Mobility Radeon HD 4870 vs Quadro K420
Mobility Radeon HD 4870
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Quadro K420
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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 4870 is positioned at rank 621 and the Quadro K420 is on rank 220, so the Quadro K420 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 4870
Performance Per Dollar Quadro K420
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Quadro K420 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.8% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Mobility Radeon HD 4870.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Quadro K420 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.8%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.8%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Kepler (2012−2018)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Quadro K420 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Quadro K420 holds the technical lead. Priced at $20 (vs $20), it costs 0% less, resulting in a 0.8% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Quadro K420 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+0.8%) |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 4870 and Quadro K420
Mobility Radeon HD 4870
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 550 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 720 points.
Quadro K420
The Quadro K420 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 771 MHz to 784 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 108W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 726 points. Launch price was $854.99.
Graphics Performance
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 scores 720 and the Quadro K420 reaches 726 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is built on TeraScale while the Quadro K420 uses Kepler, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 1,344 (Quadro K420). Raw compute: 0.88 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 2.107 TFLOPS (Quadro K420).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Quadro K420 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 720 | 726 |
| Architecture | TeraScale | Kepler |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 800 | 1344+68% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.88 TFLOPS | 2.107 TFLOPS+139% |
| ROPs | 16 | 32+100% |
| TMUs | 40 | 112+180% |
| L1 Cache | 160 KB+43% | 112 KB |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Quadro K420 |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
Both cards feature 1 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 64-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 512 KB (Quadro K420) — the Quadro K420 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Quadro K420 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Power & Dimensions
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 draws 30W versus the Quadro K420's 108W — a 113% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 350W (Quadro K420). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Quadro K420 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 30W-72% | 108W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | PCIe-powered |
| Slots | 0 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 24.0+258% | 6.7 |
Value Analysis
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $20, while the Quadro K420 launched at $150 and now averages $20. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 36.0 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 36.3 (Quadro K420) — the Quadro K420 offers 0.8% better value. The Quadro K420 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2009).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Quadro K420 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $299 | $150-50% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20 | $20 |
| Performance per Dollar | 36.0 | 36.3 |
| Codename | M98 | GK104 |
| Release | January 9 2009 | July 22 2014 |
| Ranking | #927 | #475 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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