GeForce RTX 3060 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 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 3060 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 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

2021

Why buy it

  • +3455.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $120 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Delivers 4752.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 599900% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 54.5% higher power demand at 170W vs 110W.
  • 24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008

Why buy it

  • Draws 110W instead of 170W, a 60W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (478 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 MB vs 12 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.
  • 36.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $449 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3455.4% in PassMark G3D (16,995 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 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 2 MB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 55nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 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 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $120 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4752.3% (51.7 vs 1.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. 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: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

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 scores 16,995 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 478 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 3455.4%. The GeForce RTX 3060 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) vs 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
G3D Mark Score
16,995+3455%
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 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 3060Mobility 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 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 carries 2 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 599900% 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 and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+599900%
0.002 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
360 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) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

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

Media & Encoding

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

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
UVD
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
UVD
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 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: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
TDP
170W
110W-35%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
1mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
100.0+2226%
4.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 26.7% cheaper ($120 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 4600% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
MSRP
$329-27%
$449
Performance per Dollar
51.7+4600%
1.1
Codename
GA106
M88
Release
January 12 2021
September 1 2008
Ranking
#114
#919

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