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GeForce 9800 GTX+ vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 GTX+

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008Core: 660 MHz
Similar parts
·······
Buy on Amazon

GeForce 9800 GTX+ vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Performance Spectrum

GeForce 9800 GTX+
1 GB 150
489
+2.3%
brand logoGeForce 410M
brand logoGeForce 9700M GT
brand logoGeForce GTS 350M
brand logoGeForce 800A
brand logoGeForce GTX 560 Ti 448
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
0.002 GB 110
478
0.0%
brand logoMobility Radeon HD 550v
brand logoRADEON HD6370D
brand logoMobility Radeon HD 3850
brand logoRadeon R5 M230
brand logoRadeon R9 M295X
brand logoRadeon RX 7600M
brand logoRadeon RX 7600M XT
brand logoRadeon RX 6700 XT

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 9800 GTX+ 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 9800 GTX+

2008

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 100.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.1 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($229 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 9800 GTX+ 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.
  • ❌26600% longer card at 267mm vs 1mm.

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008

Why buy it

  • ✅Draws 110W instead of 150W, a 40W reduction.
  • ✅Measures 1mm instead of 267mm, a 266mm 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.
  • ❌
    96.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $449 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 9800 GTX+ is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.3% in PassMark G3D (489 vs 478), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 9800 GTX+ is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 2 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 9800 GTX+ makes the most sense to buy today. It is $220 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 100.6% (2.1 vs 1.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 9800 GTX+ vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 GTX+

The GeForce 9800 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: 489 points.

AMD

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 9800 GTX+ scores 489 and the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 reaches 478 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9800 GTX+ is built on G9x while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 uses TeraScale, both on 65 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9800 GTX+) vs 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2).

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX+Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
G3D Mark Score
489+2%
478
Architecture
G9x
TeraScale
Process Node
65 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
224
320 ×2+43%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9800 GTX+ 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.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX+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 9800 GTX+ has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 carries 2 MB. GeForce 9800 GTX+ 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 9800 GTX+ and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX+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: 10.0 (GeForce 9800 GTX+) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX+Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
DirectX
10.0
10.1
Max Displays
2
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 9800 GTX+) vs UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX+Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Encoder
No
UVD
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP2
UVD
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264
—
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9800 GTX+ 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 9800 GTX+) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX+Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
TDP
150W
110W-27%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
267mm
1mm
Height
111mm
—
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
100°C
—
Perf/Watt
3.3
4.3+30%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9800 GTX+ came in at $229, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce 9800 GTX+ was 49% cheaper ($220 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (GeForce 9800 GTX+) vs 1.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce 9800 GTX+ offers 90.9% better value.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX+Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
MSRP
$229-49%
$449
Performance per Dollar
2.1+91%
1.1
Codename
NB9E-GTX
M88
Release
July 15 2008
September 1 2008
Ranking
#825
#919
Search GeForce 9800 GTX+ on AmazonSearch Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 on Amazon

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