GeForce RTX 4060 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3850

2010Core: 700 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce RTX 4060 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850 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 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850: 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

2023

Why buy it

  • +5241% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 2579.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 1500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 130% higher power demand at 115W vs 50W.

Mobility Radeon HD 3850

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $149 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 115W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (366 vs 19,548).
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2010 hardware with 512 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 2.4 vs 65.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 5241% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 366), 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 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Mobility Radeon HD 3850 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 40nm, and 24 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?
GeForce RTX 4060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $149 more expensive on MSRP at $299 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2579.4% (65.4 vs 2.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4060 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3850

The Mobility Radeon HD 3850 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 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 366 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 scores 19,548 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3850's 366 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 5241%. The GeForce RTX 4060 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Mobility Radeon HD 3850 uses TeraScale 2, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 3850). Raw compute: 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 1.12 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 3850).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Mobility Radeon HD 3850
G3D Mark Score
19,548+5241%
366
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
TeraScale 2
Process Node
5 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
3072+284%
800
Compute (TFLOPS)
15.11 TFLOPS+1249%
1.12 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+200%
16
TMUs
96+140%
40
L1 Cache
3 MB+3650%
0.08 MB
L2 Cache
24 MB+9500%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 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 3850 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Mobility Radeon HD 3850 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Mobility Radeon HD 3850
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 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3850 carries 512 MB. GeForce RTX 4060 gives you 1500% 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 and 128-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3850. L2 Cache: 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3850) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Mobility Radeon HD 3850
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+1500%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
272 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
24 MB+9500%
0.25 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 draws 115W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3850's 50W — a 78.8% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 3850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3850). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Mobility Radeon HD 3850
TDP
115W
50W-57%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
240mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
73°C
Perf/Watt
170.0+2229%
7.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4060 came in at $299, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3850 launched at $150. On MSRP, Mobility Radeon HD 3850 was 49.8% cheaper ($149 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 2.4 (Mobility Radeon HD 3850) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 2625% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Mobility Radeon HD 3850
MSRP
$299
$150-50%
Performance per Dollar
65.4+2625%
2.4
Codename
AD107
Broadway
Release
May 18 2023
January 7 2010
Ranking
#84
#846

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.