FirePro W5000 vs Quadro K1200

FirePro W5000

2012Core: 825 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro K1200

2015Core: 954 MHzBoost: 1033 MHz

FirePro W5000 vs Quadro K1200 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 Quadro K1200: 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

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 99.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.0 vs 9.9 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • 66.7% higher power demand at 75W vs 45W.

Quadro K1200

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $299 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 99.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.9 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 45W instead of 75W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

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 0.1% in PassMark G3D (2,967 vs 2,965), 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?
Quadro K1200 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $299 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 99.5% (9.9 vs 5.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Quadro K1200 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro W5000 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W5000 vs Quadro K1200 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

Quadro K1200

The Quadro K1200 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 28 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,965 points. Launch price was $321.97.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W5000 scores 2,967 and the Quadro K1200 reaches 2,965 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W5000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Quadro K1200 uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (FirePro W5000) vs 512 (Quadro K1200). Raw compute: 1.267 TFLOPS (FirePro W5000) vs 1.0578 TFLOPS (Quadro K1200).

FeatureFirePro W5000Quadro K1200
G3D Mark Score
2,967
2,965
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Maxwell
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768+50%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.267 TFLOPS+20%
1.0578 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
48+50%
32
L1 Cache
192 KB
256 KB+33%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W5000Quadro K1200
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 W5000 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro K1200 carries 4 GB. Quadro K1200 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 W5000 and 64-bit on the Quadro K1200. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (FirePro W5000) vs 2 MB (Quadro K1200) — the Quadro K1200 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W5000Quadro K1200
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W5000 draws 75W versus the Quadro K1200's 45W — a 50% difference. The Quadro K1200 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W5000) vs 350W (Quadro K1200). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureFirePro W5000Quadro K1200
TDP
75W
45W-40%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
183mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
39.6
65.9+66%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W5000 came in at $599, while the Quadro K1200 launched at $300. On MSRP, Quadro K1200 was 49.9% cheaper ($299 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.0 (FirePro W5000) vs 9.9 (Quadro K1200) — the Quadro K1200 offers 98% better value. The newer card here is Quadro K1200 (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureFirePro W5000Quadro K1200
MSRP
$599
$300-50%
Performance per Dollar
5.0
9.9+98%
Codename
Pitcairn
GM107
Release
August 7 2012
January 28 2015
Ranking
#585
#586

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