GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon HD 4870

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

✅+1126.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 1014.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 4.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon HD 4870

2008

Why buy it

✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,386 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: 2008-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.6 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Radeon HD 4870

2008

Why buy it

✅+1126.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 1014.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 4.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,386 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: 2008-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.6 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Radeon HD 4870?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 1,386 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon HD 4870 is a 2008 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 2008, 1126.2% 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 by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 10.0% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and you are getting 1126.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 4870 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon HD 4870 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 4870 is 2008 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 1,386 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 4870 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
1080p
low	149 FPS	23 FPS
medium	131 FPS	13 FPS
high	118 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	4 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	11 FPS
medium	104 FPS	6 FPS
high	92 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	1 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	4 FPS
medium	58 FPS	3 FPS
high	39 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon HD 4870

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
1080p
low	354 FPS	40 FPS
medium	310 FPS	21 FPS
high	249 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	11 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	18 FPS
medium	196 FPS	10 FPS
high	160 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	5 FPS
medium	94 FPS	3 FPS
high	77 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon HD 4870

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
1080p
low	765 FPS	62 FPS
medium	612 FPS	50 FPS
high	510 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	31 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	47 FPS
medium	432 FPS	37 FPS
high	366 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	23 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	31 FPS
medium	298 FPS	25 FPS
high	221 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	16 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon HD 4870

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
1080p
low	523 FPS	62 FPS
medium	452 FPS	50 FPS
high	383 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	31 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	47 FPS
medium	371 FPS	37 FPS
high	298 FPS	29 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	27 FPS
medium	259 FPS	19 FPS
high	225 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	9 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon HD 4870

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Radeon HD 4870

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.

Radeon HD 4870

The Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,386 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon HD 4870's 1,386 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1126.2%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 4870 uses TeraScale, both on 8 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4870). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.2 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4870).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
G3D Mark Score	16,995+1126%	1,386
Architecture	Ampere	TeraScale
Process Node	8 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	3584+348%	800
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+962%	1.2 TFLOPS
ROPs	48+200%	16
TMUs	112+180%	40
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+2088%	0.16 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	0.25 MB

✨

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 Radeon HD 4870 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
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 Radeon HD 4870 has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 4870) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+500%	2 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

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 4870).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	—
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	—
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon HD 4870's 150W — a 12.5% difference. The Radeon HD 4870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 500W (Radeon HD 4870). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon HD 4870
TDP	170W	150W-12%
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	242mm	—
Height	112mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	100.0+987%	9.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299. The Radeon HD 4870 costs 9.1% less ($30 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4.6 (Radeon HD 4870) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1023.9% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2008).