NVIDIA Quadro GP100 vs NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct benchmark comparison between these two workstation cards, the Geekbench OpenCL test. The NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation scores 146,593 points, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445 points. This represents a 67.6% advantage for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation, a substantial margin that places the two cards in different performance tiers despite both being professional workstation offerings.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 123,842, a test for which the Quadro GP100 has no recorded result. This absence is notable because Vulkan support differs between the two architectures, which will be examined in the architecture section. The average benchmark score for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is 135,218, while the Quadro GP100 averages 87,445 across its recorded tests.

Looking at the percentile rankings, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation sits in the 95th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the Quadro GP100 sits in the 93rd percentile. This means both cards are high performers relative to the broader GPU landscape, but the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is closer to the top of the distribution. The gap between the 95th and 93rd percentiles, however, understates the raw performance difference in the OpenCL test, where the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is far ahead.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation provide context for its average score. The NVIDIA A10M has an average score of 135,230, which is essentially identical (0% delta). The AMD Radeon PRO W6800 scores 135,396, putting it 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4000 Ada Generation. The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo scores 135,774, a 0.4% advantage, and the AMD Radeon PRO V620 scores 136,472, a 0.9% advantage. These deltas are all within a narrow window, indicating that the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is positioned at the top of a tight cluster of workstation GPUs, with no single rival holding a meaningful lead.

For the Quadro GP100, the nearest rivals show a different competitive landscape. The AMD Radeon PRO W7600 scores 87,108, which is 0.4% behind the Quadro GP100. The NVIDIA CMP 40HX scores 85,637, putting it 2.1% behind. On the other side, the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile scores 91,134, which is 4% ahead of the Quadro GP100, and the NVIDIA RTX A4500 scores 91,671, a 4.6% advantage. The Quadro GP100 is therefore competitive with modern mid-range workstation cards but clearly trails the higher-end RTX A4500 family.

The head-to-head OpenCL result shows that the RTX 4000 Ada Generation wins the only directly comparable benchmark. The delta of 67.6% is not a marginal difference; it is a decisive victory that reflects fundamental architectural and specification gaps between the two products. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation wins 1 head-to-head benchmark, while the Quadro GP100 wins 0.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation wins in every recorded head-to-head comparison. The OpenCL test, which measures general-purpose GPU compute performance, shows the RTX 4000 Ada Generation at 146,593 versus the Quadro GP100 at 87,445. This 67.6% advantage is the only direct comparison available, but the Vulkan result for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation (123,842) suggests that its advantage extends to graphics workloads as well, since the Quadro GP100 has no recorded Vulkan score.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation also wins on raw compute throughput metrics. Its FP32 performance is 26.73 TFLOPS, compared to 10.34 TFLOPS for the Quadro GP100. That is more than 2.5 times the single-precision compute capability. For FP16 workloads, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers 26.73 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, meaning it does not sacrifice throughput when switching to half precision. The Quadro GP100 delivers 20.69 TFLOPS FP16, which is achieved through a 2:1 ratio, where FP16 runs at double the rate of FP32. Despite the Quadro GP100's FP16 advantage relative to its own FP32, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation still produces higher absolute FP16 throughput.

Texture and pixel rates follow the same pattern. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation reaches 417.6 GTexel/s and 139.2 GPixel/s, while the Quadro GP100 reaches 323.2 GTexel/s and 138.5 GPixel/s. The texture rate difference favors the RTX 4000 Ada Generation by a wide margin, while pixel rates are nearly identical, with the RTX 4000 Ada Generation holding a slight edge.

The Quadro GP100 does have one clear advantage: memory bandwidth. Its HBM2 memory operates over a 4096-bit bus with a bandwidth of 732.2 GB/s, compared to the RTX 4000 Ada Generation's 360.0 GB/s over a 160-bit GDDR6 bus. This means the Quadro GP100 can move data to and from memory more than twice as fast. For workloads that are bandwidth-bound rather than compute-bound, such as certain large dataset operations, the Quadro GP100's memory subsystem could provide a benefit despite its lower compute throughput.

