FirePro V3900 vs GeForce 9800 S

FirePro V3900

2011Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 S

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro V3900 vs GeForce 9800 S 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 V3900 vs GeForce 9800 S: 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 V3900

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $31 less on MSRP ($119 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Delivers 25.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.3 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($119 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce 9800 S

2008

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 26.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $150 MSRPvs$119 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.2 vs 5.3 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $119 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 9800 S is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (636 vs 631), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro V3900 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 40nm process instead of 65nm, and a newer 2011 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 V3900 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $31 cheaper on MSRP at $119 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 25.1% (5.3 vs 4.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce 9800 S still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

FirePro V3900 vs GeForce 9800 S Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro V3900

The FirePro V3900 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: 631 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 S

The GeForce 9800 S is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 636 points.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro V3900 scores 631 and the GeForce 9800 S reaches 636 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro V3900 is built on TeraScale 3 while the GeForce 9800 S uses G9x, both on 40 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro V3900) vs 224 (GeForce 9800 S).

FeatureFirePro V3900GeForce 9800 S
G3D Mark Score
631
636
Architecture
TeraScale 3
G9x
Process Node
40 nm
65 nm
Shading Units
1280+471%
224

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9800 S gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro V3900 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFirePro V3900GeForce 9800 S
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro V3900 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce 9800 S carries 512 MB. FirePro V3900 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 V3900 and 64-bit on the GeForce 9800 S.

FeatureFirePro V3900GeForce 9800 S
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (FirePro V3900) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9800 S). OpenGL: 4.4 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureFirePro V3900GeForce 9800 S
DirectX
11.0
11.1 (10_0)
OpenGL
4.4+33%
3.3
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FirePro V3900) vs No NVENC (Tesla) (GeForce 9800 S). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (FirePro V3900) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce 9800 S).

FeatureFirePro V3900GeForce 9800 S
Encoder
None
No NVENC (Tesla)
Decoder
UVD 3.0
PureVideo HD VP2
Codecs
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro V3900 draws 150W versus the GeForce 9800 S's 150W — a 0% difference. The GeForce 9800 S is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro V3900) vs 350W (GeForce 9800 S). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Legacy. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 85°C.

FeatureFirePro V3900GeForce 9800 S
TDP
150W
150W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Legacy
Length
168mm
Height
69mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80-6%
85°C
Perf/Watt
4.2
4.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro V3900 came in at $119, while the GeForce 9800 S launched at $150. On MSRP, FirePro V3900 was 20.7% cheaper ($31 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.3 (FirePro V3900) vs 4.2 (GeForce 9800 S) — the FirePro V3900 offers 26.2% better value. The newer card here is FirePro V3900 (2011 vs 2008).

FeatureFirePro V3900GeForce 9800 S
MSRP
$119-21%
$150
Performance per Dollar
5.3+26%
4.2
Codename
Cayman
NB9E-GTX
Release
May 24 2011
July 15 2008
Ranking
#656
#825

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