FirePro 3D V5800 vs GeForce GTX 260

FirePro 3D V5800

2010Core: 690 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 260

2008Core: 576 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro 3D V5800 vs GeForce GTX 260 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

FirePro 3D V5800 vs GeForce GTX 260: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FirePro 3D V5800

2010

Why buy it

  • Draws 74W instead of 182W, a 108W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 267mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
  • More future proof: TeraScale 2 (2009−2015) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 6.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $479 MSRPvs$449 MSRP

GeForce GTX 260

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $30 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $479 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • 2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 145.9% higher power demand at 182W vs 74W.
  • 16.6% longer card at 267mm vs 229mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro 3D V5800 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (1,232 vs 1,200), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro 3D V5800 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 896 MB of VRAM, a 40nm process instead of 65nm, and a newer 2010 generation instead of 2008. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 260 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 cheaper on MSRP at $449 vs $479, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 3.9% (2.7 vs 2.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 260 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro 3D V5800 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro 3D V5800 vs GeForce GTX 260 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

AMD

FirePro 3D V5800

The FirePro 3D V5800 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 26 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 690 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 74W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,232 points. Launch price was $479.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 260

The GeForce GTX 260 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,200 points. Launch price was $449.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro 3D V5800 scores 1,232 and the GeForce GTX 260 reaches 1,200 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro 3D V5800 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce GTX 260 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 800 (FirePro 3D V5800) vs 192 (GeForce GTX 260). Raw compute: 1.104 TFLOPS (FirePro 3D V5800) vs 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260).

FeatureFirePro 3D V5800GeForce GTX 260
G3D Mark Score
1,232+3%
1,200
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Tesla 2.0
Process Node
40 nm
65 nm
Shading Units
800+317%
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.104 TFLOPS+131%
0.4769 TFLOPS
ROPs
16
28+75%
TMUs
40
64+60%
L2 Cache
256 KB+14%
224 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 260 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro 3D V5800 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro 3D V5800GeForce GTX 260
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro 3D V5800 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 260 carries 896 MB. FirePro 3D V5800 gives you 14.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro 3D V5800 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 260. L2 Cache: 256 KB (FirePro 3D V5800) vs 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260) — the FirePro 3D V5800 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro 3D V5800GeForce GTX 260
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+14%
0.875 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB+14%
224 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (FirePro 3D V5800) vs 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

FeatureFirePro 3D V5800GeForce GTX 260
DirectX
11.0+10%
10_0
Max Displays
3+50%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 2.3 (FirePro 3D V5800) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260). Decoder: UVD 2.3 vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (FirePro 3D V5800) vs H.264 (GeForce GTX 260).

FeatureFirePro 3D V5800GeForce GTX 260
Encoder
UVD 2.3
NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder
UVD 2.3
NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro 3D V5800 draws 74W versus the GeForce GTX 260's 182W — a 84.4% difference. The FirePro 3D V5800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro 3D V5800) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 260). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 267mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureFirePro 3D V5800GeForce GTX 260
TDP
74W-59%
182W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
229mm
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
90°C
Perf/Watt
16.6+152%
6.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro 3D V5800 came in at $479, while the GeForce GTX 260 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 260 was 6.3% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.6 (FirePro 3D V5800) vs 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) — the GeForce GTX 260 offers 3.8% better value. The newer card here is FirePro 3D V5800 (2010 vs 2008).

FeatureFirePro 3D V5800GeForce GTX 260
MSRP
$479
$449-6%
Performance per Dollar
2.6
2.7+4%
Codename
Juniper
GT200
Release
April 26 2010
June 16 2008
Ranking
#780
#821

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