FirePro V8700 vs Radeon HD 4890

FirePro V8700

2011Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 4890

2009Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro V8700 vs Radeon HD 4890 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 V8700 vs Radeon HD 4890: 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 V8700

2011

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 150W instead of 190W, a 40W reduction.
  • More future proof: TeraScale 3 (2010−2013) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
  • 502% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 6.2 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Radeon HD 4890

2009

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 504.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.2 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 26.7% higher power demand at 190W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 4890 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.5% in PassMark G3D (1,546 vs 1,539), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FirePro V8700 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 40nm process instead of 55nm, and a newer 2011 generation instead of 2009. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 4890 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,250 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 504.7% (6.2 vs 1.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 4890 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro V8700 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro V8700 vs Radeon HD 4890 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FirePro V8700

The FirePro V8700 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: 1,539 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 4890

The Radeon HD 4890 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,546 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro V8700 scores 1,539 and the Radeon HD 4890 reaches 1,546 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro V8700 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon HD 4890 uses TeraScale, both on 40 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro V8700) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4890). Raw compute: 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro V8700) vs 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4890).

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 4890
G3D Mark Score
1,539
1,546
Architecture
TeraScale 3
TeraScale
Process Node
40 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
1280+60%
800
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.856 TFLOPS+36%
1.36 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
80+100%
40
L1 Cache
320 KB+100%
160 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 4890
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 V8700 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4890 carries 2 GB. FirePro V8700 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 V8700 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4890. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro V8700) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 4890) — the FirePro V8700 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 4890
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro V8700) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 4890).

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 4890
Encoder
None
Decoder
UVD 2.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro V8700 draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 4890's 190W — a 23.5% difference. The FirePro V8700 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro V8700) vs 500W (Radeon HD 4890). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 4890
TDP
150W-21%
190W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
254mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
60
Perf/Watt
10.3+27%
8.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro V8700 came in at $1499, while the Radeon HD 4890 launched at $249. On MSRP, Radeon HD 4890 was 83.4% cheaper ($1250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.0 (FirePro V8700) vs 6.2 (Radeon HD 4890) — the Radeon HD 4890 offers 520% better value. The newer card here is FirePro V8700 (2011 vs 2009).

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 4890
MSRP
$1499
$249-83%
Performance per Dollar
1.0
6.2+520%
Codename
Cayman
RV790
Release
May 24 2011
April 2 2009
Ranking
#656
#762

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