fundamentally different use cases: one is a discrete, professional workstation card, while the other is an integrated GPU for laptops. Benchmark data shows a split decision, with the Vega 8 Mobile taking the OpenCL crown by a narrow margin, while the Pro WX 3100 delivers a decisive victory in Vulkan performance. The average benchmark scores place the Pro WX 3100 at 7580, which is 5.2% higher than the Vega 8 Mobile’s 7203, but the individual test results reveal a more nuanced picture that depends heavily on the API in question.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head comparison is the Vulkan score. The Radeon Pro WX 3100 posts 7827, while the Radeon Vega 8 Mobile trails at 6970. This represents a 12.3% advantage for the discrete card, which is the largest single performance gap between the two in any test. This substantial lead in Vulkan suggests that the Pro WX 3100 is better suited for modern graphics workloads that leverage this API, likely due to its dedicated memory and higher boost clock. The 12.3% delta is a significant margin that would be noticeable in real-world applications that scale well with Vulkan.

However, the story flips in the Geekbench OpenCL test. Here, the Vega 8 Mobile scores 7435, narrowly edging out the Pro WX 3100’s 7333. The delta is a mere -1.4% from the perspective of the Pro WX 3100, meaning the Vega 8 Mobile is just 1.4% faster. This is a very tight race, and the result falls within a margin that could be considered a statistical tie in many scenarios. The Vega 8 Mobile’s win here is surprising given its status as an integrated part, but the data is clear.

Looking at the broader context, the Pro WX 3100’s average score of 7580 places it just 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 250 and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Arc A310, while it trails the AMD Radeon 540 by 1.2% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 by 1.4%. The Vega 8 Mobile, with its 7203 average, sits 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 and 0.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, but it is 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580. These rival comparisons show that both cards are clustered in a similar performance tier, with the Pro WX 3100 having a slight edge in average terms.

The percentile rankings reinforce this clustering. The Pro WX 3100 sits at the 41st percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega 8 Mobile is at the 39th percentile. This two-percentile gap is small, but it consistently favors the discrete card across the aggregate metrics. When you combine the Vulkan blowout with the narrow OpenCL loss, the overall benchmark picture favors the Pro WX 3100 for users who prioritize a consistent, higher-performance experience.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 has an average benchmark score of 7580, which is 5.2% higher than the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile’s 7203. This places the Pro WX 3100 at the 41st percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega 8 Mobile is at the 39th percentile.

Q: Is the Vega 8 Mobile faster in any test?

A: Yes, the Vega 8 Mobile wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 7435, which is 1.4% higher than the Pro WX 3100’s 7333. This is the only head-to-head benchmark where the integrated GPU comes out ahead.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: The Pro WX 3100 scores 7827 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the Vega 8 Mobile scores 6970. This gives the Pro WX 3100 a 12.3% advantage, which is the most significant performance difference between the two cards in any benchmark.

Q: What are the closest rivals to the Pro WX 3100?

A: The Pro WX 3100’s nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R7 250 (0.3% slower), Intel Arc A310 (0.4% slower), AMD Radeon 540 (1.2% faster), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (1.4% faster).

Q: How does the Vega 8 Mobile compare to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750?

A: The Vega 8 Mobile’s average score of 7203 is 0.3% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750’s 7222. This makes the GTX 750 a very close competitor, with the two cards performing nearly identically on average.

Q: Does either card support DirectX 12?

A: Both cards support DirectX 12. The Pro WX 3100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the Vega 8 Mobile supports a slightly higher feature level of DirectX 12 (12_1).

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation for users who need consistent performance across different APIs: the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 is the stronger choice. Its 12.3% lead in Vulkan is a decisive advantage, and its higher average score of 7580 versus 7203 reinforces its position as the faster card overall. The Vega 8 Mobile’s 1.4% win in OpenCL is notable, but it is a narrow margin that does not compensate for the substantial loss in Vulkan. For professional or enthusiast workloads that utilize Vulkan, the Pro WX 3100 is the only sensible pick between the two.

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile, however, is not without merit. Its OpenCL victory shows that it can hold its own in compute tasks using that API, and its integrated nature means it occupies a completely different market segment. It is the better choice for users who are constrained to a mobile platform and need a GPU that is already built into their system. The 25 W TDP and IGP form factor make it suitable for thin-and-light laptops, whereas the Pro WX 3100’s 65 W TDP and single-slot design require a dedicated expansion slot. If portability and low power consumption are the primary constraints, the Vega 8 Mobile is the only option, and its benchmark results show it is a capable performer for its class.

