Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
AMD Instinct MI100 vs AMD FirePro W4170M: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI100 and FirePro W4170M?
The gap that matters here is memory bandwidth: Instinct MI100 1200 GB/s against FirePro W4170M 64 GB/s, which puts Instinct MI100 95% ahead. Add boost clock to that, 1502 MHz on the Instinct MI100 versus 900 MHz on the FirePro W4170M, and the pattern holds. Add memory bus width to that, 4096 bit on the Instinct MI100 versus 128 bit on the FirePro W4170M, and the pattern holds. They differ on product type too, Datacenter Accelerator on the Instinct MI100 versus Laptop GPU on the FirePro W4170M. There is a split on board partner as well, Reference on the Instinct MI100 versus AMD on the FirePro W4170M. The memory type figures are near enough to ignore, HBM2 on the Instinct MI100 versus GDDR5 on the FirePro W4170M. They differ on architecture too, CDNA on the Instinct MI100 versus Graphics Core Next on the FirePro W4170M. There is a split on shader units as well, 7680 on the Instinct MI100 versus 384 on the FirePro W4170M. Compute blocks is not the same on both, 120 on the Instinct MI100 versus 6 on the FirePro W4170M.
Instinct MI100 vs FirePro W4170M: which one fits your build
The Instinct MI100 is the one to take for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not built for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is the wrong buy for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. The FirePro W4170M suits buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not the pick for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). Avoid it for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, gpu brand included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI100 and FirePro W4170M differ on pcie generation?
Yes. PCIe Generation reads PCIe 4.0 on the Instinct MI100 versus PCIe 3.0 x8 on the FirePro W4170M.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI100
- AMD
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- AMD
Product Type
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Datacenter Accelerator
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- Laptop GPU
Series
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Instinct
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- Legacy
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Reference
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- AMD (Reference)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI100
- HBM2
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- GDDR5Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 1502 MHzBest
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- 900 MHz-40%
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI100
- CDNA
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- Graphics Core Next (GCN)
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI100
- TSMC 7nm FinFET
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- Other
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 7680
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- 384
Compute Blocks
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 120
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- 6
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 4096 bitBest
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- 128 bit-97%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 1200 GB/sBest
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- 64 GB/s-95%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI100
- PCIe 4.0
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- PCIe 3.0 x8
ECC Memory
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Yes
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- No
Form Factor
- AMD Instinct MI100
- PCIe Add-in Card
- AMD FirePro W4170M
- Laptops
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI100 if you want the higher boost clock (1502 MHz vs 900 MHz), the higher memory bus width (4096 bit vs 128 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (1200 GB/s vs 64 GB/s).
Choose AMD FirePro W4170M if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.