Quadro CX vs Radeon HD 8850M
Quadro CX
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Radeon HD 8850M
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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 Quadro CX is positioned at rank 383 and the Radeon HD 8850M is on rank 329, so the Radeon HD 8850M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Quadro CX
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8850M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 8850M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.7% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Quadro CX offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.7%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / Tesla 2.0 (2007−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (267mm) | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 8850M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
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 Quadro CX and Radeon HD 8850M
Quadro CX
The Quadro CX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 11 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 602 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 947 points. Launch price was $1,999.
Radeon HD 8850M
The Radeon HD 8850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 575 MHz to 625 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 973 points.
Graphics Performance
The Quadro CX scores 947 and the Radeon HD 8850M reaches 973 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro CX is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8850M uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (Quadro CX) vs 640 (Radeon HD 8850M). Raw compute: 0.4623 TFLOPS (Quadro CX) vs 0.8 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8850M).
| Feature | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 947 | 973+3% |
| Architecture | Tesla 2.0 | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 192 | 640+233% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.4623 TFLOPS | 0.8 TFLOPS+73% |
| ROPs | 24+50% | 16 |
| TMUs | 64+60% | 40 |
| L2 Cache | 192 KB | 256 KB+33% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Quadro CX comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8850M has 2 GB. The Quadro CX offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 192 KB (Quadro CX) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 8850M) — the Radeon HD 8850M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB+100% | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | System |
| L2 Cache | 192 KB | 256 KB+33% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (Quadro CX) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 8850M). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 6.
| Feature | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.1 (10_0) | 12 (11_1)+8% |
| Vulkan | N/A | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 4.6+39% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 6+200% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Quadro CX) vs UVD3 (Radeon HD 8850M). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Quadro CX) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX (Radeon HD 8850M).
| Feature | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | UVD3 |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD | UVD 3.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX |
Power & Dimensions
The Quadro CX draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 8850M's 50W — a 100% difference. The Radeon HD 8850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro CX) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8850M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.
| Feature | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 150W | 50W-67% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 267mm | — |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 80 | 75°C-6% |
| Perf/Watt | 6.3 | 19.5+210% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 8850M is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2008).
| Feature | Quadro CX | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $1999 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $500 | — |
| Codename | GT200B | Venus |
| Release | November 11 2008 | April 1 2013 |
| Ranking | #901 | #894 |
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