GeForce RTX 4070
Radeon HD 3850
GeForce RTX 4070 vs 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 4070 vs Radeon HD 3850 FPS Benchmarks
Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.
Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 4070 vs 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 4070
2023Why buy it
- ✅2094.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 1906% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
- ✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 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
- ❌53.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 130W.
- ❌46.2% longer card at 304mm vs 208mm.
Radeon HD 3850
2012Why buy it
- ✅Costs $420 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 130W instead of 200W, a 70W reduction.
- ✅Measures 208mm instead of 304mm, a 96mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.2 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
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GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 3850 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
Radeon HD 3850
The Radeon HD 3850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 401 points. Launch price was $249.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon HD 3850's 401 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 6613%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 3850 uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850). Boost clocks: 2475 MHz vs 1000 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 26,919+6613% | 401 |
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 5 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 5888+475% | 1024 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 29.15 TFLOPS+1555% | 1.761 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 2475 MHz+148% | 1000 MHz |
| ROPs | 64+100% | 32 |
| TMUs | 184+188% | 64 |
| L1 Cache | 5.8 MB+2220% | 0.25 MB |
| L2 Cache | 36 MB+7100% | 0.5 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 Radeon HD 3850 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 Radeon HD 3850 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | 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 4070 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 carries 1 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 1100% 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 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 3850) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB+1100% | 1 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 504 GB/s | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+50% | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 36 MB+7100% | 0.5 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.2+21% | 10.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6+39% | 3.3 |
| Max Displays | 4+100% | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD+. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | 8th Gen NVENC (2x) | — |
| Decoder | 5th Gen NVDEC | UVD+ |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 | H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 3850's 130W — a 42.4% difference. The Radeon HD 3850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 208mm, occupying 3 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 200W | 130W-35% |
| Recommended PSU | 650W | 450W-31% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 304mm | 208mm |
| Height | 137mm | — |
| Slots | 3 | 1-67% |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 134.6+4242% | 3.1 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 4070 came in at $599, while the Radeon HD 3850 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon HD 3850 was 70.1% cheaper ($420 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 2.2 (Radeon HD 3850) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 1940.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2012).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $599 | $179-70% |
| Performance per Dollar | 44.9+1941% | 2.2 |
| Codename | AD104 | Pitcairn |
| Release | April 12 2023 | March 5 2012 |
| Ranking | #32 | #503 |
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