The Quadro GP100 also has a larger memory bus width (4096 bit versus 160 bit), which contributes to its bandwidth advantage. However, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has more memory capacity: 20 GB versus 16 GB. The extra 4 GB could be decisive for very large models or datasets that exceed 16 GB, even though the Quadro GP100 can move data faster once it fits in memory.

The Verdict

The data points clearly to the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation as the superior performer in this comparison. It wins the only direct benchmark, has a higher average score (135,218 versus 87,445), and sits at a higher percentile rank (95th versus 93rd). The 67.6% OpenCL lead is substantial and consistent with the compute throughput differences, where the RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers 26.73 TFLOPS FP32 versus 10.34 TFLOPS for the Quadro GP100.

For users prioritizing compute performance, general workstation tasks, or modern graphics API support, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the clear choice. Its Vulkan score of 123,842 and DirectX 12 Ultimate support indicate that it is built for current and future software requirements. The Quadro GP100, with DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3 support, is limited to older API levels.

The Quadro GP100 is an end-of-life product, released in 2016, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation was released in 2023 and remains active in production. This generational gap explains most of the performance differences. Users who already own the Quadro GP100 and need only memory bandwidth for specific tasks might find reasons to keep it, but for new purchases or upgrades, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation dominates on every recorded metric except bandwidth.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation also offers advantages in power efficiency. Its TDP is 130 W, while the Quadro GP100 consumes 235 W. The suggested PSU for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is 300 W, versus 550 W for the Quadro GP100. This means the RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers far higher performance while drawing nearly half the power, a consideration for dense workstation environments.

The verdict is straightforward: the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the better product for virtually all use cases represented in the database. The Quadro GP100's only notable strength, memory bandwidth, does not compensate for its large compute deficit in the recorded benchmarks. Users who need maximum memory bandwidth for specialized workloads should consider the Quadro GP100, but the data suggests that most workstation users will be better served by the RTX 4000 Ada Generation.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4000 Ada Generation than the Quadro GP100 in OpenCL?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation scores 146,593 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Quadro GP100 scores 87,445. This gives the RTX 4000 Ada Generation a 67.6% higher score.

Q: Which card has more memory capacity?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the Quadro GP100 has 16 GB of HBM2 memory. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation holds a 4 GB capacity advantage.

Q: Does the Quadro GP100 have ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The Quadro GP100 has no recorded RT cores and no recorded tensor cores. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores.

Q: What are the power consumption figures for both cards?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a TDP of 130 W with a suggested PSU of 300 W. The Quadro GP100 has a TDP of 235 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Q: Which card supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. The Quadro GP100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is listed as Active in production, while the Quadro GP100 is listed as End-of-life.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The Quadro GP100 uses the GP100 chip based on the Pascal architecture, fabricated on a 16 nm process, also by TSMC. This process difference is significant: the 5 nm node allows for much higher transistor density, which directly contributes to the performance gap.

Transistor counts illustrate this difference clearly. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.8 million per mm². The Quadro GP100 contains 15,300 million transistors on a 610 mm² die, with a density of 25.1 million per mm². The RTX 4000 Ada Generation packs more than twice the transistors into less than half the die area, a direct result of the 5 nm process.

The memory subsystems are architecturally different as well. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 160-bit bus, achieving a bandwidth of 360.0 GB/s. The Quadro GP100 uses 16 GB of HBM2 memory with a 4096-bit bus, achieving a bandwidth of 732.2 GB/s. HBM2's stacked memory design allows for the massive 4096-bit bus, which is why the Quadro GP100 maintains a bandwidth advantage despite its older architecture.

Compute resources differ substantially. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 6,144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It also includes 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI workloads. The Quadro GP100 has 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, but no RT cores or tensor cores are recorded. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has more shading units and TMUs, while the Quadro GP100 has more ROPs.

