FirePro R5000 vs FirePro V9800

FirePro R5000

2013Core: 825 MHz
Similar parts
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VS

FirePro V9800

2011Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro R5000 vs FirePro V9800 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 R5000 vs FirePro V9800: 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 R5000

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $2,400 less on MSRP ($1,099 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 209% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($1,099 MSRP vs $3,499 MSRP).
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

FirePro V9800

2011

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 218.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $3,499 MSRPvs$1,099 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($3,499 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro V9800 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3% in PassMark G3D (2,727 vs 2,647), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro R5000 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro R5000 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,400 cheaper on MSRP at $1,099 vs $3,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 209% (2.4 vs 0.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. FirePro V9800 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

FirePro R5000 vs FirePro V9800 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro R5000

The FirePro R5000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 25 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 825 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,647 points. Launch price was $1,099.

AMD

FirePro V9800

The FirePro V9800 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: 2,727 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro R5000 scores 2,647 and the FirePro V9800 reaches 2,727 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro R5000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the FirePro V9800 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (FirePro R5000) vs 1,280 (FirePro V9800). Raw compute: 1.267 TFLOPS (FirePro R5000) vs 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro V9800).

FeatureFirePro R5000FirePro V9800
G3D Mark Score
2,647
2,727+3%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
TeraScale 3
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
768
1280+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.267 TFLOPS
1.856 TFLOPS+46%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
48
80+67%
L1 Cache
192 KB
320 KB+67%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro R5000FirePro V9800
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro R5000 and 64-bit on the FirePro V9800.

FeatureFirePro R5000FirePro V9800
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro R5000) vs 11.2 (FirePro V9800). Vulkan: 1.2 vs None. OpenGL: 4.2 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 6.

FeatureFirePro R5000FirePro V9800
DirectX
12+7%
11.2
Vulkan
1.2
None
OpenGL
4.2
4.4+5%
Max Displays
6
6
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro R5000) vs None (FirePro V9800). Decoder: UVD vs UVD 2.3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro R5000) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro V9800).

FeatureFirePro R5000FirePro V9800
Encoder
VCE 1.0
None
Decoder
UVD
UVD 2.3
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro R5000 draws 150W versus the FirePro V9800's 150W — a 0% difference. The FirePro V9800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro R5000) vs 350W (FirePro V9800). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 279mm vs 267mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

FeatureFirePro R5000FirePro V9800
TDP
150W
150W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
279mm
267mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
85°C
Perf/Watt
17.6
18.2+3%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro R5000 came in at $1099, while the FirePro V9800 launched at $3499. On MSRP, FirePro R5000 was 68.6% cheaper ($2400 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.4 (FirePro R5000) vs 0.8 (FirePro V9800) — the FirePro R5000 offers 200% better value. The newer card here is FirePro R5000 (2013 vs 2011).

FeatureFirePro R5000FirePro V9800
MSRP
$1099-69%
$3499
Performance per Dollar
2.4+200%
0.8
Codename
Pitcairn
Cayman
Release
February 25 2013
May 24 2011
Ranking
#619
#656

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