AMD FirePro W8000 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Comparison

The AMD FirePro W8000 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 are separated by eight years of GPU architecture, and the benchmark data reflects that gulf clearly. In the two shared tests, the RTX 3090 wins both, with its most dominant victory coming in Geekbench OpenCL where it outscores the FirePro W8000 by 85.9%. The FirePro W8000’s only competitive moment is in Geekbench Vulkan, where it trails by 37%, a smaller margin that still leaves it firmly behind. The RTX 3090 also holds a higher average benchmark score of 27,565 versus 29,211 for the FirePro W8000, though the older card’s percentile ranking is slightly higher at 75% compared to 73% for the newer GPU.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 wins decisively, scoring 172,758 against the AMD FirePro W8000’s 24,440. This represents an 85.9% advantage for the RTX 3090.

Q: How does the FirePro W8000 perform in Vulkan compared to the RTX 3090?

A: In Geekbench Vulkan, the FirePro W8000 scores 33,981, while the RTX 3090 scores 53,927. The RTX 3090 leads by 37%, a significant but smaller gap than in OpenCL.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The FirePro W8000 has an average benchmark score of 29,211, while the RTX 3090 averages 27,565. Despite the RTX 3090 winning every direct head-to-head test, the FirePro W8000’s average is higher.

Q: How do the two cards rank against all GPUs?

A: The FirePro W8000 sits in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 3090 is in the 73rd percentile. This means the older AMD card ranks slightly higher in overall standing despite losing direct comparisons.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card based on average score?

A: The FirePro W8000’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH with an average score of 29,197 and a 0% delta. The RTX 3090’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, which scores 27,839 and is 1% ahead of it.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RTX 3090 has 10,496 shading units, compared to 1,792 on the FirePro W8000. This is a 5.86x difference in shading unit count.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is vast, starting with the manufacturing process. The FirePro W8000 uses a 28 nm process at TSMC with 4,313 million transistors packed into a 352 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.3M per mm². The RTX 3090, by contrast, is built on Samsung’s 8 nm node with 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, achieving a density of 45.1M per mm² — nearly four times the transistor density of the older card.

The FirePro W8000 is based on AMD’s GCN 1.0 architecture with the Tahiti chip, part of the FirePro GCN (Wx000) generation. The RTX 3090 uses the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, belonging to the GeForce 30-series and GeForce 30 generation. This architectural leap explains the massive differences in compute resources: the RTX 3090 features 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, while the FirePro W8000 has just 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally as well. The FirePro W8000 comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 176.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3090 ships with 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, more than quintupling bandwidth to 936.2 GB/s. The RTX 3090 also introduces dedicated hardware absent from the FirePro W8000: 82 ray tracing cores and 328 tensor cores. In terms of API support, the FirePro W8000 reaches DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, whereas the RTX 3090 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GPUs share only two benchmark tests in the data, and the results are unambiguous. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3090 posts a score of 172,758 against the FirePro W8000’s 24,440. The delta is -85.9% for the FirePro W8000, meaning the RTX 3090 delivers more than seven times the OpenCL performance. This is the single largest margin in any comparison between the two cards.

The second shared test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows a closer but still one-sided result. The RTX 3090 scores 53,927, while the FirePro W8000 manages 33,981. The delta here is -37%, representing a 58.7% advantage for the NVIDIA card. While the FirePro W8000 performs relatively better in Vulkan than in OpenCL, it still loses by a wide margin, and the absolute score difference of 19,946 points is substantial.

Across the entire head-to-head set, the RTX 3090 records 2 wins and 0 losses. The FirePro W8000 fails to win a single test. The RTX 3090’s victory in Vulkan is notable for being its smaller win, suggesting that the older GCN architecture handles Vulkan workloads comparatively better than OpenCL, though it remains far behind Ampere in both APIs.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal a generational leap in nearly every measurable category. The FirePro W8000 has a TDP of 225 W, while the RTX 3090 draws 350 W. Power connectors differ, with the AMD card using 2x 6-pin and the NVIDIA card requiring 1x 12-pin. Suggested PSU ratings are 550 W for the FirePro W8000 and 750 W for the RTX 3090.

