GPU Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a single direct benchmark comparison between the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 and the NVIDIA Quadro GP100, and the result is a narrow victory for the older NVIDIA card. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Quadro GP100 scores 87,445 while the Radeon PRO W7900 scores 84,379, giving NVIDIA a 3.5% margin. This is a surprising outcome given the generational gap, but it reflects the specific workload characteristics of that test rather than overall capability.

Looking at the broader average benchmark scores, the picture shifts decisively. The Radeon PRO W7900 holds an average benchmark score of 110,725 across its tested workloads, while the Quadro GP100 averages 87,445. That translates to a 26.6% advantage for AMD when considering the full spectrum of available data. The OpenCL result appears to be an outlier favoring the Pascal architecture’s compute strengths, but it does not represent the typical performance relationship between these two cards.

The Radeon PRO W7900’s average score places it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, while the Quadro GP100 sits at the 93rd percentile. Despite the proximity in percentile ranking, the raw score gap is substantial, a 23,280-point difference in the average. The AMD card’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB (average score 114,395, delta -3.2%) and the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile (average score 113,944, delta -2.8%), indicating it competes in a higher performance tier than the Quadro GP100’s peer group, which includes the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 (average score 87,108, delta 0.4%) and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX (average score 85,637, delta 2.1%).

In the single head-to-head test, the Quadro GP100 wins, but the margin is small enough that it falls within normal run-to-run variance for OpenCL workloads. The Radeon PRO W7900’s advantage in the average benchmark score is far more pronounced and consistent across multiple test types, including Vulkan where it scores 137,070, a figure not directly comparable to the Quadro GP100 since that card lacks a Vulkan benchmark entry in the data, but one that reinforces AMD’s overall performance lead.

# Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 wins in the Geekbench OpenCL test, and that is its singular benchmark victory in the available data. The 3.5% edge suggests that the Pascal architecture’s compute pipeline, combined with HBM2 memory, handles this particular OpenCL workload efficiently. However, this is the only test where the GP100 comes out ahead, and the margin is modest.

The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 wins in every other measurable category. Its average benchmark score of 110,725 is 26.6% higher than the Quadro GP100’s 87,445. The Vulkan score of 137,070 demonstrates strong graphics API performance, a workload where the GP100 has no recorded result. The Radeon PRO W7900 also holds a higher percentile ranking (94th vs. 93rd), though both cards sit near the top of the GPU hierarchy.

For use-case segmentation, the data indicates the Radeon PRO W7900 is the better choice for mixed workloads spanning OpenCL and Vulkan, given its higher average score and broader test coverage. The Quadro GP100’s OpenCL win suggests it may still be adequate for legacy compute pipelines that rely heavily on that API, but the performance gap in the average benchmark score makes it difficult to recommend for any task where the AMD card is available.

The Radeon PRO W7900’s nearest rival comparisons further contextualize its strengths. It sits within 3.2% of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600X (average score 107,342) and just 1% above the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II (average score 109,617), showing it is competitive with previous-generation AMD workstation flagships. The Quadro GP100, by contrast, trails its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA RTX A4500 (average score 91,671, delta -4.6%) and the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile (average score 91,134, delta -4%), indicating it is outperformed by more recent NVIDIA workstation cards as well.

# Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is enormous, spanning multiple generations and fundamental design philosophies. The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 uses the Navi 31 chip built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, with the codename Plum Bonito. It belongs to the Radeon Pro Navi (Navi III Series) generation. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 uses the GP100 chip on the Pascal architecture, part of the Quadro Pascal (Px000) generation. The release dates reflect this: the W7900 launched in May 2023, while the Quadro GP100 launched in September 2016, a gap of nearly seven years.

The manufacturing process highlights the generational leap. The Radeon PRO W7900 is fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the Quadro GP100 uses a 16 nm process, also at TSMC. This translates to a dramatic difference in transistor density: the W7900 packs 57,700 million transistors into a 529 mm² die, yielding 109.1 million transistors per square millimeter. The Quadro GP100 has 15,300 million transistors on a larger 610 mm² die, giving it just 25.1 million transistors per square millimeter. The AMD card achieves over four times the transistor density of the NVIDIA card.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally as well. The Radeon PRO W7900 uses 48 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, while the Quadro GP100 uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus. The W7900’s memory bandwidth is 864.0 GB/s, exceeding the GP100’s 732.2 GB/s. The GDDR6 implementation is newer and faster, while the HBM2 in the GP100 offers a wider bus but lower overall bandwidth.

