FirePro W8100 vs GeForce RTX 3060

FirePro W8100

2014Core: 824 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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FirePro W8100 vs GeForce RTX 3060 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 W8100 vs GeForce RTX 3060: 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

  • Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,812 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 659.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,499 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • +149.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $2,170 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1795% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 149.5% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 6,812), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,170 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $2,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1795% (51.7 vs 2.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro W8100 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FirePro W8100 scores 6,812 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 149.5%. The FirePro W8100 is built on GCN 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (FirePro W8100) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 4.219 TFLOPS (FirePro W8100) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureFirePro W8100GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
6,812
16,995+149%
Architecture
GCN 2.0
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2560
3584+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.219 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+202%
ROPs
64+33%
48
TMUs
160+43%
112
L1 Cache
0.63 MB
3.5 MB+456%
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 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.

FeatureFirePro W8100GeForce RTX 3060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro W8100 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 50% 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 RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (FirePro W8100) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W8100GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
12 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W8100) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro W8100GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (FirePro W8100) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC (FirePro W8100) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureFirePro W8100GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
VCE 2.0
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
UVD 4.2
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W8100 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 25.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W8100) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 87°C vs 75.

FeatureFirePro W8100GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
220W
170W-23%
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
241mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
87°C
75-14%
Perf/Watt
31.0
100.0+223%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W8100 came in at $2499, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 86.8% cheaper ($2170 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (FirePro W8100) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1814.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2014).

FeatureFirePro W8100GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$2499
$329-87%
Performance per Dollar
2.7
51.7+1815%
Codename
Hawaii
GA106
Release
June 23 2014
January 12 2021
Ranking
#361
#114

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