GeForce GTX 780 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 780

2013Core: 863 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018Core: 1215 MHzBoost: 1480 MHz

GeForce GTX 780 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.

GeForce GTX 780 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q 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 780 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.

GeForce GTX 780

2013

Why buy it

  • 3.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 150% higher power demand at 250W vs 100W.

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

  • GeForce GTX 780 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Quadro P4200 Max-Q is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 100W instead of 250W, a 150W reduction.
  • More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 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 15.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 780 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2% in PassMark G3D (7,957 vs 7,800), so the answer here is pretty clean.
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 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 780 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, GeForce GTX 780 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.

GeForce GTX 780 vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

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 GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 and the Quadro P4200 Max-Q reaches 7,800 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 2,304 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 6.82 TFLOPS (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1480 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780Quadro P4200 Max-Q
G3D Mark Score
7,957+2%
7,800
Architecture
Kepler
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
2304
2304
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.156 TFLOPS
6.82 TFLOPS+64%
Boost Clock
900 MHz
1480 MHz+64%
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
192+33%
144
L1 Cache
192 KB
864 KB+350%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
2 MB+33%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 780 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780Quadro P4200 Max-Q
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 780 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 780 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 780 and 256-bit on the Quadro P4200 Max-Q. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 780) vs 2 MB (Quadro P4200 Max-Q) — the Quadro P4200 Max-Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780Quadro P4200 Max-Q
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
384-bit+50%
256-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
2 MB+33%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12.1 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780Quadro P4200 Max-Q
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12.1
Vulkan
1.0
1.3+30%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs NVENC 6.0 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs PureVideo HD VP8. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q).

FeatureGeForce GTX 780Quadro P4200 Max-Q
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
NVENC 6.0
Decoder
NVDEC 1st Gen
PureVideo HD VP8
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the Quadro P4200 Max-Q's 100W — a 85.7% difference. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 350W (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780Quadro P4200 Max-Q
TDP
250W
100W-60%
Recommended PSU
600W
350W-42%
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
267mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80
Perf/Watt
31.8
78.0+145%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro P4200 Max-Q (2018 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 780Quadro P4200 Max-Q
MSRP
$499
Codename
GK110
GP104
Release
May 23 2013
February 21 2018
Ranking
#320
#234

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