GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 7850M

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7850M

2012Core: 675 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4060

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 4060

2023

Why buy it

  • 946.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 187.5% higher power demand at 115W vs 40W.

Radeon HD 7850M

2012

Why buy it

  • Draws 40W instead of 115W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2012-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 0 vs 65.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4060 better than Radeon HD 7850M?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4060 averages 946.7% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 19,548 vs 1,373 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while Radeon HD 7850M is a 2012 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 4060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2012, 1323.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 2 GB, and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) 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 4060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $299 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 946.7% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1323.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon HD 7850M still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon HD 7850M 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 an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060Radeon HD 7850M
1080p
low167 FPS22 FPS
medium152 FPS13 FPS
high134 FPS8 FPS
ultra115 FPS4 FPS
1440p
low137 FPS10 FPS
medium114 FPS5 FPS
high99 FPS3 FPS
ultra90 FPS1 FPS
4K
low86 FPS4 FPS
medium74 FPS2 FPS
high62 FPS1 FPS
ultra55 FPS1 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
1080p
low392 FPS62 FPS
medium334 FPS46 FPS
high268 FPS33 FPS
ultra211 FPS24 FPS
1440p
low240 FPS46 FPS
medium209 FPS29 FPS
high169 FPS21 FPS
ultra137 FPS17 FPS
4K
low119 FPS25 FPS
medium98 FPS16 FPS
high82 FPS12 FPS
ultra63 FPS8 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
1080p
low812 FPS62 FPS
medium642 FPS49 FPS
high551 FPS41 FPS
ultra440 FPS31 FPS
1440p
low535 FPS46 FPS
medium443 FPS37 FPS
high379 FPS31 FPS
ultra329 FPS23 FPS
4K
low365 FPS31 FPS
medium297 FPS25 FPS
high234 FPS21 FPS
ultra186 FPS15 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
1080p
low746 FPS62 FPS
medium613 FPS49 FPS
high536 FPS41 FPS
ultra440 FPS31 FPS
1440p
low594 FPS46 FPS
medium486 FPS37 FPS
high421 FPS31 FPS
ultra330 FPS23 FPS
4K
low358 FPS31 FPS
medium308 FPS25 FPS
high285 FPS21 FPS
ultra220 FPS14 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4060 and Radeon HD 7850M

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

Radeon HD 7850M

The Radeon HD 7850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 675 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 40W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,373 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 scores 19,548 versus the Radeon HD 7850M's 1,373 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 1323.7%. The GeForce RTX 4060 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 7850M uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 640 (Radeon HD 7850M). Raw compute: 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 0.864 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7850M).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
G3D Mark Score
19,548+1324%
1,373
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
GCN 1.0
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3072+380%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
15.11 TFLOPS+1649%
0.864 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+200%
16
TMUs
96+140%
40
L1 Cache
3 MB+1775%
0.16 MB
L2 Cache
24 MB+9500%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon HD 7850M lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 7850M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
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 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7850M has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 4060 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 7850M) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+300%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
272 GB/s
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
L2 Cache
24 MB+9500%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7850M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (11_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7850M). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,DivX (Radeon HD 7850M).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
Encoder
NVENC 8th gen
VCE 1.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
UVD 3
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,DivX
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 draws 115W versus the Radeon HD 7850M's 40W — a 96.8% difference. The Radeon HD 7850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7850M). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 73°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
TDP
115W
40W-65%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
240mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
73°C
70°C-4%
Perf/Watt
170.0+396%
34.3
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4060 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 7850M
MSRP
$299
Codename
AD107
Heathrow
Release
May 18 2023
April 24 2012
Ranking
#84
#787