AMD Radeon 880M vs NVIDIA Quadro K5000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Radeon 880M, which wins both recorded head-to-head tests against the NVIDIA Quadro K5000. The most dramatic margin appears in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the AMD Radeon 880M scores 40,006 points compared to the Quadro K5000's 11,169 points. This represents a 72.1% advantage for the AMD part, making it the single largest performance gap between the two cards in any shared workload.

The Geekbench OpenCL test tells a similar story, though with a slightly narrower margin. The AMD Radeon 880M records 31,285 points while the NVIDIA Quadro K5000 manages 11,418 points. The delta here is 63.5% in favor of the AMD Radeon 880M. Both results place the AMD part firmly ahead in compute-oriented synthetic workloads, which aligns with its much higher FP32 throughput of 4.454 TFLOPS versus the Quadro K5000's 2.169 TFLOPS.

Looking at the broader database averages, the picture becomes more nuanced. The NVIDIA Quadro K5000 holds an average benchmark score of 9,637 across all recorded tests, placing it at the 46th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M at 9,645 (0.1% ahead) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 at 9,653 (0.2% ahead). The AMD Radeon 880M, by contrast, has an average score of 8,436, sitting at the 43rd percentile. Its closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX at 8,427, which trails by 0.1%, while the AMD Radeon R9 M375X sits 1.3% behind at 8,325.

This apparent contradiction, where the AMD part wins both head-to-head tests but has a lower average score, stems from the different test suites each card was subjected to. The Quadro K5000 was evaluated only on Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan, while the Radeon 880M also underwent PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests, plus PassMark G2D, G3D, and GPU compute tests. The Quadro's Geekbench Metal score of 6,324 pulls its average upward, whereas the Radeon's PassMark DirectX scores are relatively low, such as 31 for DirectX 10 and 32 for DirectX 12, which drag its average down despite the strong Geekbench results.

The Radeon 880M's individual test results reveal a mixed profile. Its PassMark G3D score of 7,615 and PassMark GPU compute score of 3,719 are respectable, but the DirectX 10 and 12 scores are notably weak. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 40,006 is exceptional and indicates strong modern API performance, while the OpenCL score of 31,285 confirms compute capability. The Quadro K5000, on the other hand, shows consistency across its three recorded tests, with scores ranging from 6,324 in Metal to 11,418 in OpenCL.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 880M wins decisively in modern compute and graphics APIs. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 40,006 is more than 3.5 times the Quadro K5000's 11,169, demonstrating a massive advantage in Vulkan-based workloads. Similarly, the OpenCL result of 31,285 versus 11,418 shows the AMD part delivering nearly three times the compute throughput in that API. These results suggest the Radeon 880M is better suited for applications that leverage contemporary graphics interfaces and general-purpose GPU compute.

The NVIDIA Quadro K5000 does not win any head-to-head benchmark, but it does hold advantages in specific architectural attributes that could matter in certain scenarios. Its 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory with 172.8 GB/s bandwidth provides a fixed memory pool, whereas the Radeon 880M relies on system shared memory with bandwidth described as system dependent. For workloads that require consistent memory bandwidth without contention from the CPU, the Quadro's dedicated memory could be preferable, though no benchmark in the data directly tests this scenario.

The Quadro K5000 also has a higher average benchmark score of 9,637 compared to the Radeon 880M's 8,436, a difference of about 14%. This is driven primarily by the Quadro's Geekbench Metal score of 6,324, a test the Radeon 880M was not subjected to. The Metal API is Apple-specific, so this result is only relevant for macOS environments. The Quadro's percentile ranking at 46 versus the Radeon's 43 also reflects this average score advantage, placing the Quadro slightly higher in the overall database distribution.

For legacy DirectX workloads, the Radeon 880M shows mixed results. Its PassMark DirectX 9 score of 97 is the highest among its DirectX tests, while DirectX 11 comes in at 73. However, DirectX 10 and 12 scores drop to 31 and 32 respectively. These numbers suggest the Radeon 880M performs best with older DirectX 9 titles and struggles with more modern DirectX 12 workloads, at least in the PassMark suite. The Quadro K5000 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), which is a feature level limitation compared to the Radeon's DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different design philosophies separated by more than a decade of semiconductor progress. The NVIDIA Quadro K5000 uses the GK104 chip built on Kepler architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon 880M employs the Strix Point chip with RDNA 3.5 architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process, also at TSMC. This chip packs 34,000 million transistors into a 233 mm² die, achieving a density of 145.9 million per square millimeter, more than 12 times the Quadro's density.

