AMD FirePro D500 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Comparison

The AMD FirePro D500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti come from different eras of GPU design, with the former built for professional data center workloads in 2014 and the latter aimed at high-end consumer gaming in late 2020. The database contains a single direct comparison between them, along with individual specifications and benchmark results. This analysis explores what the recorded data reveals about their relative capabilities, architectural philosophies, and intended use cases.

FAQ

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in the Geekbench Vulkan benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 47,784, while the AMD FirePro D500 scores 18,533. The NVIDIA card leads by 61.2%, which represents the only head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database.

Q: What are the transistor counts and die sizes of each chip?

A: The FirePro D500 uses the Tahiti chip with 4,313 million transistors on a 352 mm² die. The RTX 3060 Ti uses the GA104 chip with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. This translates to transistor densities of 12.3 million per mm² for AMD and 44.4 million per mm² for NVIDIA.

Q: Which GPU has more memory and bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro D500 has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 243.8 GB/s. Despite the narrower bus, the NVIDIA card offers nearly double the bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The FirePro D500 has a TDP of 274 W and a suggested power supply of 600 W. The RTX 3060 Ti has a TDP of 200 W and a suggested power supply of 550 W. The newer NVIDIA card consumes less power while delivering substantially higher performance.

Q: Do both cards support modern graphics APIs?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The FirePro D500 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both handle OpenGL 4.6, but NVIDIA leads in DirectX and Vulkan versions.

Q: How do their benchmark averages compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro D500 has an average benchmark score of 18,533, placing it 0.5% below the Radeon RX 560X and 0.8% above the Intel Arc A770M. The RTX 3060 Ti averages 16,129, sitting 0.7% above the Radeon RX 9060 and 1.7% above the Radeon R9 370X.

Architecture Differences

The FirePro D500 is built on AMD’s GCN 1.0 architecture, specifically using the Tahiti chip. This architecture dates to a 28 nm manufacturing process at TSMC, which was standard for high-end GPUs in the early 2010s. The GCN design focused on compute throughput and was widely used in professional cards, which explains the FirePro branding and its placement in the FirePro Data Center (Dx00) generation.

The RTX 3060 Ti employs NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture on the GA104 chip. This is a much newer design, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. Ampere introduced significant changes, including dedicated RT cores for ray tracing and tensor cores for AI workloads. The RTX 3060 Ti has 38 RT cores and 152 tensor cores, features that the FirePro D500 completely lacks. These hardware units enable functionality such as real-time ray tracing and DLSS, which are absent from the older GCN design.

The process node difference is stark: 28 nm versus 8 nm. This explains why the GA104 packs 17,400 million transistors into a 392 mm² die, achieving a density of 44.4 million transistors per mm². The Tahiti chip, by contrast, has 4,313 million transistors across 352 mm², for a density of just 12.3 million per mm². The smaller process allows NVIDIA to fit roughly four times as many transistors in a similar physical footprint.

Memory architecture also diverges. The FirePro D500 uses GDDR5 with a 384-bit bus, which was a wide interface typical of professional cards of its era. The RTX 3060 Ti uses GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus. The newer memory type and higher clock speed allow the narrower bus to achieve greater bandwidth. The FirePro D500’s memory runs at 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective), while the RTX 3060 Ti runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

The API support reflects their respective generations. The FirePro D500 caps at DirectX 12 (11_1), meaning it cannot fully utilize features from newer DirectX revisions. The RTX 3060 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which includes features like mesh shaders and variable rate shading. Vulkan support also differs, with NVIDIA at version 1.4 versus AMD at 1.2.170. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6, indicating that legacy OpenGL workloads remain accessible on both.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench Vulkan test. The RTX 3060 Ti scores 47,784, while the FirePro D500 scores 18,533. This yields a delta of -61.2% for the AMD card, meaning it trails by over three-fifths. This is a decisive victory for NVIDIA, and it aligns with the broader specification differences between the two cards.

Looking at the individual benchmark suites for the RTX 3060 Ti provides context for its overall performance. In PassMark tests, the card scores 20349 in G3D, 10006 in GPU compute, and 989 in G2D. The Geekbench OpenCL score reaches 78,927, which is substantially higher than the Vulkan score. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test yields 2626. The FirePro D500 has only one recorded benchmark: the Geekbench Vulkan score of 18,533.

The nearest rival data further contextualizes each card. The FirePro D500’s average score of 18,533 puts it in the same range as the Radeon RX 560X (18,626, -0.5%) and the Radeon Pro 5700 XT (18,685, -0.8%). It also edges out the Intel Arc A770M (18,383, +0.8%) and the Radeon RX 460 (18,373, +0.9%). This suggests the FirePro D500 performs at a level comparable to mid-range GPUs from several years after its release.

The RTX 3060 Ti’s average score of 16,129 is lower than its Vulkan score because it includes results from multiple tests, some of which are less demanding. Its nearest rivals include the Radeon RX 9060 (16,014, +0.7%), the Radeon Pro 5600M (16,351, -1.4%), the Radeon RX 5700 XT (16,361, -1.4%), and the Radeon R9 370X (15,862, +1.7%). This places the RTX 3060 Ti in a competitive mid-to-high range, though the delta percentages are small.

The percentile rankings show both cards in similar territory. The FirePro D500 sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, while the RTX 3060 Ti sits at the 59th percentile. Despite the RTX 3060 Ti’s massive lead in the Vulkan test, its percentile is slightly lower, likely due to the nature of its diverse benchmark suite.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification category. The process node is a major divider: 28 nm for AMD versus 8 nm for NVIDIA. The foundries also differ, with TSMC producing the FirePro D500 and Samsung producing the RTX 3060 Ti.

