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FirePro W8000 vs GeForce GTX 660

CPUCPUGPUGPU

FirePro W8000

2012Core: 900 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 660

2012Core: 980 MHzBoost: 1033 MHz
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FirePro W8000 vs GeForce GTX 660 Performance Spectrum

FirePro W8000
4 GB 225
4,259
+5.4%
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 660
3 GB 140
4,040
0.0%
brand logoGeForce MX150
brand logoGeForce GTX 465
brand logoGeForce GTX 470
brand logoGeForce GTX 680M 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 660: 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

  • ✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 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.
  • ❌
    598.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,599 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • ❌60.7% higher power demand at 225W vs 140W.
  • ❌15.8% longer card at 279mm vs 241mm.

GeForce GTX 660

2012

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $1,370 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 562.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
  • ✅Draws 140W instead of 225W, a 85W reduction.
  • ✅Measures 241mm instead of 279mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2012 hardware with 3 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 5.4% in PassMark G3D (4,259 vs 4,040), 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 3 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 660 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,370 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $1,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 562.3% (17.6 vs 2.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 660 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 660 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 660

The GeForce GTX 660 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 6 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 980 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 140W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,040 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FirePro W8000 scores 4,259 versus the GeForce GTX 660's 4,040 — the FirePro W8000 leads by 5.4%. The FirePro W8000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 660 uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (FirePro W8000) vs 960 (GeForce GTX 660). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (FirePro W8000) vs 1.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 660).

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 660
G3D Mark Score
4,259+5%
4,040
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Kepler
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1792+87%
960
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.226 TFLOPS+63%
1.981 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+33%
24
TMUs
112+40%
80
L1 Cache
448 KB+460%
80 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB+33%
384 KB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 660 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 660
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 660 carries 3 GB. FirePro W8000 gives you 33.3% 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 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 660. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro W8000) vs 384 KB (GeForce GTX 660) — the FirePro W8000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 660
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+33%
3 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
192-bit+200%
L2 Cache
512 KB+33%
384 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W8000) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 660). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 660
DirectX
12
12
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro W8000) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 660). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro W8000) vs H.264 (GeForce GTX 660).

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 660
Encoder
VCE 1.0
NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder
UVD 3.2
NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W8000 draws 225W versus the GeForce GTX 660's 140W — a 46.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 660 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W8000) vs 450W (GeForce GTX 660). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 279mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 660
TDP
225W
140W-38%
Recommended PSU
350W-22%
450W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
279mm
241mm
Height
111mm
—
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
58°C
—
Perf/Watt
18.9
28.9+53%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W8000 came in at $1599, while the GeForce GTX 660 launched at $229. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 660 was 85.7% cheaper ($1370 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (FirePro W8000) vs 17.6 (GeForce GTX 660) — the GeForce GTX 660 offers 551.9% better value.

FeatureFirePro W8000GeForce GTX 660
MSRP
$1599
$229-86%
Performance per Dollar
2.7
17.6+552%
Codename
Tahiti
GK106
Release
June 14 2012
September 6 2012
Ranking
#481
#490
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