Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 vs GeForce 820M
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Popular choices:
GeForce 820M
Popular choices:
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 X2 is positioned at rank 689 and the GeForce 820M is on rank 341, so the GeForce 820M 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 X2
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 820M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce 820M is significantly newer (2014 vs 2008). The GeForce 820M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce 820M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.8% higher G3D Mark score and 99900% more VRAM (2 GB vs 2 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.8%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.8%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+99900%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce 820M offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce 820M holds the technical lead. Priced at $30 (vs $50), it costs 40% less, resulting in a 68.1% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+68.1%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($50) | ✅More affordable ($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 X2 and GeForce 820M
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.
GeForce 820M
The GeForce 820M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1029 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 482 points.
Graphics Performance
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 scores 478 and the GeForce 820M reaches 482 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is built on TeraScale while the GeForce 820M uses Maxwell, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 384 (GeForce 820M). Raw compute: 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 0.8632 TFLOPS (GeForce 820M).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 478 | 482 |
| Architecture | TeraScale | Maxwell |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 320 ×2 | 384+20% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 | 0.8632 TFLOPS+104% |
| ROPs | 16 ×2+100% | 8 |
| TMUs | 16 ×2 | 16 |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 1 MB+300% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 comes with 2 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce 820M has 2 GB. The GeForce 820M offers 99900% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 1 MB (GeForce 820M) — the GeForce 820M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.002 GB | 2 GB+99900% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 128-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 1 MB+300% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 11.0 (GeForce 820M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 1.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 11.0+9% |
| Max Displays | 0 | 1 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs No (GeForce 820M). Decoder: UVD vs PureVideo HD VP4.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD | No |
| Decoder | UVD | PureVideo HD VP4 |
| Codecs | — | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP |
Power & Dimensions
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 draws 110W versus the GeForce 820M's 33W — a 107.7% difference. The GeForce 820M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 350W (GeForce 820M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Legacy. Card length: 1mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 110W | 33W-70% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | Legacy |
| Length | 1mm | 0mm |
| Height | — | 0mm |
| Slots | 0 | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 70°C |
| Perf/Watt | 4.3 | 14.6+240% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce 820M costs 40% less ($20 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 9.6 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 16.1 (GeForce 820M) — the GeForce 820M offers 67.7% better value. The GeForce 820M is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2008).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce 820M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $449 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | $30-40% |
| Performance per Dollar | 9.6 | 16.1+68% |
| Codename | M88 | GM108 |
| Release | September 1 2008 | March 12 2014 |
| Ranking | #919 | #854 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 and GeForce 820M
