AMD Radeon Pro W6800X vs NVIDIA Quadro GP100 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisively in favor of the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X. The AMD card scores 124,498 points, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445 points. That translates to a 42.4% advantage for the AMD card in raw compute throughput. This is not a marginal gap; it is a substantial generational leap in OpenCL performance that will be felt across any compute-heavy workload.

Looking at the broader database context, the W6800X sits at the 97th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 160,671 across its recorded tests. The GP100, in contrast, sits at the 93rd percentile with an average score of 87,445. The percentile difference might seem modest at first glance, but the raw score gap tells the real story: the AMD card delivers roughly 84% more average performance than the NVIDIA card in the database's cumulative metrics.

The W6800X's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB, which trails by just 1.1%, and the AMD Radeon PRO W7800, which is 2.6% behind. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 sits 2.8% lower, and the RTX 4500 Ada Generation is 3.3% behind. This places the W6800X in extremely rarefied air, competing directly with data-center-class accelerators. The GP100, by contrast, finds its nearest rivals in much more modest territory: the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 is just 0.4% behind it, the NVIDIA CMP 40HX is 2.1% behind, while the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile and RTX A4500 are 4% and 4.6% ahead, respectively.

The head-to-head benchmark record shows one win for the AMD card and zero for the NVIDIA card. That single win, however, is a crushing one. The 42.4% delta in OpenCL is not a narrow victory; it is a dominant performance that highlights the architectural gulf between the two products. For any task that relies on OpenCL compute, the W6800X is the clear choice based on recorded data.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X has an average benchmark score of 160,671, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 has an average of 87,445. The AMD card also holds a higher percentile rank at 97 versus 93 for the NVIDIA card.

Q: How much faster is the AMD card in the shared OpenCL benchmark?

A: The W6800X scores 124,498 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 42.4% higher than the GP100's score of 87,445. This is the only benchmark where both cards have recorded results.

Q: What is the closest rival to each card according to the database?

A: The W6800X's closest rival is the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB, which is just 1.1% behind its average score. The GP100's closest rival is the AMD Radeon PRO W7600, which is only 0.4% behind its average score.

Q: Does the NVIDIA card have any performance advantage in the recorded benchmarks?

A: No. The head-to-head benchmark record shows zero wins for the NVIDIA Quadro GP100. In the only shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, it trails by a significant margin.

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No. Both the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X and the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 are listed as end-of-life products in the database.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GP100 has a higher memory bandwidth at 732.2 GB/s due to its HBM2 memory and 4096-bit bus, compared to the AMD card's 512.0 GB/s over a 256-bit GDDR6 interface. Despite this, the AMD card still wins decisively in the compute benchmark.

The Verdict

The data paints an unambiguous picture: the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X is the superior compute card. In the only direct benchmark comparison available, it leads by 42.4%, and its average score across all recorded tests is nearly double that of the GP100. The W6800X also ranks higher in the overall GPU percentile, 97 versus 93, and its nearest rivals include data-center-class accelerators like the NVIDIA A100.

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 is not without merit, but its recorded performance places it in a lower tier. Its nearest rivals are mid-range workstation cards like the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 and the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile. For anyone choosing between these two specific cards for general compute workloads, the AMD card is the obvious pick based on benchmark results alone.

There is one area where the GP100 does hold a recorded advantage: memory bandwidth. Its 732.2 GB/s exceeds the W6800X's 512.0 GB/s. However, this did not translate into a benchmark win in the shared test. The AMD card's higher compute throughput, 16.03 TFLOPS FP32 versus 10.34 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card, appears to matter more in practice.

The verdict is straightforward: the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X wins on compute performance, wins on benchmark percentile, and wins the only head-to-head test. The GP100's sole statistical edge is memory bandwidth, which did not yield a performance victory in the recorded data.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially across nearly every major specification. The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X uses a 7 nm process node, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 uses a 16 nm node. Transistor counts reflect this: the AMD card packs 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die, while the NVIDIA card has 15,300 million transistors on a larger 610 mm² die. Transistor density is accordingly much higher on the AMD card at 51.5M per mm² versus 25.1M per mm².

