GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon HD 4870
GeForce GT 740
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 4870
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 740 is positioned at rank 89 and the Radeon HD 4870 is on rank 241, so the GeForce GT 740 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 740
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 4870
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce GT 740 is significantly newer (2014 vs 2008). The GeForce GT 740 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 4870 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GT 740 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.1% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 4870 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+3.1%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.1%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Kepler (2012−2018)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) |
| 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
The Radeon HD 4870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 4870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $25 (vs $89), it costs 72% less, resulting in a 245.3% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+245.3%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($89) | ✅More affordable ($25) |
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 740 and Radeon HD 4870
GeForce GT 740
The GeForce GT 740 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 29 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 64W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,429 points. Launch price was $89.
Radeon HD 4870
The Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,386 points. Launch price was $299.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GT 740 scores 1,429 and the Radeon HD 4870 reaches 1,386 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 740 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 4870 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 740) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4870). Raw compute: 0.7626 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 740) vs 1.2 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4870).
| Feature | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 1,429+3% | 1,386 |
| Architecture | Kepler | TeraScale |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 55 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 800+108% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.7626 TFLOPS | 1.2 TFLOPS+57% |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 32 | 40+25% |
| L1 Cache | 32 KB | 160 KB+400% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 740 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4870 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 4870 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 64-bit.
| Feature | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 2 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Media & Encoding
Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (GeForce GT 740) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 4870).
| Feature | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 1st Gen | — |
| Decoder | VP5 | — |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 | H.264 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GT 740 draws 64W versus the Radeon HD 4870's 150W — a 80.4% difference. The GeForce GT 740 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GT 740) vs 500W (Radeon HD 4870). Power connectors: None vs 2x 6-pin.
| Feature | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 64W-57% | 150W |
| Recommended PSU | 300W-40% | 500W |
| Power Connector | None | 2x 6-pin |
| Length | 145mm | — |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 75 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 22.3+142% | 9.2 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GT 740 launched at $89 MSRP and currently averages $89, while the Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299 and now averages $25. The Radeon HD 4870 costs 71.9% less ($64 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 16.1 (GeForce GT 740) vs 55.4 (Radeon HD 4870) — the Radeon HD 4870 offers 244.1% better value. The GeForce GT 740 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2008).
| Feature | GeForce GT 740 | Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $89-70% | $299 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $89 | $25-72% |
| Performance per Dollar | 16.1 | 55.4+244% |
| Codename | GK107 | RV770 |
| Release | May 29 2014 | June 25 2008 |
| Ranking | #777 | #784 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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