GeForce RTX 3060 vs Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

2010Core: 700 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3060

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • +413.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $471 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1148.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

2010

Why buy it

  • Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,311 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 143.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $800 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 3,311 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is a 2010 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2010, 413.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 2 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about $471 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 413.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 1148.1%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $800 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low149 FPS98 FPS
medium131 FPS81 FPS
high118 FPS62 FPS
ultra99 FPS37 FPS
1440p
low126 FPS84 FPS
medium104 FPS69 FPS
high92 FPS48 FPS
ultra80 FPS28 FPS
4K
low67 FPS27 FPS
medium58 FPS26 FPS
high39 FPS17 FPS
ultra32 FPS14 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low354 FPS73 FPS
medium310 FPS49 FPS
high249 FPS36 FPS
ultra195 FPS24 FPS
1440p
low222 FPS41 FPS
medium196 FPS23 FPS
high160 FPS16 FPS
ultra128 FPS12 FPS
4K
low110 FPS14 FPS
medium94 FPS8 FPS
high77 FPS7 FPS
ultra60 FPS5 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low765 FPS149 FPS
medium612 FPS119 FPS
high510 FPS99 FPS
ultra382 FPS74 FPS
1440p
low535 FPS112 FPS
medium432 FPS89 FPS
high366 FPS74 FPS
ultra287 FPS56 FPS
4K
low367 FPS74 FPS
medium298 FPS60 FPS
high221 FPS50 FPS
ultra176 FPS37 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low523 FPS149 FPS
medium452 FPS119 FPS
high383 FPS99 FPS
ultra319 FPS74 FPS
1440p
low428 FPS112 FPS
medium371 FPS89 FPS
high298 FPS74 FPS
ultra245 FPS56 FPS
4K
low279 FPS69 FPS
medium259 FPS54 FPS
high225 FPS44 FPS
ultra186 FPS32 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

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 5870 Crossfire

The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire 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 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire's 3,311 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 413.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1,600 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
G3D Mark Score
16,995+413%
3,311
Architecture
Ampere
Terascale 2
Process Node
8 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
3584+124%
1600

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
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 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+500%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 11.0 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). Vulkan: 1.3 vs No. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
DirectX
12 Ultimate+9%
11.0
Vulkan
1.3
No
OpenGL
4.6+5%
4.4
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs UVD 2.3 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs UVD 2.3. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
UVD 2.3
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
UVD 2.3
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire's 120W — a 34.5% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 95°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
TDP
170W
120W-29%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75-21%
95°C
Perf/Watt
100.0+262%
27.6
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire launched at $800. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 58.9% less ($471 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1161% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
MSRP
$329-59%
$800
Performance per Dollar
51.7+1161%
4.1
Codename
GA106
Broadway-XT
Release
January 12 2021
January 7 2010
Ranking
#114
#688