AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile vs NVIDIA Quadro K4100M Comparison
AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile
Quadro K4100M
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile vs NVIDIA Quadro K4100M
The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile represent two very different approaches to mobile graphics. The Quadro K4100M is a dedicated, high-power workstation part from 2013, while the Vega 8 Mobile is a low-power integrated GPU from 2019. The available data shows a clear winner in raw compute, but the story is more nuanced when considering the context of each part. The K4100M leads in the only shared benchmark, but the Vega 8 Mobile counters with a more modern feature set and dramatically lower power consumption, making it the sensible choice for thin-and-light systems where battery life and efficiency are paramount.
The Verdict
Based solely on the benchmark data, the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is the faster GPU. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 9149 against 7435 for the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile, a decisive 23.1% advantage. This places the Quadro K4100M at the 41st percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega 8 Mobile sits at the 39th percentile. The average benchmark score reflects this gap: 7906 for the K4100M versus 7203 for the Vega 8 Mobile.
However, the verdict is not simply "buy the faster one." The Quadro K4100M carries a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD, while the Vega 8 Mobile has no listed launch MSRP. The Quadro K4100M is an end-of-life product, as is the Vega 8 Mobile, so neither is a current purchase recommendation. The data suggests the K4100M was designed for professional workloads where its compute lead matters. The Vega 8 Mobile, with its 25 W TDP compared to the K4100M's 100 W TDP, is the obvious choice for an integrated solution in a portable device. The deltaPct values against rivals reinforce this: the K4100M is within 1.8% of the GeForce GTX 650 Ti and GTX 880M, while the Vega 8 Mobile trades blows with the GeForce GTX 750, being 0.3% behind it and 0.4% ahead of the GTX 560 SE.
Architecture Differences
The architectural gulf between these two is vast. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is built on the Kepler architecture using the GK104 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.0M / mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses the GCN 5.0 architecture with the Raven-M chip, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, achieving a much higher density of 23.5M / mm².
The compute resources differ sharply. The K4100M has 1152 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and just 8 ROPs. This explains the K4100M's higher pixel rate of 16.94 GPixel/s versus 8.808 GPixel/s for the Vega 8 Mobile, and its texture rate of 67.78 GTexel/s versus 35.23 GTexel/s. The K4100M also has a higher FP32 throughput at 1.627 TFLOPS compared to the Vega 8 Mobile's 1,127.4 GFLOPS. The Vega 8 Mobile does support FP16 at 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1), a feature the K4100M lacks entirely.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. Here, the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M wins decisively with a score of 9149 against the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile's 7435. This represents a 23.1% performance advantage for the K4100M. This single data point shows that the dedicated Kepler part, despite being older, delivers substantially higher raw compute performance in this cross-platform API.
The K4100M also has a Geekbench Metal score of 6662, a test the Vega 8 Mobile does not appear in. Conversely, the Vega 8 Mobile has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6970, a test the K4100M does not have. These results highlight different strengths in different APIs. The K4100M's nearest rival, the Quadro P5000, has an average score of 8039, which is 1.7% higher than the K4100M's 7906. The Vega 8 Mobile's nearest rival, the GeForce GTX 970, has an average score of 7157, which is 0.6% lower than the Vega 8 Mobile's 7203. This suggests the Vega 8 Mobile is competitive with a high-end desktop card from its era, despite being an IGP.
Specification Differences
The two GPUs differ on nearly every specification that matters. The memory subsystem is a major divergence. The K4100M has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory, with its bandwidth described as System Dependent. This means the Vega 8 Mobile's performance is tied to the system's RAM, while the K4100M has its own dedicated pool.
Clock speeds also tell a story. The K4100M runs at a fixed 706 MHz base and boost clock, with memory at 800 MHz (effective 3.2 Gbps). The Vega 8 Mobile has a much lower base clock of 300 MHz but boosts to 1101 MHz. This variable clocking is typical of an IGP designed to save power when idle.
Other differences include the power envelope: the K4100M has a 100 W TDP and uses an MXM Module slot, while the Vega 8 Mobile has a 25 W TDP and is an IGP. The API support differs too. The K4100M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175, while the Vega 8 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The K4100M's generation is "Quadro Kepler-M (Kx100M)" with a predecessor of "Quadro Fermi-M" and successor of "Quadro Maxwell-M". The Vega 8 Mobile's generation is "Vega IGP (Raven Ridge-M)" with a predecessor of "GCN 3.0 IGP" and successor of "Navi II IGP".
FAQ
Q: Which GPU is faster in compute benchmarks?
A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M. It scores 9149 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 7435 for the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile, a 23.1% advantage. Its average benchmark score is 7906 compared to 7203 for the Vega 8 Mobile.
Q: Why would anyone choose the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile?
A: The data shows it uses far less power. Its TDP is 25 W versus 100 W for the Quadro K4100M. It also has a more modern feature set, with support for DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, compared to the K4100M's DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.
Q: How does the memory configuration affect performance?
A: The K4100M has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth. This means the K4100M's memory performance is fixed, while the Vega 8 Mobile's depends on the system's RAM.
Q: Are these GPUs comparable in transistor count?
A: No. The Vega 8 Mobile has more transistors at 4,940 million, but on a smaller 210 mm² die. The K4100M has 3,540 million transistors on a larger 294 mm² die. This gives the Vega 8 Mobile a higher transistor density of 23.5M / mm² versus 12.0M / mm² for the K4100M.
Q: What do the percentile rankings mean?
A: The K4100M is at the 41st percentile of all GPUs, and the Vega 8 Mobile is at the 39th percentile. This means the K4100M performs better than 41% of all GPUs in the database, while the Vega 8 Mobile performs better than 39%. Despite the large delta in their head-to-head score, their overall rankings are close.
Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU?
A: The K4100M's nearest rival is the GeForce GTX 460, which is 0.2% slower on average. The Vega 8 Mobile's nearest rival is the GeForce GTX 750, which is 0.3% faster. The K4100M is also close to the Quadro P5000 (1.7% faster) and GTX 880M (1.7% faster), while the Vega 8 Mobile is close to the GTX 560 SE (0.4% slower) and Iris Pro Graphics P580 (0.5% slower).
Where Each One Wins
The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M wins in raw compute performance. Its 23.1% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is the single biggest differentiator in the data. It also has higher peak rates across the board: 16.94 GPixel/s pixel rate, 67.78 GTexel/s texture rate, and 1.627 TFLOPS FP32. This makes it the clear choice for any application that relies on sustained, heavy compute loads, such as professional 3D rendering or scientific simulation. Its dedicated 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provides consistent performance that is not dependent on other system components.
The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins on efficiency and modern features. Its 25 W TDP is a quarter of the K4100M's 100 W TDP, making it the only viable option for a thin, fanless or low-power design. It supports newer API standards, including DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, which could enable features not available on the older K4100M. Its 2.255 TFLOPS FP16 throughput is a capability the K4100M lacks entirely, which could benefit workloads that use half-precision math. The Vega 8 Mobile also has a higher transistor density (23.5M / mm² vs 12.0M / mm²), indicating a more modern design. Its base clock of 300 MHz allows for significant power savings when idle, while the boost clock of 1101 MHz provides performance on demand.