FirePro M4170 vs Radeon HD 4850 X2

FirePro M4170

2015Core: 825 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 4850 X2

2008Core: 625 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro M4170 vs Radeon HD 4850 X2 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 Radeon HD 4850 X2: 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 $199 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Delivers 105.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.8 vs 2.8 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

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.

Radeon HD 4850 X2

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.
  • 99.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $399 MSRPvs$200 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.8 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • 66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

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 3.2% in PassMark G3D (1,168 vs 1,132), 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 $199 cheaper on MSRP at $200 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 105.8% (5.8 vs 2.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FirePro M4170 vs Radeon HD 4850 X2 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

Radeon HD 4850 X2

The Radeon HD 4850 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 7 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 625 MHz. It has 800 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,132 points. Launch price was $420.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro M4170 scores 1,168 and the Radeon HD 4850 X2 reaches 1,132 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro M4170 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 4850 X2 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 384 (FirePro M4170) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4850 X2). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (FirePro M4170) vs 1 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 4850 X2).

FeatureFirePro M4170Radeon HD 4850 X2
G3D Mark Score
1,168+3%
1,132
Architecture
GCN 1.0
TeraScale
Process Node
28 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
384
800 ×2+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6912 TFLOPS
1 TFLOPS ×2+45%
ROPs
8
16 ×2+100%
TMUs
24
40 ×2+67%
L1 Cache
96 KB
160 KB+67%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro M4170Radeon HD 4850 X2
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 M4170 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4850 X2 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 Radeon HD 4850 X2.

FeatureFirePro M4170Radeon HD 4850 X2
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 (Radeon HD 4850 X2). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro M4170Radeon HD 4850 X2
DirectX
12+19%
10.1
Vulkan
1.2
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+39%
3.3
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro M4170) vs None (Radeon HD 4850 X2). Decoder: UVD vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro M4170) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (Radeon HD 4850 X2).

FeatureFirePro M4170Radeon HD 4850 X2
Encoder
VCE 1.0
None
Decoder
UVD
UVD 2.2
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M4170 draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 4850 X2's 250W — a 50% difference. The FirePro M4170 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M4170) vs 500W (Radeon HD 4850 X2). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 95.

FeatureFirePro M4170Radeon HD 4850 X2
TDP
150W-40%
250W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Length
0mm
267mm
Height
0mm
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-26%
95
Perf/Watt
7.8+73%
4.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M4170 came in at $200, while the Radeon HD 4850 X2 launched at $399. On MSRP, FirePro M4170 was 49.9% cheaper ($199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.8 (FirePro M4170) vs 2.8 (Radeon HD 4850 X2) — the FirePro M4170 offers 107.1% better value. The newer card here is FirePro M4170 (2015 vs 2008).

FeatureFirePro M4170Radeon HD 4850 X2
MSRP
$200-50%
$399
Performance per Dollar
5.8+107%
2.8
Codename
Opal
R700
Release
April 23 2015
November 7 2008
Ranking
#838
#848

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