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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

FireStream 9250

2008

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2008-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
909.1% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.2 vs 11.8 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌130.8% higher power demand at 150W vs 65W.

GeForce GT 640

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $900 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 912.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.8 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 150W, a 85W reduction.
✅Measures 145mm instead of 234mm, a 89mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

FireStream 9250

2008

GeForce GT 640

2012

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅Costs $900 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 912.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.8 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 150W, a 85W reduction.
✅Measures 145mm instead of 234mm, a 89mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2008-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
909.1% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.2 vs 11.8 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌130.8% higher power demand at 150W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GT 640 better than FireStream 9250?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 1,165 vs 1,169 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GT 640 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (65W vs 150W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

FireStream 9250 is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GT 640 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $99 MSRP. GeForce GT 640 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GT 640 is about $900 cheaper on MSRP at $99 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and you are getting 0.3% higher G3D Mark. FireStream 9250 is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does FireStream 9250 make more sense than GeForce GT 640?

Yes. FireStream 9250 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is future-proofing and staying closer to $999 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GT 640. The trade-off is that GeForce GT 640 currently gives you 0.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 912.6%.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

FireStream 9250 Benchmark Check

GeForce GT 640 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
1080p
low	29 FPS	13 FPS
medium	17 FPS	9 FPS
high	10 FPS	5 FPS
ultra	5 FPS	3 FPS
1440p
low	14 FPS	9 FPS
medium	7 FPS	5 FPS
high	3 FPS	2 FPS
ultra	2 FPS	1 FPS
4K
low	5 FPS	4 FPS
medium	3 FPS	2 FPS
high	2 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	1 FPS	1 FPS

Open FireStream 9250 Open GeForce GT 640

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
1080p
low	40 FPS	34 FPS
medium	21 FPS	15 FPS
high	15 FPS	11 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	7 FPS
1440p
low	18 FPS	11 FPS
medium	10 FPS	5 FPS
high	6 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	5 FPS	3 FPS
4K
low	5 FPS	4 FPS
medium	3 FPS	2 FPS
high	3 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	2 FPS	1 FPS

Open FireStream 9250 Open GeForce GT 640

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
1080p
low	52 FPS	53 FPS
medium	42 FPS	42 FPS
high	35 FPS	35 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS
1440p
low	39 FPS	39 FPS
medium	31 FPS	32 FPS
high	26 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	20 FPS	20 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	26 FPS
medium	21 FPS	21 FPS
high	17 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	13 FPS

Open FireStream 9250 Open GeForce GT 640

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
1080p
low	52 FPS	53 FPS
medium	42 FPS	42 FPS
high	35 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	16 FPS
1440p
low	39 FPS	6 FPS
medium	29 FPS	4 FPS
high	23 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	2 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	4 FPS
medium	17 FPS	2 FPS
high	13 FPS	2 FPS
ultra	8 FPS	1 FPS

Open FireStream 9250 Open GeForce GT 640

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FireStream 9250 and GeForce GT 640

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.

GeForce GT 640

The GeForce GT 640 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 5 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 902 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,169 points. Launch price was $99.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FireStream 9250 scores 1,165 and the GeForce GT 640 reaches 1,169 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FireStream 9250 is built on TeraScale while the GeForce GT 640 uses Kepler, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9250) vs 384 (GeForce GT 640). Raw compute: 1 TFLOPS (FireStream 9250) vs 0.6927 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 640).

Feature	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
G3D Mark Score	1,165	1,169
Architecture	TeraScale	Kepler
Process Node	55 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	800+108%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1 TFLOPS+44%	0.6927 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	40+25%	32
L1 Cache	160 KB+400%	32 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 640 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The FireStream 9250 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FireStream 9250 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 640 has 4 GB. The GeForce GT 640 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	4 GB+300%
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 11.0 (GeForce GT 640). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.1. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 3.

Feature	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
DirectX	10.1	11.0+9%
Vulkan	N/A	1.1
OpenGL	3.3	4.5+36%
Max Displays	1	3+200%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9250) vs NVENC 1.0 (GeForce GT 640). Decoder: UVD 2.0 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1 (FireStream 9250) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 640).

Feature	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
Encoder	None	NVENC 1.0
Decoder	UVD 2.0	PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs	H.264,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9250 draws 150W versus the GeForce GT 640's 65W — a 79.1% difference. The GeForce GT 640 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9250) vs 300W (GeForce GT 640). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Card length: 234mm vs 145mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: Unknown vs 60°C.

Feature	FireStream 9250	GeForce GT 640
TDP	150W	65W-57%
Recommended PSU	350W	300W-14%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	None
Length	234mm	145mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	Unknown-100%	60°C
Perf/Watt	7.8	18.0+131%

💰

Value Analysis

The FireStream 9250 launched at $999 MSRP, while the GeForce GT 640 launched at $99. The GeForce GT 640 costs 90.1% less ($900 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.2 (FireStream 9250) vs 11.8 (GeForce GT 640) — the GeForce GT 640 offers 883.3% better value. The GeForce GT 640 is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2008).