AMD FirePro D500 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 leads AMD FirePro D500 in the only shared benchmark, with a decisive 32.3% advantage in Geekbench Vulkan. The GTX 780 scores 24,514 versus 18,533 for the FirePro D500, a gap large enough to place the two cards in different performance tiers despite both being end-of-life workstation-class parts from 2013-2014.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single available head-to-head data point is Geekbench Vulkan, and it is not close. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 posts 24,514 points, while AMD FirePro D500 reaches 18,533. That translates to a 32.3% win for the GTX 780, which is a substantial margin in GPU compute workloads. For context, the GTX 780's overall average benchmark score of 19,164 puts it at the 64th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro D500's 18,533 average places it at the 62nd percentile. The percentile difference of just 2 points masks the true performance separation; the Vulkan test reveals the GTX 780 is roughly one-third faster in this API.

The GTX 780's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (19,177, only 0.1% higher), NVIDIA Tesla K20m (19,089, 0.4% lower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19,049, 0.6% lower). This clustering shows the GTX 780 sits in a competitive band, but its Vulkan score of 24,514 is well above its own average, suggesting that API favors its architecture strongly. The FirePro D500's nearest rivals include AMD Radeon RX 560X (18,626, 0.5% higher), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT (18,685, 0.8% higher), and Intel Arc A770M (18,383, 0.8% lower). The D500's Vulkan score of 18,533 is essentially its average, meaning that test is representative of its overall standing, whereas the GTX 780's Vulkan result is a clear outlier in its favor.

In terms of raw compute throughput, the GTX 780 delivers 4.156 TFLOPS FP32, nearly double the FirePro D500's 2.227 TFLOPS. The GTX 780 also achieves 173.2 GTexel/s texture fill rate versus 69.60 GTexel/s for the D500, and 43.30 GPixel/s pixel rate versus 23.20 GPixel/s. These hardware specifications align with the Vulkan benchmark outcome, reinforcing that the GTX 780 is the stronger compute performer across the board.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different silicon generations. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 uses the GK110 chip built on Kepler architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The die is massive: 561 mm² with 7,080 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 12.6M per mm². AMD FirePro D500 uses the Tahiti chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, also on a 28 nm TSMC process, but the die is substantially smaller at 352 mm² with 4,313 million transistors, giving a density of 12.3M per mm². The GTX 780 packs 64% more transistors into a 59% larger die, making it the more complex and potentially more expensive part to manufacture.

Core configuration differs significantly. The GTX 780 has 2,304 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The FirePro D500 has 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 780 holds a 50% advantage in shader count, a 100% advantage in TMUs, and a 50% advantage in ROPs. These are not minor differences; they explain why the GTX 780's fill rates and compute figures are so much higher. Clock speeds also favor NVIDIA: the GTX 780 runs at 863 MHz base and 902 MHz boost, while the FirePro D500 has no listed base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). The GTX 780's memory runs at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), giving it 288.4 GB/s bandwidth versus 243.8 GB/s for the D500, a 18% advantage.

Both cards use 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, so memory capacity and bus width are identical. The GTX 780 consumes 250 W TDP with a suggested 600 W PSU, while the FirePro D500 consumes 274 W with the same 600 W PSU suggestion. The GTX 780 requires 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors; the FirePro D500's connector configuration is not listed. Both are dual-slot cards with PCIe 3.0 x16 interfaces.

API support differs slightly. The GTX 780 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The FirePro D500 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The D500 has a marginally higher DirectX feature level, while the GTX 780 has a slightly newer Vulkan version. Display outputs differ sharply: the GTX 780 offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, while the FirePro D500 offers 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and 1x SDI, reflecting its workstation/visualization focus.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 wins in every measurable performance category from the data. It is 32.3% ahead in Vulkan, 86.6% ahead in FP32 TFLOPS (4.156 vs 2.227), 148.9% ahead in texture fill rate (173.2 vs 69.60 GTexel/s), and 86.6% ahead in pixel rate (43.30 vs 23.20 GPixel/s). It also has higher memory bandwidth (288.4 vs 243.8 GB/s) and a higher average benchmark score (19,164 vs 18,533). The GTX 780 wins 1 head-to-head benchmark; the FirePro D500 wins 0.