The FP16 implementation differs between the two. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation achieves 26.73 TFLOPS FP16 with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, meaning it processes both at the same rate. The Quadro GP100 achieves 20.69 TFLOPS FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, meaning FP16 runs twice as fast as FP32. This architectural choice reflects the different eras: Pascal used the 2:1 ratio to boost FP16 throughput, while Ada Lovelace provides full-rate FP16 as standard.

Clock speeds also differ, with the RTX 4000 Ada Generation running at a base of 1500 MHz and boost of 2175 MHz, while the Quadro GP100 runs at 1304 MHz base and 1443 MHz boost. The higher clocks, combined with the newer architecture, contribute to the RTX 4000 Ada Generation's superior compute performance.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards:

Process Node: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is fabricated on a 5 nm process, while the Quadro GP100 uses a 16 nm process.

Transistors: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 35,800 million transistors, while the Quadro GP100 has 15,300 million.

Die Size: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a die size of 294 mm², while the Quadro GP100 has a die size of 610 mm².

Transistor Density: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation achieves 121.8M transistors per mm², while the Quadro GP100 achieves 25.1M per mm².

Base Clock: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation runs at 1500 MHz, while the Quadro GP100 runs at 1304 MHz.

Boost Clock: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation boosts to 2175 MHz, while the Quadro GP100 boosts to 1443 MHz.

Memory Size: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 20 GB, while the Quadro GP100 has 16 GB.

Memory Type: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses GDDR6, while the Quadro GP100 uses HBM2.

Memory Bus Width: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a 160-bit bus, while the Quadro GP100 has a 4096-bit bus.

Memory Bandwidth: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation achieves 360.0 GB/s, while the Quadro GP100 achieves 732.2 GB/s.

Memory Clock: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), while the Quadro GP100 runs at 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective).

Shading Units: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 6,144, while the Quadro GP100 has 3,584.

TMUs: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 192, while the Quadro GP100 has 224.

ROPs: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 64, while the Quadro GP100 has 96.

RT Cores: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 48, while the Quadro GP100 has none recorded.

Tensor Cores: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 192, while the Quadro GP100 has none recorded.

Pixel Rate: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation achieves 139.2 GPixel/s, while the Quadro GP100 achieves 138.5 GPixel/s.

Texture Rate: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation achieves 417.6 GTexel/s, while the Quadro GP100 achieves 323.2 GTexel/s.

FP32 Performance: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers 26.73 TFLOPS, while the Quadro GP100 delivers 10.34 TFLOPS.

FP16 Performance: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers 26.73 TFLOPS (1:1), while the Quadro GP100 delivers 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1).

TDP: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a TDP of 130 W, while the Quadro GP100 has a TDP of 235 W.

Slot Width: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is single-slot, while the Quadro GP100 is dual-slot.

Power Connectors: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses a 1x 16-pin connector, while the Quadro GP100 uses a 1x 8-pin connector.

Suggested PSU: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation suggests a 300 W PSU, while the Quadro GP100 suggests a 550 W PSU.

Bus Interface: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Quadro GP100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Display Outputs: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Quadro GP100 has 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a.

DirectX Support: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation supports 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Quadro GP100 supports 12 (12_1).

Vulkan Support: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation supports 1.4, while the Quadro GP100 supports 1.3.

Dimensions: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is 245 mm long and 112 mm high, while the Quadro GP100 is 267 mm long and 111 mm high.

Production Status: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is Active, while the Quadro GP100 is End-of-life.

Release Date: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation was released in August 2023, while the Quadro GP100 was released in September 2016.

Predecessor: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation's predecessor is Workstation Ampere, while the Quadro GP100's predecessor is Quadro Maxwell.

Successor: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation's successor is Blackwell PRO W, while the Quadro GP100's successor is Quadro Volta.