Radeon 820M vs Radeon HD 5870

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.

Radeon 820M vs Radeon HD 5870 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.

Radeon 820M vs Radeon HD 5870: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon 820M

2024

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 3+ (2024) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 30W instead of 188W, a 158W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3+ (2024) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 5870 across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Radeon HD 5870

2009

Why buy it

✅3.1% more average FPS across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌526.7% higher power demand at 188W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 5870 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.1% in average FPS across 32 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (2,180 vs 2,143), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon 820M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 4nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2009. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 5870 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 5870 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 820M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon 820M vs Radeon HD 5870 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon 820M

The Radeon 820M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 2 2024. It features the RDNA 3+ architecture. The boost clock speed is 2900 MHz. It has 128 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,143 points.

Radeon HD 5870

The Radeon HD 5870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 23 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 188W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,180 points. Launch price was $399.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon 820M scores 2,143 and the Radeon HD 5870 reaches 2,180 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 820M is built on RDNA 3+ while the Radeon HD 5870 uses TeraScale 2, both on 4 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 128 (Radeon 820M) vs 1,600 (Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	Radeon 820M	Radeon HD 5870
G3D Mark Score	2,143	2,180+2%
Architecture	RDNA 3+	TeraScale 2
Process Node	4 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	128	1600+1150%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + RSR	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 820M	Radeon HD 5870
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon 820M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 5870.

Feature	Radeon 820M	Radeon HD 5870
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (Radeon 820M) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 5870). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon 820M	Radeon HD 5870
DirectX	12 Ultimate+7%	11.2
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 4.0 (Radeon 820M) vs UVD 2.2 (Radeon HD 5870). Decoder: VCN 4.0 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9 (Radeon 820M) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	Radeon 820M	Radeon HD 5870
Encoder	VCN 4.0	UVD 2.2
Decoder	VCN 4.0	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9	H.264

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 820M draws 30W versus the Radeon HD 5870's 188W — a 145% difference. The Radeon 820M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 820M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 5870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 280mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	Radeon 820M	Radeon HD 5870
TDP	30W-84%	188W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	280mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	71.4+516%	11.6

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon 820M (2024 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon 820M	Radeon HD 5870
MSRP	—	$399
Codename	Krackan Point	Cypress
Release	June 2 2024	September 23 2009
Ranking	#669	#663

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