FirePro W7000 vs GeForce GTX 480

CPU

GPU

FirePro W7000

2012Core: 950 MHz

Similar parts

·······

Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 480

2010Core: 700 MHz

Similar parts

··

Buy on Amazon

FirePro W7000 vs GeForce GTX 480 Performance Spectrum

FirePro W7000

4 GB 150

4,304

+5.6%

4,075

0.0%

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design

GeForce GTX TITAN X

TITAN V CEO Edition

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

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 W7000 vs GeForce GTX 480 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

FirePro W7000 vs GeForce GTX 480: 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 W7000

2012

Why buy it

✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
80.2% HIGHER MSRP
$899 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.8 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($899 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 480

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $899 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.2 vs 4.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $899 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.
❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

FirePro W7000 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 5.6% in PassMark G3D (4,304 vs 4,075), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

FirePro W7000 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2012 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 480 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $400 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $899, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 70.6% (8.2 vs 4.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 480 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro W7000 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W7000 vs GeForce GTX 480 Technical Specifications

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

FirePro W7000

The FirePro W7000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 13 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 950 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,304 points. Launch price was $899.

GeForce GTX 480

The GeForce GTX 480 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,075 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FirePro W7000 scores 4,304 versus the GeForce GTX 480's 4,075 — the FirePro W7000 leads by 5.6%. The FirePro W7000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 480 uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro W7000) vs 480 (GeForce GTX 480). Raw compute: 2.432 TFLOPS (FirePro W7000) vs 1.345 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 480).

Feature	FirePro W7000	GeForce GTX 480
G3D Mark Score	4,304+6%	4,075
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Fermi
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1280+167%	480
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.432 TFLOPS+81%	1.345 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	80+33%	60
L1 Cache	320 KB	960 KB+200%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 480 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro W7000 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	FirePro W7000	GeForce GTX 480
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro W7000 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 480 carries 2 GB. FirePro W7000 gives you 166.7% 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 W7000 and 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 480. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro W7000) vs 768 KB (GeForce GTX 480) — the GeForce GTX 480 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FirePro W7000	GeForce GTX 480
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+167%	1.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	384-bit+500%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W7000) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 480). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 2.

Feature	FirePro W7000	GeForce GTX 480
DirectX	12	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+200%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro W7000) vs PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 480). Decoder: UVD vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro W7000) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 480).

Feature	FirePro W7000	GeForce GTX 480
Encoder	VCE 1.0	PureVideo HD VP4
Decoder	UVD	PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W7000 draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 480's 250W — a 50% difference. The FirePro W7000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W7000) vs 600W (GeForce GTX 480). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 90°C.

Feature	FirePro W7000	GeForce GTX 480
TDP	150W-40%	250W
Recommended PSU	350W-42%	600W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	242mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	90°C	90°C
Perf/Watt	28.7+76%	16.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W7000 came in at $899, while the GeForce GTX 480 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 480 was 44.5% cheaper ($400 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.8 (FirePro W7000) vs 8.2 (GeForce GTX 480) — the GeForce GTX 480 offers 70.8% better value. The newer card here is FirePro W7000 (2012 vs 2010).

Feature	FirePro W7000	GeForce GTX 480
MSRP	$899	$499-44%
Performance per Dollar	4.8	8.2+71%
Codename	Pitcairn	GF100
Release	June 13 2012	March 26 2010
Ranking	#477	#488

Search FirePro W7000 on Amazon

Search GeForce GTX 480 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.