GeForce 8800 GTX vs Radeon HD 3870

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.

GeForce 8800 GTX vs Radeon HD 3870 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.

GeForce 8800 GTX vs Radeon HD 3870: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GeForce 8800 GTX

2008

Why buy it

✅3.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 768 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 768 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
173.5% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$219 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.9 vs 2.5 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $219 MSRP).

Radeon HD 3870

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $380 less on MSRP ($219 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 171.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.5 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($219 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 768 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 8800 GTX across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 8800 GTX is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (556 vs 552), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 8800 GTX is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 3870 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $380 cheaper on MSRP at $219 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 171.5% (2.5 vs 0.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 3870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8800 GTX has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8800 GTX vs Radeon HD 3870 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8800 GTX

The GeForce 8800 GTX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 556 points.

Radeon HD 3870

The Radeon HD 3870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 552 points. Launch price was $349.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 8800 GTX scores 556 and the Radeon HD 3870 reaches 552 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 8800 GTX is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 3870 uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8800 GTX) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 3870).

Feature	GeForce 8800 GTX	Radeon HD 3870
G3D Mark Score	556	552
Architecture	G9x	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	1280+471%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8800 GTX gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 3870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 8800 GTX	Radeon HD 3870
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 8800 GTX has 768 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3870 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 3870 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 8800 GTX and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3870.

Feature	GeForce 8800 GTX	Radeon HD 3870
VRAM Capacity	0.75 GB	1 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce 8800 GTX) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 3870).

Feature	GeForce 8800 GTX	Radeon HD 3870
Encoder	None	—
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP2)	—
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8800 GTX draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 3870's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce 8800 GTX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8800 GTX) vs 300W (Radeon HD 3870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 8800 GTX	Radeon HD 3870
TDP	150W-25%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	300W-14%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	85	—
Perf/Watt	3.7+32%	2.8

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8800 GTX came in at $599, while the Radeon HD 3870 launched at $219. On MSRP, Radeon HD 3870 was 63.4% cheaper ($380 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (GeForce 8800 GTX) vs 2.5 (Radeon HD 3870) — the Radeon HD 3870 offers 177.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 3870 (2012 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 8800 GTX	Radeon HD 3870
MSRP	$599	$219-63%
Performance per Dollar	0.9	2.5+178%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Pitcairn
Release	July 15 2008	March 5 2012
Ranking	#825	#460

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