GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 8500M

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8500M

2012Core: 675 MHz

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 8500M 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 8500M 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.

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 8500M: 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

  • 2584.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 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

  • 400% higher power demand at 200W vs 40W.

Radeon HD 8500M

2012

Why buy it

  • Draws 40W instead of 200W, a 160W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB 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 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 0 vs 44.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2584.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5922.1% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 447), so the answer here is pretty clean.
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 512 MB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon HD 8500M has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 8500M 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

Radeon HD 8500M

The Radeon HD 8500M 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: 447 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon HD 8500M's 447 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 5922.1%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 8500M uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 640 (Radeon HD 8500M). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.864 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8500M).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon HD 8500M
G3D Mark Score
26,919+5922%
447
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
GCN 1.0
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
5888+820%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.15 TFLOPS+3274%
0.864 TFLOPS
ROPs
64+300%
16
TMUs
184+360%
40
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+3525%
0.16 MB
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 Radeon HD 8500M 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 8500M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon HD 8500M
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 8500M carries 512 MB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 2300% 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 System on the Radeon HD 8500M. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 8500M) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon HD 8500M
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+2300%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
504 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
L2 Cache
36 MB+14300%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 11.1 (11_0) (Radeon HD 8500M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.0. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon HD 8500M
DirectX
12.2+10%
11.1 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.3+30%
1.0
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (Radeon HD 8500M).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon HD 8500M
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
UVD 3.0
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 8500M's 40W — a 133.3% difference. The Radeon HD 8500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8500M). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon HD 8500M
TDP
200W
40W-80%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
304mm
Height
137mm
Slots
3
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
75°C-6%
Perf/Watt
134.6+1102%
11.2
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4070Radeon HD 8500M
MSRP
$599
Codename
AD104
Heathrow
Release
April 12 2023
April 24 2012
Ranking
#32
#787

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