AMD FirePro W5000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a single direct benchmark comparison between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M and the AMD FirePro W5000: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M scored 12769, while the AMD FirePro W5000 scored 9803. This places the GTX 780M 30.3% ahead of the FirePro W5000 in OpenCL compute performance. The margin is substantial, indicating a clear performance advantage for the NVIDIA part in this specific workload.

The GTX 780M’s average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 11261, which puts it in the 50th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The FirePro W5000’s average benchmark score is 9803, placing it in the 47th percentile. The GTX 780M also has additional benchmark scores in Vulkan (12696) and Metal (8319) tests, which the FirePro W5000 does not have recorded. This suggests the GTX 780M has broader measured compatibility across different API workloads, at least within the database’s records.

When examining nearest rivals, the GTX 780M’s average score of 11261 sits just ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200 (11228, a 0.3% delta) and the AMD FirePro W4300 (11225, also a 0.3% delta). It is also 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q, both scoring 11088. This shows the GTX 780M is competitive with a cluster of workstation-oriented GPUs around the 11,000 to 11,300 score range, despite its mobile-oriented MXM form factor.

The FirePro W5000’s average score of 9803 places it extremely close to several NVIDIA rivals: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (9780, a 0.2% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832, a -0.3% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 (9846, a -0.4% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724, a 0.8% delta). The data shows the FirePro W5000 is virtually tied with these parts, with deltas under 1% in either direction. This indicates the FirePro W5000 sits in a performance tier where small variations in benchmark conditions or driver versions could flip the ranking.

The head-to-head OpenCL result alone is decisive within this comparison: the GTX 780M holds a 30.3% advantage, which is a wide margin. No other direct test exists in the database, so conclusions about gaming, professional rendering, or specific compute APIs beyond OpenCL are not supported by the recorded data. The wins tally is 1 for the GTX 780M and 0 for the FirePro W5000.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only direct benchmark comparison in the database?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 12769, versus 9803 for the AMD FirePro W5000. That is a 30.3% advantage.

Q: How does the GTX 780M compare to its nearest rivals in average score?

A: The GTX 780M’s average benchmark score is 11261. It is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200 (11228) and the AMD FirePro W4300 (11225), and 1.6% ahead of both the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q (both at 11088).

Q: How does the FirePro W5000 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro W5000’s average score is 9803. It is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (9780), 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724), and trails the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M by 0.3% (9832) and the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 by 0.4% (9846).

Q: Does the FirePro W5000 have any benchmark score that beats the GTX 780M?

A: No. In the only shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, the FirePro W5000 scores lower. The GTX 780M also has recorded scores in Vulkan and Metal, which the FirePro W5000 lacks entirely.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The GTX 780M is in the 50th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the FirePro W5000 is in the 47th percentile.

Q: Are there any other direct comparisons available?

A: No, the database contains just one head-to-head benchmark between these two parts: Geekbench OpenCL. All other conclusions must be drawn from their respective average scores and rival comparisons.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers and architectures. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M is built on the Kepler architecture, specifically using the GK104 chip. The AMD FirePro W5000 uses the GCN 1.0 architecture with the Pitcairn chip. Both are fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor counts and die sizes differ significantly. The GTX 780M has 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.0 million per mm². The FirePro W5000 has 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, giving a higher density of 13.2 million per mm².

The compute resources are also very different. The GTX 780M has 1536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The FirePro W5000 has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The GTX 780M therefore has double the shading units and more than double the texture units, while both have the same number of ROPs.

Memory architecture shares a 256 bit bus width, but the GTX 780M has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s. The FirePro W5000 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The GTX 780M’s memory clock is listed at 1250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective, while the FirePro W5000’s memory runs at 800 MHz with 3.2 Gbps effective. The GTX 780M’s higher memory bandwidth is a direct consequence of its faster memory clock, not a wider bus.

The pixel rates are close: the GTX 780M achieves 25.50 GPixel/s, while the FirePro W5000 achieves 26.40 GPixel/s. This is notable because the FirePro W5000 has fewer shading and texture units, yet its pixel throughput is slightly higher. The texture rate differs dramatically, with the GTX 780M at 102.0 GTexel/s versus 39.60 GTexel/s for the FirePro W5000. The FP32 compute performance for the GTX 780M is 2.448 TFLOPS, while the FirePro W5000 is rated at 1,267.2 GFLOPS (or 1.267 TFLOPS). The GTX 780M has a clear lead in raw compute and texture throughput, but the FirePro W5000 nearly matches it in pixel fill rate.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12, but at different feature levels: the GTX 780M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the FirePro W5000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan, with the GTX 780M at Vulkan 1.2.175 and the FirePro W5000 at Vulkan 1.2.170. Neither has ray tracing cores or tensor cores, which is consistent with their respective release periods.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is form factor and interface. The GTX 780M is an MXM Module using the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface, designed for laptops or modular systems. The FirePro W5000 is a Single-slot card using PCIe 3.0 x16, meaning it is a standard desktop expansion card. The GTX 780M has a TDP of 122 W, while the FirePro W5000 has a TDP of 75 W. The FirePro W5000 also lists a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the GTX 780M has no suggested PSU listed. Neither requires external power connectors.

