FireStream 9250 vs GeForce RTX 3060

FireStream 9250

2008Core: 625 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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FireStream 9250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 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 RTX 3060: 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

  • Measures 234mm instead of 242mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,165 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 203.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • +1358.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $670 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 4329.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).

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 3060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1358.8% in PassMark G3D (16,995 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?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 55nm, and 28 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 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $670 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4329.6% (51.7 vs 1.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FireStream 9250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 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 RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FireStream 9250 scores 1,165 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1358.8%. The FireStream 9250 is built on TeraScale while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 55 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9250) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 1 TFLOPS (FireStream 9250) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
1,165
16,995+1359%
Architecture
TeraScale
Ampere
Process Node
55 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
800
3584+348%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1174%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
40
112+180%
L1 Cache
0.16 MB
3.5 MB+2088%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
3 MB+1100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 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 RTX 3060
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 9250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 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 9250 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FireStream 9250) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
12 GB+1100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
64-bit
192-bit+200%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
3 MB+1100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9250) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
10.1
12 Ultimate+19%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9250) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: UVD 2.0 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1 (FireStream 9250) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
None
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
UVD 2.0
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9250 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The FireStream 9250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9250) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 234mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: Unknown vs 75.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
150W-12%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
234mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
Unknown-100%
75
Perf/Watt
7.8
100.0+1182%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9250 came in at $999, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 67.1% cheaper ($670 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.2 (FireStream 9250) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 4208.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2008).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$999
$329-67%
Performance per Dollar
1.2
51.7+4208%
Codename
RV770
GA106
Release
June 16 2008
January 12 2021
Ranking
#840
#114

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