FireStream 9170 vs GeForce GT 555M

FireStream 9170

2010Core: 825 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GT 555M

2013Core: 980 MHz
Similar parts
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FireStream 9170 vs GeForce GT 555M 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.

FireStream 9170 vs GeForce GT 555M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FireStream 9170

2010

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 350% higher power demand at 225W vs 50W.

GeForce GT 555M

2013

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 50W instead of 225W, a 175W reduction.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 1 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 0.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GT 555M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (649 vs 647), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FireStream 9170 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?
FireStream 9170 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GT 555M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

FireStream 9170 vs GeForce GT 555M Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FireStream 9170

The FireStream 9170 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 23 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 825 MHz. It has 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 647 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 555M

The GeForce GT 555M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 25 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 980 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 649 points.

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9170 scores 647 and the GeForce GT 555M reaches 649 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9170 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce GT 555M uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (FireStream 9170) vs 384 (GeForce GT 555M). Raw compute: 2.64 TFLOPS (FireStream 9170) vs 0.7526 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 555M).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GT 555M
G3D Mark Score
647
649
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Kepler
Process Node
40 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1600+317%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.64 TFLOPS+251%
0.7526 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
80+150%
32
L1 Cache
160 KB+400%
32 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 555M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FireStream 9170 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GT 555M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FireStream 9170 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 555M carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 555M 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 FireStream 9170 and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 555M. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FireStream 9170) vs 256 KB (GeForce GT 555M) — the FireStream 9170 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GT 555M
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9170) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 555M). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GT 555M
DirectX
10.1
12 (11_0)+19%
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9170) vs None (GeForce GT 555M). Decoder: UVD+ vs PureVideo HD (VP4). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FireStream 9170) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4 (GeForce GT 555M).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GT 555M
Encoder
None
None
Decoder
UVD+
PureVideo HD (VP4)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9170 draws 225W versus the GeForce GT 555M's 50W — a 127.3% difference. The GeForce GT 555M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9170) vs 350W (GeForce GT 555M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GT 555M
TDP
225W
50W-78%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
241mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
85°C
75-12%
Perf/Watt
2.9
13.0+348%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GT 555M (2013 vs 2010).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GT 555M
MSRP
$1999
Codename
Cypress
GK107
Release
June 23 2010
June 25 2013
Ranking
#631
#726

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