Radeon HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U

AMD

Radeon HD 3850 X2

2011Core: 800 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U

2017Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1200 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U Performance Spectrum

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.

Radeon HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U 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 X2 vs Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U: 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 X2

2011

Why buy it

  • 12.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs Unknown).
  • Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 3850 X2 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1593.3% higher power demand at 254W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U

2017

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 254W, a 239W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 3850 X2 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2017 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 3850 X2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 12.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U instead at 832 vs 822, 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 X2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 3850 X2 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 3850 X2

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 960 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 254W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 822 points.

AMD

Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U

The Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 26 2017. It features the Vega architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 832 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 scores 822 and the Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U reaches 832 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U uses Vega, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 960 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 1.843 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U).

FeatureRadeon HD 3850 X2Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U
G3D Mark Score
822
832+1%
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Vega
Process Node
40 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
960 ×2+88%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.536 TFLOPS ×2
1.843 TFLOPS+20%
ROPs
32 ×2+300%
8
TMUs
48 ×2+50%
32
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 3850 X2Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 3850 X2 gives you 100+% 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 X2 and System on the Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U.

FeatureRadeon HD 3850 X2Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

FeatureRadeon HD 3850 X2Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U
DirectX
10.1
12 (12_1)+19%
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
3+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: UVD+ vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U).

FeatureRadeon HD 3850 X2Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U
Encoder
VCE 4.0
Decoder
UVD+
UVD 7.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,H.265
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 draws 254W versus the Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U's 15W — a 177.7% difference. The Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 75.

FeatureRadeon HD 3850 X2Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U
TDP
254W
15W-94%
Recommended PSU
450W
1W-100%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
Integrated
Length
267mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
90°C
75-17%
Perf/Watt
3.2
55.5+1634%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 3850 X2 came in at $349, while the Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U was 100+% cheaper ($349 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.4 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs Infinity (Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U) — the Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U (2017 vs 2011).

FeatureRadeon HD 3850 X2Radeon Vega 3 Ryzen 3 3200U
MSRP
$349
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
2.4
Infinity
Codename
Barts
Vega Raven Ridge
Release
September 19 2011
October 26 2017
Ranking
#630
#721

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