GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED

2014Core: Up to 936 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 5870

2010Core: 700 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870 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 850M - MODDED vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870: 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 850M - MODDED

2014

Why buy it

  • More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Mobility Radeon HD 5870

2010

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2010 hardware with 1 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 850M - MODDED is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.4% in PassMark G3D (1,092 vs 1,088), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2010. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Mobility Radeon HD 5870 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Mobility Radeon HD 5870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED

The GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock speed is Up to 936 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,092 points.

AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 5870

The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,088 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED scores 1,092 and the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 reaches 1,088 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED is built on Maxwell while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED) vs 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870). Raw compute: 1.155 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED) vs 1.12 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 5870).

FeatureGeForce GTX 850M - MODDEDMobility Radeon HD 5870
G3D Mark Score
1,092
1,088
Architecture
Maxwell
TeraScale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
640
800+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.155 TFLOPS+3%
1.12 TFLOPS
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
40
40
L1 Cache
320 KB+300%
80 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 850M - MODDEDMobility Radeon HD 5870
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
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 carries 1 GB. Mobility Radeon HD 5870 gives you 100% 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 850M - MODDED and 128-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 5870. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 5870) — the GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 850M - MODDEDMobility Radeon HD 5870
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
0.25 MB
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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED draws 45W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 5870's 50W — a 10.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 5870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 850M - MODDEDMobility Radeon HD 5870
TDP
45W-10%
50W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
24.3+11%
21.8
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 850M - MODDED (2014 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTX 850M - MODDEDMobility Radeon HD 5870
MSRP
$399
Codename
GM107
Broadway
Release
March 12 2014
January 7 2010
Ranking
#629
#846

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