The compute configuration differs substantially. The Quadro K5000 has 1,536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The Radeon 880M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having half the shading units, the Radeon 880M delivers more than double the FP32 throughput (4.454 TFLOPS versus 2.169 TFLOPS) thanks to its much higher boost clock of 2900 MHz compared to the Quadro's fixed 706 MHz. The Radeon also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with 4.454 TFLOPS, while the Quadro has no recorded FP16 capability.

The Radeon 880M includes 12 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Quadro K5000, which has no RT cores listed. This makes the AMD part capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a significant feature for modern games and rendering applications. The Radeon also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Quadro is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The Quadro K5000 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 172.8 GB/s of dedicated bandwidth. The Radeon 880M uses system shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, making its memory size, bus width, and bandwidth entirely dependent on the host system. This is typical for an integrated graphics processor (IGP) design, which the Radeon 880M is, as indicated by its IGP slot width and lack of power connectors.

Power requirements show a stark contrast. The Quadro K5000 has a TDP of 122 W and requires a 300 W suggested PSU with a single 6-pin power connector. The Radeon 880M has a TDP of just 15 W and requires no power connectors at all. The Quadro is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the Radeon 880M has no recorded dimensions, consistent with its IGP form factor. The Quadro uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the Radeon uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Radeon 880M for modern compute and graphics workloads. Its 72.1% advantage in Geekbench Vulkan and 63.5% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL over the Quadro K5000 are substantial margins that indicate superior performance in current API environments. The Radeon's ray tracing cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and much higher FP32 throughput make it the more capable GPU for contemporary applications.

The NVIDIA Quadro K5000 retains relevance only in specific narrow contexts. Its higher average benchmark score of 9,637 versus 8,436 is driven by the Geekbench Metal test, which the Radeon 880M was not evaluated on. For users in Apple ecosystem environments where Metal performance matters, the Quadro's 6,324 Metal score provides some utility. Additionally, its dedicated 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with fixed 172.8 GB/s bandwidth offers predictable memory performance, unlike the Radeon's system-dependent shared memory.

For gaming, the Radeon 880M's PassMark G3D score of 7,615 indicates stronger overall 3D performance than the Quadro's limited test suite suggests, though its low DirectX 12 score of 32 is a concern for modern titles. The Quadro's DirectX 11_0 feature level also limits its compatibility with newer games. The Radeon's 15 W TDP versus the Quadro's 122 W TDP also makes it vastly more power-efficient, which is critical for mobile or compact systems.

The production status tells the final part of the story. The Quadro K5000 is end-of-life, released in August 2012 with a launch MSRP of 2,499 USD. The Radeon 880M is active, released in July 2024, and represents current technology. For any new purchase decision, the Radeon 880M is the only sensible choice. The Quadro K5000 is a legacy product whose only advantages are its dedicated memory and Metal API support, neither of which outweigh the Radeon's massive compute and API advantages.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K5000 has an average score of 9,637, while the AMD Radeon 880M averages 8,436. This places the Quadro at the 46th percentile versus the Radeon's 43rd percentile.

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon 880M in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The Radeon 880M scores 40,006 versus the Quadro K5000's 11,169, giving the AMD part a 72.1% advantage in this test.

Q: Does the NVIDIA Quadro K5000 support ray tracing?

A: No, the Quadro K5000 has no ray tracing cores listed. The AMD Radeon 880M includes 12 ray tracing cores.

Q: What memory configurations do these GPUs use?

A: The Quadro K5000 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 172.8 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 880M uses system shared memory, so its memory size, bus width, and bandwidth are system dependent.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Quadro K5000 has a TDP of 122 W and requires a 300 W suggested PSU with a 6-pin connector. The Radeon 880M has a TDP of 15 W and requires no power connectors.

Q: Which GPU supports newer DirectX features?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA Quadro K5000 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Quadro K5000 | AMD Radeon 880M |

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

| Architecture | Kepler | RDNA 3.5 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 4 nm |

| Transistors | 3,540 million | 34,000 million |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 233 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.0M / mm² | 145.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 706 MHz | 400 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 706 MHz | 2900 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 172.8 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Shading Units | 1536 | 768 |

| TMUs | 128 | 48 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| RT Cores | None | 12 |

| Pixel Rate | 22.59 GPixel/s | 46.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 90.37 GTexel/s | 139.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.169 TFLOPS | 4.454 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | None listed | 4.454 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 122 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

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

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | None listed |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.4 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2012-08-16 | 2024-07-14 |

| Launch MSRP | 2,499 USD | None listed |