AMD FirePro D700 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains two direct head-to-head comparisons between the AMD FirePro D700 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. In both cases, the RTX 3080 emerges as the winner, but the magnitude of the victory varies dramatically depending on the workload.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 152,423, while the AMD FirePro D700 manages 23,716. This represents a delta of 84.4% in favor of the RTX 3080. To put that in perspective, the RTX 3080 delivers more than six times the raw compute throughput in this particular OpenCL workload. This is not a marginal advantage; it is a generational gap in compute capability.

The second head-to-head test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows a much narrower margin. The RTX 3080 scores 33,620 versus the FirePro D700's 27,968, a delta of 16.8%. While the RTX 3080 still wins, the gap is significantly smaller than in OpenCL. This suggests that the FirePro D700's GCN architecture retains respectable graphics performance in modern API workloads, even though it lags considerably in general-purpose compute.

Looking at the broader benchmark database averages, the picture becomes more nuanced. The FirePro D700 has an average benchmark score of 25,842, which places it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 3080 has an average score of 23,172, placing it in the 68th percentile. This is an unusual situation: the newer card wins both direct head-to-head tests but has a lower average score across the entire database. The explanation lies in the fact that the RTX 3080's benchmark suite includes many more tests, several of which are legacy DirectX workloads where its drivers may not optimize as aggressively. For instance, the RTX 3080 scores only 100 in Passmark DirectX 12, 170 in DirectX 10, 207 in DirectX 11, and 258 in DirectX 9. The FirePro D700, by contrast, has no such legacy scores recorded, so its average is derived only from its two strong modern-API results.

The nearest rivals for each card further illustrate their positioning. The FirePro D700's closest competitors include the AMD FirePro W7100 (delta 0.1% lower), the AMD Radeon R9 M395X (0.2% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 (0.5% higher). These are all within a single percentage point, indicating that the FirePro D700's average performance is tightly clustered with a group of professional and mobile GPUs. The RTX 3080's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 (0.3% lower), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (0.3% lower), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.4% lower), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (0.4% lower). Again, the deltas are minimal, but the rival set includes older and lower-tier cards, which reflects the RTX 3080's lower average score dragging down to their level.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is vast, and the benchmark data reflects that chasm clearly.

The AMD FirePro D700 is built on the Tahiti chip using GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 4,313 million transistors on a die size of 352 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. The card ships with 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 263.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock is 1370 MHz, translating to 5.5 Gbps effective.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 uses the GA102 chip with Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This is a substantially larger and denser chip: 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. The memory subsystem is also fundamentally different: 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1188 MHz, with 19 Gbps effective transfer rate.

The compute resources tell the story of NVIDIA's advantage. The RTX 3080 has 8,704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. It also includes 68 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores, features that simply do not exist on the FirePro D700. The FirePro D700 has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The pixel rate for the RTX 3080 is 164.2 GPixel/s versus 27.20 GPixel/s for the FirePro D700. Texture rate is 465.1 GTexel/s versus 108.8 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 29.77 TFLOPS versus 3.482 TFLOPS. The RTX 3080 also offers FP16 at 29.77 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the FirePro D700 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Clock speeds differ as well. The RTX 3080 has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz. The FirePro D700 has no base or boost clock recorded in the database, only its memory clock. The RTX 3080 also supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the FirePro D700 is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16.

The API support further separates them. The RTX 3080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The FirePro D700 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The RTX 3080's DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set includes hardware ray tracing and mesh shaders, capabilities that the FirePro D700 cannot offer.

Power consumption also scales with the performance difference. The FirePro D700 has a TDP of 274 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W. The RTX 3080 has a TDP of 320 W and a suggested PSU of 700 W. Both are dual-slot cards, with the FirePro D700 measuring 279 mm (11 inches) in length and the RTX 3080 at 285 mm (11.2 inches), 112 mm (4.4 inches) in height, and 40 mm (1.6 inches) in width.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion for most workloads: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the superior GPU in raw performance, especially in compute-heavy tasks. Its 84.4% advantage in OpenCL is decisive. For any application that relies on FP32 throughput, ray tracing, tensor operations, or modern DirectX 12 Ultimate features, the RTX 3080 is the only rational choice.

However, the FirePro D700 is not without merit. Its Vulkan score of 27,968 is respectable, and its average benchmark score of 25,842 is actually higher than the RTX 3080's 23,172. The FirePro D700 also has a higher percentile ranking (71st versus 68th). This suggests that in the specific workloads captured by the database's average, the FirePro D700 holds its own. Its 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus provides strong memory bandwidth for its era, and its GCN architecture remains competent in Vulkan-based applications.

The RTX 3080's launch MSRP is 699 USD, a figure that reflects its position as a high-end consumer card. The FirePro D700 has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

For users who need maximum compute performance, ray tracing, or modern API features, the RTX 3080 is the clear winner. For users who are working with older professional applications that favor GCN architecture, or who need to match a pool of existing FirePro D700 cards, the older AMD card may still be serviceable. The benchmark data shows that the FirePro D700 is not obsolete in all scenarios, but it is decisively outclassed in the two head-to-head tests recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 wins with a score of 152,423 versus the AMD FirePro D700's 23,716, a delta of 84.4% in NVIDIA's favor.

Q: How close is the Vulkan performance between the two cards?

A: The RTX 3080 scores 33,620 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the FirePro D700 scores 27,968. The RTX 3080 wins by 16.8%, a much smaller margin than in OpenCL.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The FirePro D700 has an average benchmark score of 25,842, while the RTX 3080 has an average of 23,172. The FirePro D700's average is higher despite losing both head-to-head tests.

Q: Does the RTX 3080 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 3080 includes 68 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores. The FirePro D700 has neither of these hardware features.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each card?

A: The FirePro D700 has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 263.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the production status of these GPUs?

A: Both are end-of-life products. The FirePro D700 was released on 2014-01-17, and the RTX 3080 was released on 2020-08-31.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 wins decisively in compute-intensive workloads. Its FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS dwarfs the FirePro D700's 3.482 TFLOPS. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the 84.4% delta demonstrates a massive advantage in general-purpose GPU computing. This makes the RTX 3080 the clear choice for scientific computing, machine learning inference, rendering, or any task that can leverage its tensor cores or high FP32 throughput.

The RTX 3080 also wins in modern graphics APIs. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility place it ahead of the FirePro D700's DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The 16.8% Vulkan advantage shows that even in API-level graphics workloads, the newer NVIDIA card has the edge. The inclusion of 68 ray tracing cores gives it capabilities that the FirePro D700 simply cannot match.

The FirePro D700's strengths are more situational. Its higher average benchmark score (25,842 versus 23,172) and higher percentile ranking (71st versus 68th) suggest that it performs well in the specific set of tests that contribute to its average. Its 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus provides solid bandwidth for its architecture. For legacy professional applications that were optimized for GCN 1.0, the FirePro D700 may still deliver acceptable performance. Its 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 and SDI outputs also make it suitable for multi-display professional setups, whereas the RTX 3080 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

The FirePro D700's power requirements are also more modest, with a 274 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU, compared to the RTX 3080's 320 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU. For systems with limited power delivery, the older AMD card is easier to accommodate.

In summary, the RTX 3080 is the winner for anyone prioritizing compute performance, modern features, or gaming-grade graphics. The FirePro D700 retains relevance in narrow legacy or multi-display scenarios, but the data shows a clear generational and architectural gap that favors NVIDIA across the board.