FirePro W600 vs GeForce GTX 480M

FirePro W600

2012Core: 750 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 480M

2010Core: 425 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro W600 vs GeForce GTX 480M 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 W600 vs GeForce GTX 480M: 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 W600

2012

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.

GeForce GTX 480M

2010

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • 2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro W600 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.5% in PassMark G3D (1,695 vs 1,653), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro W600 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2012 generation instead of 2010. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro W600 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

FirePro W600 vs GeForce GTX 480M Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro W600

The FirePro W600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 13 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,695 points. Launch price was $599.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 480M

The GeForce GTX 480M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 25 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 425 MHz. It has 352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,653 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W600 scores 1,695 and the GeForce GTX 480M reaches 1,653 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W600 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 480M uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 512 (FirePro W600) vs 352 (GeForce GTX 480M). Raw compute: 0.768 TFLOPS (FirePro W600) vs 0.5984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 480M).

FeatureFirePro W600GeForce GTX 480M
G3D Mark Score
1,695+3%
1,653
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Fermi
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
512+45%
352
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.768 TFLOPS+28%
0.5984 TFLOPS
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
32
44+38%
L1 Cache
128 KB
704 KB+450%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 480M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro W600 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro W600GeForce GTX 480M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro W600 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 480M. L2 Cache: 256 KB (FirePro W600) vs 512 KB (GeForce GTX 480M) — the GeForce GTX 480M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W600GeForce GTX 480M
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W600) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 480M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.0. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 2.

FeatureFirePro W600GeForce GTX 480M
DirectX
12
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.2
1.2
OpenGL
4.6+15%
4.0
Max Displays
6+200%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro W600) vs PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 480M). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264 (FirePro W600) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 480M).

FeatureFirePro W600GeForce GTX 480M
Encoder
VCE 1.0
PureVideo HD VP4
Decoder
UVD 4.0
PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs
H.264
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W600 draws 75W versus the GeForce GTX 480M's 100W — a 28.6% difference. The FirePro W600 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W600) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 480M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: Unknown vs 95°C.

FeatureFirePro W600GeForce GTX 480M
TDP
75W-25%
100W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
168mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
Unknown-100%
95°C
Perf/Watt
22.6+37%
16.5
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is FirePro W600 (2012 vs 2010).

FeatureFirePro W600GeForce GTX 480M
MSRP
$599
Codename
Cape Verde
GF100
Release
June 13 2012
May 25 2010
Ranking
#732
#743

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