FirePro M5100 vs GeForce 945A

FirePro M5100

2013Core: 725 MHzBoost: 775 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce 945A

2015Core: 1006 MHzBoost: 1189 MHz

FirePro M5100 vs GeForce 945A Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

FirePro M5100 vs GeForce 945A: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FirePro M5100

2013

Why buy it

  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 18.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • 354.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 33W.

GeForce 945A

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 33W instead of 150W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro M5100 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.2% in PassMark G3D (1,874 vs 1,852), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro M5100 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 945A makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce 945A is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro M5100 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro M5100 vs GeForce 945A Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

AMD

FirePro M5100

The FirePro M5100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 16 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,874 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce 945A

The GeForce 945A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1189 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,852 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro M5100 scores 1,874 and the GeForce 945A reaches 1,852 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro M5100 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce 945A uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (FirePro M5100) vs 384 (GeForce 945A). Raw compute: 0.992 TFLOPS (FirePro M5100) vs 0.9132 TFLOPS (GeForce 945A). Boost clocks: 775 MHz vs 1189 MHz.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 945A
G3D Mark Score
1,874+1%
1,852
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Maxwell
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
640+67%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.992 TFLOPS+9%
0.9132 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
775 MHz
1189 MHz+53%
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
40+67%
24
L1 Cache
160 KB
192 KB+20%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 945A gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro M5100 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 945A
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro M5100 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce 945A carries 512 MB. FirePro M5100 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro M5100 and 128-bit on the GeForce 945A. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FirePro M5100) vs 1 MB (GeForce 945A) — the GeForce 945A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 945A
VRAM Capacity
2 GB+300%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL11_1) (FirePro M5100) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce 945A). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 945A
DirectX
12 (FL11_1)
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
1
2+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro M5100) vs 4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 945A). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1 (FirePro M5100) vs H.264,HEVC (GeForce 945A).

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 945A
Encoder
VCE 1.0
4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder
UVD 4.0
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
H.264,VC-1
H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M5100 draws 150W versus the GeForce 945A's 33W — a 127.9% difference. The GeForce 945A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M5100) vs 350W (GeForce 945A). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Legacy. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 945A
TDP
150W
33W-78%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Legacy
Length
82mm
Height
70mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
12.5
56.1+349%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M5100 came in at $0, while the GeForce 945A launched at $100. On MSRP, FirePro M5100 was 100+% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (FirePro M5100) vs 18.5 (GeForce 945A) — the FirePro M5100 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 945A (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 945A
MSRP
$0-100%
$100
Performance per Dollar
Infinity
18.5
Codename
Venus
GM108
Release
October 16 2013
March 13 2015
Ranking
#701
#705

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.