CPU
GPU
Radeon HD 3850 AGP
Popular choices:
GeForce GT 720M
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 GT 720M is on rank 189, so the GeForce GT 720M 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 GT 720M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GT 720M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.9% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (2 GB vs 1 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 3850 AGP.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.9%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.9%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / Kepler (2012−2018)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GT 720M 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 Radeon HD 3850 AGP and GeForce GT 720M
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 GT 720M
The GeForce GT 720M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 9 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 440 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 3850 AGP scores 432 and the GeForce GT 720M reaches 440 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 AGP is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GT 720M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 384 (GeForce GT 720M). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 720M). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 967 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 432 | 440+2% |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Kepler |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1024+167% | 384 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.761 TFLOPS+137% | 0.7427 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz+3% | 967 MHz |
| ROPs | 32+100% | 16 |
| TMUs | 64+100% | 32 |
| L1 Cache | 256 KB+700% | 32 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 GT 720M has 2 GB. The GeForce GT 720M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 256 KB (GeForce GT 720M) — the Radeon HD 3850 AGP has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 2 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 720M). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 12 (11_0)+19% |
| Vulkan | N/A | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 4.6+39% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs None (GeForce GT 720M). Decoder: UVD 1.0 vs PureVideo HD (VP5). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 720M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | None |
| Decoder | UVD 1.0 | PureVideo HD (VP5) |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 3850 AGP draws 130W versus the GeForce GT 720M's 50W — a 88.9% difference. The GeForce GT 720M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 350W (GeForce GT 720M). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 230mm vs 0mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 130W | 50W-62% |
| Recommended PSU | 450W | 350W-22% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 230mm | 0mm |
| Height | 111mm | 0mm |
| Slots | 1 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 80 | 75-6% |
| Perf/Watt | 3.3 | 8.8+167% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GT 720M is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2012).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 AGP | GeForce GT 720M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $130 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $130 | — |
| Codename | Pitcairn | GK107 |
| Release | March 5 2012 | January 9 2013 |
| Ranking | #503 | #792 |
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