GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008Core: 660 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 3060 Laptop GPU 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 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • +2655.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 299900% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 1.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • 54.5% higher power demand at 170W vs 110W.

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 110W instead of 170W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (478 vs 13,170).
  • 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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2655.2% in PassMark G3D (13,170 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 3060 Laptop GPU 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, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2008. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

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 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 478 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 2655.2%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 uses TeraScale, both on 8 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
G3D Mark Score
13,170+2655%
478
Architecture
Ampere
TeraScale
Process Node
8 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
3584+1020%
320 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+2916%
0.4224 TFLOPS ×2
ROPs
48+200%
16 ×2
TMUs
112+600%
16 ×2
L2 Cache
3 MB+1100%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 3060 Laptop GPUMobility 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 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 carries 2 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 299900% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+299900%
0.002 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+1100%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
DirectX
12 Ultimate+19%
10.1
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
UVD
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
UVD
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 110W — a 42.9% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
TDP
170W
110W-35%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
77.5+1702%
4.3
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
MSRP
$449
Codename
GA106
M88
Release
October 12 2022
September 1 2008
Ranking
#147
#919

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.