AMD FirePro W5100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 vs AMD FirePro W5100

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 and AMD FirePro W5100 represent two very different design philosophies separated by four years of GPU evolution. The GTX 480, a 2010 flagship built on Fermi architecture, delivers higher raw OpenCL performance in the single head-to-head benchmark, scoring 13,300 versus the FirePro W5100's 11,888—an 11.9% advantage. However, the FirePro W5100 counters with modern API support, far superior power efficiency, and four DisplayPort outputs. The data paints a clear picture: the GTX 480 wins on pure compute throughput, while the FirePro W5100 wins on virtually every other measurable specification.

The Verdict

The benchmark results indicate that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 is the choice for users prioritizing raw OpenCL compute performance. It scores 13,300 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro W5100 scores 11,888 in the same test, sitting in the 52nd percentile. The GTX 480's 11.9% lead in this single head-to-head benchmark is substantial, though it comes with significant trade-offs. The GTX 480's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 555X, scores 13,321—just 0.2% ahead—indicating the GTX 480 sits in a crowded performance tier. Similarly, the FirePro W5100's closest competitor, the AMD Radeon Pro 455, scores 12,831, only 0.1% behind, suggesting the FirePro W5100 is equally well-positioned among its peers.

For workstation users, the AMD FirePro W5100 presents a compelling alternative despite its lower compute score. It consumes 50 W versus the GTX 480's 250 W—a five-fold difference—and requires no external power connectors, running on a single-slot design. The FirePro W5100 also provides 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, more than double the GTX 480's 1536 MB, which matters for large datasets. Its four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs support modern multi-monitor setups, whereas the GTX 480 offers only 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. The FirePro W5100 also supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GTX 480 lacks Vulkan entirely and only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0). Users needing modern API compatibility, low power draw, or multi-display output should choose the FirePro W5100. Users needing maximum OpenCL throughput should choose the GTX 480.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 480 uses NVIDIA's GF100 chip built on the Fermi architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 40 nm process. It packs 3,100 million transistors into a 529 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 5.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The FirePro W5100 uses AMD's Bonaire chip based on GCN 2.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 28 nm process. This newer process allows 2,080 million transistors in a much smaller 160 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 13.0 million per square millimeter—more than double the GTX 480's density. The architectural gap is significant: Fermi is an older, power-hungry design, while GCN 2.0 is a more modern, efficient architecture.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The GTX 480 uses a 384-bit memory bus with 177.4 GB/s of bandwidth, while the FirePro W5100 uses a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s. Although the GTX 480 has nearly double the memory bandwidth, the FirePro W5100 compensates with 4 GB of memory versus 1536 MB, offering more capacity at lower speed. The GTX 480's memory runs at 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective), while the FirePro W5100's memory runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective), indicating faster memory chips despite the narrower bus.

Compute resources are distributed differently. The GTX 480 has 480 shading units, 60 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units. The FirePro W5100 has 768 shading units—60% more—but only 48 TMUs and 16 ROPs. This explains the performance characteristics: the GTX 480 achieves a pixel rate of 21.03 GPixel/s versus 14.88 GPixel/s for the FirePro W5100, and a texture rate of 42.06 GTexel/s versus 44.64 GTexel/s, respectively. In terms of raw FP32 compute, the FirePro W5100's 768 shaders deliver 1,428.5 GFLOPS versus 1,345.0 GFLOPS for the GTX 480—a 6.2% advantage for AMD—yet the GTX 480 still wins the OpenCL benchmark, suggesting architectural efficiency differences beyond raw shader counts.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 scores 13,300 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 11.9% higher than the AMD FirePro W5100's 11,888. This is the only head-to-head benchmark available, and the GTX 480 wins it.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The GTX 480 has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W suggested PSU with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors. The FirePro W5100 has a TDP of just 50 W, requires a 250 W suggested PSU, and needs no external power connectors.

Q: Which GPU supports modern APIs?

A: The FirePro W5100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GTX 480 has no Vulkan support and only DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How does memory capacity differ?

A: The FirePro W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the GTX 480 has 1536 MB. The GTX 480 has a wider 384-bit bus providing 177.4 GB/s bandwidth, versus the FirePro W5100's 128-bit bus at 96.00 GB/s.

Q: What are their relative performance percentiles?

A: The GTX 480 sits in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 13,300. The FirePro W5100 sits in the 52nd percentile with an average score of 12,847, which includes both its OpenCL score of 11,888 and Vulkan score of 13,805.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No. Both are end-of-life products. The GTX 480 was released in March 2010 and the FirePro W5100 in March 2014, with neither currently in production.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 | AMD FirePro W5100 |

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

| Chip | GF100 | Bonaire |

| Architecture | Fermi | GCN 2.0 |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 3,100 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 529 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.9M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective) | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1536 MB | 4 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 177.4 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 480 | 768 |

| TMUs | 60 | 48 |

| ROPs | 48 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 21.03 GPixel/s | 14.88 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 42.06 GTexel/s | 44.64 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,345.0 GFLOPS | 1,428.5 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 250 W | 50 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | 4x DisplayPort 1.2 |

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

| Vulkan | None | 1.2.170 |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | 173 mm (6.8 inches) |

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

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | Not specified |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark result is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 scores 13,300 against the AMD FirePro W5100's 11,888. This represents an 11.9% advantage for the GTX 480, a decisive margin in compute workloads. The GTX 480's victory is notable given that the FirePro W5100 actually has higher theoretical FP32 throughput at 1,428.5 GFLOPS versus 1,345.0 GFLOPS. This suggests the GTX 480's wider 384-bit memory bus and 177.4 GB/s bandwidth provide a real-world advantage in OpenCL workloads that depend on memory throughput.

The FirePro W5100 compensates with its Vulkan score of 13,805, which exceeds the GTX 480's OpenCL result by 3.8%, though no direct Vulkan comparison exists for the GTX 480. When considering the FirePro W5100's average benchmark score across both tests, it reaches 12,847, placing it just 3.4% behind the GTX 480's single-score average of 13,300. In the nearest rival context, the GTX 480's closest competitor, the AMD Radeon Pro 555X, scores 13,321—a 0.2% difference that effectively places the GTX 480 at par with that card. The FirePro W5100's closest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 455, scores 12,831, just 0.1% behind. Both cards are well-matched to their immediate competitors, but the GTX 480 holds a clear edge in the direct comparison.

The benchmark delta of 11.9% is the largest single-data-point gap in this comparison. For compute-intensive tasks such as OpenCL acceleration, the GTX 480's higher memory bandwidth appears to be the deciding factor. The FirePro W5100's narrower 128-bit bus, despite its faster 6 Gbps effective memory clock, delivers only 96.00 GB/s—roughly 54% of the GTX 480's bandwidth. This bandwidth disparity likely explains why the FirePro W5100 loses despite having more shading units and higher FP32 throughput. The GTX 480 wins the only measurable compute contest, but the FirePro W5100 wins on power efficiency, memory capacity, API support, and physical footprint. The choice between them depends entirely on whether raw OpenCL performance or modern feature support matters more.