Mobility Radeon HD 3870 vs Radeon R5 M255
Mobility Radeon HD 3870
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Radeon R5 M255
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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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is positioned at rank 509 and the Radeon R5 M255 is on rank 553, so the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Mobility Radeon HD 3870
Performance Per Dollar Radeon R5 M255
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.9% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon R5 M255 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.9%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.9%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+700%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $15 (vs $30), it costs 50% less, resulting in a 101.8% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+101.8%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($15) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($30) |
Performance Check
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 7800X3D 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Mobility Radeon HD 3870 and Radeon R5 M255
Mobility Radeon HD 3870
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 548 points.
Radeon R5 M255
The Radeon R5 M255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 28 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 925 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 543 points. Launch price was $799.99.
Graphics Performance
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 scores 548 and the Radeon R5 M255 reaches 543 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R5 M255 uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870) vs 640 (Radeon R5 M255). Raw compute: 1.12 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 3870) vs 1.184 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 M255).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 548 | 543 |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 800+25% | 640 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.12 TFLOPS | 1.184 TFLOPS+6% |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 40 | 40 |
| L1 Cache | 80 KB | 160 KB+100% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 M255 has 4 GB. The Radeon R5 M255 offers 700% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.5 GB | 4 GB+700% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870) vs 12 (Radeon R5 M255). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 2.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 12+19% |
| Max Displays | 0 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R5 M255). Decoder: UVD vs UVD 4.2.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD | VCE 3.0 |
| Decoder | UVD | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | — | H.264,MPEG-4,MPEG-2,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 draws 50W versus the Radeon R5 M255's 75W — a 40% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M255). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 50W-33% | 75W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | Mobile |
| Length | 1mm | — |
| Slots | 0 | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 11.0+53% | 7.2 |
Value Analysis
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 launched at $129 MSRP and currently averages $15, while the Radeon R5 M255 launched at $150 and now averages $30. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 costs 50% less ($15 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 36.5 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870) vs 18.1 (Radeon R5 M255) — the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 offers 101.7% better value. The Radeon R5 M255 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2010).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 | Radeon R5 M255 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $129-14% | $150 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15-50% | $30 |
| Performance per Dollar | 36.5+102% | 18.1 |
| Codename | Broadway | Venus |
| Release | January 7 2010 | January 28 2014 |
| Ranking | #846 | #851 |
Top Performing GPUs
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