AMD FirePro W5100 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM dominates the AMD FirePro W5100 in every recorded test. In the two shared benchmarks, the RTX 3050 OEM delivers a 410.9% higher score in Geekbench OpenCL and a 313.6% higher score in Geekbench Vulkan. These are not marginal differences; they represent a generational gap in compute throughput that dwarfs any architectural refinement the older FirePro can offer.

Looking at the OpenCL result first, the RTX 3050 OEM scores 60,740 against the FirePro W5100's 11,888. That is a 5.1x advantage in raw compute performance. The Vulkan result tells a similar story: 57,103 versus 13,805. Both tests measure general-purpose GPU compute, so the outcome reflects the fundamental compute capability of each chip rather than any driver or API quirk.

The average benchmark score reinforces this picture. The RTX 3050 OEM holds an average score of 15,199 across all recorded tests, while the FirePro W5100 averages 12,847. That is an 18.3% gap in the aggregate, though the head-to-head tests show far larger deltas. The reason the average gap looks smaller is that the FirePro W5100's database record only includes two benchmark entries, both of which are compute-oriented. The RTX 3050 OEM has nine recorded tests, including DirectX and 2D workloads where it also performs strongly.

The percentile rankings tell a nuanced story. The RTX 3050 OEM sits at the 57th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the FirePro W5100 sits at the 52nd percentile. That 5-point spread is surprisingly narrow given the massive compute delta. It suggests that the FirePro W5100, despite its age, still holds its own against the broader GPU population in the database's mixed workload scoring. But in direct competition, the newer card is simply in another class.

The nearest rival data for each card provides additional context. The RTX 3050 OEM's closest competitors include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon 680M (0.5% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (0.5% behind). This cluster shows the RTX 3050 OEM is positioned at a performance plateau where several cards of different generations converge. The FirePro W5100, by contrast, competes with the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 (0.1% ahead). Both cards are surrounded by similarly performing hardware, but the two plateaus are far apart.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast, and it explains the benchmark results better than any single specification. The RTX 3050 OEM uses NVIDIA's Ampere architecture, built on an 8 nm Samsung process. The FirePro W5100 uses AMD's GCN 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm TSMC process. That process difference alone accounts for a massive transistor density advantage: the RTX 3050 OEM packs 43.5 million transistors per square millimeter, while the FirePro W5100 manages 13.0 million. The total transistor counts tell the same story: 12,000 million for the RTX 3050 OEM versus 2,080 million for the FirePro W5100, on a 276 mm² die versus a 160 mm² die.

The compute resources differ accordingly. The RTX 3050 OEM has 2,304 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output pipelines. The FirePro W5100 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That is a 3x advantage in shading units, a 1.5x advantage in TMUs, and a 2x advantage in ROPs. The RTX 3050 OEM also adds 18 ray tracing cores and 72 tensor cores, neither of which exists on the FirePro W5100, since GCN 2.0 predates both technologies.

Clock speeds favor the newer card as well. The RTX 3050 OEM runs at a 1515 MHz base clock and boosts to 1755 MHz. The FirePro W5100 does not list base or boost clocks in the database, so the comparison is limited to memory clocks. The RTX 3050 OEM's memory runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective transfer, while the FirePro W5100's memory runs at 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective. Memory bandwidth reflects this: 224.0 GB/s for the RTX 3050 OEM versus 96.00 GB/s for the FirePro W5100, despite both using a 128 bit bus.

The FP32 compute rates are starkly different. The RTX 3050 OEM delivers 8.087 TFLOPS, while the FirePro W5100 delivers 1,428.5 GFLOPS, which converts to roughly 1.43 TFLOPS. That is a 5.7x gap in single-precision floating-point throughput. The RTX 3050 OEM also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 8.087 TFLOPS of half-precision compute, while the FirePro W5100 has no recorded FP16 capability.

API support also differs. The RTX 3050 OEM supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The FirePro W5100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The DirectX feature level difference is significant: 12_2 enables hardware ray tracing and mesh shaders, which the FirePro cannot do. The Vulkan version difference also matters for modern workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in compute workloads?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM wins decisively. It scores 60,740 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 11,888 for the FirePro W5100, a 410.9% advantage, and 57,103 in Geekbench Vulkan versus 13,805, a 313.6% advantage.

