FirePro D500 vs FirePro V7900

FirePro D500

2014Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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VS

FirePro V7900

2011Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro D500 vs FirePro V7900 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 D500 vs FirePro V7900: 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 D500

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $499 less on MSRP ($500 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 100.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.5 vs 2.3 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

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.
  • 82.7% higher power demand at 274W vs 150W.

FirePro V7900

2011

Why buy it

  • Draws 150W instead of 274W, a 124W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 99.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$500 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.3 vs 4.5 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro D500 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.5% in PassMark G3D (2,272 vs 2,261), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro D500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro D500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $499 cheaper on MSRP at $500 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 100.8% (4.5 vs 2.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro D500 vs FirePro V7900 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro D500

The FirePro D500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 18 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 274W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,272 points.

AMD

FirePro V7900

The FirePro V7900 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: 2,261 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro D500 scores 2,272 and the FirePro V7900 reaches 2,261 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro D500 is built on GCN 1.0 while the FirePro V7900 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (FirePro D500) vs 1,280 (FirePro V7900). Raw compute: 2.227 TFLOPS (FirePro D500) vs 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro V7900).

FeatureFirePro D500FirePro V7900
G3D Mark Score
2,272
2,261
Architecture
GCN 1.0
TeraScale 3
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1536+20%
1280
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.227 TFLOPS+20%
1.856 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
96+20%
80
L1 Cache
384 KB+20%
320 KB
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro D500FirePro V7900
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 D500 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro V7900 carries 2 GB. FirePro D500 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 D500 and 64-bit on the FirePro V7900. L2 Cache: 768 KB (FirePro D500) vs 512 KB (FirePro V7900) — the FirePro D500 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro D500FirePro V7900
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro D500) vs 11.2 (FirePro V7900). Vulkan: 1.2 vs None. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro D500FirePro V7900
DirectX
12+7%
11.2
Vulkan
1.2
None
OpenGL
4.6+5%
4.4
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro D500) vs None (FirePro V7900). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro D500) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC (FirePro V7900).

FeatureFirePro D500FirePro V7900
Encoder
VCE 1.0
None
Decoder
UVD 3.2
UVD 3.1
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro D500 draws 274W versus the FirePro V7900's 150W — a 58.5% difference. The FirePro V7900 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro D500) vs 350W (FirePro V7900). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 279mm vs 279mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 100°C.

FeatureFirePro D500FirePro V7900
TDP
274W
150W-45%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
279mm
279mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75°C-25%
100°C
Perf/Watt
8.3
15.1+82%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro D500 came in at $500, while the FirePro V7900 launched at $999. On MSRP, FirePro D500 was 49.9% cheaper ($499 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.5 (FirePro D500) vs 2.3 (FirePro V7900) — the FirePro D500 offers 95.7% better value. The newer card here is FirePro D500 (2014 vs 2011).

FeatureFirePro D500FirePro V7900
MSRP
$500-50%
$999
Performance per Dollar
4.5+96%
2.3
Codename
Tahiti
Cayman
Release
January 18 2014
May 24 2011
Ranking
#484
#656

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