FirePro W9000 vs GeForce RTX 3060

FirePro W9000

2012Core: 975 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

FirePro W9000 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 W9000 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 W9000

2012

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,157 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2012 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1115.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $3,999 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • +176% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $3,670 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $3,999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 3255.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 1.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $3,999 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 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 176% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 6,157), 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 6 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 $3,670 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $3,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 3255.1% (51.7 vs 1.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro W9000 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro W9000

The FirePro W9000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 14 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 975 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 274W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,157 points. Launch price was $3,999.

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 W9000 scores 6,157 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 176%. The FirePro W9000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (FirePro W9000) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 3.994 TFLOPS (FirePro W9000) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureFirePro W9000GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
6,157
16,995+176%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2048
3584+75%
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.994 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+219%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
128+14%
112
L1 Cache
0.5 MB
3.5 MB+600%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
3 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro W9000 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro W9000GeForce 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 W9000 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 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 W9000 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (FirePro W9000) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W9000GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
12 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
3 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W9000) 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 W9000GeForce 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 1.0 (FirePro W9000) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro W9000) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureFirePro W9000GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
VCE 1.0
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
UVD 3.2
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W9000 draws 274W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 46.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W9000) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 279mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 93°C vs 75.

FeatureFirePro W9000GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
274W
170W-38%
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
279mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
93°C
75-19%
Perf/Watt
22.5
100.0+344%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W9000 came in at $3999, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 91.8% cheaper ($3670 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.5 (FirePro W9000) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 3346.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2012).

FeatureFirePro W9000GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$3999
$329-92%
Performance per Dollar
1.5
51.7+3347%
Codename
Tahiti
GA106
Release
June 14 2012
January 12 2021
Ranking
#390
#114

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