Mobility Radeon HD 4870 vs Radeon HD 6550A
Mobility Radeon HD 4870
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Radeon HD 6550A
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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 Radeon HD 6550A is on rank 221, so the Radeon HD 6550A 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 Radeon HD 6550A
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (1 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 6550A.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 6550A |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.7%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $20 (vs $30), it costs 33% less, resulting in a 52.5% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 6550A |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+52.5%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($20) | ⚠️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 4870 and Radeon HD 6550A
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.
Radeon HD 6550A
The Radeon HD 6550A is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 600 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 708 points.
Graphics Performance
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 scores 720 and the Radeon HD 6550A reaches 708 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon HD 6550A uses TeraScale 2, both on 55 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 480 (Radeon HD 6550A). Raw compute: 0.88 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 0.576 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6550A).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 6550A |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 720+2% | 708 |
| Architecture | TeraScale | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 800+67% | 480 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.88 TFLOPS+53% | 0.576 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 16+100% | 8 |
| TMUs | 40+67% | 24 |
| L1 Cache | 160 KB+233% | 48 KB |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 6550A |
|---|---|---|
| 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 4870 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6550A has 512 MB. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 6550A |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB+100% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 128-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Power & Dimensions
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 draws 30W versus the Radeon HD 6550A's 45W — a 40% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6550A). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 6550A |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 30W-33% | 45W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 1x 6-pin |
| Slots | 0 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 24.0+53% | 15.7 |
Value Analysis
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $20, while the Radeon HD 6550A launched at $30 and now averages $30. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 costs 33.3% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 36.0 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) vs 23.6 (Radeon HD 6550A) — the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 offers 52.5% better value. The Radeon HD 6550A is the newer GPU (2011 vs 2009).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon HD 6550A |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $299 | $30-90% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20-33% | $30 |
| Performance per Dollar | 36.0+53% | 23.6 |
| Codename | M98 | Onega |
| Release | January 9 2009 | April 19 2011 |
| Ranking | #927 | #926 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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