Clock speeds also favor AMD. The W6800X has a base clock of 1800 MHz and a boost clock of 2087 MHz. The GP100 operates at a base of 1304 MHz and a boost of 1443 MHz. Memory configurations are radically different: the AMD card offers 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, while the NVIDIA card offers 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus. As noted, the NVIDIA card has higher bandwidth at 732.2 GB/s versus 512.0 GB/s.

Compute unit counts show AMD's advantage. The W6800X has 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The GP100 has 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The AMD card also features 60 ray tracing cores, while the NVIDIA card has none. Pixel and texture rates follow suit: the AMD card outputs 200.4 GPixel/s and 500.9 GTexel/s, while the NVIDIA card outputs 138.5 GPixel/s and 323.2 GTexel/s.

Power and physical specifications differ as well. The AMD card has a TDP of 200 W, while the NVIDIA card draws 235 W. The AMD card is a quad-slot design using an Apple MPX power connector and bus interface, while the NVIDIA card is a dual-slot design using a standard 1x 8-pin connector and PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. Both cards share the same suggested power supply rating of 550 W and the same 267 mm length, though the AMD card is taller at 120 mm versus 111 mm.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is generational. The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X is built on RDNA 2.0 architecture, using the Navi 21 chip. It belongs to the Radeon Pro Mac (Navi II Series) generation and was released on August 2, 2021. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 is built on the older Pascal architecture, using the GP100 chip, and belongs to the Quadro Pascal (Px000) generation, released on September 30, 2016. That is a five-year gap in release timing, and the architecture reflects it.

The RDNA 2.0 architecture brings modern features that Pascal lacks. The W6800X supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GP100 only supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Vulkan support is also newer on the AMD card at version 1.4 versus 1.3 on the NVIDIA card. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6. The AMD card includes 60 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Pascal-based GP100.

Memory architecture is another fundamental difference. The AMD card uses GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, which is a conventional design but paired with a large 32 GB capacity. The NVIDIA card uses HBM2 on a massive 4096-bit bus, which explains its higher bandwidth despite the older architecture. The transistor density figures tell the story of process technology advancement: 51.5M per mm² on 7 nm versus 25.1M per mm² on 16 nm.

The GP100's predecessor is listed as Quadro Maxwell, and its successor is Quadro Volta. The W6800X has no listed predecessor or successor in the database. Display outputs also differ: the AMD card offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 4x Thunderbolt, while the NVIDIA card offers 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X wins in every recorded benchmark category. It holds the only head-to-head victory, a 42.4% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. It wins on raw compute throughput, with 16.03 TFLOPS FP32 and 32.06 TFLOPS FP16, versus the GP100's 10.34 TFLOPS and 20.69 TFLOPS. It wins on pixel rate, texture rate, shading units, TMUs, and clock speeds. It also wins on memory capacity, offering 32 GB versus 16 GB, though the NVIDIA card retains the bandwidth crown.

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100's sole statistical advantage is memory bandwidth. Its 732.2 GB/s is significantly higher than the AMD card's 512.0 GB/s, and its 4096-bit HBM2 bus is a much wider interface. For workloads that are purely memory-bandwidth bound, the GP100 could theoretically have an edge, but the recorded benchmark data does not show this translating into a compute win. The GP100 also has a lower TDP of 235 W compared to 200 W for the AMD card, which is not an advantage but rather a point of comparison.

For physical integration, the GP100 is a dual-slot card with a standard 8-pin power connector and PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, making it far easier to install in a conventional PC workstation. The AMD card requires an Apple MPX connector and bus interface, which limits it to Apple Mac Pro systems. This is a practical consideration that the benchmark data cannot capture: the GP100 is compatible with standard PC builds, while the W6800X is designed for a proprietary ecosystem.

In terms of use cases, the data supports the AMD card for any compute-heavy task, from OpenCL acceleration to FP32 and FP16 workloads. Its 32 GB memory capacity is double the GP100's, making it more suitable for large datasets. The GP100, with its higher bandwidth, might be considered for memory-intensive tasks, but there is no benchmark evidence in the database to confirm such an advantage in practice. For most users, the W6800X is the performance pick, while the GP100 is the more broadly compatible option for standard PC chassis.