CPU
GPU
Radeon HD 3850 AGP
Popular choices:
GeForce 800A
Popular choices:
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 Radeon HD 3850 AGP is positioned at rank 283 and the GeForce 800A is on rank 504, so the Radeon HD 3850 AGP offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 3850 AGP
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 800A
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce 800A is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.7% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 3850 AGP offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.7%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce 800A offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce 800A holds the technical lead. Priced at $30 (vs $130), it costs 77% less, resulting in a 336.3% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+336.3%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($130) | ✅More affordable ($30) |
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 Radeon HD 3850 AGP and GeForce 800A
Radeon HD 3850 AGP
The Radeon HD 3850 AGP 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: 432 points. Launch price was $249.
GeForce 800A
The GeForce 800A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 435 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 3850 AGP scores 432 and the GeForce 800A reaches 435 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 AGP is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce 800A uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 256 (GeForce 800A). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 800A). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1150 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 432 | 435 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1024+300% | 256 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.761 TFLOPS+199% | 0.5888 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | 1150 MHz+15% |
| ROPs | 32+300% | 8 |
| TMUs | 64+300% | 16 |
| L1 Cache | 256 KB+100% | 128 KB |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 3850 AGP comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce 800A has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 3850 AGP offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 1 MB (GeForce 800A) — the GeForce 800A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB+100% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce 800A). Vulkan: N/A vs N/A. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 12 (11_0)+19% |
| Vulkan | N/A | N/A |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 4.6+39% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs NVENC (GeForce 800A). Decoder: UVD 1.0 vs VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 800A).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | NVENC |
| Decoder | UVD 1.0 | VP5 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 3850 AGP draws 130W versus the GeForce 800A's 33W — a 119% difference. The GeForce 800A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 350W (GeForce 800A). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Legacy. Card length: 230mm vs 0mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 85.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 130W | 33W-75% |
| Recommended PSU | 450W | 350W-22% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | Legacy |
| Length | 230mm | 0mm |
| Height | 111mm | 0mm |
| Slots | 1 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 80-6% | 85 |
| Perf/Watt | 3.3 | 13.2+300% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 3850 AGP launched at $130 MSRP and currently averages $130, while the GeForce 800A launched at $100 and now averages $30. The GeForce 800A costs 76.9% less ($100 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 3.3 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 14.5 (GeForce 800A) — the GeForce 800A offers 339.4% better value. The GeForce 800A is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2012).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce 800A |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $130 | $100-23% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $130 | $30-77% |
| Performance per Dollar | 3.3 | 14.5+339% |
| Codename | Pitcairn | GM108 |
| Release | March 5 2012 | July 22 2014 |
| Ranking | #503 | #832 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Radeon HD 3850 AGP and GeForce 800A
