FirePro W8100 vs GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

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 W8100 vs GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE 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 W8100 vs GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE: 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 W8100

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 241mm instead of 267mm, a 26mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌171.6% higher power demand at 220W vs 81W.

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 81W instead of 220W, a 139W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
❌10.8% longer card at 267mm vs 241mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

FirePro W8100 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (6,812 vs 6,707), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

FirePro W8100 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

FirePro W8100 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

FirePro W8100 vs GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE Technical Specifications

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

FirePro W8100

The FirePro W8100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 23 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 824 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,812 points.

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 81W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,707 points. Launch price was $2,560.89.

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Graphics Performance

The FirePro W8100 scores 6,812 and the GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE reaches 6,707 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W8100 is built on GCN 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (FirePro W8100) vs 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE). Raw compute: 4.219 TFLOPS (FirePro W8100) vs 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE).

Feature	FirePro W8100	GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
G3D Mark Score	6,812+2%	6,707
Architecture	GCN 2.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+100%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.219 TFLOPS+59%	2.657 TFLOPS
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+100%	80
L1 Cache	640 KB+33%	480 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	1.5 MB+50%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro W8100 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	FirePro W8100	GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro W8100 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE carries 4 GB. FirePro W8100 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the FirePro W8100 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE. L2 Cache: 1 MB (FirePro W8100) vs 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE) — the GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FirePro W8100	GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	1.5 MB+50%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W8100) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	FirePro W8100	GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
DirectX	12	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.2	1.4+17%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (FirePro W8100) vs 5th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs 1st Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC (FirePro W8100) vs H.264,HEVC,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE).

Feature	FirePro W8100	GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
Encoder	VCE 2.0	5th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder	UVD 4.2	1st Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC	H.264,HEVC,VC-1,MPEG-2

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Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W8100 draws 220W versus the GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE's 81W — a 92.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W8100) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 87°C vs 75°C.

Feature	FirePro W8100	GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
TDP	220W	81W-63%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	241mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	87°C	75°C-14%
Perf/Watt	31.0	82.8+167%