NVIDIA Quadro GP100 vs NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains a single comparative benchmark between these two workstation GPUs, and the result is decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation scores 175,286, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445. That represents a delta of 100.5% in favor of the RTX 5000 Ada Generation, meaning the newer card more than doubles the older card's compute throughput in this workload. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation wins the only head-to-head benchmark recorded, with a win count of one to zero.

This magnitude of difference is not incremental. A 100.5% improvement suggests that the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is not merely faster in the same class, but operates in a different performance tier altogether. The gap aligns with the architectural chasm between the two products: the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, while the Quadro GP100 is a Pascal-generation part. The data shows that in raw OpenCL compute, the newer architecture delivers roughly double the performance.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces the interpretation. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation's average benchmark score is 184,664, placing it at the 98th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its nearest competitors include the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB, which averages 183,725 (a delta of 0.5% in favor of the RTX 5000 Ada Generation), and the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB, which averages 187,147 (a delta of -1.3% against the RTX 5000 Ada Generation). The RTX 5000 Ada Generation also sits 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell and 3.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D. These are all heavyweight data-center and enthusiast-class parts, and the RTX 5000 Ada Generation holds its own within that group.

The Quadro GP100, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 87,445, placing it at the 93rd percentile. Its nearest rivals are considerably less powerful: the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 averages 87,108 (a delta of 0.4% in favor of the Quadro GP100), and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX averages 85,637 (a delta of 2.1% in favor of the Quadro GP100). The RTX A4500 Mobile and RTX A4500 are 4% and 4.6% ahead of the Quadro GP100, respectively. The percentile gap between the two cards, 98th versus 93rd, understates the actual score difference because the upper reaches of the database are sparsely populated.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: for any workload represented by Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the superior choice. It delivers 100.5% higher raw compute performance in the single recorded head-to-head test. Its average benchmark score of 184,664 places it among the top 2% of all GPUs in the database, while the Quadro GP100's average of 87,445 places it in the top 7%. The performance gap is so large that the Quadro GP100 cannot be recommended on performance grounds alone.

The Quadro GP100 still holds a niche for legacy applications. It is an end-of-life product with Pascal architecture, and its production status is listed as "End-of-life." The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is listed as "Active." For users who specifically require Pascal-generation compatibility or who cannot migrate software stacks, the Quadro GP100 remains functional, but the benchmark evidence shows it is vastly outclassed in compute performance.

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation also offers a more complete feature set, which is detailed in the architecture section below. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) compared to the Quadro GP100's DirectX 12 (12_1), and it supports Vulkan 1.4 compared to Vulkan 1.3. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation includes ray tracing cores and tensor cores, while the Quadro GP100 has neither. For modern compute and graphics workloads, the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the clear winner.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation than the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 in OpenCL?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the RTX 5000 Ada Generation scores 175,286, and the Quadro GP100 scores 87,445. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is 100.5% faster.

Q: Which GPU has a higher benchmark percentile ranking?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation sits at the 98th percentile among all GPUs, while the Quadro GP100 sits at the 93rd percentile.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each GPU?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has an average benchmark score of 184,664. The Quadro GP100 has an average benchmark score of 87,445.

Q: Does the Quadro GP100 support ray tracing?

A: No. The Quadro GP100 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, whereas the RTX 5000 Ada Generation includes 100 ray tracing cores and 400 tensor cores.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is listed as "Active," while the Quadro GP100 is listed as "End-of-life."

Q: How does the RTX 5000 Ada Generation compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB, 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, and 3.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D. It is 1.3% behind the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses a 5 nm process node, while the Quadro GP100 uses a 16 nm node. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has a base clock of 1155 MHz and a boost clock of 2550 MHz, compared to the Quadro GP100's base clock of 1304 MHz and boost clock of 1443 MHz. Memory specifications diverge sharply: the RTX 5000 Ada Generation has 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the Quadro GP100 has 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus with 732.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Quadro GP100 actually has higher memory bandwidth, but the RTX 5000 Ada Generation compensates with higher capacity and a newer memory type.

