FirePro W9100 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q

FirePro W9100

2014Core: 930 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018Core: 1215 MHzBoost: 1480 MHz
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FirePro W9100 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q 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 W9100 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q: 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 W9100

2014

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($4,000 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 16 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 175% higher power demand at 275W vs 100W.

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

  • FirePro W9100 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Quadro P4200 Max-Q is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 100W instead of 275W, a 175W reduction.
  • More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 1.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $4,000 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro P4200 Max-Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (7,800 vs 7,748), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro P4200 Max-Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 16nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro W9100 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, FirePro W9100 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro P4200 Max-Q has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W9100 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro W9100

The FirePro W9100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 26 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 930 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,748 points.

NVIDIA

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

The Quadro P4200 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1215 MHz to 1480 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,800 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W9100 scores 7,748 and the Quadro P4200 Max-Q reaches 7,800 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W9100 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (FirePro W9100) vs 2,304 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Raw compute: 5.238 TFLOPS (FirePro W9100) vs 6.82 TFLOPS (Quadro P4200 Max-Q).

FeatureFirePro W9100Quadro P4200 Max-Q
G3D Mark Score
7,748
7,800
Architecture
GCN 2.0
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
2816+22%
2304
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.238 TFLOPS
6.82 TFLOPS+30%
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
176+22%
144
L1 Cache
704 KB
864 KB+23%
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro W9100Quadro P4200 Max-Q
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 W9100 has 16 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q carries 4 GB. FirePro W9100 gives you 300% 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 W9100 and 256-bit on the Quadro P4200 Max-Q. L2 Cache: 1 MB (FirePro W9100) vs 2 MB (Quadro P4200 Max-Q) — the Quadro P4200 Max-Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro W9100Quadro P4200 Max-Q
VRAM Capacity
16 GB+300%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W9100) vs 12.1 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro W9100Quadro P4200 Max-Q
DirectX
12
12.1
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (FirePro W9100) vs NVENC 6.0 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs PureVideo HD VP8. Supported codecs: H.264 (FirePro W9100) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q).

FeatureFirePro W9100Quadro P4200 Max-Q
Encoder
VCE 2.0
NVENC 6.0
Decoder
UVD 4.2
PureVideo HD VP8
Codecs
H.264
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W9100 draws 275W versus the Quadro P4200 Max-Q's 100W — a 93.3% difference. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W9100) vs 350W (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 275mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureFirePro W9100Quadro P4200 Max-Q
TDP
275W
100W-64%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
275mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
93
Perf/Watt
28.2
78.0+177%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro P4200 Max-Q (2018 vs 2014).

FeatureFirePro W9100Quadro P4200 Max-Q
MSRP
$4000
Codename
Hawaii
GP104
Release
March 26 2014
February 21 2018
Ranking
#328
#234

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