Radeon HD 8950 vs FirePro 3D V9800

Radeon HD 8950

2012Boost: 1250 MHz

FirePro 3D V9800

2011Core: 725 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 8950

200

2,828

+0.6%

Radeon R9 M275X / M375

Radeon R7 450

Radeon HD 5870

Radeon RX Vega 11 Ryzen 5 3350GE

2,812

0.0%

Radeon R9 M370X

Radeon RX 7500

Radeon HD 5870

Radeon RX Vega 11 Ryzen 5 3350GE

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar FirePro 3D V9800

#349

Tesla K20m

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55

18466%

#364

FirePro 3D V8700

MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1229

100%

#365

FirePro 3D V9800

MSRP: $3499|Avg: $80

100%

#366

Quadro 5000

MSRP: $2499|Avg: $100

99%

#367

FirePro V5700

MSRP: $599|Avg: $20

98%

#368

FirePro V9800

MSRP: $3499|Avg: $250

98%

#369

FirePro 3D V8750

MSRP: $1799|Avg: $500

89%

#370

FirePro 3D V7750

MSRP: $799|Avg: $20

85%

#371

GRID M10-2B

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $80

83%

#372

Quadro FX 370

MSRP: $129|Avg: $500

81%

#373

RTXA5000-6Q

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $2500

76%

#374

GRID M6-0B

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $100

76%

#375

Quadro 6000

MSRP: $4399|Avg: $150

76%

#376

GRID M10-1B

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $150

75%

#377

Tesla K40c

MSRP: $7699|Avg: $500

72%

#378

Quadro FX 4800

MSRP: $1799|Avg: $80

70%

#379

Tesla M2090

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $40

70%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 8950 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the FirePro 3D V9800 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+0.6%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.6%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 3 (2010−2013))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+33.3%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (267mm)	Standard Size (267mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The FirePro 3D V9800 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the FirePro 3D V9800 holds the technical lead. Priced at $80 (vs $499), it costs 84% less, resulting in a 520.2% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+520.2%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($499)	✅More affordable ($80)

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.

Radeon HD 8950 Benchmark Check

FirePro 3D V9800 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 8950 and FirePro 3D V9800

Radeon HD 8950

The Radeon HD 8950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1250 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,828 points. Launch price was $449.

FirePro 3D V9800

The FirePro 3D V9800 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 24 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,812 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8950 scores 2,828 and the FirePro 3D V9800 reaches 2,812 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8950 is built on GCN 1.0 while the FirePro 3D V9800 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 1,280 (FirePro 3D V9800). Raw compute: 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950) vs 1.856 TFLOPS (FirePro 3D V9800).

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
G3D Mark Score	2,828	2,812
Architecture	GCN 1.0	TeraScale 3
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1792+40%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.867 TFLOPS+54%	1.856 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112+40%	80
L1 Cache	448 KB+40%	320 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
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 8950 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro 3D V9800 has 4 GB. The FirePro 3D V9800 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 8950) vs 512 KB (FirePro 3D V9800) — the Radeon HD 8950 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 11.2 (FirePro 3D V9800). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
DirectX	12_0+7%	11.2
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8950) vs None (FirePro 3D V9800). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs UVD 2.3.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
Encoder	VCE 1.0	None
Decoder	UVD 3.1	UVD 2.3
Codecs	—	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8950 draws 200W versus the FirePro 3D V9800's 150W — a 28.6% difference. The FirePro 3D V9800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 8950) vs 350W (FirePro 3D V9800). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	FirePro 3D V9800
TDP	200W	150W-25%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	90
Perf/Watt	14.1	18.7+33%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 8950 launched at $499 MSRP and currently averages $499, while the FirePro 3D V9800 launched at $3499 and now averages $80. The FirePro 3D V9800 costs 84% less ($419 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 5.7 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 35.1 (FirePro 3D V9800) — the FirePro 3D V9800 offers 515.8% better value. The Radeon HD 8950 is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2011).