FirePro W4170M vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870

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 W4170M vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870 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 W4170M vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870: 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 W4170M

2015

Why buy it

✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌200% higher power demand at 150W vs 50W.

Mobility Radeon HD 5870

2010

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 150W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.4% in PassMark G3D (1,088 vs 1,052), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

FirePro W4170M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Mobility Radeon HD 5870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, FirePro W4170M has the stronger long-term case.

FirePro W4170M vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Technical Specifications

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

FirePro W4170M

The FirePro W4170M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 23 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 825 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,052 points.

Mobility Radeon HD 5870

The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,088 points.

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Graphics Performance

The FirePro W4170M scores 1,052 and the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 reaches 1,088 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The FirePro W4170M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (FirePro W4170M) vs 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (FirePro W4170M) vs 1.12 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	FirePro W4170M	Mobility Radeon HD 5870
G3D Mark Score	1,052	1,088+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	384	800+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	1.12 TFLOPS+62%
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	24	40+67%
L1 Cache	96 KB+20%	80 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	FirePro W4170M	Mobility Radeon HD 5870
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The FirePro W4170M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 carries 1 GB. FirePro W4170M gives you 300% 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 W4170M and 128-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 5870.

Feature	FirePro W4170M	Mobility Radeon HD 5870
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+300%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (FirePro W4170M) vs 11 (5.0) (Mobility Radeon HD 5870). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	FirePro W4170M	Mobility Radeon HD 5870
DirectX	12 (11_1)+9%	11 (5.0)
Vulkan	1.2	N/A
OpenGL	4.6+5%	4.4
Max Displays	2	0

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (FirePro W4170M) vs None (Mobility Radeon HD 5870). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2 (FirePro W4170M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	FirePro W4170M	Mobility Radeon HD 5870
Encoder	VCE 1.0	None
Decoder	UVD 4.0	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

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Power & Dimensions

The FirePro W4170M draws 150W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 5870's 50W — a 100% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FirePro W4170M) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 5870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85.

Feature	FirePro W4170M	Mobility Radeon HD 5870
TDP	150W	50W-67%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	0mm
Height	0mm	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	75-12%	85
Perf/Watt	7.0	21.8+211%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is FirePro W4170M (2015 vs 2010).

Feature	FirePro W4170M	Mobility Radeon HD 5870
MSRP	—	$399
Codename	Opal	Broadway
Release	April 23 2015	January 7 2010
Ranking	#868	#846

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