The compute units also differ substantially. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has 12,800 shading units, 400 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units. The Quadro GP100 has 3,584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. Pixel rates are 448.8 GPixel/s for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation versus 138.5 GPixel/s for the Quadro GP100. Texture rates are 1,020.0 GTexel/s versus 323.2 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance shows the largest gap: the RTX 5000 Ada Generation delivers 65.28 TFLOPS FP32, while the Quadro GP100 delivers 10.34 TFLOPS FP32. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation also lists 65.28 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1 ratio), while the Quadro GP100 lists 20.69 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio).

Power and interface specifications differ as well. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has a TDP of 250 W with a 1x 16-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 600 W. The Quadro GP100 has a TDP of 235 W with a 1x 8-pin connector and a suggested PSU of 550 W. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Quadro GP100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 1.4a for both, but the Quadro GP100 adds 1x DVI. Physical dimensions are nearly identical: both are 267 mm long (10.5 inches), with heights of 112 mm and 111 mm, respectively.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip, manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process. It contains 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 125.3M per mm². The Quadro GP100 uses the Pascal architecture with the GP100 chip, also manufactured by TSMC but on a 16 nm process. It contains 15,300 million transistors on a 610 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.1M per mm². The die sizes are nearly identical, but the RTX 5000 Ada Generation packs roughly five times more transistors into the same area, which explains the massive performance difference.

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation 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 RTX 5000 Ada Generation includes 100 ray tracing cores and 400 tensor cores, which are entirely absent from the Quadro GP100. This makes the newer card suitable for ray-traced rendering and AI-accelerated workloads, while the Quadro GP100 is limited to traditional rasterization and compute.

Memory architecture also differs fundamentally. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses 32 GB of GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus, while the Quadro GP100 uses 16 GB of HBM2 with a 4096-bit bus. The Quadro GP100's HBM2 memory operates at 715 MHz with 1430 Mbps effective, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation's GDDR6 runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has lower raw bandwidth (576.0 GB/s versus 732.2 GB/s) but double the capacity.

The release dates show the generational span: the RTX 5000 Ada Generation was released on 2023-08-08, while the Quadro GP100 was released on 2016-09-30. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation's predecessor is Workstation Ampere, and its successor is Blackwell PRO W. The Quadro GP100's predecessor is Quadro Maxwell, and its successor is Quadro Volta.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation wins on raw compute performance across the board. It delivers 100.5% higher OpenCL scores, 65.28 TFLOPS FP32 versus 10.34 TFLOPS, and 448.8 GPixel/s versus 138.5 GPixel/s. It wins on modern feature support with ray tracing cores, tensor cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and PCIe 4.0. It wins on memory capacity with 32 GB versus 16 GB. It wins on production status as an actively supported product. It wins on transistor count and density, and it is the only one of the two with a Vulkan benchmark recorded in the database, scoring 194,041 in Geekbench Vulkan.

The Quadro GP100 wins on memory bandwidth, delivering 732.2 GB/s versus 576.0 GB/s. This could benefit certain bandwidth-bound workloads that fit within its 16 GB capacity. It also has a lower TDP at 235 W versus 250 W, though both require an external power connector. It supports the same OpenGL 4.6 version as the RTX 5000 Ada Generation, so OpenGL compatibility is equivalent. Its 4096-bit memory bus is a legacy advantage that the newer card does not attempt to match. For applications that are uniquely sensitive to memory bandwidth and do not require the newer compute features, the Quadro GP100 retains a narrow technical edge.

In practice, the benchmark data suggests that the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the correct choice for virtually all modern workloads. Its 98th percentile ranking, active production status, and 100.5% performance advantage over the Quadro GP100 make it the stronger option for compute-heavy tasks, AI inference, and ray-traced rendering. The Quadro GP100, at the 93rd percentile and end-of-life status, is best reserved for legacy environments where its specific HBM2 memory layout or Pascal-era driver support is required. The recorded data does not show any benchmark where the Quadro GP100 wins, so any decision to select it must rest on factors outside the measured performance metrics.