FirePro W5100 vs Radeon R7 260

FirePro W5100

2014Core: 930 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R7 260

2013Boost: 1100 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro W5100 vs Radeon R7 260 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 W5100 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 W5100

2014

Why buy it

  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Draws 50W instead of 95W, a 45W reduction.
  • More future proof: GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 266.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $399 MSRPvs$109 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 26.5 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).

Radeon R7 260

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $290 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Delivers 254.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.5 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Measures 170mm instead of 173mm, a 3mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 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.
  • 90% higher power demand at 95W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro W5100 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.3% in PassMark G3D (2,987 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 W5100 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. 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 $290 cheaper on MSRP at $109 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 254.4% (26.5 vs 7.5), 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 W5100 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W5100 vs Radeon R7 260 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro W5100

The FirePro W5100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 31 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 930 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,987 points.

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 W5100 scores 2,987 and the Radeon R7 260 reaches 2,892 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W5100 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R7 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (FirePro W5100) vs 768 (Radeon R7 260). Raw compute: 1.428 TFLOPS (FirePro W5100) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260).

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R7 260
G3D Mark Score
2,987+3%
2,892
Architecture
GCN 2.0
GCN 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
768
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.428 TFLOPS
1.536 TFLOPS+8%
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
48
48
L1 Cache
192 KB
192 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon 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 W5100 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 260 carries 1 GB. FirePro W5100 gives you 300% 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 W5100 and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 260.

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R7 260
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+300%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W5100) 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 W5100Radeon 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 2.0 (FirePro W5100) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (FirePro W5100) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC (Radeon R7 260).

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R7 260
Encoder
VCE 2.0
VCE 2.0
Decoder
UVD 4.2
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W5100 draws 50W versus the Radeon R7 260's 95W — a 62.1% difference. The FirePro W5100 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W5100) vs 400W (Radeon R7 260). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 170mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 80.

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R7 260
TDP
50W-47%
95W
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
173mm
170mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-13%
80
Perf/Watt
59.7+96%
30.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W5100 came in at $399, while the Radeon R7 260 launched at $109. On MSRP, Radeon R7 260 was 72.7% cheaper ($290 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 7.5 (FirePro W5100) vs 26.5 (Radeon R7 260) — the Radeon R7 260 offers 253.3% better value. The newer card here is FirePro W5100 (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R7 260
MSRP
$399
$109-73%
Performance per Dollar
7.5
26.5+253%
Codename
Bonaire
Bonaire
Release
March 31 2014
December 17 2013
Ranking
#582
#591

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