NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 vs NVIDIA Quadro K6000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear and consistent margin in favor of the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 across the two shared benchmark workloads. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Quadro K6000 scores 23,749 against the GeForce GTX 690's 17,399, a lead of 36.5%. That is not a narrow edge; it represents a substantial gap in raw compute throughput for OpenCL-based tasks. The Vulkan results widen the divide further, with the Quadro K6000 posting 25,409 versus 16,675 for the GTX 690, a delta of 52.4%. In both tests, the Quadro K6000 wins outright, making it the dominant part of this pairing in every recorded head-to-head comparison.

Looking at the broader database context, the Quadro K6000's average benchmark score of 19,030 places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 at 19,036 (delta 0%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile at 19,049 (delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m at 19,089 (delta -0.3%), and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation at 18,954 (delta 0.4%). This means the Quadro K6000 sits essentially level with a modern mainstream desktop card and a current professional Ada-generation part, despite being an older Kepler-based product. The GTX 690, by contrast, averages 17,037, which lands in the 60th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7970M at 17,019 (delta 0.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT at 17,083 (delta -0.3%), the NVIDIA Tesla M4 at 16,932 (delta 0.6%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 at 17,208 (delta -1%). The GTX 690 is therefore positioned in the same performance band as a laptop GPU from the HD 7000 series and a current RTX 30-series desktop card, which underscores how much the average scores of these two cards diverge.

The gap in average score between the two cards is 1,993 points, or roughly 11.7% in favor of the Quadro K6000. The head-to-head OpenCL delta of 36.5% is even larger than the average-score gap, suggesting that the Quadro K6000's advantage is particularly pronounced in compute-heavy OpenCL workloads. The Vulkan delta of 52.4% is larger still, indicating that the K6000's architecture handles Vulkan tasks with disproportionately better efficiency relative to the GTX 690. For any user comparing these two cards purely on recorded benchmark performance, the Quadro K6000 is the clear winner in every measurable category.

The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 in every benchmark recorded in the database. It wins both head-to-head tests, holds a higher average benchmark score (19,030 versus 17,037), and sits at a higher percentile ranking (63rd versus 60th). The GTX 690 does not win a single recorded comparison. If the decision is based strictly on the measured numbers, the Quadro K6000 is the card to choose.

That said, the two cards serve very different purposes, and the recorded data alone does not tell the whole story. The Quadro K6000 is a professional workstation part with 12 GB of GDDR5 memory, a 384-bit memory bus, and 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 690 is a dual-GPU consumer card with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory per GPU, a 256-bit bus per GPU, and 192.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The Quadro K6000 also carries a much higher launch MSRP of 5,265 USD, while the GTX 690 launched at 999 USD. Neither card is in production anymore; both are listed as end-of-life. For a buyer choosing between these two today, the Quadro K6000 offers higher recorded performance but at a significantly higher original price point. The GTX 690 offers a lower entry cost but with markedly lower benchmark results. From the data alone, the Quadro K6000 is the superior performer; the GTX 690 is only preferable if the lower launch MSRP is the deciding factor.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 wins in every recorded benchmark category. In Geekbench OpenCL, it leads by 36.5%. In Geekbench Vulkan, it leads by 52.4%. Its average benchmark score of 19,030 is higher than the GTX 690's 17,037, and its percentile ranking of 63rd beats the GTX 690's 60th. The K6000 also has a substantial memory advantage: 12 GB versus 2 GB, a 384-bit bus versus 256-bit, and 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth versus 192.3 GB/s. For any workload that depends on large frame buffers, high memory bandwidth, or compute throughput, the Quadro K6000 is the better fit.

