FirePro W600 vs Quadro P500

FirePro W600

2012Core: 750 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Quadro P500

2018Core: 1455 MHzBoost: 1518 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro W600 vs Quadro P500 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 Quadro P500: 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

  • 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.
  • 19.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$500 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.8 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
  • 316.7% higher power demand at 75W vs 18W.

Quadro P500

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $99 less on MSRP ($500 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 17.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 2.8 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • FirePro W600 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Quadro P500 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 18W instead of 75W, a 57W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

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 2.2% in PassMark G3D (1,695 vs 1,659), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro P500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Quadro P500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $99 cheaper on MSRP at $500 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 17.3% (3.3 vs 2.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. FirePro W600 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

FirePro W600 vs Quadro P500 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

Quadro P500

The Quadro P500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 5 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1455 MHz to 1518 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 18W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,659 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W600 scores 1,695 and the Quadro P500 reaches 1,659 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W600 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Quadro P500 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 512 (FirePro W600) vs 256 (Quadro P500). Raw compute: 0.768 TFLOPS (FirePro W600) vs 0.7772 TFLOPS (Quadro P500).

FeatureFirePro W600Quadro P500
G3D Mark Score
1,695+2%
1,659
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
512+100%
256
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.768 TFLOPS
0.7772 TFLOPS+1%
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
32+100%
16
L1 Cache
128 KB+33%
96 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W600Quadro P500
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 W600 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P500 carries 4 GB. Quadro P500 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 W600 and 64-bit on the Quadro P500. L2 Cache: 256 KB (FirePro W600) vs 512 KB (Quadro P500) — the Quadro P500 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W600Quadro P500
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W600 draws 75W versus the Quadro P500's 18W — a 122.6% difference. The Quadro P500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W600) vs 350W (Quadro P500). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureFirePro W600Quadro P500
TDP
75W
18W-76%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
168mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
Unknown
Perf/Watt
22.6
92.2+308%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W600 came in at $599, while the Quadro P500 launched at $500. On MSRP, Quadro P500 was 16.5% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.8 (FirePro W600) vs 3.3 (Quadro P500) — the Quadro P500 offers 17.9% better value. The newer card here is Quadro P500 (2018 vs 2012).

FeatureFirePro W600Quadro P500
MSRP
$599
$500-17%
Performance per Dollar
2.8
3.3+18%
Codename
Cape Verde
GP108
Release
June 13 2012
January 5 2018
Ranking
#732
#740

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