AMD FirePro D700 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Comparison

# AMD FirePro D700 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti

The AMD FirePro D700 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti are both end-of-life, dual-slot, 28 nm PCIe 3.0 x16 cards built by TSMC, but they target different workloads. The GTX 780 Ti leads in OpenCL compute (27,326 vs 23,716, a 13.2% advantage) and carries a higher average benchmark score in its rival group, while the FirePro D700 wins in Vulkan (27,968 vs 27,238, a 2.7% edge) and offers double the memory (6 GB vs 3 GB). The data shows a split decision: the GTX 780 Ti is the stronger raw compute performer for general GPU workloads, while the FirePro D700 is the better choice for memory-hungry tasks and Vulkan-based applications.

The Verdict

From the benchmark results, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti is the pick for users prioritizing raw compute throughput. Its OpenCL score of 27,326 beats the FirePro D700’s 23,716 by 13.2%, and its average benchmark score of 24,236 sits just 0.2% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630, its closest rival. The GTX 780 Ti also outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER by 0.3% in average score, indicating it remains competitive against much newer hardware in synthetic tests. Its 5.345 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, 55.68 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 222.7 GTexel/s texture rate all dwarf the FirePro D700’s numbers (3.482 TFLOPS, 27.20 GPixel/s, 108.8 GTexel/s), making it the clear choice for compute-heavy rendering or simulation workloads.

The AMD FirePro D700, meanwhile, is the pick for Vulkan-based workloads and large memory footprints. It wins the only Vulkan comparison in the head-to-head data (27,968 vs 27,238, a 2.7% margin), and its 6 GB GDDR5 frame buffer is twice the GTX 780 Ti’s 3 GB, with the same 384-bit bus width. Its average benchmark score of 25,842 places it 0.1% behind the AMD FirePro W7100 and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700, showing it holds its own against professional-grade cards. For builders who need to hold large textures or datasets in VRAM, the D700’s capacity advantage is decisive, even though its raw throughput is lower.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different architectures. The FirePro D700 uses AMD’s Tahiti chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, a 28 nm design with 4,313 million transistors on a 352 mm² die (12.3M transistors per mm²). The GTX 780 Ti uses NVIDIA’s GK110B chip with Kepler architecture, also 28 nm, but with 7,080 million transistors on a much larger 561 mm² die (12.6M transistors per mm²). The GTX 780 Ti’s die is 209 mm² larger, and it packs significantly more execution resources: 2,880 shading units versus 2,048, 240 texture mapping units versus 128, and 48 ROPs versus 32. This hardware advantage explains the GTX 780 Ti’s higher pixel and texture rates, as well as its 53.5% higher FP32 throughput.

Memory configurations differ sharply. The FirePro D700 carries 6 GB GDDR5 at 1370 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective), yielding 263.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 780 Ti has 3 GB GDDR5 at 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective), yielding 336.6 GB/s bandwidth — 28% higher. Both use a 384-bit bus, but the GTX 780 Ti’s faster memory clock gives it a bandwidth edge. The FirePro D700 compensates with capacity, offering double the VRAM for workloads that exceed 3 GB.

Feature sets also diverge. The FirePro D700 provides 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and 1x SDI outputs, while the GTX 780 Ti offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The FirePro D700’s SDI output is unique to professional video pipelines. API support is similar: both support DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan, though the GTX 780 Ti has a slightly newer Vulkan 1.2.175 versus the FirePro’s 1.2.170. The GTX 780 Ti draws 250 W TDP versus the FirePro’s 274 W, and both suggest a 600 W PSU, though the GTX 780 Ti requires a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector while the FirePro’s connector configuration is not listed. Physically, the GTX 780 Ti is shorter (267 mm vs 279 mm) and has specified dimensions of 111 mm height and 38 mm width, while the FirePro only lists length.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 780 Ti wins in OpenCL compute, with a 13.2% delta in its favor (27,326 vs 23,716). This aligns with its superior raw specs: 53.5% higher FP32, 104.5% higher texture rate, and 104.7% higher pixel rate. For any workload that scales with shading units, TMUs, or ROPs — such as 3D rendering, physics simulation, or GPU-accelerated analytics — the data points squarely to the GTX 780 Ti. Its average benchmark score of 24,236 also places it within 0.2% of the GTX 1630 and 0.3% ahead of the RTX 2080 SUPER, indicating consistent performance across varied test conditions.

The FirePro D700 wins in Vulkan, with a 2.7% margin (27,968 vs 27,238). Vulkan’s lower-level API can expose architectural efficiencies, and the FirePro’s GCN design appears to handle this workload better despite lower raw throughput. The D700’s 6 GB VRAM is its other clear advantage — for machine learning inference, large texture packs, or multi-display compositing with 6 mini-DisplayPort outputs, the extra 3 GB makes it the only viable option of the two. Its average benchmark score of 25,842 is 6.6% higher than the GTX 780 Ti’s, driven largely by the Vulkan win and a strong OpenCL showing relative to its rival group (0.1% behind the W7100, 0.5% ahead of the Radeon Pro W5700).

