GPU Comparison

NVIDIA P106-090 and AMD FirePro W5100 are both end-of-life graphics cards, but they target completely different use cases. The P106-090 is a mining-oriented GPU with no display outputs, while the W5100 is a professional workstation card with four DisplayPort outputs. Benchmark data shows the NVIDIA part is significantly faster, winning both head-to-head tests with a 79.2% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL and a 34.7% advantage in Geekbench Vulkan. The P106-090 also holds a higher average benchmark score of 13470 versus 12847 for the W5100, and a higher percentile ranking at 54 versus 52. However, the FirePro W5100 offers 4 GB of memory versus 3 GB, a single-slot design, and no external power connector, making it a more practical option for systems where physical space and power draw are constraints.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA P106-090 outperforms the AMD FirePro W5100 in every measured test. In Geekbench OpenCL, the P106-090 scores 21304 against 11888 for the W5100, a 79.2% lead. In Geekbench Vulkan, the P106-090 scores 18596 against 13805, a 34.7% lead. The average benchmark score tells the same story, with the P106-090 at 13470 versus 12847 for the W5100, a difference that places the NVIDIA card in the 54th percentile of all GPUs compared to the 52nd percentile for the AMD card. The P106-090’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515 average score, 0.3% higher), while the W5100’s closest competitor is the AMD Radeon 740M (12870 average score, 0.2% higher). For compute workloads that rely on OpenCL or Vulkan, the P106-090 is the clear choice.

However, the W5100 has structural advantages that the benchmarks do not capture. It has a 4 GB memory buffer versus 3 GB, which matters for workloads that exceed the smaller frame buffer. It is also a single-slot card with no power connector, drawing only 50 W, while the P106-090 is dual-slot, requires a 1x 6-pin power connector, and draws 75 W. Both cards suggest a 250 W power supply, so system power requirements are identical, but the physical footprint differs. The W5100 also has four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, while the P106-090 has no display outputs at all. The verdict depends on the use case: for raw compute performance, pick the P106-090. For a workstation card that can drive multiple displays and fits in tight spaces, the W5100 is the only option with display capability.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The NVIDIA P106-090 uses the GP106 chip based on the Pascal architecture, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. The AMD FirePro W5100 uses the Bonaire chip based on GCN 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 16 nm versus 28 nm. The P106-090 packs 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.0 million per mm². The W5100 contains 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, with a density of 13.0 million per mm². The NVIDIA chip is both larger and denser, reflecting the newer manufacturing process.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The P106-090 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 192.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has more than double the memory bandwidth, which explains part of its compute advantage. The memory clock is also higher on the P106-090 at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) versus 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) on the W5100. The P106-090 uses a PCIe 1.0 x1 bus interface, which is unusual and potentially a bottleneck, while the W5100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, a much wider and faster interface. The P106-090 has no display outputs, while the W5100 has four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.

Shader and texture resources are identical in count: both have 768 shading units and 48 texture mapping units. The ROP count differs, with the P106-090 having 48 ROPs versus 16 on the W5100. This explains the pixel rate difference: 73.49 GPixel/s for the P106-090 versus 14.88 GPixel/s for the W5100. The texture rate also favors the NVIDIA card at 73.49 GTexel/s versus 44.64 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute rating is 2.352 TFLOPS for the P106-090 versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS for the W5100. The P106-090 also supports FP16 at 36.74 GFLOPS with a 1:64 ratio, while the W5100 has no listed FP16 capability. API support is similar for DirectX and OpenGL (both 12_1/12_0 and 4.6 respectively), but Vulkan support differs: 1.4 on the P106-090 versus 1.2.170 on the W5100.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA P106-090. It scores 21304 in Geekbench OpenCL and 18596 in Geekbench Vulkan, compared to 11888 and 13805 for the AMD FirePro W5100. The average benchmark score is 13470 for the P106-090 versus 12847 for the W5100.

Q: Do both cards support display output?

