
Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire vs FirePro W7170M

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
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FirePro W7170M
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is positioned at rank 479 and the FirePro W7170M is on rank 22, so the FirePro W7170M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
Performance Per Dollar FirePro W7170M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The FirePro W7170M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Terascale 2 (2009−2015)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 3.0 (2014−2019)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the FirePro W7170M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire and FirePro W7170M

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 12 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 715 MHz. It has 2240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,500 points.

FirePro W7170M
The FirePro W7170M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 2 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,605 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire scores 3,500 and the FirePro W7170M reaches 3,605 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is built on Terascale 2 while the FirePro W7170M uses GCN 3.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,240 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire) vs 2,048 (FirePro W7170M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,500 | 3,605+3% |
| Architecture | Terascale 2 | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 2240+9% | 2048 |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro W7170M has 4 GB. The FirePro W7170M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.0 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire) vs 12 (FirePro W7170M). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 3.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.0 | 12+9% |
| Vulkan | N/A | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.4 | 4.6+5% |
| Max Displays | 6+100% | 3 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire) vs VCE 3.1 (FirePro W7170M). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC (FirePro W7170M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | VCE 3.1 |
| Decoder | UVD 3.0 | UVD 6.0 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire draws 50W versus the FirePro W7170M's 100W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire) vs 350W (FirePro W7170M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 90 vs 85°C.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 50W-50% | 100W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 0mm | 0mm |
| Height | 0mm | 0mm |
| Slots | 0-100% | 1 |
| Temp (Load) | 90 | 85°C-6% |
| Perf/Watt | 70.0+94% | 36.0 |
Value Analysis
The FirePro W7170M is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2011).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire | FirePro W7170M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $699 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $150 | — |
| Codename | Blackcomb XTX | Amethyst |
| Release | July 12 2011 | October 2 2015 |
| Ranking | #517 | #533 |
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