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 Radeon R7 250X FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

FirePro D500 vs Radeon R7 250X: 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

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅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.
❌
405.1% HIGHER MSRP
$500 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.5 vs 22.9 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌242.5% higher power demand at 274W vs 80W.
❌32.9% longer card at 279mm vs 210mm.

Radeon R7 250X

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $401 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 404.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.9 vs 4.5 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Draws 80W instead of 274W, a 194W reduction.
✅Measures 210mm instead of 279mm, a 69mm 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.

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 0.1% in PassMark G3D (2,272 vs 2,269), 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. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R7 250X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $401 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 404.4% (22.9 vs 4.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 250X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro D500 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro D500 vs Radeon R7 250X Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R7 250X

The Radeon R7 250X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 13 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,269 points. Launch price was $99.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro D500 scores 2,272 and the Radeon R7 250X reaches 2,269 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro D500 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R7 250X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (FirePro D500) vs 640 (Radeon R7 250X). Raw compute: 2.227 TFLOPS (FirePro D500) vs 1.216 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 250X).

Feature	FirePro D500	Radeon R7 250X
G3D Mark Score	2,272	2,269
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536+140%	640
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.227 TFLOPS+83%	1.216 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	96+140%	40
L1 Cache	384 KB+140%	160 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro D500	Radeon R7 250X
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 D500 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 250X 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 128-bit on the Radeon R7 250X. L2 Cache: 768 KB (FirePro D500) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 250X) — the FirePro D500 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FirePro D500	Radeon R7 250X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro D500) vs 12 (FL 11_1) (Radeon R7 250X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 2.

Feature	FirePro D500	Radeon R7 250X
DirectX	12	12 (FL 11_1)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+200%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro D500) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R7 250X). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro D500) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (Radeon R7 250X).

Feature	FirePro D500	Radeon R7 250X
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 3.2	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro D500 draws 274W versus the Radeon R7 250X's 80W — a 109.6% difference. The Radeon R7 250X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro D500) vs 400W (Radeon R7 250X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 279mm vs 210mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.

Feature	FirePro D500	Radeon R7 250X
TDP	274W	80W-71%
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	279mm	210mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	70°C-7%
Perf/Watt	8.3	28.4+242%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro D500 came in at $500, while the Radeon R7 250X launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon R7 250X was 80.2% cheaper ($401 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.5 (FirePro D500) vs 22.9 (Radeon R7 250X) — the Radeon R7 250X offers 408.9% better value.

Feature	FirePro D500	Radeon R7 250X
MSRP	$500	$99-80%
Performance per Dollar	4.5	22.9+409%
Codename	Tahiti	Cape Verde
Release	January 18 2014	February 13 2014
Ranking	#484	#655

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