FirePro W6150M vs Radeon HD 5970

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 W6150M vs Radeon HD 5970 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 W6150M vs Radeon HD 5970: 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 W6150M

2015

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 294W, a 144W reduction.
✅Measures 82mm instead of 305mm, a 223mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 3.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Radeon HD 5970

2009

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs Unknown 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.
❌96% higher power demand at 294W vs 150W.
❌272% longer card at 305mm vs 82mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

FirePro W6150M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (2,358 vs 2,297), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

FirePro W6150M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2015 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 5970 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 5970 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro W6150M has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W6150M vs Radeon HD 5970 Technical Specifications

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

FirePro W6150M

The FirePro W6150M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 12 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1075 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,358 points.

Radeon HD 5970

The Radeon HD 5970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 18 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1600 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 294W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,297 points. Launch price was $699.

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Graphics Performance

The FirePro W6150M scores 2,358 and the Radeon HD 5970 reaches 2,297 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W6150M is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon HD 5970 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (FirePro W6150M) vs 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970). Raw compute: 1.651 TFLOPS (FirePro W6150M) vs 2.32 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 5970).

Feature	FirePro W6150M	Radeon HD 5970
G3D Mark Score	2,358+3%	2,297
Architecture	GCN 2.0	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	768	1600 ×2+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.651 TFLOPS	2.32 TFLOPS ×2+41%
ROPs	16	32 ×2+100%
TMUs	48	80 ×2+67%
L1 Cache	192 KB	320 KB+67%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro W6150M	Radeon HD 5970
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 W6150M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5970 carries 2 GB. FirePro W6150M 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 W6150M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 5970. L2 Cache: 256 KB (FirePro W6150M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 5970) — the Radeon HD 5970 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FirePro W6150M	Radeon HD 5970
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL12_0) (FirePro W6150M) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 5970). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 3.

Feature	FirePro W6150M	Radeon HD 5970
DirectX	12 (FL12_0)+7%	11.2
Vulkan	1.2	N/A
OpenGL	4.6+5%	4.4
Max Displays	1	3+200%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (FirePro W6150M) vs None (Radeon HD 5970). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC (FirePro W6150M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5970).

Feature	FirePro W6150M	Radeon HD 5970
Encoder	VCE 2.0	None
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,HEVC	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W6150M draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 5970's 294W — a 64.9% difference. The FirePro W6150M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W6150M) vs 650W (Radeon HD 5970). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 82mm vs 305mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 90.

Feature	FirePro W6150M	Radeon HD 5970
TDP	150W-49%	294W
Recommended PSU	350W-46%	650W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	82mm	305mm
Height	105mm	111mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-17%	90
Perf/Watt	15.7+101%	7.8

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is FirePro W6150M (2015 vs 2009).

Feature	FirePro W6150M	Radeon HD 5970
MSRP	—	$699
Codename	Saturn	Hemlock
Release	November 12 2015	November 18 2009
Ranking	#646	#651

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