FireStream 9270 vs Radeon HD 8790M

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 8790M 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 8790M: 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

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs Unknown 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.
❌220% higher power demand at 160W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 8790M

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 160W, a 110W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 0.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

FireStream 9270 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (1,341 vs 1,306), 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?

FireStream 9270 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

FireStream 9270 vs Radeon HD 8790M 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 8790M

The Radeon HD 8790M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,306 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9270 scores 1,341 and the Radeon HD 8790M reaches 1,306 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9270 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon HD 8790M uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9270) vs 384 (Radeon HD 8790M). Raw compute: 1.2 TFLOPS (FireStream 9270) vs 0.6912 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8790M).

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 8790M
G3D Mark Score	1,341+3%	1,306
Architecture	TeraScale	GCN 1.0
Process Node	55 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	800+108%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.2 TFLOPS+74%	0.6912 TFLOPS
ROPs	16+100%	8
TMUs	40+67%	24
L1 Cache	160 KB+67%	96 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 8790M
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 video memory. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FireStream 9270 and System on the Radeon HD 8790M.

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 8790M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Bus Width	64-bit	System
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9270) vs 11.1 (11_1) (Radeon HD 8790M). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 0.

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 8790M
DirectX	10.1	11.1 (11_1)+10%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	1	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9270) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8790M). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FireStream 9270) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 8790M).

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 8790M
Encoder	None	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 2.2	UVD 3.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9270 draws 160W versus the Radeon HD 8790M's 50W — a 104.8% difference. The Radeon HD 8790M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9270) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8790M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 8790M
TDP	160W	50W-69%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	241mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	75-12%
Perf/Watt	8.4	26.1+211%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 8790M (2013 vs 2008).

Feature	FireStream 9270	Radeon HD 8790M
MSRP	$1499	—
Codename	RV770	Mars
Release	November 13 2008	April 1 2013
Ranking	#790	#797

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