FirePro M40003 vs Radeon HD 4870

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.

FirePro M40003 vs Radeon HD 4870 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.

FirePro M40003 vs Radeon HD 4870: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FirePro M40003

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $149 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 96.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.1 vs 4.6 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 33W instead of 150W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 4870

2008

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
99.3% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.6 vs 9.1 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌354.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 4870 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (1,386 vs 1,364), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

FirePro M40003 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 55nm, and a newer 2012 generation instead of 2008. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

FirePro M40003 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $149 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 96.2% (9.1 vs 4.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 4870 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

FirePro M40003 vs Radeon HD 4870 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

FirePro M40003

The FirePro M40003 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 27 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 675 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,364 points.

Radeon HD 4870

The Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,386 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The FirePro M40003 scores 1,364 and the Radeon HD 4870 reaches 1,386 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro M40003 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 4870 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 512 (FirePro M40003) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4870). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (FirePro M40003) vs 1.2 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4870).

Feature	FirePro M40003	Radeon HD 4870
G3D Mark Score	1,364	1,386+2%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	TeraScale
Process Node	28 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	512	800+56%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	1.2 TFLOPS+74%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32	40+25%
L1 Cache	128 KB	160 KB+25%
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro M40003	Radeon HD 4870
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)

The FirePro M40003 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4870 carries 2 GB. FirePro M40003 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FirePro M40003 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4870.

Feature	FirePro M40003	Radeon HD 4870
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (FirePro M40003) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 4870).

Feature	FirePro M40003	Radeon HD 4870
Encoder	VCE 1.0	—
Decoder	UVD 4.0	—
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FirePro M40003 draws 33W versus the Radeon HD 4870's 150W — a 127.9% difference. The FirePro M40003 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro M40003) vs 500W (Radeon HD 4870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	FirePro M40003	Radeon HD 4870
TDP	33W-78%	150W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	82mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	41.3+349%	9.2

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FirePro M40003 came in at $150, while the Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299. On MSRP, FirePro M40003 was 49.8% cheaper ($149 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.1 (FirePro M40003) vs 4.6 (Radeon HD 4870) — the FirePro M40003 offers 97.8% better value. The newer card here is FirePro M40003 (2012 vs 2008).

Feature	FirePro M40003	Radeon HD 4870
MSRP	$150-50%	$299
Performance per Dollar	9.1+98%	4.6
Codename	Chelsea	RV770
Release	June 27 2012	June 25 2008
Ranking	#752	#784

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