FirePro 3D V8700 vs GeForce GTX 260

FirePro 3D V8700

2014Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 260

2008Core: 576 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro 3D V8700 vs GeForce GTX 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.

FirePro 3D V8700 vs GeForce GTX 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.

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

  • 2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 233.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • 50.5% higher power demand at 274W vs 182W.

GeForce GTX 260

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,050 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 232.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Draws 182W instead of 274W, a 92W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2008 hardware with 896 MB 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 3D V8700 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.5% in PassMark G3D (1,206 vs 1,200), 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: 1 GB vs 896 MB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 65nm, and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2008. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 260 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,050 cheaper on MSRP at $449 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 232.2% (2.7 vs 0.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 260 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 GeForce GTX 260 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.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 260

The GeForce GTX 260 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,200 points. Launch price was $449.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro 3D V8700 scores 1,206 and the GeForce GTX 260 reaches 1,200 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro 3D V8700 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 260 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 192 (GeForce GTX 260). Raw compute: 3.482 TFLOPS (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260).

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700GeForce GTX 260
G3D Mark Score
1,206
1,200
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Tesla 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
65 nm
Shading Units
2048+967%
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.482 TFLOPS+630%
0.4769 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+14%
28
TMUs
128+100%
64
L2 Cache
768 KB+243%
224 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 260 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro 3D V8700 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700GeForce GTX 260
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro 3D V8700 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 260 carries 896 MB. FirePro 3D V8700 gives you 14.3% 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 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 260. L2 Cache: 768 KB (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260) — the FirePro 3D V8700 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700GeForce GTX 260
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+14%
0.875 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
768 KB+243%
224 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700GeForce GTX 260
DirectX
10.1
10_0
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 2 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260). Decoder: UVD 2 vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs H.264 (GeForce GTX 260).

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700GeForce GTX 260
Encoder
UVD 2
NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder
UVD 2
NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro 3D V8700 draws 274W versus the GeForce GTX 260's 182W — a 40.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 260). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 254mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700GeForce GTX 260
TDP
274W
182W-34%
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
254mm
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
4.4
6.6+50%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro 3D V8700 came in at $1499, while the GeForce GTX 260 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 260 was 70% cheaper ($1050 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (FirePro 3D V8700) vs 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) — the GeForce GTX 260 offers 237.5% better value. The newer card here is FirePro 3D V8700 (2014 vs 2008).

FeatureFirePro 3D V8700GeForce GTX 260
MSRP
$1499
$449-70%
Performance per Dollar
0.8
2.7+238%
Codename
Tahiti
GT200
Release
January 18 2014
June 16 2008
Ranking
#423
#821

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