Q: Do both cards support modern APIs?

A: No. The RTX 3050 OEM supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the FirePro W5100 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128 bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128 bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM has a 130 W TDP and requires a 300 W suggested PSU with a single 8-pin power connector. The FirePro W5100 has a 50 W TDP, requires a 250 W suggested PSU, and draws power entirely from the PCIe slot with no additional connectors.

Q: Which card supports hardware ray tracing?

A: Only the RTX 3050 OEM. It includes 18 ray tracing cores and 72 tensor cores. The FirePro W5100 has no ray tracing or tensor core hardware.

Q: How do the two cards rank among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM sits at the 57th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the FirePro W5100 sits at the 52nd percentile. Their average benchmark scores are 15,199 and 12,847 respectively.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every recorded specification. The RTX 3050 OEM uses the GA106 chip on an 8 nm Samsung process with 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die. The FirePro W5100 uses the Bonaire chip on a 28 nm TSMC process with 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. Transistor density is 43.5M per mm² versus 13.0M per mm².

The RTX 3050 OEM has a 1515 MHz base clock and 1755 MHz boost clock. The FirePro W5100 has no recorded base or boost clocks. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the RTX 3050 OEM versus 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for the FirePro W5100.

Memory capacity differs: 8 GB of GDDR6 versus 4 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 128 bit bus, but bandwidth is 224.0 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s. The RTX 3050 OEM has 2,304 shading units, 72 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro W5100 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The RTX 3050 OEM adds 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores; the FirePro W5100 has none.

Pixel rate is 56.16 GPixel/s versus 14.88 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 126.4 GTexel/s versus 44.64 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 8.087 TFLOPS versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS. FP16 is 8.087 TFLOPS on the RTX 3050 OEM, with no recorded FP16 on the FirePro W5100.

Power requirements differ sharply: 130 W TDP versus 50 W TDP, 300 W suggested PSU versus 250 W, one 8-pin connector versus none. The RTX 3050 OEM is dual-slot and 242 mm long; the FirePro W5100 is single-slot and 173 mm long. The RTX 3050 OEM uses PCIe 4.0 x8, the FirePro W5100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1 plus 3x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 4x DisplayPort 1.2.

The Verdict

The data supports only one conclusion for pure performance: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the superior GPU. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks by margins of 410.9% and 313.6%, has 5.7x the FP32 compute throughput, 2.3x the memory bandwidth, 3x the shading units, and a 57th percentile ranking versus 52nd for the FirePro W5100. There is no recorded benchmark where the FirePro W5100 wins.

That said, the FirePro W5100 has legitimate advantages in power and physical design. Its 50 W TDP is less than half the RTX 3050 OEM's 130 W, it requires no external power connectors, and it is a single-slot card at 173 mm length versus the dual-slot 242 mm RTX 3050 OEM. For systems with strict power budgets, limited PCIe slot spacing, or no spare power cables, the FirePro W5100 is the practical choice, provided its older DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170 APIs are sufficient for the intended workloads.

The release dates reinforce the generational framing. The RTX 3050 OEM was released in January 2022 and succeeds the GeForce 30-series, with the GeForce 40-series as its successor. The FirePro W5100 was released in March 2014 and succeeds the FirePro Terascale generation, with the Radeon Pro Polaris as its successor. Both are end-of-life products, so neither is a future-proof option.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3050 wins in every compute scenario measured by the database. Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan both favor it by wide margins, and its average benchmark score of 15,199 outpaces the FirePro W5100's 12,847 average across all recorded tests. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_4) support, 18 RT cores, 72 tensor cores, 8.087 TFLOPS of FP32, and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory make it the clear choice for any modern graphics or general compute workload.

The FirePro W5100 wins in power efficiency and physical integration. At 50 W TDP with no power connectors, it fits into systems that cannot accommodate a 130 W card with an 8-pin connector. Its single-slot design and 173 mm length suit compact chassis, and its 4x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs provide multi-display options without adapters. For a workstation that needs multiple display outputs from a low-power, single-slot card, and does not require ray tracing, tensor cores, or modern Vulkan features, the FirePro W5100 remains a viable option. But that is a narrow niche. For everything measured in the database, the RTX 3050 OEM is the faster card by a substantial margin.