FirePro D300 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380

FirePro D300

2014Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014Core: 918 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro D300 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 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 D300 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380: 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 D300

2014

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 150W instead of 190W, a 40W reduction.
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 151.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $500 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.4 vs 27.9 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $301 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 143.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 27.9 vs 11.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
  • Measures 221mm instead of 242mm, a 21mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 26.7% higher power demand at 190W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro D300 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.1% in PassMark G3D (5,722 vs 5,550), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro D300 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 285 / 380 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $301 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 143.7% (27.9 vs 11.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 285 / 380 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro D300 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro D300 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro D300

The FirePro D300 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 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,722 points.

AMD

Radeon R9 285 / 380

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,550 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro D300 scores 5,722 and the Radeon R9 285 / 380 reaches 5,550 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro D300 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro D300) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Raw compute: 2.176 TFLOPS (FirePro D300) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

FeatureFirePro D300Radeon R9 285 / 380
G3D Mark Score
5,722+3%
5,550
Architecture
GCN 1.0
GCN 3.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1280
1792+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.176 TFLOPS
3.29 TFLOPS+51%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
80
112+40%
L1 Cache
320 KB
448 KB+40%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro D300Radeon R9 285 / 380
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 D300 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 carries 2 GB. FirePro D300 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the FirePro D300 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 285 / 380.

FeatureFirePro D300Radeon R9 285 / 380
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro D300) vs 12 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro D300Radeon R9 285 / 380
DirectX
12
12
Vulkan
1.2
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro D300) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs UVD 5.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-4,MPEG-2,VC-1 (FirePro D300) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

FeatureFirePro D300Radeon R9 285 / 380
Encoder
VCE 1.0
VCE 3.0
Decoder
UVD 4.0
UVD 5.0
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-4,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro D300 draws 150W versus the Radeon R9 285 / 380's 190W — a 23.5% difference. The FirePro D300 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro D300) vs 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 221mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureFirePro D300Radeon R9 285 / 380
TDP
150W-21%
190W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
242mm
221mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
38.1+30%
29.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro D300 came in at $500, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 285 / 380 was 60.2% cheaper ($301 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.4 (FirePro D300) vs 27.9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the Radeon R9 285 / 380 offers 144.7% better value.

FeatureFirePro D300Radeon R9 285 / 380
MSRP
$500
$199-60%
Performance per Dollar
11.4
27.9+145%
Codename
Pitcairn
Tonga
Release
January 18 2014
September 2 2014
Ranking
#506
#365

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