FAQ

Q: Which card has better raw compute performance?

A: The GTX 780 Ti. It scores 27,326 in OpenCL versus the FirePro D700’s 23,716, a 13.2% advantage. Its FP32 throughput is 5.345 TFLOPS versus 3.482 TFLOPS, and it has 2,880 shading units versus 2,048.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The FirePro D700 has 6 GB GDDR5, exactly double the GTX 780 Ti’s 3 GB. Both use a 384-bit bus, but the GTX 780 Ti has higher bandwidth (336.6 GB/s vs 263.0 GB/s) due to faster memory clocks.

Q: Which card wins in Vulkan benchmarks?

A: The FirePro D700 wins in the Vulkan test, scoring 27,968 versus the GTX 780 Ti’s 27,238, a 2.7% margin. This is the only head-to-head test the FirePro wins.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The GTX 780 Ti has a 250 W TDP, while the FirePro D700 has a 274 W TDP. Both recommend a 600 W PSU, but the GTX 780 Ti requires a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connector, while the FirePro’s connector setup is not listed.

Q: Which card is better for multi-display setups?

A: The FirePro D700 supports 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and 1x SDI outputs, far exceeding the GTX 780 Ti’s 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The FirePro’s SDI output is particularly suited for broadcast video work.

Q: How do these cards compare to modern GPUs?

A: The FirePro D700’s average score of 25,842 is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 and 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile. The GTX 780 Ti’s average of 24,236 is 0.3% ahead of the RTX 2080 SUPER and 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800S.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a clean split. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 780 Ti dominates with a score of 27,326 against the FirePro D700’s 23,716 — a 13.2% delta. This is the largest margin in either test and reflects the GTX 780 Ti’s hardware advantage: 2880 shading units, 240 TMUs, 48 ROPs, and 5.345 TFLOPS FP32 versus the FirePro’s 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 3.482 TFLOPS. The OpenCL workload clearly scales with these resources, and the GTX 780 Ti’s higher memory bandwidth (336.6 GB/s vs 263.0 GB/s) likely helps in memory-bound OpenCL kernels.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the tables turn. The FirePro D700 scores 27,968, edging out the GTX 780 Ti’s 27,238 by 2.7%. This is a narrow but meaningful margin, suggesting that Vulkan’s explicit control model benefits the GCN architecture’s scheduling characteristics, or that the FirePro’s extra VRAM reduces memory pressure in Vulkan scenes. The GTX 780 Ti’s Vulkan version is slightly newer (1.2.175 vs 1.2.170), yet it still trails — a point in the FirePro’s favor for Vulkan-specific applications.

The average benchmark scores tell a broader story. The FirePro D700’s average of 25,842 comes from its two benchmark results (OpenCL and Vulkan), while the GTX 780 Ti’s average of 24,236 includes a Metal score of 18,144 alongside OpenCL and Vulkan. The FirePro’s higher average — 6.6% above the GTX 780 Ti — is driven by its Vulkan win and the absence of a low Metal score. Notably, the FirePro’s nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W7100 (average 25,856, delta -0.1%), while the GTX 780 Ti’s nearest rival is the GTX 1630 (average 24,277, delta -0.2%). Both cards sit near the 70th percentile of all GPUs (FirePro 71, GTX 780 Ti 70), meaning they are statistically equivalent in overall ranking despite different strengths.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro D700 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti |

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

| Chip | Tahiti | GK110B |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Kepler |

| Generation | FirePro Data Center (Dx00) | GeForce 700 |

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

| Die Size | 352 mm² | 561 mm² |

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

| Base Clock | Not listed | 875 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 928 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1370 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) | 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 6 GB GDDR5 | 3 GB GDDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 263.0 GB/s | 336.6 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 2880 |

| TMUs | 128 | 240 |

| ROPs | 32 | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 27.20 GPixel/s | 55.68 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 108.8 GTexel/s | 222.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 3.482 TFLOPS | 5.345 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 274 W | 250 W |

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

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

| Vulkan Version | 1.2.170 | 1.2.175 |

| Length | 279 mm (11 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Height | Not listed | 111 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Width | Not listed | 38 mm (1.5 inches) |

| Release Date | 2014-01-17 | 2013-11-06 |

| Predecessor | FirePro Terascale | GeForce 600 |

| Successor | Radeon Instinct | GeForce 900 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 699 USD |

The specification table highlights the GTX 780 Ti’s brute-force advantage in every throughput metric, while the FirePro D700 counters with double the VRAM, more display outputs, and a professional feature set (SDI output). Both share the same 28 nm process, 384-bit memory bus, PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, and 600 W suggested PSU. The GTX 780 Ti is shorter and has a defined height/width, while the FirePro only lists length. The GTX 780 Ti also has a documented launch MSRP of 699 USD, which can be stated once for reference.