Quadro K5000M vs Radeon R7 260

NVIDIA

Quadro K5000M

2012Core: 601 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon R7 260

2013Boost: 1100 MHz
Similar parts
·······

Quadro K5000M vs Radeon R7 260 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.

Quadro K5000M vs Radeon R7 260 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.

Quadro K5000M vs Radeon R7 260: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Quadro K5000M

2012

Why buy it

  • 76.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).

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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 26.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $109 MSRP).

Radeon R7 260

2013

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Quadro K5000M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro K5000M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 76.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R7 260 instead at 2,892 vs 2,805, 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?
Quadro K5000M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R7 260 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, Radeon R7 260 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro K5000M has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro K5000M vs Radeon R7 260 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro K5000M

The Quadro K5000M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 7 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 601 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,805 points. Launch price was $329.99.

AMD

Radeon R7 260

The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.

Graphics Performance

The Quadro K5000M scores 2,805 and the Radeon R7 260 reaches 2,892 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro K5000M is built on Kepler while the Radeon R7 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,344 (Quadro K5000M) vs 768 (Radeon R7 260). Raw compute: 1.615 TFLOPS (Quadro K5000M) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260).

FeatureQuadro K5000MRadeon R7 260
G3D Mark Score
2,805
2,892+3%
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1344+75%
768
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.615 TFLOPS+5%
1.536 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
112+133%
48
L1 Cache
112 KB
192 KB+71%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro K5000MRadeon R7 260
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Quadro K5000M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 260 carries 1 GB. Quadro K5000M gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Quadro K5000M and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 260. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Quadro K5000M) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 260) — the Quadro K5000M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureQuadro K5000MRadeon R7 260
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+300%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (Quadro K5000M) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureQuadro K5000MRadeon R7 260
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 (12_0)
Vulkan
1.2
1.2
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (Quadro K5000M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Quadro K5000M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC (Radeon R7 260).

FeatureQuadro K5000MRadeon R7 260
Encoder
1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)
VCE 2.0
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP5
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro K5000M draws 100W versus the Radeon R7 260's 95W — a 5.1% difference. The Radeon R7 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro K5000M) vs 400W (Radeon R7 260). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 81°C vs 80.

FeatureQuadro K5000MRadeon R7 260
TDP
100W
95W-5%
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
170mm
Height
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
81°C
80-1%
Perf/Watt
28.1
30.4+8%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R7 260 (2013 vs 2012).

FeatureQuadro K5000MRadeon R7 260
MSRP
$109
Codename
GK104
Bonaire
Release
August 7 2012
December 17 2013
Ranking
#600
#591

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.