Radeon HD 3850 AGP vs Radeon R5 M230

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 HD 3850 AGP vs Radeon R5 M230 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 HD 3850 AGP vs Radeon R5 M230: 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 HD 3850 AGP

2012

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R5 M230 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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.
❌
62.5% HIGHER MSRP
$130 MSRPvs$80 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.3 vs 5.3 G3D/$ ($130 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).

Radeon R5 M230

2015

Why buy it

✅0.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($80 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
✅Delivers 59.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.3 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 130W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 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 R5 M230 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 3850 AGP instead at 432 vs 425, 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?

Radeon HD 3850 AGP 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 R5 M230 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $80 vs $130, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 59.9% (5.3 vs 3.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 M230 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 3850 AGP has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 3850 AGP vs Radeon R5 M230 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R5 M230

The Radeon R5 M230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 9 2015. It features the GCN architecture. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 425 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 3850 AGP scores 432 and the Radeon R5 M230 reaches 425 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 AGP is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R5 M230 uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 1,024 (Radeon R5 M230).

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 AGP	Radeon R5 M230
G3D Mark Score	432+2%	425
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	1024
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 AGP	Radeon R5 M230
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)

The Radeon HD 3850 AGP has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 M230 carries 4 GB. Radeon R5 M230 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850 AGP and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M230.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 AGP	Radeon R5 M230
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	4 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 3850 AGP draws 130W versus the Radeon R5 M230's 75W — a 53.7% difference. The Radeon R5 M230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M230). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 AGP	Radeon R5 M230
TDP	130W	75W-42%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	8-pin	Mobile
Length	230mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	3.3	5.7+73%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 3850 AGP came in at $130, while the Radeon R5 M230 launched at $80. On MSRP, Radeon R5 M230 was 38.5% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.3 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) vs 5.3 (Radeon R5 M230) — the Radeon R5 M230 offers 60.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 M230 (2015 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 AGP	Radeon R5 M230
MSRP	$130	$80-38%
Performance per Dollar	3.3	5.3+61%
Codename	Pitcairn	Pitcairn
Release	March 5 2012	June 9 2015
Ranking	#503	#522

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