GeForce GTX 580 vs Radeon HD 7870

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 580

2010Core: 772 MHz

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Radeon HD 7870

2012Core: 1000 MHz

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GeForce GTX 580 vs Radeon HD 7870 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 580

3 GB 244

4,634

+1.4%

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Radeon HD 7870

2 GB 200

4,568

0.0%

Radeon HD 6850 X2

Radeon R9 260

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

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 580 vs Radeon HD 7870 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 580 vs Radeon HD 7870: 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 580

2010

Why buy it

✅11.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2010 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
43% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.3 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌22% higher power demand at 244W vs 200W.
❌10.8% longer card at 267mm vs 241mm.

Radeon HD 7870

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 40.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 9.3 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 244W, a 44W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 267mm, a 26mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 580 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 580 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (4,634 vs 4,568), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 580 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 3 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7870 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 cheaper on MSRP at $349 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 40.9% (13.1 vs 9.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 580 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 580 vs Radeon HD 7870 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 580

The GeForce GTX 580 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 9 2010. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 772 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 244W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,634 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon HD 7870

The Radeon HD 7870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,568 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 580 scores 4,634 and the Radeon HD 7870 reaches 4,568 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 580 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the Radeon HD 7870 uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 512 (GeForce GTX 580) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7870). Raw compute: 1.581 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 580) vs 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870).

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	Radeon HD 7870
G3D Mark Score	4,634+1%	4,568
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	512	1280+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.581 TFLOPS	2.56 TFLOPS+62%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	64	80+25%
L1 Cache	1 MB+223%	0.31 MB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 580 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	Radeon HD 7870
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 580 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7870 carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 580 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 580) vs 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870) — a 25% advantage for the GeForce GTX 580. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 580 and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 580) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 7870) — the GeForce GTX 580 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	Radeon HD 7870
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s+25%	153.6 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 580) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	Radeon HD 7870
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	N/A	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	6+200%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 580) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 580) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870).

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	Radeon HD 7870
Encoder	None	VCE 1.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 4.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 580 draws 244W versus the Radeon HD 7870's 200W — a 19.8% difference. The Radeon HD 7870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 580) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7870). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	Radeon HD 7870
TDP	244W	200W-18%
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	267mm	241mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85 C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	19.0	22.8+20%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 580 came in at $499, while the Radeon HD 7870 launched at $349. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7870 was 30.1% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.3 (GeForce GTX 580) vs 13.1 (Radeon HD 7870) — the Radeon HD 7870 offers 40.9% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 7870 (2012 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 580	Radeon HD 7870
MSRP	$499	$349-30%
Performance per Dollar	9.3	13.1+41%
Codename	GF110	Pitcairn
Release	November 9 2010	March 5 2012
Ranking	#458	#460

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