AMD FirePro D500 wins in areas that are not performance-related but matter for specific use cases. It has 6x mini-DisplayPort outputs plus 1x SDI, making it far more suitable for multi-display or broadcast/video environments where SDI output is required. The GTX 780 has only 4 outputs total, none of which are SDI. The D500 also has a slightly higher DirectX feature level (11_1 vs 11_0), though this is unlikely to matter in real workloads given both are old architectures. The D500 is 12 mm longer (279 mm vs 267 mm), which is a negligible difference in most chassis.

For compute-heavy workloads like OpenCL or Vulkan rendering, the GTX 780 is the clear choice. Its 50% more shaders and double TMU count translate directly to higher throughput in parallel workloads. For display-centric professional tasks such as multi-monitor setups, video walls, or SDI-based broadcast pipelines, the FirePro D500's output configuration is unmatched by the GTX 780. The D500 also has a higher TDP (274 W vs 250 W), which could be relevant in power-constrained environments, though both require a 600 W PSU.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Vulkan?

A: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 scores 24,514 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 32.3% higher than AMD FirePro D500's 18,533.

Q: How do the two cards compare in raw FP32 compute?

A: The GTX 780 delivers 4.156 TFLOPS, while the FirePro D500 delivers 2.227 TFLOPS, making the GTX 780 roughly 87% faster in single-precision floating-point throughput.

Q: Is the memory configuration identical between the two cards?

A: Both have 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, but the GTX 780's memory runs at 6 Gbps effective versus 5.1 Gbps on the D500, resulting in 288.4 GB/s versus 243.8 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports more display outputs?

A: The AMD FirePro D500 supports 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 plus 1x SDI, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 supports 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2.

Q: What are the transistor and die size differences?

A: The GTX 780 has 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, while the D500 has 4,313 million on a 352 mm² die, both built on TSMC's 28 nm process.

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages compare?

A: The GTX 780 has an average benchmark score of 19,164 (64th percentile), while the D500 averages 18,533 (62nd percentile), a difference of about 3.4%.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 | AMD FirePro D500 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | GK110 | Tahiti |

| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |

| Transistors | 7,080 million | 4,313 million |

| Die Size | 561 mm² | 352 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 12.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 863 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 902 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 1502 MHz (6 Gbps) | 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.4 GB/s | 243.8 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 1536 |

| TMUs | 192 | 96 |

| ROPs | 48 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 43.30 GPixel/s | 23.20 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 173.2 GTexel/s | 69.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.156 TFLOPS | 2.227 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 250 W | 274 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | Not listed |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DP 1.2 | 6x mini-DP 1.2, 1x SDI |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.2.170 |

| Length | 267 mm | 279 mm |

| Release Date | 2013-05-22 | 2014-01-17 |

| Launch MSRP | 649 USD | Not listed |

The Verdict

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 is the superior performer by every metric in the data. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 32.3%, has nearly double the FP32 throughput, more than double the texture fill rate, and higher memory bandwidth. Its 2,304 shading units and 192 TMUs give it a structural advantage that no clock speed difference on the FirePro D500 could overcome. The GTX 780's average benchmark score is 19,164 versus 18,533, placing it at the 64th percentile versus 62nd for the D500. For anyone prioritizing compute, rendering, or gaming performance, the GTX 780 is the unambiguous choice.

The AMD FirePro D500 is not without merit, but its strengths lie outside raw performance. The 6x mini-DisplayPort plus SDI output configuration is a professional feature set that the GTX 780 cannot match. For broadcast, video wall, or multi-display visualization environments, the D500's display capabilities are the deciding factor. It also carries a slightly higher DirectX feature level (11_1 vs 11_0), though this is marginal. The D500's higher TDP (274 W vs 250 W) is a minor drawback, but both cards require a 600 W PSU.

The data supports a clear split: if the workload is compute-heavy and Vulkan or OpenCL performance matters, the GTX 780 wins by a wide margin. If the workload is display-centric with demanding output requirements, the FirePro D500's unique connectivity makes it the practical choice. There is no scenario in the benchmark data where the D500 outperforms the GTX 780 in raw speed; the only scenarios where the D500 makes sense are those where its output ports are a hard requirement. Choose the GTX 780 for performance, the FirePro D500 for professional display flexibility.