Quadro FX 2700 vs Radeon HD 3870

NVIDIA

Quadro FX 2700

2008Core: 610 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 3870

2012Core: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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Quadro FX 2700 vs Radeon HD 3870 Performance Spectrum

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.

Quadro FX 2700 vs Radeon HD 3870 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Quadro FX 2700 vs Radeon HD 3870: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Quadro FX 2700

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $119 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $219 MSRP).
  • Delivers 115.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.4 vs 2.5 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $219 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 3870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 3870

2012

Why buy it

  • 15.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 119% HIGHER MSRP
    $219 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.5 vs 5.4 G3D/$ ($219 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 3870 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 15.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (552 vs 543), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro FX 2700 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Quadro FX 2700 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $119 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $219, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 115.4% (5.4 vs 2.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 3870 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Quadro FX 2700 vs Radeon HD 3870 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

Quadro FX 2700

The Quadro FX 2700 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 11 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 610 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 189W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 543 points. Launch price was $3,499.

AMD

Radeon HD 3870

The Radeon HD 3870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 552 points. Launch price was $349.

Graphics Performance

The Quadro FX 2700 scores 543 and the Radeon HD 3870 reaches 552 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro FX 2700 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 3870 uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 240 (Quadro FX 2700) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 3870). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (Quadro FX 2700) vs 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3870).

FeatureQuadro FX 2700Radeon HD 3870
G3D Mark Score
543
552+2%
Architecture
Tesla 2.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
55 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
240
1280+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6221 TFLOPS
2.56 TFLOPS+312%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
80
80
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro FX 2700Radeon HD 3870
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Quadro FX 2700 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3870 carries 1 GB. Quadro FX 2700 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Quadro FX 2700 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3870. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Quadro FX 2700) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 3870) — the Radeon HD 3870 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureQuadro FX 2700Radeon HD 3870
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+300%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro FX 2700 draws 189W versus the Radeon HD 3870's 200W — a 5.7% difference. The Quadro FX 2700 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro FX 2700) vs 300W (Radeon HD 3870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureQuadro FX 2700Radeon HD 3870
TDP
189W-6%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Perf/Watt
2.9+4%
2.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro FX 2700 came in at $100, while the Radeon HD 3870 launched at $219. On MSRP, Quadro FX 2700 was 54.3% cheaper ($119 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.4 (Quadro FX 2700) vs 2.5 (Radeon HD 3870) — the Quadro FX 2700 offers 116% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 3870 (2012 vs 2008).

FeatureQuadro FX 2700Radeon HD 3870
MSRP
$100-54%
$219
Performance per Dollar
5.4+116%
2.5
Codename
GT200B
Pitcairn
Release
November 11 2008
March 5 2012
Ranking
#815
#460

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