FireStream 9270 vs Radeon HD 4870

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 9270 vs Radeon HD 4870 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 9270 vs Radeon HD 4870: 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 9270

2008

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
401.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.9 vs 4.6 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Radeon HD 4870

2008

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,200 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 418.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.6 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 2 GB 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 HD 4870 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.4% in PassMark G3D (1,386 vs 1,341), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

FireStream 9270 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 HD 4870 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,200 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 418.2% (4.6 vs 0.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 4870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FireStream 9270 has the stronger long-term case.

FireStream 9270 vs Radeon HD 4870 Technical Specifications

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

FireStream 9270

The FireStream 9270 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 13 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,341 points.

Radeon HD 4870

The Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,386 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9270 scores 1,341 and the Radeon HD 4870 reaches 1,386 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9270 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon HD 4870 uses TeraScale, both on a 55 nm process. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9270) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4870). Raw compute: 1.2 TFLOPS (FireStream 9270) vs 1.2 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4870).

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 4870
G3D Mark Score	1,341	1,386+3%
Architecture	TeraScale	TeraScale
Process Node	55 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	800	800
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.2 TFLOPS	1.2 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	40	40
L1 Cache	160 KB	160 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 4870
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 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FireStream 9270 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4870.

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 4870
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FireStream 9270) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 4870).

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 4870
Encoder	None	—
Decoder	UVD 2.2	—
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9270 draws 160W versus the Radeon HD 4870's 150W — a 6.5% difference. The Radeon HD 4870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9270) vs 500W (Radeon HD 4870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 4870
TDP	160W	150W-6%
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	8.4	9.2+10%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9270 came in at $1499, while the Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299. On MSRP, Radeon HD 4870 was 80.1% cheaper ($1200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (FireStream 9270) vs 4.6 (Radeon HD 4870) — the Radeon HD 4870 offers 411.1% better value.

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 4870
MSRP	$1499	$299-80%
Performance per Dollar	0.9	4.6+411%
Codename	RV770	RV770
Release	November 13 2008	June 25 2008
Ranking	#790	#784

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