FireStream 9250 vs Radeon R9 M275

FireStream 9250

2008Core: 625 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M275

2014Core: 900 MHzBoost: 925 MHz

FireStream 9250 vs Radeon R9 M275 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 R9 M275: 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.
  • 233% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.2 vs 3.7 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • 100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M275

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $699 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 218.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.7 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W 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?
FireStream 9250 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 4.5% in PassMark G3D (1,165 vs 1,115), 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 R9 M275 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $699 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 218.7% (3.7 vs 1.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M275 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 R9 M275 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 R9 M275

The Radeon R9 M275 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 28 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 925 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,115 points. Launch price was $799.99.

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9250 scores 1,165 and the Radeon R9 M275 reaches 1,115 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9250 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon R9 M275 uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9250) vs 640 (Radeon R9 M275). Raw compute: 1 TFLOPS (FireStream 9250) vs 1.184 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M275).

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R9 M275
G3D Mark Score
1,165+4%
1,115
Architecture
TeraScale
GCN 1.0
Process Node
55 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
800+25%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
1 TFLOPS
1.184 TFLOPS+18%
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
40
40
L1 Cache
160 KB
160 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R9 M275
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 R9 M275 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 R9 M275.

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R9 M275
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9250) vs 12 (FL11_1) (Radeon R9 M275). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.1. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 6.

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R9 M275
DirectX
10.1
12 (FL11_1)+19%
Vulkan
N/A
1.2
OpenGL
3.3
4.1+24%
Max Displays
1
6+500%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9250) vs UVD3 (Radeon R9 M275). Decoder: UVD 2.0 vs VCE. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1 (FireStream 9250) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,Flash (Radeon R9 M275).

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R9 M275
Encoder
None
UVD3
Decoder
UVD 2.0
VCE
Codecs
H.264,VC-1
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,Flash
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9250 draws 150W versus the Radeon R9 M275's 75W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon R9 M275 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9250) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M275). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Card length: 234mm vs 0mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: Unknown vs 80°C.

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R9 M275
TDP
150W
75W-50%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
234mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
Unknown-100%
80°C
Perf/Watt
7.8
14.9+91%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9250 came in at $999, while the Radeon R9 M275 launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M275 was 70% cheaper ($699 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.2 (FireStream 9250) vs 3.7 (Radeon R9 M275) — the Radeon R9 M275 offers 208.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M275 (2014 vs 2008).

FeatureFireStream 9250Radeon R9 M275
MSRP
$999
$300-70%
Performance per Dollar
1.2
3.7+208%
Codename
RV770
Venus
Release
June 16 2008
January 28 2014
Ranking
#840
#851

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