FirePro M40003
GeForce RTX 3060
FirePro M40003 vs GeForce RTX 3060 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 M40003 vs GeForce RTX 3060 FPS Benchmarks
Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.
Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
FirePro M40003 vs GeForce RTX 3060: 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 M40003
2012Why buy it
- ✅Costs $179 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 33W instead of 170W, a 137W reduction.
- ✅Measures 82mm instead of 242mm, a 160mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,364 vs 16,995).
- ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
- ❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.1 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
GeForce RTX 3060
2021Why buy it
- ✅+1146% higher PassMark G3D performance.
- ✅Delivers 468.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 9.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌415.2% higher power demand at 170W vs 33W.
- ❌195.1% longer card at 242mm vs 82mm.
Quick Answers
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FirePro M40003 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
FirePro M40003
The FirePro M40003 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 27 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 675 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,364 points.
GeForce RTX 3060
The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the FirePro M40003 scores 1,364 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1146%. The FirePro M40003 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 512 (FirePro M40003) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (FirePro M40003) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).
| Feature | FirePro M40003 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 1,364 | 16,995+1146% |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Ampere |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 8 nm |
| Shading Units | 512 | 3584+600% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.6912 TFLOPS | 12.74 TFLOPS+1743% |
| ROPs | 16 | 48+200% |
| TMUs | 32 | 112+250% |
| L1 Cache | 0.13 MB | 3.5 MB+2592% |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 3 MB+1100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro M40003 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | FirePro M40003 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | Upscaling support | DLSS 2 Super Resolution |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | NVIDIA Reflex |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The FirePro M40003 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 200% 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 M40003 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FirePro M40003) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | FirePro M40003 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 12 GB+200% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 192-bit+200% |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 3 MB+1100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (FirePro M40003) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.
| Feature | FirePro M40003 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12 Ultimate |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | 1.3+8% |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 6+50% | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro M40003) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (FirePro M40003) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).
| Feature | FirePro M40003 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 1.0 | NVENC 7th Gen |
| Decoder | UVD 4.0 | NVDEC 5th Gen |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The FirePro M40003 draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 135% difference. The FirePro M40003 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M40003) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 82mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.
| Feature | FirePro M40003 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 33W-81% | 170W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-36% | 550W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 8-pin |
| Length | 82mm | 242mm |
| Height | 0mm | 112mm |
| Slots | 1-50% | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | 75 |
| Perf/Watt | 41.3 | 100.0+142% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the FirePro M40003 came in at $150, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, FirePro M40003 was 54.4% cheaper ($179 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.1 (FirePro M40003) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 468.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2012).
| Feature | FirePro M40003 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $150-54% | $329 |
| Performance per Dollar | 9.1 | 51.7+468% |
| Codename | Chelsea | GA106 |
| Release | June 27 2012 | January 12 2021 |
| Ranking | #752 | #114 |
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