GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008Core: 660 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 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 RTX 3050 6GB vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 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 RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • +2148.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $280 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Delivers 5874.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 299900% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 15900% longer card at 160mm vs 1mm.

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008

Why buy it

  • Measures 1mm instead of 160mm, a 159mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (478 vs 10,749).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2008 hardware with 2 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 165.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $449 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2148.7% in PassMark G3D (10,749 vs 478), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 2 MB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 55nm, 18 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2008. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $280 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 5874.5% (63.6 vs 1.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 1 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 660 MHz. It has 320 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 478 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 478 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 2148.7%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 uses TeraScale, both on 8 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
G3D Mark Score
10,749+2149%
478
Architecture
Ampere
TeraScale
Process Node
8 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
2304+620%
320 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS+1504%
0.4224 TFLOPS ×2
ROPs
32+100%
16 ×2
TMUs
72+350%
16 ×2
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 carries 2 MB. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gives you 299900% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+299900%
0.002 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
96-bit+50%
64-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
DirectX
12 Ultimate+19%
10.1
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs UVD.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
UVD
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
UVD
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 110W — a 44.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 160mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
TDP
70W-36%
110W
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
PCIe-powered
Length
160mm
1mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+3472%
4.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 62.4% cheaper ($280 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 1.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 5681.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
MSRP
$169-62%
$449
Performance per Dollar
63.6+5682%
1.1
Codename
GA107
M88
Release
February 2 2024
September 1 2008
Ranking
#252
#919

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