FireStream 9250 vs Radeon R7 A8-7690K

FireStream 9250

2008Core: 625 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R7 A8-7690K

2015Boost: 975 MHz
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FireStream 9250 vs Radeon R7 A8-7690K 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 Radeon R7 A8-7690K: 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.
  • 1148.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$80 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.2 vs 14.3 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
  • 50% higher power demand at 150W vs 100W.
  • 23300% longer card at 234mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R7 A8-7690K

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $919 less on MSRP ($80 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1123% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.3 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Draws 100W instead of 150W, a 50W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 234mm, a 233mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 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?
FireStream 9250 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (1,165 vs 1,141), 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?
Radeon R7 A8-7690K makes the most sense to buy today. It is $919 cheaper on MSRP at $80 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1123% (14.3 vs 1.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 A8-7690K 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 Radeon R7 A8-7690K 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.

AMD

Radeon R7 A8-7690K

The Radeon R7 A8-7690K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 975 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,141 points. Launch price was $149.

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9250 scores 1,165 and the Radeon R7 A8-7690K reaches 1,141 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9250 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon R7 A8-7690K uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9250) vs 1,024 (Radeon R7 A8-7690K). Raw compute: 1 TFLOPS (FireStream 9250) vs 1.997 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 A8-7690K).

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R7 A8-7690K
G3D Mark Score
1,165+2%
1,141
Architecture
TeraScale
GCN 1.0
Process Node
55 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
800
1024+28%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1 TFLOPS
1.997 TFLOPS+100%
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
40
64+60%
L1 Cache
160 KB
256 KB+60%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R7 A8-7690K
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)

The FireStream 9250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 A8-7690K 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 Radeon R7 A8-7690K. L2 Cache: 256 KB (FireStream 9250) vs 512 KB (Radeon R7 A8-7690K) — the Radeon R7 A8-7690K has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R7 A8-7690K
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9250) vs 12 (Radeon R7 A8-7690K). Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 0.

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R7 A8-7690K
DirectX
10.1
12+19%
Max Displays
1
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9250) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 A8-7690K). Decoder: UVD 2.0 vs UVD 4.2.

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R7 A8-7690K
Encoder
None
VCE 2.0
Decoder
UVD 2.0
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9250 draws 150W versus the Radeon R7 A8-7690K's 100W — a 40% difference. The Radeon R7 A8-7690K is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9250) vs 350W (Radeon R7 A8-7690K). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Card length: 234mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R7 A8-7690K
TDP
150W
100W-33%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
None
Length
234mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
Unknown
Perf/Watt
7.8
11.4+46%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9250 came in at $999, while the Radeon R7 A8-7690K launched at $80. On MSRP, Radeon R7 A8-7690K was 92% cheaper ($919 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.2 (FireStream 9250) vs 14.3 (Radeon R7 A8-7690K) — the Radeon R7 A8-7690K offers 1091.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 A8-7690K (2015 vs 2008).

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R7 A8-7690K
MSRP
$999
$80-92%
Performance per Dollar
1.2
14.3+1092%
Codename
RV770
Trinidad
Release
June 16 2008
June 18 2015
Ranking
#840
#467

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