Specification Differences

The most fundamental difference lies in their physical form factors. The Pro WX 3100 is a discrete single-slot card with a length of 168 mm (6.6 inches) and a height of 69 mm (2.7 inches), requiring a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface. In contrast, the Vega 8 Mobile is an IGP with no slot width, no dimensions, and a bus interface listed simply as "IGP." This makes the Vega 8 Mobile permanently attached to the processor, while the Pro WX 3100 is a separate component.

Memory configuration is another major differentiator. The Pro WX 3100 comes with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory, with its bus width also listed as System Shared and bandwidth described as System Dependent. This means the Vega 8 Mobile’s performance is tied to the system memory speed and configuration, while the Pro WX 3100 has fixed, dedicated resources.

The power and thermal profiles also diverge significantly. The Pro WX 3100 has a TDP of 65 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W, whereas the Vega 8 Mobile has a much lower TDP of 25 W and no suggested PSU, as it does not require a separate power connection. Both cards have no additional power connectors, but the Pro WX 3100’s higher power draw necessitates a more robust system power supply.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on different generations of AMD’s Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. The Pro WX 3100 uses GCN 4.0, while the Vega 8 Mobile uses GCN 5.0. This architectural generation gap is significant, as GCN 5.0 introduced various efficiency and feature improvements over GCN 4.0, even though both are built on the same 14 nm process node at GlobalFoundries.

The chips themselves are vastly different in scale. The Pro WX 3100 uses the Lexa chip, with 2,200 million transistors on a 103 mm² die. The Vega 8 Mobile uses the Raven-M chip, which is much larger at 210 mm² and contains 4,940 million transistors. This means the Vega 8 Mobile integrates far more hardware, including the CPU cores it is paired with, resulting in a transistor density of 23.5M / mm² compared to the Pro WX 3100’s 21.4M / mm².

Core counts are identical for the main compute units: both have 512 shading units and 32 texture mapping units (TMUs). However, the render output units (ROPs) differ, with the Pro WX 3100 having 16 ROPs versus the Vega 8 Mobile’s 8 ROPs. This directly impacts pixel throughput, with the Pro WX 3100 achieving 19.50 GPixel/s compared to 8.808 GPixel/s for the Vega 8 Mobile. Texture rates are closer, at 39.01 GTexel/s for the Pro WX 3100 and 35.23 GTexel/s for the Vega 8 Mobile.

Clock speeds also differ substantially. The Pro WX 3100 has a base clock of 925 MHz and a boost clock of 1219 MHz, while the Vega 8 Mobile has a much lower base clock of 300 MHz but a boost clock of 1101 MHz. This accounts for the Pro WX 3100’s higher FP32 performance of 1,248.3 GFLOPS versus 1,127.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 8 Mobile. Interestingly, the Vega 8 Mobile has a significant advantage in FP16, with 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) compared to the Pro WX 3100’s 1,248.3 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio).

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 wins decisively in Vulkan-based workloads, with a 12.3% performance advantage. This makes it the preferred choice for games and applications that are built on Vulkan, as well as for any future-proofing against newer titles that may adopt this API. Its higher pixel rate of 19.50 GPixel/s, double that of the Vega 8 Mobile, also makes it better suited for high-resolution rendering or multi-display setups that stress the ROPs. Its dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 memory with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth provides a stable foundation for workloads that require consistent memory access, without relying on system RAM.

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins in the Geekbench OpenCL test, posting a 1.4% higher score. This suggests that for compute tasks using OpenCL, the Vega 8 Mobile can be slightly more efficient, potentially due to its newer GCN 5.0 architecture. Its FP16 performance is a major win, with 2.255 TFLOPS compared to the Pro WX 3100’s 1,248.3 GFLOPS, making it vastly superior for workloads that can leverage half-precision arithmetic. Additionally, its 25 W TDP is less than half of the Pro WX 3100’s 65 W, making it the clear winner for power-constrained environments like laptops. The Vega 8 Mobile also supports DirectX 12 (12_1), a higher feature level than the Pro WX 3100’s DirectX 12 (12_0), which could enable certain advanced rendering features.