FireStream 9170 vs GeForce RTX 2060

FireStream 9170

2010Core: 825 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
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FireStream 9170 vs GeForce RTX 2060 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 RTX 2060: 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

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

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (647 vs 14,114).
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 472.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,999 MSRPvs$349 MSRP

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

  • +2081.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $1,650 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 12394.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0.3 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2081.5% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 647), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 40nm, and 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 2060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,650 cheaper on MSRP at $349 vs $1,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 12394.9% (40.4 vs 0.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FireStream 9170 vs GeForce RTX 2060 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 RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FireStream 9170 scores 647 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 2081.5%. The FireStream 9170 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 40 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (FireStream 9170) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 2.64 TFLOPS (FireStream 9170) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score
647
14,114+2081%
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Turing
Process Node
40 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
1600
1920+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.64 TFLOPS
6.451 TFLOPS+144%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
80
120+50%
L1 Cache
0.16 MB
1.9 MB+1088%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
3 MB+500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 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 RTX 2060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 1100% 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 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (FireStream 9170) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
6 GB+1100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
64-bit
192-bit+200%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
3 MB+500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9170) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce RTX 2060
DirectX
10.1
12 Ultimate (12_2)+19%
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9170) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: UVD+ vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FireStream 9170) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder
None
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
UVD+
NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9170 draws 225W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 33.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9170) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 72.

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce RTX 2060
TDP
225W
160W-29%
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
241mm
229mm
Height
111mm
113mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
72-15%
Perf/Watt
2.9
88.2+2941%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9170 came in at $1999, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 2060 was 82.5% cheaper ($1650 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.3 (FireStream 9170) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 13366.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2010).

FeatureFireStream 9170GeForce RTX 2060
MSRP
$1999
$349-83%
Performance per Dollar
0.3
40.4+13367%
Codename
Cypress
TU106
Release
June 23 2010
January 7 2019
Ranking
#631
#168

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