
Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire vs GeForce GTX 680M

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
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GeForce GTX 680M
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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 5870 Crossfire is positioned at rank 516 and the GeForce GTX 680M is on rank 105, so the GeForce GTX 680M 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 5870 Crossfire
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 680M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 680M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+1%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / Terascale 2 (2009−2015)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce GTX 680M offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 680M holds the technical lead. Priced at $50 (vs $150), it costs 67% less, resulting in a 196.9% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+196.9%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($150) | ✅More affordable ($50) |
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 5870 Crossfire and GeForce GTX 680M

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire 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 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

GeForce GTX 680M
The GeForce GTX 680M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 4 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 719 MHz to 758 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,277 points. Launch price was $310.50.
Graphics Performance
The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire scores 3,311 and the GeForce GTX 680M reaches 3,277 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is built on Terascale 2 while the GeForce GTX 680M uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) vs 1,344 (GeForce GTX 680M).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,311+1% | 3,277 |
| Architecture | Terascale 2 | Kepler |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1600+19% | 1344 |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 680M has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 680M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.0 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 680M). Vulkan: No vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.0 | 12 (11_0)+9% |
| Vulkan | No | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.4 | 4.6+5% |
| Max Displays | 6+50% | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD 2.3 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) vs 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 680M). Decoder: UVD 2.3 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 680M).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD 2.3 | 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) |
| Decoder | UVD 2.3 | PureVideo HD VP5 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire draws 120W versus the GeForce GTX 680M's 100W — a 18.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 680M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 680M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 81°C.
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 120W | 100W-17% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 1x 6-pin |
| Slots | — | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | 95°C | 81°C-15% |
| Perf/Watt | 27.6 | 32.8+19% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 680M costs 66.7% less ($100 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 22.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) vs 65.5 (GeForce GTX 680M) — the GeForce GTX 680M offers 196.4% better value. The GeForce GTX 680M is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2010).
| Feature | Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire | GeForce GTX 680M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $800 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $150 | $50-67% |
| Performance per Dollar | 22.1 | 65.5+196% |
| Codename | Broadway-XT | GK104 |
| Release | January 7 2010 | June 4 2012 |
| Ranking | #688 | #561 |
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