FirePro W7170M vs GeForce GTX 870M

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 W7170M vs GeForce GTX 870M 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 W7170M vs GeForce GTX 870M: 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 W7170M

2015

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 870M

2014

Why buy it

✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 6 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 W7170M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2% in PassMark G3D (3,605 vs 3,536), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

FirePro W7170M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

FirePro W7170M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

FirePro W7170M vs GeForce GTX 870M Technical Specifications

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

FirePro W7170M

The FirePro W7170M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 2 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,605 points.

GeForce GTX 870M

The GeForce GTX 870M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,536 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W7170M scores 3,605 and the GeForce GTX 870M reaches 3,536 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W7170M is built on GCN 3.0 while the GeForce GTX 870M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (FirePro W7170M) vs 1,344 (GeForce GTX 870M). Raw compute: 2.961 TFLOPS (FirePro W7170M) vs 2.599 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 870M).

Feature	FirePro W7170M	GeForce GTX 870M
G3D Mark Score	3,605+2%	3,536
Architecture	GCN 3.0	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048+52%	1344
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.961 TFLOPS+14%	2.599 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+33%	24
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	512 KB+357%	112 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+33%	384 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 870M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FirePro W7170M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	FirePro W7170M	GeForce GTX 870M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro W7170M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 870M carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 870M gives you 50% 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 W7170M and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 870M. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FirePro W7170M) vs 384 KB (GeForce GTX 870M) — the FirePro W7170M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FirePro W7170M	GeForce GTX 870M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB+33%	384 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W7170M) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 870M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	FirePro W7170M	GeForce GTX 870M
DirectX	12	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	4+33%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.1 (FirePro W7170M) vs 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 870M). Decoder: UVD 6.0 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC (FirePro W7170M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 870M).

Feature	FirePro W7170M	GeForce GTX 870M
Encoder	VCE 3.1	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)
Decoder	UVD 6.0	PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W7170M draws 100W versus the GeForce GTX 870M's 100W — a 0% difference. The GeForce GTX 870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W7170M) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 870M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

Feature	FirePro W7170M	GeForce GTX 870M
TDP	100W	100W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	1	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	85°C
Perf/Watt	36.0+2%	35.4