FirePro W8000 vs Tesla K20Xm

FirePro W8000

2012Core: 900 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
NVIDIA

Tesla K20Xm

2012Core: 732 MHz
Similar parts
·······

FirePro W8000 vs Tesla K20Xm 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 W8000 vs Tesla K20Xm: 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

  • Costs $6,100 less on MSRP ($1,599 MSRP vs $7,699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 365.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $7,699 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Tesla K20Xm

2012

Why buy it

  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2012 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 381.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $7,699 MSRPvs$1,599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($7,699 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Tesla K20Xm is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.4% in PassMark G3D (4,403 vs 4,259), 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 because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro W8000 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $6,100 cheaper on MSRP at $1,599 vs $7,699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 365.7% (2.7 vs 0.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla K20Xm still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

FirePro W8000 vs Tesla K20Xm 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

Tesla K20Xm

The Tesla K20Xm is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 12 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 732 MHz. It has 2688 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 235W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,403 points. Launch price was $7,699.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W8000 scores 4,259 and the Tesla K20Xm reaches 4,403 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W8000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Tesla K20Xm uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (FirePro W8000) vs 2,688 (Tesla K20Xm). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (FirePro W8000) vs 3.935 TFLOPS (Tesla K20Xm).

FeatureFirePro W8000Tesla K20Xm
G3D Mark Score
4,259
4,403+3%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Kepler
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1792
2688+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.226 TFLOPS
3.935 TFLOPS+22%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
112
224+100%
L1 Cache
448 KB+100%
224 KB
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1.5 MB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W8000Tesla K20Xm
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 W8000 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla K20Xm carries 6 GB. Tesla K20Xm gives you 50% 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 64-bit on the Tesla K20Xm. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (FirePro W8000) vs 1.5 MB (Tesla K20Xm) — the Tesla K20Xm has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W8000Tesla K20Xm
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
6 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1.5 MB+200%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W8000 draws 225W versus the Tesla K20Xm's 235W — a 4.3% difference. The FirePro W8000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W8000) vs 350W (Tesla K20Xm). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureFirePro W8000Tesla K20Xm
TDP
225W-4%
235W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
279mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
58°C
Perf/Watt
18.9+1%
18.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W8000 came in at $1599, while the Tesla K20Xm launched at $7699. On MSRP, FirePro W8000 was 79.2% cheaper ($6100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (FirePro W8000) vs 0.6 (Tesla K20Xm) — the FirePro W8000 offers 350% better value.

FeatureFirePro W8000Tesla K20Xm
MSRP
$1599-79%
$7699
Performance per Dollar
2.7+350%
0.6
Codename
Tahiti
GK110
Release
June 14 2012
November 12 2012
Ranking
#481
#473

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.