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FirePro V7900 vs Radeon HD 6870

CPUCPUGPUGPU

FirePro V7900

2011Core: 725 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6870

2010Boost: 900 MHz
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FirePro V7900 vs Radeon HD 6870 Performance Spectrum

FirePro V7900
2 GB 150
2,261
+2.5%
brand logoRadeon HD 8570D + HD 6670 Dual
brand logoRadeon HD 7870M
brand logoRadeon HD 5830
brand logoRadeon R9 350
brand logoRadeon 780M
brand logoRadeon RX 7400
brand logoRadeon RX 6800S
brand logoRadeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
Radeon HD 6870
2 GB 151
2,206
0.0%
brand logoRadeon HD 8670D + HD 6670 Dual
brand logoRadeon R7 M370
brand logoRadeon R9 M375X
brand logoRadeon HD 5850
brand logoRadeon 780M
brand logoRadeon RX 7400
brand logoRadeon RX 6800S
brand logoRadeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

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 V7900 vs Radeon HD 6870: 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 V7900

2011

Why buy it

  • ✅More future proof: TeraScale 3 (2010−2013) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌
    318% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$239 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.3 vs 9.2 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $239 MSRP).
  • ❌13% longer card at 279mm vs 247mm.

Radeon HD 6870

2010

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $760 less on MSRP ($239 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 307.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.2 vs 2.3 G3D/$ ($239 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • ✅Measures 247mm instead of 279mm, a 32mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • ❌2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
FirePro V7900 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.5% in PassMark G3D (2,261 vs 2,206), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro V7900 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2011 generation instead of 2010. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6870 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $760 cheaper on MSRP at $239 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 307.8% (9.2 vs 2.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro V7900 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro V7900 vs Radeon HD 6870 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro V7900

The FirePro V7900 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: 2,261 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 6870

The Radeon HD 6870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,206 points. Launch price was $239.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro V7900 scores 2,261 and the Radeon HD 6870 reaches 2,206 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro V7900 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon HD 6870 uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro V7900) vs 1,120 (Radeon HD 6870). Raw compute: 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro V7900) vs 2.016 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6870).

FeatureFirePro V7900Radeon HD 6870
G3D Mark Score
2,261+2%
2,206
Architecture
TeraScale 3
TeraScale 2
Process Node
40 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1280+14%
1120
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.856 TFLOPS
2.016 TFLOPS+9%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
80+43%
56
L1 Cache
320 KB+43%
224 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro V7900Radeon HD 6870
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)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro V7900 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6870.

FeatureFirePro V7900Radeon HD 6870
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (FirePro V7900) vs 11.0 (Radeon HD 6870). Vulkan: None vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureFirePro V7900Radeon HD 6870
DirectX
11.2+2%
11.0
Vulkan
None
N/A
OpenGL
4.4
4.4
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FirePro V7900) vs None (Radeon HD 6870). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC (FirePro V7900) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6870).

FeatureFirePro V7900Radeon HD 6870
Encoder
None
None
Decoder
UVD 3.1
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2,MVC
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro V7900 draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6870's 151W — a 0.7% difference. The FirePro V7900 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro V7900) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 279mm vs 247mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 100°C vs 85.

FeatureFirePro V7900Radeon HD 6870
TDP
150W
151W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
279mm
247mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
100°C
85-15%
Perf/Watt
15.1+3%
14.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro V7900 came in at $999, while the Radeon HD 6870 launched at $239. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6870 was 76.1% cheaper ($760 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.3 (FirePro V7900) vs 9.2 (Radeon HD 6870) — the Radeon HD 6870 offers 300% better value. The newer card here is FirePro V7900 (2011 vs 2010).

FeatureFirePro V7900Radeon HD 6870
MSRP
$999
$239-76%
Performance per Dollar
2.3
9.2+300%
Codename
Cayman
Barts
Release
May 24 2011
October 21 2010
Ranking
#656
#661
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