AMD FirePro V8700: High-End Workstation Graphics

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Test Configuration

 Tom’s Hardware offers benchmark results for the following graphics cards:

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ATI FireGL/FirePro-seriesNvidia Quadro FX-series
ATI FirePro V8700Row 0 - Cell 1
ATI FireGL V8650Nvidia Quadro FX 5600
ATI FireGL V7700Nvidia Quadro FX 4600
ATI FireGL V7600Nvidia Quadro FX 1700
ATI FireGL V7300Nvidia Quadro FX 5500
ATI FireGL V7200Nvidia Quadro FX 4500
ATI FireGL V7100Nvidia Quadro FX 3500
ATI FireGL V5600Nvidia Quadro FX 570
ATI FireGL V5200Nvidia Quadro FX 370
ATI FireGL V3600Nvidia Quadro FX 1500
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CPUIntel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 (2.93 GHz)
MotherboardAsus P5W64 WS Pro (rev 1.01, BIOS 0802) with Intel 975X Chipset
System memory (RAM)4 GB (4 x 1 GB) Corsair XMS2-6400 (CM2X10246400-C3) with CL 4.0-4-4-12
Optical driveSamsung SH-D163A , SATA150
Power supplyZalman, ATX 2.01, 510 W
Hard diskWestern Digital WD1500ADFD 150 GB
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OSWindows XP Service Pack 3
3D API UpdateDirectX 9.0c
Intel Chipset driversVersion 8.3.1.1009
ATI FireGL DriversCatalyst 8.453.1-081008
Nvidia Quadro DriversQuadro 181.20 + Maxtreme 11
SPEC Benchmarks SettingsApplication settings according to SPEC Project Group rules, driver using application optimizations if available
SPEC Benchmarks UsedSpecViewperf 10.0SPECapc 3ds Max 9 (3D Studio Max)SPECapc Solidworks 2007SPECapc Maya 6.5
Uwe Scheffel
Uwe Scheffel
69 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Tindytim
    Can we get some BIOS hacks for the next review of Workstation cards? Since 99% of the cards are just Desktop variants with the drivers being the difference, all that's Needed is a BIOS hack.

    I'd love to see how the real thing would stack up next to a card with different BIOS.
    Reply
  • bvanveelen
    Is that 1% difference in hardware enough to give these big differences? If the firepro drivers could somehow be applied to a HD4870 would it give similar performance?
    Reply
  • curnel_D
    TindytimCan we get some BIOS hacks for the next review of Workstation cards? Since 99% of the cards are just Desktop variants with the drivers being the difference, all that's Needed is a BIOS hack.I'd love to see how the real thing would stack up next to a card with different BIOS.Ok, so basically, we'd have to get ahold of a fireGL bios, and hack it into a 3850. If there was an equivilant to a 3870, I'd do it myself.
    Who's brave enough? :P
    Reply
  • Tindytim
    bvanveelenIs that 1% difference in hardware enough to give these big differences? If the firepro drivers could somehow be applied to a HD4870 would it give similar performance?That's what a BIOS hack will do. You change the BIOS of the 4870 card to that of it's workstation equivalent.
    Reply
  • Antiphonal
    It's funny - my HD4870 is intentionally crippled in applications that I will not use so they can use a 5x price mark up for people who use those applications. /sigh
    Reply
  • Tindytim
    curnel_dOk, so basically, we'd have to get ahold of a fireGL bios, and hack it into a 3850. If there was an equivilant to a 3870, I'd do it myself. Who's brave enough?Do a google search. It's been done before. Although I doubt this new card would yield any benefit over a 4870 with a BIOS hack, other than in some overclocking.

    I'd be more interested in the Nvidia card because then they at least add a little more VRAM. Hell, I'd love to see a Quadro card, with lots of VRAM, BIOS hacked to a Desktop variant to see how it would do at higher resolutions over the actual desktop variant.
    Reply
  • Harby
    AntiphonalIt's funny - my HD4870 is intentionally crippled in applications that I will not use so they can use a 5x price mark up for people who use those applications. /sigh
    You're clueless. The price premium is for the drivers themselves, not the hardware. No one crippled your gaming card. But no one optimized its drivers for workstation applications either. And these optimizations are not simple tweaks but massive and careful code to give you massive performance boost under very very specific applications.

    You could go as far as saying that you're in essence buying an expensive piece of software as well and not just a graphics card.
    Reply
  • You should test the other way around also, how does workstation card perform in games? (Not possible maybe)
    Reply
  • Harby
    vixenistheshitYou should test the other way around also, how does workstation card perform in games? (Not possible maybe)
    Of course its possible. But at best performance will be equal, I would assume a bit worse, depending on whether FirePro drivers include the specific game optimizations catalayst includes or not.
    Reply
  • krazyderek
    Drivers and 3yr support aside, I really really really really would have liked to see the top 4870 1gb consumer card thrown in just for a reference point. It would do wonders to help justify the price markup to my boss that signs the purchase order.
    Reply