GeForce RTX 3070 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 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 3070 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 3070 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 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • +4538.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 4073.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 399900% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 100% higher power demand at 220W vs 110W.
  • 24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $50 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Draws 110W instead of 220W, a 110W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (478 vs 22,172).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 MB vs 8 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 4538.5% in PassMark G3D (22,172 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 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 2 MB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 55nm, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 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 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4073.7% (44.4 vs 1.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

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 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 478 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 4538.5%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 uses TeraScale, both on 8 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
G3D Mark Score
22,172+4538%
478
Architecture
Ampere
TeraScale
Process Node
8 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
5888+1740%
320 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+4708%
0.4224 TFLOPS ×2
ROPs
96+500%
16 ×2
TMUs
184+1050%
16 ×2
L2 Cache
4 MB+1500%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 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 3070Mobility 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 3070 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 carries 2 MB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 399900% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+399900%
0.002 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
256-bit+300%
64-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+1500%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
DirectX
12 Ultimate+19%
10.1
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
UVD
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
UVD
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 110W — a 66.7% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) 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 3070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
TDP
220W
110W-50%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
1mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+2244%
4.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 launched at $449. On MSRP, Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 was 10% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 3936.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
MSRP
$499
$449-10%
Performance per Dollar
44.4+3936%
1.1
Codename
GA104
M88
Release
September 1 2020
September 1 2008
Ranking
#63
#919

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