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AMD Instinct MI250 vs AMD FirePro W9000: Comparison
Instinct MI250 vs FirePro W9000: the memory bandwidth difference
On memory bandwidth the spread is 92%, Instinct MI250 3200 GB/s against FirePro W9000 264 GB/s, so Instinct MI250 takes it. Add tdp to that, 500 W on the Instinct MI250 versus 274 W on the FirePro W9000, and the pattern holds. Memory bus width runs the same way, 8192 bit on the Instinct MI250 versus 384 bit on the FirePro W9000, another win for Instinct MI250. Architecture is not the same on both, CDNA2 on the Instinct MI250 versus GCN on the FirePro W9000. They differ on slot width too, Not Applicable on the Instinct MI250 versus 2 on the FirePro W9000. Shader units is not the same on both, 13312 on the Instinct MI250 versus 2048 on the FirePro W9000.
Which should you buy, Instinct MI250 or FirePro W9000?
Buy the Instinct MI250 for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not built for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is not the one for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. The FirePro W9000 is the one to take for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not the pick for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is the wrong buy for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, gpu brand, board partner, pcie lanes and ecc memory included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI250 and FirePro W9000 differ on product type?
Yes. Product Type reads Datacenter Accelerator on the Instinct MI250 versus Workstation Card on the FirePro W9000.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI250
- AMD
- AMD FirePro W9000
- AMD
Product Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter Accelerator
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Workstation Card
Series
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Instinct
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Legacy
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Reference
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Reference
Tier
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Workstation
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- HBM2E
- AMD FirePro W9000
- GDDR5Best
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 500 W-82%
- AMD FirePro W9000
- 274 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI250
- CDNA2
- AMD FirePro W9000
- GCN
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI250
- TSMC 6nm FinFET
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Other
Slot Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Not Applicable
- AMD FirePro W9000
- 2
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 13312
- AMD FirePro W9000
- 2048
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 8192 bitBest
- AMD FirePro W9000
- 384 bit-95%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 3200 GB/sBest
- AMD FirePro W9000
- 264 GB/s-92%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI250
- PCIe 4.0
- AMD FirePro W9000
- PCIe 3.0
PCIe Lanes
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 16
- AMD FirePro W9000
- 16
Cooling Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Passive
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Active
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 11/08/2021
- AMD FirePro W9000
- June 2012
ECC Memory
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Yes
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Yes
Form Factor
- AMD Instinct MI250
- OAM Module
- AMD FirePro W9000
- Desktops
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI250 if you want the higher memory bus width (8192 bit vs 384 bit), the higher memory bandwidth (3200 GB/s vs 264 GB/s) and the higher PCIe lanes (16 vs 16).
Choose AMD FirePro W9000 if you want the lower TDP (274 W vs 500 W).