Radeon R9 285 vs FirePro W8100

Radeon R9 285

2014Core: 918 MHz

FirePro W8100

2014Core: 824 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon R9 285

190

6,680

0.0%

Radeon RX 560

Radeon HD 7870 XT

Radeon R9 M295X

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

Radeon RX 7600M

Radeon RX 7600M XT

Radeon RX 6750 GRE 10GB

Radeon RX 7700 XT

FirePro W8100

220

6,812

+2.0%

Radeon 840M

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Radeon Ryzen 7 6800HS

Radeon RX 7600M

Radeon RX 6700S

Radeon RX 6750 GRE 10GB

Radeon RX 7800 XT

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar FirePro W8100

#106

L40S

MSRP: $7500|Avg: $7500

98%

#107

Quadro P6000

MSRP: $5999|Avg: $1500

95%

#238

Tesla K20m

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55

5411%

#253

MSRP: $2000|Avg: $1500

100%

#254

FirePro W8100

MSRP: $2499|Avg: $200

100%

#255

Quadro K5200

MSRP: $2250|Avg: $70

100%

#257

Quadro K2000D

MSRP: $599|Avg: $35

98%

#258

FirePro V7800

MSRP: $759|Avg: $96

98%

#259

FirePro W8000

MSRP: $1599|Avg: $1599

97%

#260

Quadro K2000

MSRP: $599|Avg: $500

97%

#261

GRID P4-8Q

MSRP: $2000|Avg: $200

97%

#263

FirePro 3D V5800

MSRP: $479|Avg: $30

94%

#264

GRID M40

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $100

92%

#265

GRID P40-8Q

MSRP: $3000|Avg: $150

92%

#266

GRID M3-3020

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $50

92%

#267

FirePro V3800

MSRP: $129|Avg: $12

91%

#268

FirePro V5800

MSRP: $479|Avg: $15

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The FirePro W8100 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (8 GB vs 4 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 285.

Insight	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 3.0 (2014−2019))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency	Normal Efficiency	Normal Efficiency
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon R9 285 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R9 285 holds the technical lead. Priced at $40 (vs $200), it costs 80% less, resulting in a 390.3% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+390.3%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($40)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($200)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon R9 285 Benchmark Check

FirePro W8100 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 285 and FirePro W8100

Radeon R9 285

The Radeon R9 285 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,680 points. Launch price was $249.

FirePro W8100

The FirePro W8100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 23 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 824 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,812 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 285 scores 6,680 and the FirePro W8100 reaches 6,812 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 285 is built on GCN 3.0 while the FirePro W8100 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 285) vs 2,560 (FirePro W8100). Raw compute: 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285) vs 4.219 TFLOPS (FirePro W8100).

Feature	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
G3D Mark Score	6,680	6,812+2%
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792	2560+43%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.29 TFLOPS	4.219 TFLOPS+28%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	112	160+43%
L1 Cache	448 KB	640 KB+43%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 285 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro W8100 has 8 GB. The FirePro W8100 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 285) vs 1 MB (FirePro W8100) — the FirePro W8100 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 285) vs 12 (FirePro W8100). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
DirectX	12.0	12
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.4	4.6+5%
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 285) vs VCE 2.0 (FirePro W8100). Decoder: UVD 5.0 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (Radeon R9 285) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC (FirePro W8100).

Feature	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
Encoder	VCE 3.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 5.0	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 285 draws 190W versus the FirePro W8100's 220W — a 14.6% difference. The Radeon R9 285 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 285) vs 350W (FirePro W8100). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 221mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 87°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 285	FirePro W8100
TDP	190W-14%	220W
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	221mm	241mm
Height	109mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	65°C-25%	87°C
Perf/Watt	35.2+14%	31.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 285 launched at $249 MSRP and currently averages $40, while the FirePro W8100 launched at $2499 and now averages $200. The Radeon R9 285 costs 80% less ($160 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 167.0 (Radeon R9 285) vs 34.1 (FirePro W8100) — the Radeon R9 285 offers 389.7% better value.