GeForce GTX 275 vs Radeon HD 4870 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 275

2009Core: 633 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 4870 X2

2008Core: 700 MHz

GeForce GTX 275 vs Radeon HD 4870 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 GTX 275 vs Radeon HD 4870 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.

GeForce GTX 275 vs Radeon HD 4870 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 GTX 275

2009

Why buy it

  • 44.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $301 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $550 MSRP).
  • Delivers 127.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.4 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $550 MSRP).
  • Draws 219W instead of 286W, a 67W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2009 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 4870 X2

2008

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 275 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 120.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $550 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 5.4 G3D/$ ($550 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • 30.6% higher power demand at 286W vs 219W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 275 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 44.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.1% in PassMark G3D (1,349 vs 1,309), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 275 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2009 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 275 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $301 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $550, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 127.6% (5.4 vs 2.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 275 vs Radeon HD 4870 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 275

The GeForce GTX 275 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 15 2009. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 633 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 219W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,349 points. Launch price was $249.

AMD

Radeon HD 4870 X2

The Radeon HD 4870 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 12 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 286W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,309 points. Launch price was $550.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 275 scores 1,349 and the Radeon HD 4870 X2 reaches 1,309 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 275 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 4870 X2 uses TeraScale, both on a 55 nm process. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GTX 275) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4870 X2). Raw compute: 0.6739 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 275) vs 1.12 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 4870 X2).

FeatureGeForce GTX 275Radeon HD 4870 X2
G3D Mark Score
1,349+3%
1,309
Architecture
Tesla 2.0
TeraScale
Process Node
55 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
240
800 ×2+233%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6739 TFLOPS
1.12 TFLOPS ×2+66%
ROPs
28+75%
16 ×2
TMUs
80+100%
40 ×2
L2 Cache
224 KB
256 KB+14%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 275 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 275Radeon HD 4870 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 GTX 275 has 896 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4870 X2 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 4870 X2 gives you 14.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 275 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4870 X2. L2 Cache: 224 KB (GeForce GTX 275) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 4870 X2) — the Radeon HD 4870 X2 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 275Radeon HD 4870 X2
VRAM Capacity
0.875 GB
1 GB+14%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
224 KB
256 KB+14%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 275) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 4870 X2). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GTX 275Radeon HD 4870 X2
DirectX
11 (10_0)+9%
10.1
OpenGL
3.3
3.3
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GTX 275) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4,DivX (Radeon HD 4870 X2).

FeatureGeForce GTX 275Radeon HD 4870 X2
Encoder
No
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP2
UVD 2
Codecs
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4,DivX
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 275 draws 219W versus the Radeon HD 4870 X2's 286W — a 26.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 275 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 275) vs 650W (Radeon HD 4870 X2). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 90°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 275Radeon HD 4870 X2
TDP
219W-23%
286W
Recommended PSU
550W-15%
650W
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Length
267mm
267mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C-11%
90°C
Perf/Watt
6.2+35%
4.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 275 came in at $249, while the Radeon HD 4870 X2 launched at $550. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 275 was 54.7% cheaper ($301 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.4 (GeForce GTX 275) vs 2.4 (Radeon HD 4870 X2) — the GeForce GTX 275 offers 125% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 275 (2009 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce GTX 275Radeon HD 4870 X2
MSRP
$249-55%
$550
Performance per Dollar
5.4+125%
2.4
Codename
GT200B
R700
Release
January 15 2009
August 12 2008
Ranking
#789
#796

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