FireStream 9250 vs GeForce 830A

FireStream 9250

2008Core: 625 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce 830A

2014Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1150 MHz

FireStream 9250 vs GeForce 830A 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 9250 vs GeForce 830A: 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 9250

2008

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 899% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.2 vs 11.7 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • 354.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 33W.

GeForce 830A

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $899 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 905.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.7 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Draws 33W instead of 150W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 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?
GeForce 830A is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (1,173 vs 1,165), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
FireStream 9250 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 830A makes the most sense to buy today. It is $899 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 905.9% (11.7 vs 1.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce 830A is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FireStream 9250 has the stronger long-term case.

FireStream 9250 vs GeForce 830A Technical Specifications

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

AMD

FireStream 9250

The FireStream 9250 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 625 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,165 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce 830A

The GeForce 830A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,173 points.

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9250 scores 1,165 and the GeForce 830A reaches 1,173 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9250 is built on TeraScale while the GeForce 830A uses Maxwell, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9250) vs 256 (GeForce 830A). Raw compute: 1 TFLOPS (FireStream 9250) vs 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 830A).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce 830A
G3D Mark Score
1,165
1,173
Architecture
TeraScale
Maxwell
Process Node
55 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
800+213%
256
Compute (TFLOPS)
1 TFLOPS+70%
0.5888 TFLOPS
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
40+150%
16
L1 Cache
160 KB+25%
128 KB
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 830A gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FireStream 9250 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce 830A
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 9250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce 830A carries 512 MB. FireStream 9250 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 9250 and 128-bit on the GeForce 830A. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FireStream 9250) vs 1 MB (GeForce 830A) — the GeForce 830A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce 830A
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9250) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce 830A). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.1. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce 830A
DirectX
10.1
12 (11_0)+19%
Vulkan
N/A
1.1
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
1
2+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9250) vs NVENC 3.0 (GeForce 830A). Decoder: UVD 2.0 vs VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1 (FireStream 9250) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 830A).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce 830A
Encoder
None
NVENC 3.0
Decoder
UVD 2.0
VP6
Codecs
H.264,VC-1
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9250 draws 150W versus the GeForce 830A's 33W — a 127.9% difference. The GeForce 830A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9250) vs 350W (GeForce 830A). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Legacy. Card length: 234mm vs 0mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: Unknown vs 80.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce 830A
TDP
150W
33W-78%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Legacy
Length
234mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
Unknown-100%
80
Perf/Watt
7.8
35.5+355%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9250 came in at $999, while the GeForce 830A launched at $100. On MSRP, GeForce 830A was 90% cheaper ($899 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.2 (FireStream 9250) vs 11.7 (GeForce 830A) — the GeForce 830A offers 875% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 830A (2014 vs 2008).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce 830A
MSRP
$999
$100-90%
Performance per Dollar
1.2
11.7+875%
Codename
RV770
GM108
Release
June 16 2008
July 22 2014
Ranking
#840
#832

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