CPU
GPU
GeForce GT 420M
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 3850
Popular choices:
Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce GT 420M is positioned at rank 113 and the Radeon HD 3850 is on rank 308, so the GeForce GT 420M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GT 420M
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 3850
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 3850 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.3% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (1 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GT 420M.
| Insight | GeForce GT 420M | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.3%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 3850 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GT 420M and Radeon HD 3850
GeForce GT 420M
The GeForce GT 420M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from Up to 625 MHz to 645 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 32W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 392 points.
Radeon HD 3850
The Radeon HD 3850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 401 points. Launch price was $249.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GT 420M scores 392 and the Radeon HD 3850 reaches 401 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 420M is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 3850 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 420M) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850). Raw compute: 0.48 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 420M) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850). Boost clocks: 645 MHz vs 1000 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GT 420M | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 392 | 401+2% |
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 1024+167% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.48 TFLOPS | 1.761 TFLOPS+267% |
| Boost Clock | 645 MHz | 1000 MHz+55% |
| ROPs | 16 | 32+100% |
| TMUs | 32 | 64+100% |
| L1 Cache | 32 KB | 256 KB+700% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GT 420M | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 GT 420M comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 has 1 GB. The Radeon HD 3850 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 420M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 3850) — the Radeon HD 3850 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GT 420M | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.5 GB | 1 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 420M) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850). OpenGL: 4.0 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce GT 420M | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.0+9% | 10.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.0+21% | 3.3 |
| Max Displays | 1 | 2+100% |
Media & Encoding
Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD+. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 420M) vs H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850).
| Feature | GeForce GT 420M | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | No | — |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD VP4 | UVD+ |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP | H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GT 420M draws 32W versus the Radeon HD 3850's 130W — a 121% difference. The GeForce GT 420M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 420M) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 208mm, occupying 0 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce GT 420M | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 32W-75% | 130W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-22% | 450W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 0mm | 208mm |
| Height | 0mm | — |
| Slots | 0-100% | 1 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C-6% | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 12.3+297% | 3.1 |
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