FirePro V5900 vs Quadro FX 5800

FirePro V5900

2011Core: 600 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Quadro FX 5800

2008Core: 610 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro V5900 vs Quadro FX 5800 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 V5900 vs Quadro FX 5800: 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

  • Costs $2,900 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 494.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.1 vs 0.3 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 189W, a 114W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quadro FX 5800

2008

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2008 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 484.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $3,499 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.3 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($3,499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 152% higher power demand at 189W vs 75W.

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 1.7% in PassMark G3D (1,232 vs 1,211), 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: a 40nm process instead of 55nm and a newer 2011 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro V5900 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,900 cheaper on MSRP at $599 vs $3,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 494.3% (2.1 vs 0.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro V5900 vs Quadro FX 5800 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

Quadro FX 5800

The Quadro FX 5800 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 11 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 610 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 189W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,211 points. Launch price was $3,499.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro V5900 scores 1,232 and the Quadro FX 5800 reaches 1,211 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro V5900 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Quadro FX 5800 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 512 (FirePro V5900) vs 240 (Quadro FX 5800). Raw compute: 0.6144 TFLOPS (FirePro V5900) vs 0.6221 TFLOPS (Quadro FX 5800).

FeatureFirePro V5900Quadro FX 5800
G3D Mark Score
1,232+2%
1,211
Architecture
TeraScale 3
Tesla 2.0
Process Node
40 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
512+113%
240
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6144 TFLOPS
0.6221 TFLOPS+1%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
32
80+150%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro V5900Quadro FX 5800
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro V5900 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro FX 5800 carries 4 GB. Quadro FX 5800 gives you 100% 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 64-bit on the Quadro FX 5800. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro V5900) vs 256 KB (Quadro FX 5800) — the FirePro V5900 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro V5900Quadro FX 5800
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro V5900 draws 75W versus the Quadro FX 5800's 189W — a 86.4% difference. The FirePro V5900 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro V5900) vs 350W (Quadro FX 5800). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureFirePro V5900Quadro FX 5800
TDP
75W-60%
189W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
229mm
Height
112mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
80
Perf/Watt
16.4+156%
6.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro V5900 came in at $599, while the Quadro FX 5800 launched at $3499. On MSRP, FirePro V5900 was 82.9% cheaper ($2900 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (FirePro V5900) vs 0.3 (Quadro FX 5800) — the FirePro V5900 offers 600% better value. The newer card here is FirePro V5900 (2011 vs 2008).

FeatureFirePro V5900Quadro FX 5800
MSRP
$599-83%
$3499
Performance per Dollar
2.1+600%
0.3
Codename
Cayman
GT200B
Release
May 24 2011
November 11 2008
Ranking
#812
#815

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