GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon HD 4870

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 GT 740 vs Radeon HD 4870 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.

GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon HD 4870: 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 GT 740

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $210 less on MSRP ($89 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 246.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.1 vs 4.6 G3D/$ ($89 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Draws 64W instead of 150W, a 86W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 4870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 4870

2008

Why buy it

✅27.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
236% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$89 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.6 vs 16.1 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $89 MSRP).
❌134.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 64W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 4870 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 27.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 740 instead at 1,429 vs 1,386, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GT 740 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 55nm and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 740 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $210 cheaper on MSRP at $89 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 246.4% (16.1 vs 4.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 4870 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon HD 4870 Technical Specifications

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

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)

The GeForce GT 740 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 4870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 740	Radeon HD 4870
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 GT 740 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4870 carries 2 GB. Radeon HD 4870 gives you 100% 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 GT 740 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4870.

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

At launch, the GeForce GT 740 came in at $89, while the Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce GT 740 was 70.2% cheaper ($210 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 16.1 (GeForce GT 740) vs 4.6 (Radeon HD 4870) — the GeForce GT 740 offers 250% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 740 (2014 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GT 740	Radeon HD 4870
MSRP	$89-70%	$299
Performance per Dollar	16.1+250%	4.6
Codename	GK107	RV770
Release	May 29 2014	June 25 2008
Ranking	#777	#784

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