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.

GeForce GTX 660 vs Quadro K5000 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.

GeForce GTX 660 vs Quadro K5000: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 660

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,270 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1005.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 1.6 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
✅Measures 241mm instead of 267mm, a 26mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro K5000 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quadro K5000

2012

Why buy it

✅49.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
991.3% HIGHER MSRP
$2,499 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.6 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌10.8% longer card at 267mm vs 241mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Quadro K5000 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 49.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 660 instead at 4,040 vs 3,989, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce GTX 660 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?

GeForce GTX 660 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,270 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $2,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1005.2% (17.6 vs 1.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Quadro K5000 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 660 vs Quadro K5000 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 660

The GeForce GTX 660 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 6 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 980 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 140W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,040 points. Launch price was $229.

Quadro K5000

The Quadro K5000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 17 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 706 MHz to 706 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 122W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,989 points. Launch price was $2,499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 660 scores 4,040 and the Quadro K5000 reaches 3,989 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 660 is built on Kepler while the Quadro K5000 uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 960 (GeForce GTX 660) vs 1,536 (Quadro K5000). Raw compute: 1.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 660) vs 2.169 TFLOPS (Quadro K5000). Boost clocks: 1033 MHz vs 706 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	Quadro K5000
G3D Mark Score	4,040+1%	3,989
Architecture	Kepler	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	960	1536+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.981 TFLOPS	2.169 TFLOPS+9%
Boost Clock	1033 MHz+46%	706 MHz
ROPs	24	32+33%
TMUs	80	128+60%
L1 Cache	80 KB	128 KB+60%
L2 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 660 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro K5000 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	Quadro K5000
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 660 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro K5000 carries 4 GB. Quadro K5000 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 660 and 64-bit on the Quadro K5000. L2 Cache: 384 KB (GeForce GTX 660) vs 512 KB (Quadro K5000) — the Quadro K5000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	Quadro K5000
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	192-bit+200%	64-bit
L2 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 660) vs 12_0 (Quadro K5000). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	Quadro K5000
DirectX	12	12_0
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 660) vs NVENC 2nd Gen (Quadro K5000). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC 1st Gen.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	Quadro K5000
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC 2nd Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs	H.264	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 660 draws 140W versus the Quadro K5000's 122W — a 13.7% difference. The Quadro K5000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 660) vs 350W (Quadro K5000). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	Quadro K5000
TDP	140W	122W-13%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	267mm
Slots	2	2
Perf/Watt	28.9	32.7+13%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 660 came in at $229, while the Quadro K5000 launched at $2499. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 660 was 90.8% cheaper ($2270 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.6 (GeForce GTX 660) vs 1.6 (Quadro K5000) — the GeForce GTX 660 offers 1000% better value.

Feature	GeForce GTX 660	Quadro K5000
MSRP	$229-91%	$2499
Performance per Dollar	17.6+1000%	1.6
Codename	GK106	GK104
Release	September 6 2012	August 17 2012
Ranking	#490	#492

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