FirePro V8700 vs Radeon HD 6790

FirePro V8700

2011Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6790

2011Core: 840 MHz
Similar parts
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FirePro V8700 vs Radeon HD 6790 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 6790: 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

  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
  • 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.
  • 906% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 10.5 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6790

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,350 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 924.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.5 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Measures 240mm instead of 254mm, a 14mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 1 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?
Radeon HD 6790 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.8% in PassMark G3D (1,567 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 1 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6790 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,350 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 924.3% (10.5 vs 1.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6790 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 6790 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 6790

The Radeon HD 6790 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 840 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,567 points. Launch price was $149.

Graphics Performance

The FirePro V8700 scores 1,539 and the Radeon HD 6790 reaches 1,567 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro V8700 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon HD 6790 uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (FirePro V8700) vs 800 (Radeon HD 6790). Raw compute: 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro V8700) vs 1.344 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6790).

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 6790
G3D Mark Score
1,539
1,567+2%
Architecture
TeraScale 3
TeraScale 2
Process Node
40 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1280+60%
800
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.856 TFLOPS+38%
1.344 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
80+100%
40
L1 Cache
320 KB+100%
160 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 6790
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 6790 carries 1 GB. FirePro V8700 gives you 300% 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 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6790.

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 6790
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+300%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FirePro V8700) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 6790). Vulkan: None vs N/A. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 6790
DirectX
10.1
11.2 (11_0)+11%
Vulkan
None
N/A
OpenGL
3.3
4.4+33%
Max Displays
2
3+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FirePro V8700) vs None (Radeon HD 6790). Decoder: UVD 2.0 vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro V8700) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 6790).

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 6790
Encoder
None
None
Decoder
UVD 2.0
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro V8700 draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6790's 150W — a 0% difference. The Radeon HD 6790 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro V8700) vs 450W (Radeon HD 6790). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 254mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 60 vs 80.

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 6790
TDP
150W
150W
Recommended PSU
350W-22%
450W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
254mm
240mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
60-25%
80
Perf/Watt
10.3
10.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro V8700 came in at $1499, while the Radeon HD 6790 launched at $149. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6790 was 90.1% cheaper ($1350 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.0 (FirePro V8700) vs 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) — the Radeon HD 6790 offers 950% better value.

FeatureFirePro V8700Radeon HD 6790
MSRP
$1499
$149-90%
Performance per Dollar
1.0
10.5+950%
Codename
Cayman
Barts
Release
May 24 2011
April 4 2011
Ranking
#656
#759

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