AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile vs NVIDIA Quadro K4000M Comparison

# AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile vs NVIDIA Quadro K4000M

The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile and NVIDIA Quadro K4000M represent two very different approaches to mobile graphics, separated by nearly seven years of architectural evolution. Benchmark data shows the AMD part holds a clear edge in raw compute performance, scoring 6476 in Geekbench OpenCL against the NVIDIA's 5986, an 8.2% advantage. However, the two GPUs occupy different design philosophies: the Vega 10 Mobile is a 10 W integrated processor, while the Quadro K4000M is a 100 W discrete MXM module with dedicated memory. The data suggests that while the Vega 10 Mobile wins the single head-to-head benchmark, the Quadro K4000M retains strengths in memory bandwidth and rasterization throughput that matter for specific workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile scores 6476, while the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M scores 5986. This places the AMD part 8.2% ahead in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: How do these GPUs rank against all other GPUs?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile sits at the 37th percentile of all GPUs, while the Quadro K4000M sits at the 34th percentile. This means the AMD part ranks slightly higher overall, though both are in the lower-middle range of the performance distribution.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each GPU?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M, which scores 6481, just 0.1% higher. The Quadro K4000M's nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W4100, scoring 5987, a 0% difference.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and TMUs?

A: The Quadro K4000M has 960 shading units and 80 texture mapping units, while the Vega 10 Mobile has 640 shading units and 40 TMUs. The NVIDIA part has 50% more shading units and double the TMU count.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The Quadro K4000M has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 89.60 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 10 Mobile uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: The Quadro K4000M achieves 12.02 GPixel/s, while the Vega 10 Mobile achieves 10.41 GPixel/s. The NVIDIA part has roughly 15% higher pixel throughput.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. The Vega 10 Mobile uses AMD's GCN 5.0 architecture on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the Quadro K4000M uses NVIDIA's Kepler architecture on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This process node difference directly impacts transistor density: the AMD chip packs 4,940 million transistors into a 210 mm² die, yielding 23.5 million transistors per square millimeter, while the NVIDIA chip contains 3,540 million transistors on a much larger 294 mm² die, achieving only 12.0 million transistors per square millimeter.

The Vega 10 Mobile is built as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) using the Raven-M chip, part of the Vega IGP generation. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1301 MHz. In contrast, the Quadro K4000M is a discrete MXM module using the GK104 chip from the Kepler generation, running at a fixed 601 MHz base and boost clock. The NVIDIA part's memory clock is 700 MHz with 2.8 Gbps effective data rate, while the AMD part relies on system shared memory with no dedicated clock.

Compute capabilities differ markedly. The Vega 10 Mobile delivers 1.665 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 3.331 TFLOPS of FP16 performance at a 2:1 ratio, while the Quadro K4000M delivers 1,153.9 GFLOPS of FP32 and has no FP16 capability listed. This gives the AMD part roughly 44% higher FP32 throughput despite having fewer shading units, proof of its higher boost clock and more efficient architecture.

The Vega 10 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the Quadro K4000M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD part's higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version indicate better modern API support.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture. For compute-heavy workloads measured by the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile is the clear winner, outperforming the Quadro K4000M by 8.2%. Its higher FP32 throughput, lower power consumption (10 W vs 100 W), and newer architecture make it the superior choice for general-purpose GPU compute tasks.

However, the Quadro K4000M retains advantages that matter for specific use cases. Its dedicated 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with 89.60 GB/s bandwidth eliminates the system-dependent performance variability of the Vega 10 Mobile's shared memory approach. The NVIDIA part also has higher pixel rate (12.02 GPixel/s vs 10.41 GPixel/s) and more than double the TMUs and ROPs (32 vs 8), which could benefit rasterization-heavy workloads despite the lower raw compute score.

For users prioritizing raw compute performance and energy efficiency, the Vega 10 Mobile is the better pick. For those needing dedicated VRAM and higher fill rates, the Quadro K4000M offers advantages that the benchmark score alone doesn't capture. The fact that the Vega 10 Mobile achieves its victory with a 90% lower TDP is particularly notable, suggesting it delivers more performance per watt despite the Quadro's dedicated memory advantage.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The Vega 10 Mobile uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries with 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the Quadro K4000M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC with 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. Transistor density is 23.5M/mm² for the AMD part versus 12.0M/mm² for the NVIDIA part.

Clock speeds show a significant divergence: the Vega 10 Mobile has a 300 MHz base and 1301 MHz boost, while the Quadro K4000M runs at 601 MHz for both base and boost. Memory configurations are fundamentally different, with the AMD part using system shared memory of system-dependent bandwidth, while the NVIDIA part has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 89.60 GB/s bandwidth.

The compute unit counts favor the Quadro K4000M in raw numbers: 960 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs versus the Vega 10 Mobile's 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. Yet the AMD part achieves higher throughput rates: 52.04 GTexel/s versus 48.08 GTexel/s for texture fill, and 1.665 TFLOPS versus 1,153.9 GFLOPS for FP32 compute. The pixel rate is the exception, with the Quadro K4000M at 12.02 GPixel/s versus 10.41 GPixel/s for the Vega 10 Mobile.

Power and form factor differ drastically: the Vega 10 Mobile consumes 10 W as an IGP with no power connectors, while the Quadro K4000M consumes 100 W as an MXM module with no power connectors. The bus interfaces are likewise different: IGP for the AMD part versus MXM-B (3.0) for the NVIDIA part. API support shows the AMD part with DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the NVIDIA part has DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Release dates are separated by nearly seven years: the Vega 10 Mobile launched on January 7, 2019, while the Quadro K4000M launched on May 31, 2012. Both are end-of-life products, with the AMD part succeeding GCN 3.0 IGP and preceding Navi II IGP, while the NVIDIA part succeeds Quadro Fermi-M and precedes Quadro Maxwell-M.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile scores 6476 against the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M's 5986, resulting in an 8.2% victory for the AMD part. This is the sole benchmark in the comparison, with the AMD card winning 1 out of 1 tests.

This 8.2% margin places the Vega 10 Mobile in close competition with several NVIDIA parts. Its nearest rival, the Quadro M5000M, scores 6481, just 5 points higher, representing a 0.1% difference. The GeForce GT 555M scores 6493, 0.3% higher, and the GeForce GTX 670M scores 6513, 0.6% higher. Interestingly, the RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell scores 6407, which is 1.1% lower than the Vega 10 Mobile, despite representing a far more modern and expensive product.

The Quadro K4000M's competitive position is tighter. Its nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W4100 at 5987, a negligible 0% difference. The Quadro K4000 desktop version scores 5982, 0.1% lower, while the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server scores 5996, 0.2% higher, and the GeForce GTX 770M scores 6000, 0.2% higher. This clustering suggests the Quadro K4000M sits at a performance plateau where many GPUs from different generations converge.

The 8.2% delta between the two compared GPUs is notable given the architectural and generational gap. The Vega 10 Mobile achieves this with significantly fewer shading units (640 vs 960) and ROPs (8 vs 32), relying instead on a much higher boost clock (1301 MHz vs 601 MHz) and a more efficient architecture. The Quadro K4000M's advantage in memory bandwidth (89.60 GB/s vs system dependent) and pixel rate (12.02 GPixel/s vs 10.41 GPixel/s) does not translate into a higher OpenCL score, indicating that the benchmark rewards compute throughput over fill-rate capabilities.