The GTX 690, despite losing every benchmark, still has areas where its specifications could be relevant. It has a higher base clock (915 MHz versus 797 MHz) and a higher boost clock (1,019 MHz versus 902 MHz), which suggests it may have an edge in latency-sensitive or lightly threaded scenarios that do not scale across the K6000's larger shader array. The GTX 690 also has a higher pixel rate in isolation per GPU? The recorded data lists the GTX 690's pixel rate at 32.61 GPixel/s and texture rate at 130.4 GTexel/s, both lower than the Quadro K6000's 54.12 GPixel/s and 216.5 GTexel/s. The GTX 690's advantage is limited to its clock speeds and its lower launch MSRP. Its dual-GPU design means it draws more power (300 W versus 225 W) and requires a 700 W suggested PSU versus 550 W for the K6000.

For users whose workloads are dominated by OpenCL or Vulkan compute, the Quadro K6000 is the clear choice. For users who prioritize clock speed or who are constrained by the original purchase price, the GTX 690 has some appeal, but the recorded benchmark data does not favor it in any test.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 has an average benchmark score of 19,030, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 has an average score of 17,037.

Q: How large is the Quadro K6000's lead in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The Quadro K6000 scores 25,409 in Geekbench Vulkan, compared to 16,675 for the GTX 690, a lead of 52.4%.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each card?

A: The Quadro K6000 has 12 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 690 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 192.3 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has higher clock speeds?

A: The GTX 690 has a base clock of 915 MHz and a boost clock of 1,019 MHz. The Quadro K6000 has a base clock of 797 MHz and a boost clock of 902 MHz.

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No. Both the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 are listed as end-of-life.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card in the database?

A: The Quadro K6000's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (19,036, delta 0%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19,049, delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (19,089, delta -0.3%), and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (18,954, delta 0.4%). The GTX 690's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17,019, delta 0.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17,083, delta -0.3%), the NVIDIA Tesla M4 (16,932, delta 0.6%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (17,208, delta -1%).

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on NVIDIA's Kepler architecture and use a 28 nm process from TSMC, but they are fundamentally different designs. The Quadro K6000 uses the GK110B chip, which contains 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die. The GTX 690 uses the GK104 chip, which contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. That is exactly half the transistor count and roughly half the die area, which explains much of the performance gap. The K6000's transistor density is 12.6M per mm², while the GTX 690's is 12.0M per mm², a small but measurable difference in packing efficiency.

The compute resources differ sharply. The Quadro K6000 has 2,880 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The GTX 690 has 1,536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The K6000's FP32 throughput is 5.196 TFLOPS, while the GTX 690's is 3.130 TFLOPS. Pixel rate is 54.12 GPixel/s for the K6000 versus 32.61 GPixel/s for the GTX 690, and texture rate is 216.5 GTexel/s versus 130.4 GTexel/s. In every throughput metric, the Quadro K6000 holds a commanding lead.

Memory architecture also sets them apart. The K6000 uses a single GPU with 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit interface, delivering 288.4 GB/s. The GTX 690 is a dual-GPU card, with 2 GB of GDDR5 per GPU on a 256-bit interface per GPU, delivering 192.3 GB/s total. The effective memory clock is identical at 6 Gbps for both cards, but the K6000's wider bus and larger capacity give it a clear advantage in memory-bound workloads. The GTX 690's dual-GPU nature also means it requires more power: 300 W TDP versus 225 W, with 2x 8-pin power connectors versus 2x 6-pin, and a suggested PSU of 700 W versus 550 W.

The API support is similar but not identical. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Quadro K6000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the GTX 690 supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The display outputs differ as well: the K6000 offers 2x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2, while the GTX 690 offers 3x DVI and 1x mini-DisplayPort 1.2. The K6000 is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The GTX 690 is also dual-slot but slightly longer at 279 mm, with the same 111 mm height and a width of 38 mm. The K6000's generation is listed as Quadro Kepler (Kx000), while the GTX 690 belongs to the GeForce 600 generation. The K6000's predecessor is Quadro Fermi and its successor is Quadro Maxwell; the GTX 690's predecessor is GeForce 500 and its successor is GeForce 700. Both cards are end-of-life, with the K6000 released on 2013-07-22 and the GTX 690 released on 2012-05-02.