GRID M6-1Q vs Quadro P520

GRID M6-1Q

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Quadro P520

2019Core: 1303 MHzBoost: 1493 MHz
Similar parts
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GRID M6-1Q vs Quadro P520 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.

GRID M6-1Q vs Quadro P520: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GRID M6-1Q

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 900% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,500 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 13.6 G3D/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 1150% higher power demand at 225W vs 18W.

Quadro P520

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,350 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 883.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.6 vs 1.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • GRID M6-1Q is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Quadro P520 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 18W instead of 225W, a 207W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2019 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GRID M6-1Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (2,069 vs 2,034), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro P520 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Quadro P520 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,350 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $1,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 883.1% (13.6 vs 1.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GRID M6-1Q still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GRID M6-1Q vs Quadro P520 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID M6-1Q

The GRID M6-1Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,069 points.

NVIDIA

Quadro P520

The Quadro P520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1303 MHz to 1493 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 18W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,034 points.

Graphics Performance

The GRID M6-1Q scores 2,069 and the Quadro P520 reaches 2,034 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID M6-1Q is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Quadro P520 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GRID M6-1Q) vs 384 (Quadro P520). Raw compute: 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID M6-1Q) vs 1.147 TFLOPS (Quadro P520). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1493 MHz.

FeatureGRID M6-1QQuadro P520
G3D Mark Score
2,069+2%
2,034
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2048+433%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.825 TFLOPS+321%
1.147 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1178 MHz
1493 MHz+27%
ROPs
64+300%
16
TMUs
128+433%
24
L1 Cache
768 KB+433%
144 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID M6-1QQuadro P520
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GRID M6-1Q has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P520 carries 4 GB. Quadro P520 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID M6-1Q and 64-bit on the Quadro P520. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID M6-1Q) vs 0.5 MB (Quadro P520) — the GRID M6-1Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID M6-1QQuadro P520
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID M6-1Q draws 225W versus the Quadro P520's 18W — a 170.4% difference. The Quadro P520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID M6-1Q) vs 350W (Quadro P520). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGRID M6-1QQuadro P520
TDP
225W
18W-92%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
9.2
113.0+1128%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID M6-1Q came in at $1500, while the Quadro P520 launched at $150. On MSRP, Quadro P520 was 90% cheaper ($1350 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.4 (GRID M6-1Q) vs 13.6 (Quadro P520) — the Quadro P520 offers 871.4% better value. The newer card here is Quadro P520 (2019 vs 2015).

FeatureGRID M6-1QQuadro P520
MSRP
$1500
$150-90%
Performance per Dollar
1.4
13.6+871%
Codename
GM204
GP108
Release
August 30 2015
May 23 2019
Ranking
#525
#677

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