Clock speeds are only partially listed for the FirePro W8000, with memory clocked at 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective), while the RTX 3090 specifies a base clock of 1395 MHz, a boost clock of 1695 MHz, and memory at 1219 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective). Pixel rate favors the RTX 3090 at 189.8 GPixel/s versus 28.80 GPixel/s for the FirePro W8000. Texture rates are 556.0 GTexel/s for the NVIDIA card and 100.8 GTexel/s for the AMD card. FP32 performance is 35.58 TFLOPS on the RTX 3090, dwarfing the FirePro W8000’s 3.226 TFLOPS. The RTX 3090 also lists FP16 at 35.58 TFLOPS (1:1), a feature absent from the FirePro W8000’s spec sheet.

Physical dimensions and connectivity also differ. The FirePro W8000 is a dual-slot card measuring 279 mm in length and 111 mm in height, with 4x DisplayPort 1.2 and 1x SDI outputs. The RTX 3090 is a triple-slot card at 336 mm long, 140 mm tall, and 61 mm wide, with 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 on the AMD card and PCIe 4.0 x16 on the NVIDIA card. Release dates are June 13, 2012, for the FirePro W8000 and August 31, 2020, for the RTX 3090, with the former’s predecessor being FirePro Terascale and the latter’s being GeForce 20.

The Verdict

The data leaves no room for ambiguity in raw performance: the RTX 3090 dominates every shared benchmark, with an 85.9% lead in OpenCL and a 37% lead in Vulkan. Any workload that stresses compute or graphics throughput will favor the NVIDIA card overwhelmingly. The RTX 3090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, 936.2 GB/s bandwidth, and 35.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance make it a superior choice for large datasets, high-resolution textures, or compute-heavy tasks.

However, the FirePro W8000 is not without merit. Its average benchmark score of 29,211 is higher than the RTX 3090’s 27,565, and its 75th percentile ranking beats the RTX 3090’s 73rd. This suggests that in a broader pool of tests beyond the two shared ones, the FirePro W8000 holds up relatively well, likely due to its professional-grade drivers and optimized workloads. Its 225 W TDP and dual-slot design also make it a more power-efficient and physically smaller option.

For users requiring maximum compute performance, ray tracing, tensor cores, or modern API support, the RTX 3090 is the clear choice. For those prioritizing a lower power draw, smaller physical footprint, or compatibility with legacy professional software, the FirePro W8000 remains a viable option despite its age. The RTX 3090 wins on performance; the FirePro W8000 wins on efficiency and compactness.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3090 wins in every scenario where raw compute power is the primary requirement. Its OpenCL score of 172,758 is 7.07 times higher than the FirePro W8000’s, making it the obvious pick for machine learning inference, video rendering, or scientific simulations that leverage OpenCL. Its Vulkan score of 53,927 also leads, so any modern game or Vulkan-based application will run significantly faster on the NVIDIA card. The RTX 3090’s 82 ray tracing cores and 328 tensor cores give it capabilities the FirePro W8000 simply lacks, making it the only choice for ray-traced workloads or AI-accelerated tasks.

The FirePro W8000’s wins are more subtle and contextual. Its higher average benchmark score of 29,211 versus 27,565 indicates that in the full suite of benchmarks tracked by the database, it outperforms the RTX 3090. This could stem from its professional driver optimizations for CAD, DCC, or compute applications that are not represented in the head-to-head tests. Its 225 W TDP is 125 W lower than the RTX 3090’s, making it preferable for power-constrained environments. Its dual-slot form factor and 279 mm length also fit into chassis that cannot accommodate the RTX 3090’s triple-slot, 336 mm design. In legacy software that predates the RTX 3090’s release, the FirePro W8000’s mature GCN 1.0 drivers may offer better stability, and its 4x DisplayPort 1.2 plus SDI output configuration serves specialized broadcast or multi-display setups that the RTX 3090’s HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a combination does not replicate.