FireStream 9170 vs Radeon R5 M430

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 Radeon R5 M430 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.

FireStream 9170 vs Radeon R5 M430: 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

❌2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
1919.2% HIGHER MSRP
$1,999 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.3 vs 6.6 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌200% higher power demand at 225W vs 75W.

Radeon R5 M430

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,900 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1925.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.6 vs 0.3 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 225W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 512 MB 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?

Radeon R5 M430 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?

Radeon R5 M430 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,900 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $1,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1925.4% (6.6 vs 0.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 M430 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FireStream 9170 has the stronger long-term case.

FireStream 9170 vs Radeon R5 M430 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R5 M430

The Radeon R5 M430 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 780 MHz to 1030 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 649 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9170 scores 647 and the Radeon R5 M430 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 Radeon R5 M430 uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (FireStream 9170) vs 320 (Radeon R5 M430). Raw compute: 2.64 TFLOPS (FireStream 9170) vs 0.6592 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 M430).

Feature	FireStream 9170	Radeon R5 M430
G3D Mark Score	647	649
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1600+400%	320
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.64 TFLOPS+300%	0.6592 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	80+300%	20
L1 Cache	160 KB+100%	80 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+300%	128 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FireStream 9170	Radeon R5 M430
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FireStream 9170 and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M430. L2 Cache: 512 KB (FireStream 9170) vs 128 KB (Radeon R5 M430) — the FireStream 9170 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	FireStream 9170	Radeon R5 M430
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB+300%	128 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9170) vs 11_1 (Radeon R5 M430). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	FireStream 9170	Radeon R5 M430
DirectX	10.1	11_1+9%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: UVD+ vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FireStream 9170) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon R5 M430).

Feature	FireStream 9170	Radeon R5 M430
Encoder	None	—
Decoder	UVD+	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9170 draws 225W versus the Radeon R5 M430's 75W — a 100% difference. The Radeon R5 M430 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9170) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M430). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	FireStream 9170	Radeon R5 M430
TDP	225W	75W-67%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	2.9	8.7+200%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9170 came in at $1999, while the Radeon R5 M430 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon R5 M430 was 95% cheaper ($1900 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.3 (FireStream 9170) vs 6.6 (Radeon R5 M430) — the Radeon R5 M430 offers 2100% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 M430 (2016 vs 2010).

Feature	FireStream 9170	Radeon R5 M430
MSRP	$1999	$99-95%
Performance per Dollar	0.3	6.6+2100%
Codename	Cypress	Jet
Release	June 23 2010	May 15 2016
Ranking	#631	#922

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