GeForce RTX 4070 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 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 4070 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 4070 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 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • +5531.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 4121.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 599900% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 81.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 110W.
  • 30300% longer card at 304mm vs 1mm.

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $150 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Draws 110W instead of 200W, a 90W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 304mm, a 303mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (478 vs 26,919).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 MB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 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 44.9 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 5531.6% in PassMark G3D (26,919 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 4070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 2 MB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 55nm, and 46 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 4070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 more expensive on MSRP at $599 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4121.3% (44.9 vs 1.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

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 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 478 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 5531.6%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 uses TeraScale, both on 5 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
G3D Mark Score
26,919+5532%
478
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
TeraScale
Process Node
5 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
5888+1740%
320 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+6801%
0.4224 TFLOPS ×2
ROPs
64+300%
16 ×2
TMUs
184+1050%
16 ×2
L2 Cache
36 MB+14300%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 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 3870 X2 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 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 4070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
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 4070 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 carries 2 MB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 599900% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070 and 64-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+599900%
0.002 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
36 MB+14300%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
DirectX
12.2+21%
10.1
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
UVD
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
UVD
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2's 110W — a 58.1% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 304mm vs 1mm, occupying 3 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
TDP
200W
110W-45%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
304mm
1mm
Height
137mm
Slots
3
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
134.6+3030%
4.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4070 came in at $599, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 launched at $449. On MSRP, Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 was 25% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 3981.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
MSRP
$599
$449-25%
Performance per Dollar
44.9+3982%
1.1
Codename
AD104
M88
Release
April 12 2023
September 1 2008
Ranking
#32
#919

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