GeForce 9600 GT
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
GeForce 9600 GT vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Performance Spectrum
About G3D Mark
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 9600 GT vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
GeForce 9600 GT vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2: 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 9600 GT
2008Why buy it
- ✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 198.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.2 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
- ✅49900% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 2 MB).
- ✅Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce 9600 GT is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌36.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 110W.
- ❌22800% longer card at 229mm vs 1mm.
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
2008Why buy it
- ✅Draws 110W instead of 150W, a 40W reduction.
- ✅Measures 1mm instead of 229mm, a 228mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with 2 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2008 hardware with 2 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌201.3% HIGHER MSRP$449 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 3.2 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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GeForce 9600 GT vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
GeForce 9600 GT
The GeForce 9600 GT 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: 473 points.
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 1 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 660 MHz. It has 320 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 478 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce 9600 GT scores 473 and the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 reaches 478 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9600 GT is built on G9x while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 uses TeraScale, both on 65 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9600 GT) vs 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2).
| Feature | GeForce 9600 GT | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 473 | 478+1% |
| Architecture | G9x | TeraScale |
| Process Node | 65 nm | 55 nm |
| Shading Units | 224 | 320 ×2+43% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce 9600 GT gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce 9600 GT | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce 9600 GT has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 carries 2 MB. GeForce 9600 GT gives you 49900% 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 9600 GT and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.
| Feature | GeForce 9600 GT | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB+49900% | 0.002 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 64-bit |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9600 GT) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce 9600 GT | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.1 (10_0)+10% | 10.1 |
| Max Displays | 2 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD (GeForce 9600 GT) vs UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs UVD.
| Feature | GeForce 9600 GT | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | PureVideo HD | UVD |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD | UVD |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce 9600 GT draws 150W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 110W — a 30.8% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9600 GT) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 229mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | GeForce 9600 GT | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 150W | 110W-27% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | Legacy | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 229mm | 1mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 80 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 3.2 | 4.3+34% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce 9600 GT came in at $149, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce 9600 GT was 66.8% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.2 (GeForce 9600 GT) vs 1.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce 9600 GT offers 190.9% better value.
| Feature | GeForce 9600 GT | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $149-67% | $449 |
| Performance per Dollar | 3.2+191% | 1.1 |
| Codename | NB9E-GTX | M88 |
| Release | July 15 2008 | September 1 2008 |
| Ranking | #825 | #919 |
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