AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs NVIDIA Quadro 4000 Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between two very different GPU classes. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000, a professional workstation card from the Fermi era, wins the only head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by a substantial 25.6% margin over the AMD Radeon Vega 3. The Quadro 4000 scores 4979 points, while the Vega 3 manages 3963 points. If the priority is raw compute throughput in a dedicated graphics card, the Quadro 4000 is the choice based on this metric.

However, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is not a comparable product. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built into a CPU, with a 15 W TDP and no dedicated memory. The database shows it achieves an average benchmark score of 4268 across three tests (OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan), placing it in the 25th percentile of all GPUs. The Quadro 4000 sits in the 29th percentile. This means the Quadro 4000 is slightly better positioned globally, but the Vega 3's support for modern APIs like Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1) makes it a more capable option for software that leverages those interfaces.

The practical verdict: the Quadro 4000 wins on pure OpenCL compute performance, but it is an end-of-life product with a 2010 release date and a 1,199 USD launch MSRP. The Vega 3, despite being an IGP, offers a more modern feature set and lower power draw (15 W vs 142 W). For users who need a dedicated slot-based card with a 6-pin connector, the Quadro 4000 is the only option. For those building a low-power system with an AMD Picasso APU, the Vega 3 is the integrated solution. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports two different use cases.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is massive. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 uses the GF100 chip based on the Fermi architecture, built on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It contains 3,100 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 5.9 million per mm². The Vega 3, in contrast, uses the Picasso chip based on GCN 5.0, built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 4,940 million transistors on a much smaller 210 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². The Vega 3 is nearly four times denser in transistor packing.

Memory configuration differs fundamentally. The Quadro 4000 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 89.86 GB/s. The Vega 3 uses system shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent" and a bus width of "System Shared." This means the Vega 3's memory performance is entirely reliant on the host system's RAM, while the Quadro 4000 has fixed, dedicated bandwidth.

Compute resources also differ. The Quadro 4000 features 256 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster operation units (ROPs). The Vega 3 has 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and only 4 ROPs. Clock speeds show a different philosophy: the Quadro 4000's memory runs at 702 MHz (2.8 Gbps effective), while the Vega 3 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1100 MHz. The Quadro 4000 has no listed base or boost clock in the database, so only its memory clock is recorded.

Feature support is a significant differentiator. The Quadro 4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and has no Vulkan support listed. The Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Vega 3 also lists FP16 performance at 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the Quadro 4000 has no FP16 data. The Quadro 4000 is a single-slot card measuring 241 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 20 mm in width, requiring a 300 W power supply. The Vega 3 is an IGP with no physical dimensions, no power connectors, and no dedicated power supply requirement.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro 4000 wins in the only direct comparison available: Geekbench OpenCL. Its score of 4979 beats the Vega 3's 3963 by 25.6%. This indicates a clear advantage in OpenCL compute workloads, likely due to its dedicated GDDR5 memory and higher memory bandwidth (89.86 GB/s vs system dependent). For users running OpenCL-accelerated professional applications, the Quadro 4000's dedicated memory is a decisive factor.

The Vega 3 wins in API support and efficiency. It supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1), while the Quadro 4000 lacks Vulkan and is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0). For modern games or applications built on Vulkan, the Vega 3 is the only choice. Its 15 W TDP versus the Quadro 4000's 142 W makes it vastly more power-efficient. The Vega 3 also has FP16 support at 844.8 GFLOPS, which the Quadro 4000 does not list, making it better suited for workloads that leverage half-precision math.

The Vega 3's average benchmark score across three tests is 4268, which is lower than the Quadro 4000's single OpenCL score of 4979. However, the Vega 3's OpenCL score of 3963 is its lowest recorded benchmark, while its Metal score of 4880 is close to the Quadro 4000's OpenCL result. This suggests the Vega 3 is competitive in Apple's Metal API, though the Quadro 4000 does not have a Metal benchmark recorded. In the nearest rival comparisons, the Quadro 4000 sits 0.2% above the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and 1% above the Radeon R7 M360. The Vega 3 sits 0.6% above the Quadro K3000M and 1.5% below the GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 scores 4979 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 25.6% higher than the AMD Radeon Vega 3's 3963 in the same test.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Vega 3 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the Vega 3 supports Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 does not have Vulkan support listed in the database.

Q: What is the power consumption difference between the two?

A: The Quadro 4000 has a TDP of 142 W and requires a 1x 6-pin power connector. The Vega 3 has a TDP of 15 W and requires no power connectors, as it is an integrated GPU.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 has 256 shading units, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 has 192 shading units.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The Quadro 4000 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 89.86 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 3 uses system shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

Q: Which GPU is newer?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 was released on November 19, 2019. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 was released on November 1, 2010.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 delivers a score of 4979, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 scores 3963. The delta is 25.6% in favor of the Quadro 4000. This is the largest performance gap recorded in the comparison, and it is a decisive win for the older, dedicated card.

To contextualize the Quadro 4000's score, its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB (4970, 0.2% lower), the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (4998, 0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon R5 M430 (5018, 0.8% higher). The Quadro 4000 sits just below the R7 Graphics and R5 M430, indicating its OpenCL performance is on par with those integrated and entry-level discrete parts. It sits just above the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and the AMD Radeon R7 M360 (4931, 1% lower). This clustering suggests the Quadro 4000's OpenCL score is competitive with a wide range of GPU classes, from modern RTX cards to older mobile parts.

The Vega 3's average score of 4268 is based on three benchmarks: OpenCL (3963), Metal (4880), and Vulkan (3961). Its OpenCL result is its weakest, trailing the Quadro 4000 by a wide margin. Its Metal score of 4880 nearly matches the Quadro 4000's OpenCL score, but no direct Metal comparison exists for the Quadro 4000. In the nearest rival list, the Vega 3's average score sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (4282, 0.3% higher), the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295, 0.6% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4241, 0.6% lower). The GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 (4335) is 1.5% higher, showing that even a modern high-end card is not far ahead in this specific average benchmark metric.

The benchmark data shows the Quadro 4000's single recorded score is higher than the Vega 3's average, but the Vega 3's best result (Metal at 4880) is closer to the Quadro 4000's OpenCL result. The overall wins tally is 1 to 0 in favor of the Quadro 4000, based solely on the OpenCL test. No other head-to-head tests are recorded, so conclusions about gaming, rendering, or other workloads cannot be drawn from direct comparison data. The recorded data only supports the OpenCL advantage for the Quadro 4000 and the API feature advantages for the Vega 3.