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FirePro 3D V9800 vs Radeon HD 6970

CPUCPUGPUGPU

FirePro 3D V9800

2011Core: 725 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6970

2010Boost: 880 MHz
Buy on Amazon

FirePro 3D V9800 vs Radeon HD 6970 Performance Spectrum

FirePro 3D V9800
4 GB 150
2,812
0.0%
brand logoRadeon R9 M370X
brand logoRadeon RX 7500
brand logoRadeon HD 5870
brand logoRadeon RX 550X
brand logoRadeon RX 6500M
brand logoRadeon RX 7400
brand logoRadeon RX 8050S
brand logoRadeon RX 6750 XT
Radeon HD 6970
2 GB 250
2,831
+0.7%
brand logoRadeon 630
brand logoRadeon R7 450
brand logoRadeon HD 6870
brand logoRadeon RX 550X
brand logoRadeon RX 6500M
brand logoRadeon RX 7400
brand logoRadeon RX 8050S
brand logoRadeon RX 6750 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.

FirePro 3D V9800 vs Radeon HD 6970: 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 V9800

2011

Why buy it

  • ✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • ✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.
  • ✅More future proof: TeraScale 3 (2010−2013) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌2011 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌
    848.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $3,499 MSRPvs$369 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 7.7 G3D/$ ($3,499 MSRP vs $369 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6970

2010

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $3,130 less on MSRP ($369 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 854.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.7 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($369 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • ❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 6970 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (2,831 vs 2,812), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro 3D V9800 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM and a newer 2011 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6970 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $3,130 cheaper on MSRP at $369 vs $3,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 854.6% (7.7 vs 0.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6970 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro 3D V9800 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro 3D V9800 vs Radeon HD 6970 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

AMD

Radeon HD 6970

The Radeon HD 6970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 880 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,831 points. Launch price was $369.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro 3D V9800 scores 2,812 and the Radeon HD 6970 reaches 2,831 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro 3D V9800 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon HD 6970 uses TeraScale 3, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 6970). Raw compute: 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 2.703 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6970).

FeatureFirePro 3D V9800Radeon HD 6970
G3D Mark Score
2,812
2,831
Architecture
TeraScale 3
TeraScale 3
Process Node
40 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1280
1536+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.856 TFLOPS
2.703 TFLOPS+46%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
80
96+20%
L1 Cache
320 KB+67%
192 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro 3D V9800Radeon HD 6970
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro 3D V9800 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6970 carries 2 GB. FirePro 3D V9800 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 V9800 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6970.

FeatureFirePro 3D V9800Radeon HD 6970
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 11.0 (Radeon HD 6970). Vulkan: None vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 6.

FeatureFirePro 3D V9800Radeon HD 6970
DirectX
11.2+2%
11.0
Vulkan
None
N/A
OpenGL
4.4
4.4
Max Displays
6
6
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FirePro 3D V9800) vs None (Radeon HD 6970). Decoder: UVD 2.3 vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro 3D V9800) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6970).

FeatureFirePro 3D V9800Radeon HD 6970
Encoder
None
None
Decoder
UVD 2.3
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro 3D V9800 draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6970's 250W — a 50% difference. The FirePro 3D V9800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 550W (Radeon HD 6970). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 286mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 90 vs 90.

FeatureFirePro 3D V9800Radeon HD 6970
TDP
150W-40%
250W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
267mm
286mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
90
90
Perf/Watt
18.7+65%
11.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro 3D V9800 came in at $3499, while the Radeon HD 6970 launched at $369. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6970 was 89.5% cheaper ($3130 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (FirePro 3D V9800) vs 7.7 (Radeon HD 6970) — the Radeon HD 6970 offers 862.5% better value. The newer card here is FirePro 3D V9800 (2011 vs 2010).

FeatureFirePro 3D V9800Radeon HD 6970
MSRP
$3499
$369-89%
Performance per Dollar
0.8
7.7+863%
Codename
Cayman
Cayman
Release
May 24 2011
December 14 2010
Ranking
#656
#596
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