GeForce RTX 4070
Radeon HD 3850 X2
GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 3850 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 Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 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
2023Why buy it
- ✅1216.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 1808% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $349 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
- ❌13.9% longer card at 304mm vs 267mm.
Radeon HD 3850 X2
2011Why buy it
- ✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
- ✅Measures 267mm instead of 304mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 X2
The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 960 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 254W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 822 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon HD 3850 X2's 822 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 3174.8%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 3850 X2 uses TeraScale 2, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 960 (Radeon HD 3850 X2). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 26,919+3175% | 822 |
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 5 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 5888+513% | 960 ×2 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 29.15 TFLOPS+1798% | 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 |
| ROPs | 64+100% | 32 ×2 |
| TMUs | 184+283% | 48 ×2 |
| L1 Cache | 5.8 MB+2953% | 0.19 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 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 Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 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 Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 X2. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 3850 X2) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 X2). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| 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,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | 8th Gen NVENC (2x) | — |
| Decoder | 5th Gen NVDEC | UVD+ |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 3850 X2's 254W — a 23.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850 X2). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 90°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 200W-21% | 254W |
| Recommended PSU | 650W | 450W-31% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Length | 304mm | 267mm |
| Height | 137mm | — |
| Slots | 3 | 2-33% |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C-11% | 90°C |
| Perf/Watt | 134.6+4106% | 3.2 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 4070 came in at $599, while the Radeon HD 3850 X2 launched at $349. On MSRP, Radeon HD 3850 X2 was 41.7% cheaper ($250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 2.4 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 1770.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2011).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 4070 | Radeon HD 3850 X2 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $599 | $349-42% |
| Performance per Dollar | 44.9+1771% | 2.4 |
| Codename | AD104 | Barts |
| Release | April 12 2023 | September 19 2011 |
| Ranking | #32 | #630 |
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