FireStream 9170 vs GeForce GTS 360M

FireStream 9170

2010Core: 825 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 360M

2012Core: Up to 900 MHzBoost: 950 MHz
Similar parts
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FireStream 9170 vs GeForce GTS 360M 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 GTS 360M: 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.
  • 400% higher power demand at 225W vs 45W.

GeForce GTS 360M

2012

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 45W instead of 225W, a 180W reduction.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2012 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?
FireStream 9170 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (647 vs 641), 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.

FireStream 9170 vs GeForce GTS 360M 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 GTS 360M

The GeForce GTS 360M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from Up to 900 MHz to 950 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 641 points.

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9170 scores 647 and the GeForce GTS 360M reaches 641 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9170 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce GTS 360M uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (FireStream 9170) vs 384 (GeForce GTS 360M). Raw compute: 2.64 TFLOPS (FireStream 9170) vs 0.7296 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 360M).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GTS 360M
G3D Mark Score
647
641
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Kepler
Process Node
40 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1600+317%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.64 TFLOPS+262%
0.7296 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 GTS 360M 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 GTS 360M
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 GTS 360M carries 1 GB. GeForce GTS 360M 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 GTS 360M. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FireStream 9170) vs 256 KB (GeForce GTS 360M) — the FireStream 9170 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GTS 360M
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 11.1 (10_1) (GeForce GTS 360M). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GTS 360M
DirectX
10.1
11.1 (10_1)+10%
OpenGL
3.3
3.3
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9170) vs PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTS 360M). Decoder: UVD+ vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FireStream 9170) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTS 360M).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GTS 360M
Encoder
None
PureVideo HD VP4
Decoder
UVD+
PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9170 draws 225W versus the GeForce GTS 360M's 45W — a 133.3% difference. The GeForce GTS 360M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9170) vs 350W (GeForce GTS 360M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Legacy. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 90°C.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GTS 360M
TDP
225W
45W-80%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Legacy
Length
241mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
85°C-6%
90°C
Perf/Watt
2.9
14.2+390%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTS 360M (2012 vs 2010).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce GTS 360M
MSRP
$1999
Codename
Cypress
GK107
Release
June 23 2010
March 22 2012
Ranking
#631
#828

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