NVIDIA Quadro GP100 vs NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 Comparison

NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 and NVIDIA Quadro GP100 are both end-of-life workstation cards, but they represent two very different design philosophies from NVIDIA. The RTX 6000 is a Turing-generation card built for modern graphics workloads, while the GP100 is a Pascal-generation card aimed squarely at compute. Benchmark data shows a clear split: the older GP100 wins the only shared test, yet the RTX 6000 holds a higher overall average score and a better percentile ranking, suggesting a more balanced profile across a wider range of workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison available from the data is a single Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are decisive. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445, while the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 scores 74,179. This gives the GP100 a 15.2% advantage in raw compute throughput. This is a significant margin, meaning that in purely compute-bound tasks that scale well across the GP100's architecture, the older card will finish measurably ahead. The RTX 6000 is not just slightly behind; it is trailing by a margin that will be noticeable in long render or simulation jobs.

However, the average benchmark score tells a different story about overall capability. The RTX 6000 averages 101,872 across its benchmark suite, while the GP100 averages 87,445. The RTX 6000 is 16.5% faster on average, suggesting that in other benchmarks not included in the head-to-head data, the Turing card pulls ahead substantially. The GP100's percentile rank of 93 versus the RTX 6000's 94 also reflects this, with the RTX 6000 sitting just above its rival in the overall GPU hierarchy. The GP100's OpenCL win is a specific, narrow victory, while the RTX 6000 appears to be the more consistent performer across a broader testing suite.

Looking at rivals, the RTX 6000 sits in a competitive pack. It is 4.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7900M and 4.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro VII, but it trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo by 4.6% and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600X by 5.1%. This places the RTX 6000 in a tight cluster where small percentage differences separate cards. The GP100, by contrast, is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon PRO W7600, scoring just 0.4% higher, and is 2.1% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 40HX. However, it lags the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile by 4% and the RTX A4500 by 4.6%. The GP100's closest rival is a mid-range card, whereas the RTX 6000 competes with higher-end offerings.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is substantial. The RTX 6000 uses the TU102 chip built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, while the GP100 uses the GP100 chip on a 16 nm process, also at TSMC. The RTX 6000 is the larger die at 754 mm² compared to 610 mm², and it packs 18,600 million transistors versus 15,300 million. Interestingly, the GP100 has a slightly higher transistor density at 25.1M / mm² compared to the RTX 6000's 24.7M / mm², evidence of the denser packing possible on the older design.

The compute resources diverge sharply. The RTX 6000 has 4,608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The GP100 has fewer of each: 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The RTX 6000 also brings dedicated hardware that the GP100 lacks entirely: 72 RT cores and 576 tensor cores. This is the defining feature difference, as the GP100 has no RT cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 6000's FP32 performance is 16.31 TFLOPS, while the GP100 manages 10.34 TFLOPS. FP16 performance follows the same pattern, with the RTX 6000 hitting 32.62 TFLOPS (2:1) and the GP100 reaching 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1).

Memory architecture is another major split. The RTX 6000 uses 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GP100 uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a massive 4096-bit bus, which gives it higher bandwidth at 732.2 GB/s. The GP100's memory clock is listed at 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective), which is much lower than the RTX 6000's 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), but the wider bus compensates. The GP100 also has a different display output configuration, featuring 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RTX 6000 offers 4x DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x USB Type-C.

The feature set and API support also differ. The RTX 6000 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GP100 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Vulkan support is newer on the RTX 6000 at version 1.4 versus 1.3 on the GP100. Both cards use a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and have identical physical dimensions of 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The RTX 6000 has a higher TDP at 260 W and requires a 600 W power supply, while the GP100 is more efficient at 235 W with a 550 W suggested PSU. The RTX 6000 also needs two power connectors (1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin) versus the GP100's single 8-pin.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice based on workload. If your primary concern is raw compute performance in OpenCL-style tasks, the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 is the better performer. Its 15.2% lead in the head-to-head test is substantial, and its higher memory bandwidth (732.2 GB/s) could be an advantage in memory-bound compute tasks. The GP100 is a straightforward compute workhorse with no ray tracing or tensor core hardware, but it delivers where it counts for simulation and data processing.

For everything else, the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 is the superior card. Its average benchmark score is 16.5% higher, and it ranks in the 94th percentile versus the GP100's 93rd. The RTX 6000 has more than double the FP32 throughput (16.31 TFLOPS vs 10.34 TFLOPS), and the inclusion of 72 RT cores and 576 tensor cores makes it future-proof for applications that leverage ray tracing or AI acceleration. The 24 GB of GDDR6 memory also provides more capacity for large datasets, even if the bandwidth is lower. The RTX 6000 is the more versatile card, and its higher average score suggests it handles a wider range of tasks with greater consistency. For a mixed workload environment, the RTX 6000 is the safer bet.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in raw compute benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 wins the only head-to-head OpenCL test, scoring 87,445 versus the RTX 6000's 74,179, a 15.2% advantage.

Q: Does the RTX 6000 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 6000 includes 72 RT cores, while the GP100 has no RT cores at all.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The RTX 6000 has 24 GB of GDDR6, while the GP100 has 16 GB of HBM2.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The GP100 has higher bandwidth at 732.2 GB/s, compared to the RTX 6000's 672.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The RTX 6000 averages 101,872, which is 16.5% higher than the GP100's average of 87,445.

Q: Do both cards have the same API support?

A: No, the RTX 6000 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GP100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 wins in compute-heavy workloads that are well-suited to its architecture. The 15.2% lead in OpenCL performance makes it the stronger choice for general-purpose GPU computing, such as scientific simulation, financial modeling, or any task that relies heavily on parallel floating-point operations. Its higher memory bandwidth of 732.2 GB/s also gives it an edge in memory-bandwidth-bound scenarios, where moving data quickly is more important than processing it. The lower TDP of 235 W and single 8-pin power connector also make it easier to fit into existing systems with lower power budgets.

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 wins in virtually every other category. Its FP32 performance of 16.31 TFLOPS is 57.7% higher than the GP100's 10.34 TFLOPS, making it faster for general graphics and rendering workloads. The 576 tensor cores and 72 RT cores enable features that the GP100 cannot handle at all, including AI-accelerated workflows and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which are increasingly important in modern content creation. The 24 GB memory capacity is 50% larger, allowing larger models and textures to fit in VRAM. The RTX 6000 also has a newer API feature set with DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring broader compatibility with modern software. Its higher average benchmark score of 101,872 indicates it is the more consistently fast card across a diverse range of applications.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 | NVIDIA Quadro GP100 |

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

| Chip | TU102 | GP100 |

| Architecture | Turing | Pascal |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 16 nm |

| Transistors | 18,600 million | 15,300 million |

| Die Size | 754 mm² | 610 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.7M / mm² | 25.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1440 MHz | 1304 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1770 MHz | 1443 MHz |

| Memory Size | 24 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | HBM2 |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 4096 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 672.0 GB/s | 732.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 4608 | 3584 |

| TMUs | 288 | 224 |

| ROPs | 96 | 96 |

| RT Cores | 72 | null |

| Tensor Cores | 576 | null |

| FP32 Performance | 16.31 TFLOPS | 10.34 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 32.62 TFLOPS (2:1) | 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 260 W | 235 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 550 W |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C | 1x DVI, 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2018-08-12 | 2016-09-30 |