AMD Firepro W5170M

Laptop GPUAMD

Also called amd firepro w5170m, firepro w5170m

AMDLaptop GPUGCN

AMD FirePro laptop graphics card on GCN, with 2 GB at 45 W board power on a 28 nm process.

What you need to know

AMD Firepro W5170M is a laptop gpu with a thin public spec record.

AMD Firepro W5170M launched in August 25, 2014. 2 GB is the frame buffer on the reference sheet. Treat the spec table as the facts. Missing fields stay Unknown.

Still good?: Only if the workload is light
Product age: 11 years old
Upgrade pressure: Moderate

Feex says

A laptop GPU is not a desktop card in a thinner box. Power limits and the cooler decide more than the marketing name.

What this hardware means today

Age and usefulness are not the same number. This page keeps them separate.

Performance today: Modest. Laptop GPUs live under a power limit. The same name in two machines will not feel the same.
Product age 11 years old: Legacy. Launched August 25, 2014. Newer series exist. That does not make this card unusable by itself.
Support status: Supported. Current AMD Software packages still cover this generation unless the vendor has retired it.
Upgrade pressure: Moderate. Upgrade pressure comes from VRAM-heavy games first, not from the card being unusable.

Where does it sit?

GCN sits on the recent Radeon RX timeline. Partner cards can change coolers, connectors, and clocks.

RX 6000

RX 7000

RX 9000

Performance context

These are qualitative readings, not a fake 8.7 out of 10. Resolution, settings, and the CPU still win.

1080p gaming: Modest

Fine in a laptop that is not thermally stuck. The CPU and the panel refresh often show up first.

1440p gaming: Average

Settings may need to drop before 1440p feels smooth.

4K gaming: Limited

Native 4K is where memory size and the memory bus show up. Upscaling changes the picture.

Creator work: Good

Light GPU acceleration is fine. Large video timelines will ask for more memory.

Efficiency: Excellent

The sheet lists 45 W board power. Partner cards can differ.

Should you upgrade?

Probably not if the card is not the bottleneck.

Upgrade makes more sense if

You play at native 4K and the frame buffer is the limit
Current games are GPU-bound at your resolution and settings
You need current-generation features this card does not have
You are replacing the whole laptop anyway

Upgrade makes less sense if

You already play at a resolution this card can feed
The CPU, RAM, or storage is what actually stalls the machine
You are shopping for a newer card in the same class to fix a software or driver problem

Specifications

Figures below follow AMD's public reference sheet. Partner cards can raise clocks and change coolers, connectors, and outputs. The Feex Hardware Database fills fields the vendor page does not publish. Fields without a recorded value are omitted.

Graphics processor

AMD Firepro W5170M is built on GCN using a 28 nm process.

AMD Firepro W5170M specifications: Graphics processor
Manufacturer	AMD
Family	FirePro
Architecture	GCN
Manufacturing process	28 nm
Integrated	No
Mobile	No
Workstation	Yes
Segment	Laptop

Memory

AMD Firepro W5170M addresses 2 GB.

AMD Firepro W5170M specifications: Memory
Memory size	2 GB

Power and board

AMD Firepro W5170M lists 45 W board power.

AMD Firepro W5170M specifications: Power and board
Board power	45 W
Bus	PCIe 3.0 x16

Market

AMD Firepro W5170M launched August 25, 2014.

AMD Firepro W5170M specifications: Market
Launch date	August 25, 2014

Independent scores

These are third-party benchmark figures stored in the Feex Hardware Database. They are not Feex measurements.

AMD Firepro W5170M specifications: Independent scores
PassMark G3D	1,816 PassMark figure via PassMark Videocard Benchmark. Not a Feex measurement.
PassMark G2D	327 PassMark figure via PassMark Videocard Benchmark. Not a Feex measurement.

Compatibility

Compatibility
Slot	PCIe 3.0 x16
Power	45 W on the sheet. The power plug is a partner-card detail.
Case	Length, thickness, and slot count vary by partner cooler. Measure the case, not the SKU name.

The SKU name is not a cooler, a length, or a power plug. Read the exact partner card before you buy or install.

Laptop GPUs are soldered. You upgrade the machine, not the card.

Driver packages from a previous GPU are a common crash source. Clean-install the current vendor package before you replace hardware.

No display after install

Plug the monitor into the GPU outputs, not the motherboard, unless this is an integrated part. A black screen with fans spinning is often a power plug, a seated PCIe card, or the display cable.

Driver installs, then games crash

Use the vendor package that matches this generation. A leftover driver from a previous GPU is a common cause.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Partially Verified. How we research.

AMD specifications · Primary specification source
Feex Hardware Database · Secondary specification source. CC BY 4.0.
PassMark Videocard Benchmark · Independent benchmark. Not a Feex measurement.

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