Compute resources scale heavily in AMD’s favor. The Radeon PRO W7900 has 6,144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, 192 ROPs, and 96 ray tracing cores. The Quadro GP100 has 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores. The FP32 throughput is 61.32 TFLOPS for the AMD card versus 10.34 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card. The FP16 figures are 61.32 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio) for AMD and 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) for NVIDIA.

API support also differs. The Radeon PRO W7900 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Quadro GP100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The AMD card’s newer API support aligns with its more recent architecture and ray tracing capabilities.

# Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards:

| Specification | AMD Radeon PRO W7900 | NVIDIA Quadro GP100 |

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

| Chip | Navi 31 | GP100 |

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | Pascal |

| Generation | Radeon Pro Navi (Navi III Series) | Quadro Pascal (Px000) |

| Process node | 5 nm | 16 nm |

| Transistors | 57,700 million | 15,300 million |

| Die size | 529 mm² | 610 mm² |

| Transistor density | 109.1M / mm² | 25.1M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1760 MHz | 1304 MHz |

| Boost clock | 2495 MHz | 1443 MHz |

| Memory clock | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) | 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective) |

| Memory size | 48 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory type | GDDR6 | HBM2 |

| Memory bus width | 384 bit | 4096 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 864.0 GB/s | 732.2 GB/s |

| Shading units | 6144 | 3584 |

| TMUs | 384 | 224 |

| ROPs | 192 | 96 |

| RT cores | 96 | None |

| Pixel rate | 479.0 GPixel/s | 138.5 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 958.1 GTexel/s | 323.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 61.32 TFLOPS | 10.34 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 61.32 TFLOPS (1:1) | 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 295 W | 235 W |

| Slot width | Triple-slot | Dual-slot |

| Power connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 550 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | 3x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x mini-DisplayPort 2.1 | 1x DVI, 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Dimensions | 280 mm (11 inches) long, 110 mm (4.3 inches) high, 51 mm (2 inches) wide | 267 mm (10.5 inches) long, 111 mm (4.4 inches) high |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | 2023-05-25 | 2016-09-30 |

| Predecessor | Radeon Pro Vega | Quadro Maxwell |

| Successor | None | Quadro Volta |

The Radeon PRO W7900 carries a launch MSRP of 3,999 USD. The Quadro GP100 has no recorded launch MSRP in the data.

# FAQ

Q: Which card wins in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 wins with a score of 87,445 versus the AMD Radeon PRO W7900’s 84,379, a 3.5% margin.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two cards?

A: The Radeon PRO W7900 averages 110,725, while the Quadro GP100 averages 87,445. The AMD card is 26.6% higher.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The Radeon PRO W7900 has 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus with 864.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Quadro GP100 has 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus with 732.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the Quadro GP100 support ray tracing?

A: No. The Quadro GP100 has no ray tracing cores, while the Radeon PRO W7900 includes 96 RT cores.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The Radeon PRO W7900 is listed as Active, while the Quadro GP100 is End-of-life.

Q: How do the FP32 compute figures compare?

A: The Radeon PRO W7900 delivers 61.32 TFLOPS of FP32, compared to 10.34 TFLOPS for the Quadro GP100.

# The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 is the superior card by every aggregate measure available. Its average benchmark score of 110,725 is 26.6% higher than the Quadro GP100’s 87,445. It holds a higher percentile ranking (94th vs. 93rd), has more than triple the FP32 compute throughput (61.32 TFLOPS vs. 10.34 TFLOPS), offers three times the memory capacity (48 GB vs. 16 GB), and supports modern features like ray tracing and DirectX 12 Ultimate that the Pascal-based GP100 lacks entirely.

The Quadro GP100’s single OpenCL win is real but narrow. A 3.5% margin in one test does not offset a 23,280-point deficit in the average benchmark score. The GP100’s 16 nm process, 25.1M transistors per square millimeter, and 235 W TDP reflect a 2016 design that has been surpassed by seven years of architectural progress.

Who should pick the Radeon PRO W7900? Anyone running Vulkan workloads, where it scores 137,070, or who needs large memory capacity, high bandwidth, and modern API support. Its Active production status means ongoing availability, a clear advantage over the End-of-life Quadro GP100.

Who should pick the Quadro GP100? Only those with legacy OpenCL pipelines that specifically benefit from its architecture, given its narrow win in that test. The card’s successor, the Quadro Volta, is already listed, and its nearest rivals, the RTX A4500 and RTX A4500 Mobile, both outperform it by 4% or more. The data does not support choosing the GP100 for any current workload where the W7900 is available.