FirePro W5100 vs Radeon R9 260

FirePro W5100

2014Core: 930 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 260

2013Core: 947 MHz

FirePro W5100 vs Radeon R9 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 R9 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

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 50W instead of 275W, a 225W 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.
  • 187.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $399 MSRPvs$139 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 21.9 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Radeon R9 260

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $260 less on MSRP ($139 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Delivers 192.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.9 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • FirePro W5100 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R9 260 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 450% higher power demand at 275W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 260 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2% in PassMark G3D (3,048 vs 2,987), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R9 260 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 260 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $260 cheaper on MSRP at $139 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 192.9% (21.9 vs 7.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro W5100 vs Radeon R9 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 R9 260

The Radeon R9 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,048 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W5100 scores 2,987 and the Radeon R9 260 reaches 3,048 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W5100 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R9 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (FirePro W5100) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 260). Raw compute: 1.428 TFLOPS (FirePro W5100) vs 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 260).

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R9 260
G3D Mark Score
2,987
3,048+2%
Architecture
GCN 2.0
GCN 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
768
2560+233%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.428 TFLOPS
4.849 TFLOPS+240%
ROPs
16
64+300%
TMUs
48
160+233%
L1 Cache
192 KB
640 KB+233%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R9 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 R9 260 carries 2 GB. FirePro W5100 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 W5100 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 260. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FirePro W5100) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 260) — the Radeon R9 260 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R9 260
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W5100 draws 50W versus the Radeon R9 260's 275W — a 138.5% difference. The FirePro W5100 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W5100) vs 450W (Radeon R9 260). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R9 260
TDP
50W-82%
275W
Recommended PSU
350W-22%
450W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
59.7+438%
11.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W5100 came in at $399, while the Radeon R9 260 launched at $139. On MSRP, Radeon R9 260 was 65.2% cheaper ($260 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 7.5 (FirePro W5100) vs 21.9 (Radeon R9 260) — the Radeon R9 260 offers 192% better value. The newer card here is FirePro W5100 (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureFirePro W5100Radeon R9 260
MSRP
$399
$139-65%
Performance per Dollar
7.5
21.9+192%
Codename
Bonaire
Hawaii
Release
March 31 2014
November 5 2013
Ranking
#582
#316

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