FirePro M4170 vs FireStream 9250

FirePro M4170

2015Core: 825 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS

FireStream 9250

2008Core: 625 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro M4170 vs FireStream 9250 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 M4170 vs FireStream 9250: 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 M4170

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $799 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 400.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.8 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

FireStream 9250

2008

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 399.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$200 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.2 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro M4170 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (1,168 vs 1,165), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro M4170 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 55nm, and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2008. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro M4170 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $799 cheaper on MSRP at $200 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 400.8% (5.8 vs 1.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro M4170 vs FireStream 9250 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro M4170

The FirePro M4170 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 23 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 825 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,168 points.

AMD

FireStream 9250

The FireStream 9250 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 625 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,165 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro M4170 scores 1,168 and the FireStream 9250 reaches 1,165 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro M4170 is built on GCN 1.0 while the FireStream 9250 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 384 (FirePro M4170) vs 800 (FireStream 9250). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (FirePro M4170) vs 1 TFLOPS (FireStream 9250).

FeatureFirePro M4170FireStream 9250
G3D Mark Score
1,168
1,165
Architecture
GCN 1.0
TeraScale
Process Node
28 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
384
800+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6912 TFLOPS
1 TFLOPS+45%
ROPs
8
16+100%
TMUs
24
40+67%
L1 Cache
96 KB
160 KB+67%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro M4170FireStream 9250
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 M4170 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the FireStream 9250 carries 1 GB. FirePro M4170 gives you 300% 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 M4170 and 64-bit on the FireStream 9250.

FeatureFirePro M4170FireStream 9250
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+300%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro M4170) vs 10.1 (FireStream 9250). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 1.

FeatureFirePro M4170FireStream 9250
DirectX
12+19%
10.1
Vulkan
1.2
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+39%
3.3
Max Displays
3+200%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro M4170) vs None (FireStream 9250). Decoder: UVD vs UVD 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro M4170) vs H.264,VC-1 (FireStream 9250).

FeatureFirePro M4170FireStream 9250
Encoder
VCE 1.0
None
Decoder
UVD
UVD 2.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M4170 draws 150W versus the FireStream 9250's 150W — a 0% difference. The FireStream 9250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M4170) vs 350W (FireStream 9250). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 234mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs Unknown.

FeatureFirePro M4170FireStream 9250
TDP
150W
150W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
234mm
Height
0mm
111mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
70°C
Unknown-100%
Perf/Watt
7.8
7.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M4170 came in at $200, while the FireStream 9250 launched at $999. On MSRP, FirePro M4170 was 80% cheaper ($799 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.8 (FirePro M4170) vs 1.2 (FireStream 9250) — the FirePro M4170 offers 383.3% better value. The newer card here is FirePro M4170 (2015 vs 2008).

FeatureFirePro M4170FireStream 9250
MSRP
$200-80%
$999
Performance per Dollar
5.8+383%
1.2
Codename
Opal
RV770
Release
April 23 2015
June 16 2008
Ranking
#838
#840

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