FirePro W9000 vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

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 W9000 vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire 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 W9000 vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire: 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 W9000

2012

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
399.9% HIGHER MSRP
$3,999 MSRPvs$800 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.5 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($3,999 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
❌37% higher power demand at 274W vs 200W.
❌27800% longer card at 279mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,199 less on MSRP ($800 MSRP vs $3,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 387.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.5 vs 1.5 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $3,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 274W, a 74W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 279mm, a 278mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

FirePro W9000 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.6% in PassMark G3D (6,157 vs 6,000), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

FirePro W9000 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire makes the most sense to buy today. It is $3,199 cheaper on MSRP at $800 vs $3,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 387.1% (7.5 vs 1.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro W9000 has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W9000 vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

FirePro W9000

The FirePro W9000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 14 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 975 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 274W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,157 points. Launch price was $3,999.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro W9000 scores 6,157 and the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire reaches 6,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W9000 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (FirePro W9000) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire).

Feature	FirePro W9000	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	6,157+3%	6,000
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	2560+25%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro W9000	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
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 W9000 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire carries 4 GB. FirePro W9000 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the FirePro W9000 and 512-bit (Dual) on the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire.

Feature	FirePro W9000	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit	512-bit (Dual)+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FirePro W9000) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 0.

Feature	FirePro W9000	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
DirectX	12	12
Max Displays	6	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro W9000) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	FirePro W9000	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 3.2	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W9000 draws 274W versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 200W — a 31.2% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W9000) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Card length: 279mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	FirePro W9000	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
TDP	274W	200W-27%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Length	279mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	93°C	—
Perf/Watt	22.5	30.0+33%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro W9000 came in at $3999, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire was 80% cheaper ($3199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.5 (FirePro W9000) vs 7.5 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire offers 400% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire (2014 vs 2012).

Feature	FirePro W9000	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
MSRP	$3999	$800-80%
Performance per Dollar	1.5	7.5+400%
Codename	Tahiti	Neptune CF
Release	June 14 2012	March 1 2014
Ranking	#390	#348

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