FirePro S9000 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

FirePro S9000

2012Core: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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FirePro S9000 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 S9000 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU: 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 S9000

2012

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,059 vs 13,170).
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 32.4% higher power demand at 225W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • +160.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 170W instead of 225W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 160.3% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 5,059), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
FirePro S9000 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, FirePro S9000 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro S9000 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro S9000

The FirePro S9000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,059 points. Launch price was $2,499.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FirePro S9000 scores 5,059 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 160.3%. The FirePro S9000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (FirePro S9000) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (FirePro S9000) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureFirePro S9000GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
5,059
13,170+160%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1792
3584+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.226 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+295%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
112
112
L1 Cache
0.44 MB
3.5 MB+695%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
3 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro S9000 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro S9000GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro S9000 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the FirePro S9000 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (FirePro S9000) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro S9000GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
6 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
3 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro S9000) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureFirePro S9000GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.2
1.4+17%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro S9000) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (FirePro S9000) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureFirePro S9000GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder
VCE 1.0
NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder
UVD 3.2
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro S9000 draws 225W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 27.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro S9000) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 75°C.

FeatureFirePro S9000GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
TDP
225W
170W-24%
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
90°C
75°C-17%
Perf/Watt
22.5
77.5+244%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2012).

FeatureFirePro S9000GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
MSRP
$2499
Codename
Tahiti
GA106
Release
August 24 2012
October 12 2022
Ranking
#441
#147

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