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FirePro W8000 vs GeForce GTX 480

CPUCPUGPUGPU

FirePro W8000

2012Core: 900 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 480

2010Core: 700 MHz
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FirePro W8000 vs GeForce GTX 480 Performance Spectrum

FirePro W8000
4 GB 225
4,259
+4.5%
brand logoRadeon RX 550X
brand logoRadeon HD 6970
brand logoMobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
brand logoRadeon RX 560
brand logoRadeon RX 480
brand logoRadeon RX 6600S
brand logoRadeon RX 6650M XT
brand logoRadeon RX 6800
GeForce GTX 480
1.5 GB 250
4,075
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 460
brand logoGeForce GTX 465
brand logoGeForce GTX 470
brand logoGeForce GTX 765M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX TITAN X
brand logoTITAN V CEO Edition
brand logoGeForce 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 W8000 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 W8000

2012

Why buy it

  • ✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • ✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
  • ❌
    220.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,599 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 480

2010

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 206.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.2 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $1,599 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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro W8000 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 4.5% in PassMark G3D (4,259 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 W8000 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 $1,100 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $1,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 206.6% (8.2 vs 2.7), 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 W8000 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W8000 vs GeForce GTX 480 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro W8000

The FirePro W8000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 14 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,259 points. Launch price was $1,599.

NVIDIA

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

The FirePro W8000 scores 4,259 and the GeForce GTX 480 reaches 4,075 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W8000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 480 uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (FirePro W8000) vs 480 (GeForce GTX 480). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (FirePro W8000) vs 1.345 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 480).

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 480
G3D Mark Score
4,259+5%
4,075
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Fermi
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1792+273%
480
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.226 TFLOPS+140%
1.345 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
112+87%
60
L1 Cache
448 KB
960 KB+114%
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 W8000 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce 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 W8000 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 480 carries 2 GB. FirePro W8000 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 W8000 and 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 480. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro W8000) vs 768 KB (GeForce GTX 480) — the GeForce GTX 480 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce 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 W8000) 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.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce 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 W8000) vs PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 480). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro W8000) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 480).

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 480
Encoder
VCE 1.0
PureVideo HD VP4
Decoder
UVD 3.2
PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W8000 draws 225W versus the GeForce GTX 480's 250W — a 10.5% difference. The FirePro W8000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W8000) vs 600W (GeForce GTX 480). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 279mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 58°C vs 90°C.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 480
TDP
225W-10%
250W
Recommended PSU
350W-42%
600W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
279mm
267mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
58°C-36%
90°C
Perf/Watt
18.9+16%
16.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W8000 came in at $1599, while the GeForce GTX 480 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 480 was 68.8% cheaper ($1100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (FirePro W8000) vs 8.2 (GeForce GTX 480) — the GeForce GTX 480 offers 203.7% better value. The newer card here is FirePro W8000 (2012 vs 2010).

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 480
MSRP
$1599
$499-69%
Performance per Dollar
2.7
8.2+204%
Codename
Tahiti
GF100
Release
June 14 2012
March 26 2010
Ranking
#481
#488
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