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FirePro W5000 vs Radeon R7 260

CPUCPUGPUGPU

FirePro W5000

2012Core: 825 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon R7 260

2013Boost: 1100 MHz
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FirePro W5000 vs Radeon R7 260 Performance Spectrum

FirePro W5000
2 GB 75
2,967
+2.6%
brand logoRadeon RX Vega 9
brand logoRadeon HD 5850
brand logoRadeon HD 5970
brand logoRadeon HD 8770
brand logoRadeon RX 6500M
brand logoRadeon RX 5600
brand logoRadeon RX 8050S
brand logoRadeon RX 6750 XT
Radeon R7 260
1 GB 95
2,892
0.0%
brand logoRadeon Vega 9
brand logoRadeon RX 570X
brand logoRadeon HD 6870
brand logoRadeon HD 6850 X2
brand logoRadeon RX 6500M
brand logoRadeon RX 5600
brand logoRadeon RX 8050S
brand logoRadeon RX 6750 XT

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 Radeon R7 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 W5000

2012

Why buy it

  • ✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
  • ✅Draws 75W instead of 95W, a 20W 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.
  • ❌
    449.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$109 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.0 vs 26.5 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).

Radeon R7 260

2013

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $490 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 435.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.5 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • ✅Measures 170mm instead of 183mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌26.7% higher power demand at 95W 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 2.6% in PassMark G3D (2,967 vs 2,892), 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. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R7 260 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $490 cheaper on MSRP at $109 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 435.6% (26.5 vs 5.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 260 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 Radeon R7 260 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.

AMD

Radeon R7 260

The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W5000 scores 2,967 and the Radeon R7 260 reaches 2,892 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W5000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R7 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (FirePro W5000) vs 768 (Radeon R7 260). Raw compute: 1.267 TFLOPS (FirePro W5000) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260).

FeatureFirePro W5000Radeon R7 260
G3D Mark Score
2,967+3%
2,892
Architecture
GCN 1.0
GCN 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
768
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.267 TFLOPS
1.536 TFLOPS+21%
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
48
48
L1 Cache
192 KB
192 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W5000Radeon R7 260
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro W5000 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 260 carries 1 GB. FirePro W5000 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 128-bit on the Radeon R7 260. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro W5000) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 260) — the FirePro W5000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W5000Radeon R7 260
VRAM Capacity
2 GB+100%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W5000) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260). Vulkan: 1.2.170 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 3.

FeatureFirePro W5000Radeon R7 260
DirectX
12
12 (12_0)
Vulkan
1.2.170
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
6+100%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro W5000) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (FirePro W5000) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC (Radeon R7 260).

FeatureFirePro W5000Radeon R7 260
Encoder
VCE 1.0
VCE 2.0
Decoder
UVD 4.0
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W5000 draws 75W versus the Radeon R7 260's 95W — a 23.5% difference. The FirePro W5000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W5000) vs 400W (Radeon R7 260). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 183mm vs 170mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80.

FeatureFirePro W5000Radeon R7 260
TDP
75W-21%
95W
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
183mm
170mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80
Perf/Watt
39.6+30%
30.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W5000 came in at $599, while the Radeon R7 260 launched at $109. On MSRP, Radeon R7 260 was 81.8% cheaper ($490 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.0 (FirePro W5000) vs 26.5 (Radeon R7 260) — the Radeon R7 260 offers 430% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 260 (2013 vs 2012).

FeatureFirePro W5000Radeon R7 260
MSRP
$599
$109-82%
Performance per Dollar
5.0
26.5+430%
Codename
Pitcairn
Bonaire
Release
August 7 2012
December 17 2013
Ranking
#585
#591
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