FirePro 3D V8700 vs FirePro V5900

FirePro 3D V8700

2014Core: 850 MHz
VS

FirePro V5900

2011Core: 600 MHz

FirePro 3D V8700 vs FirePro V5900 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.

FirePro 3D V8700 vs FirePro V5900: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

FirePro 3D V8700

2014

Why buy it

  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 150.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 265.3% higher power demand at 274W vs 75W.

FirePro V5900

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $900 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 155.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.1 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Draws 75W instead of 274W, a 199W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 254mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 2 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?
FirePro V5900 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (1,232 vs 1,206), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro 3D V8700 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro V5900 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $900 cheaper on MSRP at $599 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 155.6% (2.1 vs 0.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, FirePro V5900 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro 3D V8700 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro 3D V8700 vs FirePro V5900 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro 3D V8700

The FirePro 3D V8700 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 18 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 274W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,206 points.

AMD

FirePro V5900

The FirePro V5900 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 24 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 600 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,232 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro 3D V8700 scores 1,206 and the FirePro V5900 reaches 1,232 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro 3D V8700 is built on GCN 1.0 while the FirePro V5900 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 512 (FirePro V5900). Raw compute: 3.482 TFLOPS (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 0.6144 TFLOPS (FirePro V5900).

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700FirePro V5900
G3D Mark Score
1,206
1,232+2%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
TeraScale 3
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
2048+300%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.482 TFLOPS+467%
0.6144 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
128+300%
32
L1 Cache
512 KB+300%
128 KB
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700FirePro V5900
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro 3D V8700 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro V5900 carries 2 GB. FirePro V5900 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 FirePro 3D V8700 and 64-bit on the FirePro V5900. L2 Cache: 768 KB (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 512 KB (FirePro V5900) — the FirePro 3D V8700 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700FirePro V5900
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
2 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 11.2 (FirePro V5900). Vulkan: None vs None. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700FirePro V5900
DirectX
10.1
11.2+11%
Vulkan
None
None
OpenGL
3.3
4.4+33%
Max Displays
2
3+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 2 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs None (FirePro V5900). Decoder: UVD 2 vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro V5900).

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700FirePro V5900
Encoder
UVD 2
None
Decoder
UVD 2
UVD 3.1
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro 3D V8700 draws 274W versus the FirePro V5900's 75W — a 114% difference. The FirePro V5900 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 350W (FirePro V5900). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 254mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 80.

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700FirePro V5900
TDP
274W
75W-73%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
254mm
229mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
70°C-13%
80
Perf/Watt
4.4
16.4+273%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro 3D V8700 came in at $1499, while the FirePro V5900 launched at $599. On MSRP, FirePro V5900 was 60% cheaper ($900 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 2.1 (FirePro V5900) — the FirePro V5900 offers 162.5% better value. The newer card here is FirePro 3D V8700 (2014 vs 2011).

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700FirePro V5900
MSRP
$1499
$599-60%
Performance per Dollar
0.8
2.1+163%
Codename
Tahiti
Cayman
Release
January 18 2014
May 24 2011
Ranking
#423
#812

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