FirePro W4100 vs Radeon R9 255

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 W4100 vs Radeon R9 255 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

FirePro W4100 vs Radeon R9 255: 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 W4100

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 190W, a 140W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
31.7% HIGHER MSRP
$183 MSRPvs$139 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.2 vs 10.8 G3D/$ ($183 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Radeon R9 255

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $44 less on MSRP ($139 MSRP vs $183 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.8 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $183 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌280% higher power demand at 190W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 255 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (1,501 vs 1,496), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

FirePro W4100 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 255 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $44 cheaper on MSRP at $139 vs $183, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 32.1% (10.8 vs 8.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 255 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro W4100 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W4100 vs Radeon R9 255 Technical Specifications

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

FirePro W4100

The FirePro W4100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 13 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 630 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,496 points.

Radeon R9 255

The Radeon R9 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,501 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W4100 scores 1,496 and the Radeon R9 255 reaches 1,501 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W4100 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 255 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 512 (FirePro W4100) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 255). Raw compute: 0.6451 TFLOPS (FirePro W4100) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 255).

Feature	FirePro W4100	Radeon R9 255
G3D Mark Score	1,496	1,501
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	512	1792+250%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6451 TFLOPS	3.29 TFLOPS+410%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	112+250%
L1 Cache	128 KB	448 KB+250%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro W4100	Radeon R9 255
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 W4100 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 255. L2 Cache: 256 KB (FirePro W4100) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 255) — the Radeon R9 255 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FirePro W4100	Radeon R9 255
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W4100 draws 50W versus the Radeon R9 255's 190W — a 116.7% difference. The FirePro W4100 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W4100) vs 400W (Radeon R9 255). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	FirePro W4100	Radeon R9 255
TDP	50W-74%	190W
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	171mm	—
Height	69mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	29.9+278%	7.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W4100 came in at $183, while the Radeon R9 255 launched at $139. On MSRP, Radeon R9 255 was 24% cheaper ($44 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.2 (FirePro W4100) vs 10.8 (Radeon R9 255) — the Radeon R9 255 offers 31.7% better value.

Feature	FirePro W4100	Radeon R9 255
MSRP	$183	$139-24%
Performance per Dollar	8.2	10.8+32%
Codename	Cape Verde	Tonga
Release	August 13 2014	September 2 2014
Ranking	#766	#365

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