A: No. The NVIDIA P106-090 has no display outputs, as it is designed for mining. The AMD FirePro W5100 has four DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, making it suitable for multi-monitor workstation setups.

Q: What are the memory capacities and bandwidths?

A: The P106-090 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 192.2 GB/s bandwidth. The W5100 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA card has higher bandwidth but less capacity.

Q: Which card requires more power and space?

A: The P106-090 draws 75 W and is dual-slot, requiring a 1x 6-pin power connector. The W5100 draws 50 W and is single-slot with no power connector. Both suggest a 250 W power supply.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The P106-090’s average score of 13470 is 0.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515) and 0.5% above the AMD Radeon Pro 555 (13407). The W5100’s average score of 12847 is 0.1% above the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12831) and 0.2% below the AMD Radeon 740M (12870).

Q: What are the release dates and production statuses?

A: The P106-090 was released on 2017-07-30, and the W5100 was released on 2014-03-30. Both are end-of-life products.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the NVIDIA P106-090 and AMD FirePro W5100:

• Chip: GP106 versus Bonaire
• Architecture: Pascal versus GCN 2.0
• Generation: Mining GPUs versus FirePro GCN (Wx100)
• Process Node: 16 nm versus 28 nm
• Transistors: 4,400 million versus 2,080 million
• Die Size: 200 mm² versus 160 mm²
• Transistor Density: 22.0M / mm² versus 13.0M / mm²
• Base Clock: 1354 MHz versus none listed
• Boost Clock: 1531 MHz versus none listed
• Memory Clock: 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) versus 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective)
• Memory Size: 3 GB versus 4 GB
• Memory Bus Width: 192 bit versus 128 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s
• ROPs: 48 versus 16
• Pixel Rate: 73.49 GPixel/s versus 14.88 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 73.49 GTexel/s versus 44.64 GTexel/s
• FP32: 2.352 TFLOPS versus 1,428.5 GFLOPS
• FP16: 36.74 GFLOPS (1:64) versus none listed
• TDP: 75 W versus 50 W
• Slot Width: Dual-slot versus Single-slot
• Power Connectors: 1x 6-pin versus None
• Bus Interface: PCIe 1.0 x1 versus PCIe 3.0 x16
• Display Outputs: No outputs versus 4x DisplayPort 1.2
• Vulkan API: 1.4 versus 1.2.170
• Dimensions: 250 mm (9.8 inches) length versus 173 mm (6.8 inches) length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) height
• Release Date: 2017-07-30 versus 2014-03-30
• Predecessor: None listed versus FirePro Terascale
• Successor: None listed versus Radeon Pro Polaris

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data covers two tests, both won by the NVIDIA P106-090. The first is Geekbench OpenCL, where the P106-090 scores 21304 against the W5100’s 11888. This is a 79.2% advantage, the largest margin in any comparison. The second is Geekbench Vulkan, where the P106-090 scores 18596 against 13805, a 34.7% lead. Across both tests, the P106-090 wins 2 and the W5100 wins 0.

The OpenCL result is particularly telling. A 79.2% gap indicates that the P106-090’s architectural advantages, the newer 16 nm process, higher clock speeds, and more than double the memory bandwidth, translate directly into compute performance. The W5100’s 4 GB memory buffer does not compensate for its older GCN 2.0 architecture and lower bandwidth. Even in Vulkan, where the W5100 performs relatively better, the P106-090 still holds a 34.7% lead. The W5100’s API support for Vulkan 1.2.170 is older than the P106-090’s 1.4, which may contribute to the gap. The average benchmark scores reinforce this pattern: 13470 for the P106-090 versus 12847 for the W5100. The percentile rankings are close (54 versus 52), but the raw scores show a clear hierarchy. The P106-090 sits between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515, 0.3% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 (13407, 0.5% lower). The W5100 sits between the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12831, 0.1% lower) and the AMD Radeon 740M (12870, 0.2% higher). Neither card is a performance leader in its peer group, but the P106-090 is consistently ahead of the W5100 by a wide margin in compute workloads.