FirePro W5000 vs GRID K280Q

FirePro W5000

2012Core: 825 MHz
Similar parts
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VS

GRID K280Q

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro W5000 vs GRID K280Q 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 W5000 vs GRID K280Q: 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 W5000

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,401 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 248.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.0 vs 1.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 225W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 18200% longer card at 183mm vs 1mm.

GRID K280Q

2013

Why buy it

  • Measures 1mm instead of 183mm, a 182mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 233.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,000 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($2,000 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 200% higher power demand at 225W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro W5000 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 4.5% in PassMark G3D (2,967 vs 2,840), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro W5000 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro W5000 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,401 cheaper on MSRP at $599 vs $2,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 248.8% (5.0 vs 1.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro W5000 vs GRID K280Q Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro W5000

The FirePro W5000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 7 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 825 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,967 points. Launch price was $599.

NVIDIA

GRID K280Q

The GRID K280Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,840 points. Launch price was $1,875.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W5000 scores 2,967 and the GRID K280Q reaches 2,840 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W5000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GRID K280Q uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (FirePro W5000) vs 1,536 (GRID K280Q). Raw compute: 1.267 TFLOPS (FirePro W5000) vs 2.289 TFLOPS (GRID K280Q).

FeatureFirePro W5000GRID K280Q
G3D Mark Score
2,967+4%
2,840
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Kepler
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
1536+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.267 TFLOPS
2.289 TFLOPS+81%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
48
128+167%
L1 Cache
192 KB+50%
128 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W5000GRID K280Q
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro W5000 and 64-bit on the GRID K280Q.

FeatureFirePro W5000GRID K280Q
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W5000) vs 11_0 (GRID K280Q). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 0.

FeatureFirePro W5000GRID K280Q
DirectX
12+9%
11_0
Max Displays
6
0
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W5000 draws 75W versus the GRID K280Q's 225W — a 100% difference. The FirePro W5000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W5000) vs 350W (GRID K280Q). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 183mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

FeatureFirePro W5000GRID K280Q
TDP
75W-67%
225W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
183mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
39.6+214%
12.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W5000 came in at $599, while the GRID K280Q launched at $2000. On MSRP, FirePro W5000 was 70% cheaper ($1401 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.0 (FirePro W5000) vs 1.4 (GRID K280Q) — the FirePro W5000 offers 257.1% better value. The newer card here is GRID K280Q (2013 vs 2012).

FeatureFirePro W5000GRID K280Q
MSRP
$599-70%
$2000
Performance per Dollar
5.0+257%
1.4
Codename
Pitcairn
GK104
Release
August 7 2012
June 28 2013
Ranking
#585
#595

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