GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER and AMD FirePro D300 represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by over five years of architectural evolution. The data available for direct comparison is limited to two compute-oriented benchmarks, but the results are decisive, with the RTX 2070 SUPER winning both head-to-head tests by a massive margin. This analysis walks through the benchmark data, answers common questions, and breaks down the architectural and specification differences that explain the performance gulf.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison between these two cards is stark. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER scores 83,358 points against the AMD FirePro D300's 19,515 points. This translates to a delta of 327.1%, meaning the RTX 2070 SUPER is roughly four times faster in this compute workload. The result is not close; it is a categorical victory for the newer NVIDIA architecture.

The second head-to-head test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows an even wider gap. The RTX 2070 SUPER achieves 90,637 points, while the FirePro D300 manages only 19,759 points. The delta here is 358.7%, indicating the NVIDIA card outperforms the AMD card by a factor of over 4.5 in this API. Vulkan is a modern low-level graphics API, and the results suggest the older GCN 1.0 architecture of the FirePro D300 is severely handicapped when running through it.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20,282 across all tested workloads, while the FirePro D300 averages 19,637. Interestingly, the percentage gap between their averages is much smaller than the head-to-head deltas, because the average includes tests where the older card's performance profile is relatively stronger. The RTX 2070 SUPER's percentile ranking among all GPUs is 65, while the FirePro D300 sits at 64, making them near-neighbors in the overall distribution despite the massive gulf in modern compute tests.

The nearest rivals for each card further contextualize their positions. The RTX 2070 SUPER's closest competitor is the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, which scores 20,480 and is just 1% behind. The Intel Arc B570 and Arc A750 are also within 1.5% of its average score. For the FirePro D300, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 at 19,602, which is 0.2% ahead, and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which is 1.2% behind at 19,410. These rival comparisons show that while the two cards have similar average scores, their nearest competitors are entirely different classes of hardware, reflecting their distinct ages and design goals.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER has a higher average benchmark score of 20,282, compared to the AMD FirePro D300's 19,637.

Q: By what percentage does the RTX 2070 SUPER lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER leads by 327.1% in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 83,358 against the FirePro D300's 19,515.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two cards?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s (8 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus), while the FirePro D300 has 162.6 GB/s (2 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus).

Q: Does the FirePro D300 support hardware ray tracing?

A: No, the FirePro D300 has no RT cores listed in its specifications, whereas the RTX 2070 SUPER includes 40 RT cores.

Q: What is the process node difference between these GPUs?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER is built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, while the FirePro D300 uses a 28 nm process, also at TSMC.

Q: How many shading units does each card have?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has 2,560 shading units, while the FirePro D300 has 1,280 shading units.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear verdict for any workload that leverages modern compute APIs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER wins both available head-to-head benchmarks with deltas exceeding 327%. If the choice is between these two for a task involving OpenCL or Vulkan, the RTX 2070 SUPER is the only rational selection based on performance. Its average score is higher, and its raw compute output in FP32 is 9.062 TFLOPS versus 2.176 TFLOPS for the FirePro D300.

The AMD FirePro D300, despite its lower scores, is not without a context. Its percentile rank of 64 is nearly identical to the RTX 2070 SUPER's 65, indicating that in the broader database of GPUs, they occupy similar overall tiers. However, this similarity is misleading for direct comparison. The FirePro D300's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, while the RTX 2070 SUPER sits near the Intel Arc A750 and the Quadro M4000M. The FirePro D300 was released in 2014 and is built on GCN 1.0 architecture, making it a legacy product. For anyone choosing between these two specific cards, the benchmark results are unambiguous: the RTX 2070 SUPER is the superior performer across every metric where data exists.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every core specification. The RTX 2070 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the FirePro D300 has 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth is 448.0 GB/s versus 162.6 GB/s, a difference of roughly 2.75 times. The shading unit count is double: 2,560 for NVIDIA versus 1,280 for AMD. Texture mapping units number 160 against 80, and ROPs are 64 versus 32. The RTX 2070 SUPER also features 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, both of which are entirely absent from the FirePro D300.

Clock speeds also differ, though the FirePro D300 has no base or boost clock listed, only a memory clock of 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective), compared to the RTX 2070 SUPER's memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The pixel rate is 113.3 GPixel/s for the RTX 2070 SUPER versus 27.20 GPixel/s for the FirePro D300, and the texture rate is 283.2 GTexel/s versus 68.00 GTexel/s. Power consumption is another differentiator, with the RTX 2070 SUPER rated at 215 W TDP and the FirePro D300 at 150 W TDP, requiring a 550 W suggested PSU versus 450 W respectively. The RTX 2070 SUPER is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm in length, while the FirePro D300 is a single-slot card at 242 mm. Display outputs are also distinct: the RTX 2070 SUPER offers 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, while the FirePro D300 has 4x DisplayPort 1.2.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is the root cause of the performance disparity. The RTX 2070 SUPER is based on the Turing architecture, using the TU104 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It contains 13,600 million transistors on a die size of 545 mm², yielding a transistor density of 25.0 million per mm². The FirePro D300 uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Pitcairn chip, built on a 28 nm process. It packs only 2,800 million transistors onto a 212 mm² die, resulting in a density of 13.2 million per mm². The transistor count difference is nearly fivefold, which directly correlates with the compute capabilities.

The RTX 2070 SUPER supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The FirePro D300 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The FP32 compute throughput is 9.062 TFLOPS for the RTX 2070 SUPER, while the FirePro D300 achieves 2.176 TFLOPS. The RTX 2070 SUPER also supports FP16 at 18.12 TFLOPS (2:1), a feature entirely absent from the FirePro D300's specification list. The RTX 2070 SUPER is part of the GeForce 20-series, succeeding the GeForce 10 series and preceding the GeForce 30 series. The FirePro D300 belongs to the FirePro Data Center (Dx00) generation, with its predecessor being FirePro Terascale and its successor being Radeon Instinct.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 2070 SUPER wins in every direct benchmark comparison available. In Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, it leads by 327.1% and 358.7% respectively. This dominance extends to raw specifications: it has more memory, higher bandwidth, more shading units, and a newer architecture. It is the clear choice for any modern workload involving compute, ray tracing (thanks to its 40 RT cores), or tensor operations (with 320 tensor cores). Its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate also makes it suitable for contemporary gaming and graphics applications that leverage the latest API features.

The FirePro D300 does not win any of the head-to-head benchmarks. However, its single-slot design and lower 150 W TDP give it a physical footprint advantage in space-constrained systems. Its 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs might be preferable for multi-display setups that do not require HDMI or USB-C connectivity. Its lower power draw and shorter length of 242 mm could also be relevant for legacy chassis compatibility. In terms of raw performance, the data shows no scenario where the FirePro D300 outperforms the RTX 2070 SUPER. Its only wins are in non-performance categories like physical size and power consumption, which are not covered by the benchmark scores.