Quadro FX 4600 vs Radeon HD 3850

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 4600 vs Radeon HD 3850 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 4600 vs Radeon HD 3850: 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 4600

2008

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 3850 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 768 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 768 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
1016.8% HIGHER MSRP
$1,999 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.2 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Radeon HD 3850

2012

Why buy it

✅20.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $1,820 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1011.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.2 vs 0.2 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 768 MB).
✅Draws 130W instead of 150W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 3850 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 20.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro FX 4600 instead at 403 vs 401, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Quadro FX 4600 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 3850 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,820 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $1,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1011.2% (2.2 vs 0.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 3850 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro FX 4600 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro FX 4600 vs Radeon HD 3850 Technical Specifications

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

Quadro FX 4600

The Quadro FX 4600 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: 403 points. Launch price was $1,799.

Radeon HD 3850

The Radeon HD 3850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 401 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Quadro FX 4600 scores 403 and the Radeon HD 3850 reaches 401 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro FX 4600 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 3850 uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (Quadro FX 4600) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850). Raw compute: 0.4623 TFLOPS (Quadro FX 4600) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850).

Feature	Quadro FX 4600	Radeon HD 3850
G3D Mark Score	403	401
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	55 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	1024+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.4623 TFLOPS	1.761 TFLOPS+281%
ROPs	24	32+33%
TMUs	64	64
L2 Cache	192 KB	512 KB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro FX 4600	Radeon HD 3850
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 4600 has 768 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 3850 gives you 33.3% 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 4600 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850. L2 Cache: 192 KB (Quadro FX 4600) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 3850) — the Radeon HD 3850 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Quadro FX 4600	Radeon HD 3850
VRAM Capacity	0.75 GB	1 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	192 KB	512 KB+167%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro FX 4600 draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 3850's 130W — a 14.3% difference. The Radeon HD 3850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro FX 4600) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Quadro FX 4600	Radeon HD 3850
TDP	150W	130W-13%
Recommended PSU	350W-22%	450W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	—	208mm
Slots	—	1
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	2.7	3.1+15%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro FX 4600 came in at $1999, while the Radeon HD 3850 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon HD 3850 was 91% cheaper ($1820 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.2 (Quadro FX 4600) vs 2.2 (Radeon HD 3850) — the Radeon HD 3850 offers 1000% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 3850 (2012 vs 2008).

Feature	Quadro FX 4600	Radeon HD 3850
MSRP	$1999	$179-91%
Performance per Dollar	0.2	2.2+1000%
Codename	GT200B	Pitcairn
Release	November 11 2008	March 5 2012
Ranking	#884	#503

Search Quadro FX 4600 on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 3850 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.