Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 vs GeForce GT 540M
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
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GeForce GT 540M
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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 X2 is positioned at rank 689 and the GeForce GT 540M is on rank 172, so the GeForce GT 540M 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 GT 540M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.8% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GT 540M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.8%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.8%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / Kepler (2012−2018)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+49900%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce GT 540M offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GT 540M holds the technical lead. Priced at $30 (vs $50), it costs 40% less, resulting in a 65.3% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+65.3%) |
| 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 GT 540M
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 GT 540M
The GeForce GT 540M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 9 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 474 points.
Graphics Performance
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 scores 478 and the GeForce GT 540M reaches 474 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 GT 540M uses Kepler, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 320 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 384 (GeForce GT 540M). Raw compute: 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 540M).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 478 | 474 |
| Architecture | TeraScale | Kepler |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 320 ×2 | 384+20% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.4224 TFLOPS ×2 | 0.7427 TFLOPS+76% |
| ROPs | 16 ×2 | 16 |
| TMUs | 16 ×2 | 32+100% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 GT 540M has 1 GB. The GeForce GT 540M offers 49900% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.002 GB | 1 GB+49900% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 128-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 540M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 1.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 11.0+9% |
| Max Displays | 0 | 1 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs No (GeForce GT 540M). Decoder: UVD vs PureVideo HD VP4.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 GT 540M's 50W — a 75% difference. The GeForce GT 540M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 350W (GeForce GT 540M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 1mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 110W | 50W-55% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 1mm | 0mm |
| Height | — | 0mm |
| Slots | 0 | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 4.3 | 9.5+121% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GT 540M costs 40% less ($20 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 9.6 (Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2) vs 15.8 (GeForce GT 540M) — the GeForce GT 540M offers 64.6% better value. The GeForce GT 540M is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2008).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 | GeForce GT 540M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $449 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | $30-40% |
| Performance per Dollar | 9.6 | 15.8+65% |
| Codename | M88 | GK107 |
| Release | September 1 2008 | January 9 2013 |
| Ranking | #919 | #792 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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