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FirePro V5900 vs GeForce GTX 260

CPUCPUGPUGPU

FirePro V5900

2011Core: 600 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 260

2008Core: 576 MHz
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FirePro V5900 vs GeForce GTX 260 Performance Spectrum

FirePro V5900
2 GB 75
1,232
+2.7%
brand logoRadeon HD 6630M
brand logoRadeon R7 M365X
brand logoRadeon R7 340
brand logoRadeon R7 430
brand logoRadeon RX 5500M
brand logoRadeon RX 7600M
brand logoRadeon RX 6700S
brand logoRadeon RX 6700 XT
GeForce GTX 260
0.875 GB 182
1,200
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GT 530
brand logoGeForce GT 740M
brand logoGeForce GT 640M
brand logoGeForce 920MX
brand logoGeForce GTX 1050 Ti (móvel)
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 (móvel)
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 (Mobile)
brand logoGeForce RTX 4060

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 V5900 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 V5900

2011

Why buy it

  • ✅128.6% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 896 MB).
  • ✅Draws 75W instead of 182W, a 107W reduction.
  • ✅Measures 229mm instead of 267mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • ❌2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌
    33.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.1 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 260

2008

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 29.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • ❌Less VRAM, with 896 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌142.7% higher power demand at 182W vs 75W.
  • ❌16.6% longer card at 267mm vs 229mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro V5900 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 V5900 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 896 MB of VRAM, a 40nm process instead of 65nm, and a newer 2011 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 $150 cheaper on MSRP at $449 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 29.9% (2.7 vs 2.1), 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 V5900 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro V5900 vs GeForce GTX 260 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro V5900

The FirePro V5900 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 24 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 600 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,232 points.

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 V5900 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 V5900 is built on TeraScale 3 while the GeForce GTX 260 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 512 (FirePro V5900) vs 192 (GeForce GTX 260). Raw compute: 0.6144 TFLOPS (FirePro V5900) vs 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260).

FeatureFirePro V5900GeForce GTX 260
G3D Mark Score
1,232+3%
1,200
Architecture
TeraScale 3
Tesla 2.0
Process Node
40 nm
65 nm
Shading Units
512+167%
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6144 TFLOPS+29%
0.4769 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+14%
28
TMUs
32
64+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+129%
224 KB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 260 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro V5900 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro V5900GeForce 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 V5900 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 260 carries 896 MB. FirePro V5900 gives you 128.6% 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 V5900 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 260. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro V5900) vs 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260) — the FirePro V5900 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro V5900GeForce GTX 260
VRAM Capacity
2 GB+129%
0.875 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+129%
224 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (FirePro V5900) vs 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

FeatureFirePro V5900GeForce GTX 260
DirectX
11.2+12%
10_0
Max Displays
3+50%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FirePro V5900) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro V5900) vs H.264 (GeForce GTX 260).

FeatureFirePro V5900GeForce GTX 260
Encoder
None
NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder
UVD 3.1
NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro V5900 draws 75W versus the GeForce GTX 260's 182W — a 83.3% difference. The FirePro V5900 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro V5900) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 260). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 267mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureFirePro V5900GeForce GTX 260
TDP
75W-59%
182W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
229mm
267mm
Height
112mm
—
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
80
—
Perf/Watt
16.4+148%
6.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro V5900 came in at $599, while the GeForce GTX 260 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 260 was 25% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (FirePro V5900) vs 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) — the GeForce GTX 260 offers 28.6% better value. The newer card here is FirePro V5900 (2011 vs 2008).

FeatureFirePro V5900GeForce GTX 260
MSRP
$599
$449-25%
Performance per Dollar
2.1
2.7+29%
Codename
Cayman
GT200
Release
May 24 2011
June 16 2008
Ranking
#812
#821
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