Memory capacity and bandwidth differ: the GTX 780M has 4 GB versus 2 GB on the FirePro W5000, with bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s. The memory clock is 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) on the GTX 780M versus 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) on the FirePro W5000.

Display outputs differ: the GTX 780M is listed as "Portable Device Dependent", meaning its outputs vary by the laptop implementation. The FirePro W5000 has 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2.

Physical dimensions are only provided for the FirePro W5000: 183 mm (7.2 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height. The GTX 780M has no listed dimensions.

Release dates differ by roughly nine months: the FirePro W5000 was released on 2012-08-06, and the GTX 780M on 2013-05-10. Both are end-of-life products. The GTX 780M belongs to the GeForce 700M generation, while the FirePro W5000 belongs to the FirePro GCN (Wx000) generation.

The GTX 780M’s predecessor is GeForce 600M and its successor is GeForce 800M. The FirePro W5000’s predecessor is FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris.

The FirePro W5000 has a launch MSRP of 599 USD. The GTX 780M has no launch MSRP field.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M outperforms the AMD FirePro W5000 in the one direct comparison available, with a 30.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 780M also has a higher average benchmark score (11261 versus 9803) and a higher percentile rank (50th versus 47th). For any user prioritizing raw compute performance based on these measurements, the GTX 780M is the clear choice.

However, the FirePro W5000 is not without merit. It has a significantly lower TDP of 75 W versus 122 W, making it more power-efficient. It also has a higher pixel rate (26.40 GPixel/s versus 25.50 GPixel/s), which could be relevant for certain display-centric workloads. The FirePro W5000 is a desktop PCIe card with a specific set of display outputs (DVI and DisplayPort 1.2), while the GTX 780M is an MXM module whose outputs depend on the host device.

The FirePro W5000’s nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts (GTX 1070, Quadro M2000M, Quadro 6000, Tesla M10) with deltas under 1%. This indicates the FirePro W5000’s performance level is very close to those GPUs, and its position among them is within noise. The GTX 780M, by contrast, sits among a different set of rivals (Radeon Pro WX 3200, FirePro W4300, RTX PRO 6000 variants), all within 1.6% of its score.

For a system builder selecting between these two specific cards, the GTX 780M offers more compute performance and more memory (4 GB versus 2 GB). The FirePro W5000 offers lower power draw and a standard desktop form factor. The choice depends on the host system: if the platform requires an MXM module, the GTX 780M is the only fit. If the platform is a desktop with PCIe slots, the FirePro W5000 is the only fit.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M wins on:

• OpenCL compute: 30.3% ahead in the head-to-head test.
• Average benchmark score: 11261 versus 9803, a lead of roughly 15%.
• Memory capacity: 4 GB versus 2 GB.
• Memory bandwidth: 160.0 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s.
• Texture throughput: 102.0 GTexel/s versus 39.60 GTexel/s.
• FP32 compute: 2.448 TFLOPS versus 1,267.2 GFLOPS.
• Shading units: 1536 versus 768.
• Vulkan and Metal benchmark coverage (scores of 12696 and 8319, respectively).
• Percentile ranking: 50th versus 47th.

AMD FirePro W5000 wins on:

• Power efficiency: TDP of 75 W versus 122 W.
• Pixel rate: 26.40 GPixel/s versus 25.50 GPixel/s.
• Transistor density: 13.2M per mm² versus 12.0M per mm².
• Desktop form factor (Single-slot, PCIe 3.0 x16) with fixed display outputs (DVI and DisplayPort 1.2).
• DirectX feature level: 12 (11_1) versus 12 (11_0).
• Earlier release date (2012-08-06 versus 2013-05-10), meaning it was available sooner.
• Lower suggested PSU requirement (250 W listed, though the GTX 780M has none listed).

In summary, the GTX 780M is the superior performer in every measured compute benchmark, while the FirePro W5000 offers a lower-power, desktop-oriented package with a slightly better pixel fill rate. There is no benchmark evidence that the FirePro W5000 can match the GTX 780M in raw throughput. The FirePro W5000’s wins are all in physical or power characteristics, not in recorded performance scores.