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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

FirePro 3D V9800

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,700 less on MSRP ($3,499 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 52.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.8 vs 0.5 G3D/$ ($3,499 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 225W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GRID K2

2013

Why buy it

✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
48.6% HIGHER MSRP
$5,199 MSRPvs$3,499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.5 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($5,199 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 225W vs 150W.

FirePro 3D V9800

2011

GRID K2

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,700 less on MSRP ($3,499 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 52.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.8 vs 0.5 G3D/$ ($3,499 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 225W, a 75W reduction.

Why buy it

✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
48.6% HIGHER MSRP
$5,199 MSRPvs$3,499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.5 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($5,199 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 225W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

So, is FirePro 3D V9800 better than GRID K2?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 2,812 vs 2,737 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer FirePro 3D V9800 is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (150W vs 225W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

FirePro 3D V9800 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 2 GB. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

FirePro 3D V9800 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $3,499 MSRP. FirePro 3D V9800 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. FirePro 3D V9800 is about $1,700 cheaper on MSRP at $3,499 MSRP versus $5,199 MSRP, and you are getting 2.7% higher G3D Mark. GRID K2 is the newer 2013 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GRID K2 make more sense than FirePro 3D V9800?

Yes. GRID K2 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture and staying closer to $5,199 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of FirePro 3D V9800. The trade-off is that FirePro 3D V9800 currently gives you 2.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 52.7%.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

FirePro 3D V9800 Benchmark Check

GRID K2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
1080p
low	103 FPS	102 FPS
medium	88 FPS	83 FPS
high	71 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	90 FPS	85 FPS
medium	76 FPS	71 FPS
high	56 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	28 FPS	28 FPS
medium	27 FPS	26 FPS
high	18 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	15 FPS

Open FirePro 3D V9800 Open GRID K2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
1080p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	63 FPS	62 FPS
high	49 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	32 FPS
1440p
low	50 FPS	48 FPS
medium	32 FPS	31 FPS
high	24 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	19 FPS	18 FPS
medium	12 FPS	12 FPS
high	10 FPS	9 FPS
ultra	7 FPS	7 FPS

Open FirePro 3D V9800 Open GRID K2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
1080p
low	127 FPS	123 FPS
medium	101 FPS	99 FPS
high	84 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	62 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	92 FPS
medium	76 FPS	74 FPS
high	63 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	46 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	62 FPS
medium	51 FPS	49 FPS
high	42 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	31 FPS

Open FirePro 3D V9800 Open GRID K2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
1080p
low	127 FPS	123 FPS
medium	101 FPS	99 FPS
high	84 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	62 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	92 FPS
medium	76 FPS	74 FPS
high	63 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	46 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	62 FPS
medium	51 FPS	49 FPS
high	42 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	29 FPS

Open FirePro 3D V9800 Open GRID K2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FirePro 3D V9800 and GRID K2

FirePro 3D V9800

The FirePro 3D V9800 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 24 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,812 points.

GRID K2

The GRID K2 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 11 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,737 points. Launch price was $5,199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro 3D V9800 scores 2,812 and the GRID K2 reaches 2,737 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro 3D V9800 is built on TeraScale 3 while the GRID K2 uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 1,536 (GRID K2). Raw compute: 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 2.289 TFLOPS ×2 (GRID K2).

Feature	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
G3D Mark Score	2,812+3%	2,737
Architecture	TeraScale 3	Kepler
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	1536 ×2+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.856 TFLOPS	2.289 TFLOPS ×2+23%
ROPs	32	32 ×2
TMUs	80	128 ×2+60%
L1 Cache	320 KB+150%	128 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
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 V9800 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GRID K2 has 2 GB. The FirePro 3D V9800 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 64-bit.

Feature	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro 3D V9800 draws 150W versus the GRID K2's 225W — a 40% difference. The FirePro 3D V9800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 350W (GRID K2). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	FirePro 3D V9800	GRID K2
TDP	150W-33%	225W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	90	—
Perf/Watt	18.7+53%	12.2

💰

Value Analysis

The FirePro 3D V9800 launched at $3499 MSRP, while the GRID K2 launched at $5199. The FirePro 3D V9800 costs 32.7% less ($1700 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 0.5 (GRID K2) — the FirePro 3D V9800 offers 60% better value. The GRID K2 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2011).