GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 4870

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 4870

2009Core: 550 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 4870 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 4060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 4870: 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 4060 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • +2316.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • 433.3% higher power demand at 160W vs 30W.

Mobility Radeon HD 4870

2009

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 160W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (720 vs 17,400).
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2009 hardware with 1 GB 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 4060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2316.7% in PassMark G3D (17,400 vs 720), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Mobility Radeon HD 4870 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 55nm, and 34 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Mobility Radeon HD 4870 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 4870 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,400 points. Launch price was $399.

AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 4870

The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 550 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 720 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU scores 17,400 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 4870's 720 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 2316.7%. The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is built on Ada Lovelace while the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 uses TeraScale, both on 5 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870). Raw compute: 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.88 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 4870).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 4870
G3D Mark Score
17,400+2317%
720
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
TeraScale
Process Node
5 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
4352+444%
800
Compute (TFLOPS)
22.06 TFLOPS+2407%
0.88 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+200%
16
TMUs
136+240%
40
L1 Cache
4.3 MB+2587%
0.16 MB
L2 Cache
32 MB+12700%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 4870
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 carries 1 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 4870. L2 Cache: 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 4870
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+700%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
256 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
32 MB+12700%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 4870
DirectX
12 Ultimate+19%
10.1
OpenGL
4.6+39%
3.3
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 4870
Encoder
NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
UVD 2.0
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU draws 160W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 4870's 30W — a 136.8% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 4870). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 4870
TDP
160W
30W-81%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
108.8+353%
24.0
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2009).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 4870
MSRP
$299
Codename
AD106
M98
Release
May 18 2023
January 9 2009
Ranking
#59
#927

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