FirePro M5100 vs GeForce RTX 3060

FirePro M5100

2013Core: 725 MHzBoost: 775 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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FirePro M5100 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 M5100 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 M5100

2013

Why buy it

  • Measures 82mm instead of 242mm, a 160mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,874 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2013 hardware with 2 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 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • +806.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 195.1% longer card at 242mm vs 82mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 806.9% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 1,874), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

FirePro M5100 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro M5100

The FirePro M5100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 16 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,874 points.

NVIDIA

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 M5100 scores 1,874 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 806.9%. The FirePro M5100 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 640 (FirePro M5100) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.992 TFLOPS (FirePro M5100) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 775 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
1,874
16,995+807%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
640
3584+460%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.992 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1184%
Boost Clock
775 MHz
1777 MHz+129%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
40
112+180%
L1 Cache
0.16 MB
3.5 MB+2088%
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 M5100 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce 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 M5100 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 500% 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 M5100 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FirePro M5100) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
12 GB+500%
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 (FL11_1) (FirePro M5100) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12 (FL11_1)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro M5100) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1 (FirePro M5100) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
VCE 1.0
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
UVD 4.0
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M5100 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The FirePro M5100 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M5100) 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.

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
150W-12%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
82mm
242mm
Height
70mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75
Perf/Watt
12.5
100.0+700%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M5100 came in at $0, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, FirePro M5100 was 100+% cheaper ($329 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (FirePro M5100) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the FirePro M5100 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2013).

FeatureFirePro M5100GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$0-100%
$329
Performance per Dollar
Infinity
51.7
Codename
Venus
GA106
Release
October 16 2013
January 12 2021
Ranking
#701
#114

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