GeForce GTX 690 vs Quadro M3000M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 690

2012Core: 915 MHzBoost: 1019 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro M3000M

2015Core: 1050 MHz

GeForce GTX 690 vs Quadro M3000M 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.

GeForce GTX 690 vs Quadro M3000M 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 690 vs Quadro M3000M: 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 690

2012

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Quadro M3000M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 300% higher power demand at 300W vs 75W.

Quadro M3000M

2015

Why buy it

  • 4.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 75W instead of 300W, a 225W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro M3000M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (5,574 vs 5,536), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 690 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 690 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Quadro M3000M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 690 vs Quadro M3000M Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 690

The GeForce GTX 690 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 3 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 3072 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,536 points. Launch price was $999.

NVIDIA

Quadro M3000M

The Quadro M3000M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1,024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,574 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 690 scores 5,536 and the Quadro M3000M reaches 5,574 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 690 is built on Kepler while the Quadro M3000M uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 1 (Quadro M3000M). Raw compute: 3.13 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2.15 TFLOPS (Quadro M3000M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Quadro M3000M
G3D Mark Score
5,536
5,574
Architecture
Kepler
Maxwell 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3072 ×2+200%
1,024
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.13 TFLOPS ×2+46%
2.15 TFLOPS
ROPs
32 ×2
32
TMUs
128 ×2+100%
64
L1 Cache
128 KB
384 KB+200%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 690 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro M3000M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Quadro M3000M
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 690 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro M3000M carries 4 GB. Quadro M3000M 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 x2 on the GeForce GTX 690 and 128-bit on the Quadro M3000M. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2 MB (Quadro M3000M) — the Quadro M3000M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Quadro M3000M
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit x2+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 12 (12_1) (Quadro M3000M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Quadro M3000M
DirectX
12_0
12 (12_1)
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 690) vs 3rd Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (Quadro M3000M). Decoder: VP5 vs PureVideo HD VP6.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Quadro M3000M
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
3rd Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder
VP5
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Decode Only)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 690 draws 300W versus the Quadro M3000M's 75W — a 120% difference. The Quadro M3000M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 690) vs 350W (Quadro M3000M). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Quadro M3000M
TDP
300W
75W-75%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
279mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
18.5
74.3+302%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro M3000M (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 690Quadro M3000M
MSRP
$999
Codename
GK104
GM204
Release
May 3 2012
August 18 2015
Ranking
#414
#411

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