Transistor counts show a 4x gap: 4,313 million versus 17,400 million. Die sizes are closer, at 352 mm² versus 392 mm², but transistor density is far higher on the GA104 at 44.4M per mm² versus 12.3M per mm².

Clock speeds are only listed for the RTX 3060 Ti, with a base of 1410 MHz and boost of 1665 MHz. The FirePro D500 has no base or boost clock recorded, only a memory clock of 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). The RTX 3060 Ti’s memory clock is 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity differs: 3 GB versus 8 GB. The type also differs, GDDR5 versus GDDR6. Bus width goes the other way, with AMD using 384 bits and NVIDIA using 256 bits. Despite the narrower bus, NVIDIA achieves higher bandwidth at 448.0 GB/s versus 243.8 GB/s.

The compute units show a clear NVIDIA advantage. The RTX 3060 Ti has 4864 shading units, 152 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The FirePro D500 has 1536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This results in pixel rates of 133.2 GPixel/s versus 23.20 GPixel/s, and texture rates of 253.1 GTexel/s versus 69.60 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 16.20 TFLOPS versus 2.227 TFLOPS, a 7.3x difference. The RTX 3060 Ti also has FP16 performance of 16.20 TFLOPS (1:1), while the FirePro D500 has no FP16 figure recorded.

Power consumption favors the newer card. The RTX 3060 Ti has a TDP of 200 W and suggests a 550 W power supply. The FirePro D500 has a TDP of 274 W and suggests a 600 W supply. Both are dual-slot cards, but the RTX 3060 Ti is shorter at 242 mm (9.5 inches) versus 279 mm (11 inches) for the FirePro D500. The NVIDIA card also lists a height of 112 mm (4.4 inches).

Display outputs differ significantly. The FirePro D500 offers 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and 1x SDI, reflecting its professional workstation focus. The RTX 3060 Ti offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, which is typical for consumer cards. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for AMD versus PCIe 4.0 x16 for NVIDIA.

Power connectors are listed only for the RTX 3060 Ti as 1x 12-pin. The FirePro D500 has no power connector data. The RTX 3060 Ti has a launch MSRP of 399 USD, which is recorded in the database. The FirePro D500 has no launch MSRP listed.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3060 Ti wins decisively in the only direct benchmark comparison, the Geekbench Vulkan test, with a 61.2% lead. This advantage is consistent with its superior specifications across every measured category: shading units, TMUs, ROPs, FP32 throughput, memory bandwidth, and API support. For any workload that leverages Vulkan, DirectX 12 Ultimate, or compute via OpenCL, the RTX 3060 Ti is the clear choice based on the data.

The RTX 3060 Ti also wins on efficiency. It delivers higher performance at a lower TDP (200 W versus 274 W) and requires a smaller power supply (550 W versus 600 W). Its physical dimensions are more compact, which could benefit smaller chassis. The presence of RT cores and tensor cores adds capabilities that the FirePro D500 cannot match, such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features.

The FirePro D500 has no recorded benchmark wins. Its only advantage lies in its wider memory bus (384-bit versus 256-bit) and its display output configuration, which includes 6x mini-DisplayPort and SDI. These features suggest it was designed for multi-display professional setups, such as video walls or broadcast environments. The SDI output in particular indicates a focus on video production workflows that require direct SDI connectivity, which the RTX 3060 Ti does not offer.

The FirePro D500’s percentile ranking at 62 is slightly higher than the RTX 3060 Ti’s 59, but this does not translate into any benchmark victory. Its nearest rivals include cards like the Radeon RX 560X and Radeon Pro 5700 XT, which indicates it performs at a level comparable to those mid-range products. For legacy OpenGL workloads, both cards support OpenGL 4.6, so the FirePro D500 remains functional in that regard.

The Verdict

The data points strongly toward the RTX 3060 Ti for nearly any modern use case. Its 61.2% lead in the Vulkan benchmark, combined with higher memory capacity, bandwidth, and compute throughput, makes it the superior performer. The FP32 difference alone is enormous: 16.20 TFLOPS versus 2.227 TFLOPS, a 7.3x gap. This translates directly to faster rendering, simulation, and compute tasks.

The RTX 3060 Ti also offers modern API support, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, which future-proofs it for upcoming software. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than double the FirePro D500’s 3 GB, allowing larger textures and datasets. The lower TDP and smaller physical footprint make it easier to integrate into a system.

The FirePro D500’s case rests on its professional feature set. The 6x mini-DisplayPort outputs and SDI connectivity are unique in this comparison. For users with legacy SDI-based video infrastructure, or those needing multiple simultaneous display outputs, the FirePro D500 might still serve a purpose. Its wider 384-bit memory bus, while paired with slower GDDR5, could theoretically benefit certain memory-intensive workloads, though the recorded bandwidth is lower than the RTX 3060 Ti’s.

The production status for both cards is end-of-life, meaning neither is currently manufactured. The RTX 3060 Ti’s successor is the GeForce 40 series, while the FirePro D500’s successor is Radeon Instinct. The RTX 3060 Ti was released on 2020-11-30, nearly seven years after the FirePro D500’s release on 2014-01-17.

For most buyers, the RTX 3060 Ti is the obvious selection based on the recorded benchmarks. It wins the only head-to-head test, has superior specifications across the board, and offers better efficiency. The FirePro D500 should only be considered by users with specific professional display requirements that the RTX 3060 Ti cannot fulfill, such as SDI output or a high count of mini-DisplayPort connections. The data does not support choosing the FirePro D500 for raw performance or modern feature support.