NVIDIA Quadro K3000M

The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M is a Kepler-generation mobile workstation GPU built on TSMC's 28 nm process, packing 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die. Its single Geekbench OpenCL score of 4241 places it at the 23rd percentile among all GPUs, indicating a part that was modest even at its 2012 launch and is now firmly in entry-level territory. The data shows a GPU that trades blows with integrated and low-end discrete parts, rather than one that competes with modern workstation silicon.

Benchmark Performance

The Quadro K3000M’s OpenCL score of 4241 is a snapshot of its raw compute throughput, and the nearestRivals data provides a clear picture of where it sits. It is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon Vega 3, which scores 4268; the Quadro trails by a razor-thin 0.6%. That is a statistical dead heat, meaning the K3000M and a modern entry-level integrated GPU deliver comparable OpenCL performance. Against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, the Quadro is 0.8% behind that rival’s 4275 score — again, a negligible gap that puts both in the same performance class.

The deltaPct values flip positive when comparing to lower-scoring parts. The Quadro K3000M leads the NVIDIA GeForce 830M by 1.8%, with the 830M scoring 4166. That is a small but measurable advantage. The most notable comparison is with the AMD FirePro W2100, which scores 4295; the K3000M trails by 1.3%. Across all four rivals, the spread is just 129 points (from 4166 to 4295), representing a performance band of roughly 3%. This clustering means the K3000M’s 753.4 GFLOPS of FP32 compute and 31.39 GTexel/s texture rate place it in a narrow competitive window — it is neither a clear winner nor a laggard among its closest peers.

The benchmark results indicate that the K3000M’s compute capabilities are fundamentally limited by its age. The 654 MHz base and boost clocks are identical, so there is no dynamic headroom; the GPU runs at a fixed frequency. The pixel rate of 7.848 GPixel/s and the 32 ROPs suggest that fillrate-bound workloads will not be a strength. In practical terms, a 23rd percentile ranking means the majority of GPUs in the database outperform it, and users should expect performance roughly equivalent to a low-end part from the last decade.

Memory Subsystem

The Quadro K3000M is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 89.60 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 700 MHz, translating to 2.8 Gbps effective. This configuration was respectable for a mobile workstation in 2012, but the data shows it is now a limiting factor. The 256-bit bus width is actually generous compared to many modern entry-level parts, which often use 128-bit or narrower interfaces, but the raw bandwidth of 89.60 GB/s is modest by current standards.

For high-resolution workloads, the memory subsystem presents a clear bottleneck. The 2 GB capacity is sufficient for 1080p framebuffers and moderate texture loads, but it will struggle with 4K textures or large compute datasets that exceed the VRAM limit. The 89.60 GB/s bandwidth means that memory-intensive operations, such as heavy anti-aliasing or high-resolution render targets, will see throughput constraints. The data does not suggest this GPU is suited to 4K gaming or large-scale GPU compute; rather, it is a part for light to moderate 1080p workloads where the 256-bit bus can still provide adequate throughput for its class.

The lack of a wider memory interface or higher clock speed is telling. At 89.60 GB/s, the K3000M delivers less than half the bandwidth of many modern midrange parts, and the 2 GB VRAM is now the minimum viable size for most applications. Benchmark results indicate that memory-bound scenarios will expose the GPU’s age more than its compute capabilities, as the 576 shading units are relatively plentiful but starved by the memory system in data-heavy tasks.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Quadro K3000M has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as these are features from later architectures. Its Kepler design relies on traditional shading units — 576 of them, backed by 48 TMUs and 32 ROPs. The API support is surprisingly forward-looking for the era: DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. This means the GPU can run modern API workloads, but the hardware lacks the specialized acceleration for ray tracing or AI-based features that newer parts possess.

The absence of RT and tensor cores is a decisive factor for any modern workload. Ray tracing, whether in games or professional rendering, will run entirely on the shader units if the API allows it, but performance will be poor. The FP32 throughput of 753.4 GFLOPS is the only compute metric available, and it underscores the lack of dedicated hardware for specialized tasks. The DirectX 12 (11_0) support is feature-limited compared to full DirectX 12 Ultimate, so the GPU cannot leverage features like variable rate shading or mesh shaders.

The display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning the K3000M is tied to the laptop or mobile workstation it ships in. The bus interface is MXM-B (3.0), a modular standard that allows for replacement in compatible systems. For professional use, the feature set is adequate for traditional OpenGL-based CAD or 3D modeling, but the lack of RT and tensor cores makes it obsolete for modern AI acceleration or ray-traced visualization.

How It Compares

AMD Radeon Vega 3: The K3000M trails the Vega 3 by 0.6%, a difference of 27 points in OpenCL scores. This is effectively a tie, but it is a damning comparison because the Vega 3 is an integrated GPU found in budget laptops. The Quadro’s discrete design and 75 W TDP do not translate into a performance advantage over a modern APU. For compute tasks, users would see no meaningful difference between the two.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M: The GTX 460M edges out the K3000M by 0.8%, with a score of 4275 versus 4241. The GTX 460M is a Fermi-generation part from roughly the same era, so the similar performance is expected. The Quadro’s Kepler architecture offers better power efficiency — the 75 W TDP is modest — but the raw compute output is nearly identical. This comparison reinforces that the K3000M is a mid-range part from its generation, not a high-end one.

AMD FirePro W2100: The FirePro W2100 leads the K3000M by 1.3%, scoring 4295. This is the largest deficit among the rivals listed. The W2100 is a low-profile workstation card, and its slight edge over the K3000M shows that the Quadro is not even competitive with entry-level workstation parts from later years. The 129-point gap between the lowest and highest rival scores is small, but the W2100’s advantage is consistent.

NVIDIA GeForce 830M: The K3000M’s only win comes against the GeForce 830M, which it beats by 1.8% (4241 versus 4166). The 830M is a low-end mobile GPU from the Maxwell generation, so this is a modest victory. The 75-point difference is not enough to make the K3000M a compelling choice, but it does show that the older Kepler part can still outmuscle the weakest modern discrete GPUs in pure compute.

Who Should Consider It

The benchmark data positions the Quadro K3000M as a GPU for legacy 1080p workloads and light professional use. Its 4241 OpenCL score and 23rd percentile ranking mean it is not suitable for modern gaming at high settings or any resolution above 1080p. The 2 GB VRAM and 89.60 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for older titles at medium settings, but the lack of RT cores and the fixed 654 MHz clock will cause stuttering in newer games that demand more memory bandwidth.

For professional applications, the K3000M is best suited to 2D CAD, basic 3D modeling, and spreadsheet-style GPU compute where the 576 shading units can be utilized without exceeding the memory limit. The DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 support mean it will run modern professional software, but performance will be at the low end. Users who need to run ray-traced rendering or AI inference should look elsewhere, as the absence of specialized cores makes those tasks prohibitively slow.

The 75 W TDP and MXM-B (3.0) form factor make it a drop-in replacement for older mobile workstations, which is its primary niche. Anyone still running a Kepler-era laptop with a failed GPU could use the K3000M as a direct swap. However, the data shows that even the cheapest modern integrated GPU, like the Radeon Vega 3, matches it in compute, so there is no performance reason to seek it out. It is a part for compatibility, not capability. For 1080p gaming at low settings or light workstation tasks, it remains functional, but the 23rd percentile ranking makes it clear that nearly every contemporary GPU outperforms it.