GeForce 945M vs 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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The GeForce 945M is positioned at rank #100 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Balanced cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce 945M

#30

Radeon 8050S

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

96%

#31

Radeon RX 8050S

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

96%

#90

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

257%

#92

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

233%

#93

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

233%

#97

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

212%

#98

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

210%

#100

GeForce 945M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $98

100%

#103

Radeon RX 460 (móvel)

MSRP: $99|Avg: $45

98%

#105

GeForce GTX 680M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

97%

#106

Radeon HD 7470M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $12

97%

#110

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Mobile

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

95%

#114

Radeon RX 470 (móvel)

MSRP: $179|Avg: $40

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce 945M is significantly newer (2015 vs 2009). The GeForce 945M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 5870 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 5870 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.4% higher G3D Mark score and 300% more VRAM (2 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce 945M.

Insight	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.4%)	✅Leading raw performance (+3.4%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+300%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	Standard Size (280mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 5870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 5870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $50 (vs $98), it costs 49% less, resulting in a 102.6% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+102.6%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($98)	✅More affordable ($50)

Performance Check

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 7800X3D 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.

GeForce 945M Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 5870 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce 945M and Radeon HD 5870

GeForce 945M

The GeForce 945M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 27 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 1020 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,109 points.

Radeon HD 5870

The Radeon HD 5870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 23 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 188W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,180 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 945M scores 2,109 and the Radeon HD 5870 reaches 2,180 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 945M is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 5870 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce 945M) vs 1,600 (Radeon HD 5870). Raw compute: 1.306 TFLOPS (GeForce 945M) vs 2.72 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
G3D Mark Score	2,109	2,180+3%
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	640	1600+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.306 TFLOPS	2.72 TFLOPS+108%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	80+100%
L1 Cache	320 KB+100%	160 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 945M comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5870 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 5870 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce 945M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5870) — the GeForce 945M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	2 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	80 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 945M) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 5870). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
DirectX	12 (11_0)+7%	11.2
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 945M) vs UVD 2.2 (Radeon HD 5870). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP6) vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,MPEG-2 (GeForce 945M) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
Encoder	NVENC (Maxwell)	UVD 2.2
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP6)	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265,MPEG-2	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 945M draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 5870's 188W — a 85.9% difference. The GeForce 945M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 945M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 5870). Power connectors: Legacy vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 280mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce 945M	Radeon HD 5870
TDP	75W-60%	188W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	Legacy	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	280mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	28.1+142%	11.6

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 5870 costs 49% less ($48 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 21.5 (GeForce 945M) vs 43.6 (Radeon HD 5870) — the Radeon HD 5870 offers 102.8% better value. The GeForce 945M is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2009).