Radeon HD 3870 vs GeForce GT 550M
Radeon HD 3870
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GeForce GT 550M
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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 3870 is positioned at rank 298 and the GeForce GT 550M is on rank 125, so the GeForce GT 550M 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 3870
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GT 550M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GT 550M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.6% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 3870.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.6%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.6%) |
| 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 (+0%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 3870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 3870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $15 (vs $30), it costs 50% less, resulting in a 96.8% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+96.8%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($15) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($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 3870 and GeForce GT 550M
Radeon HD 3870
The Radeon HD 3870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 552 points. Launch price was $349.
GeForce GT 550M
The GeForce GT 550M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 25 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 980 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 561 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 3870 scores 552 and the GeForce GT 550M reaches 561 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3870 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GT 550M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 3870) vs 384 (GeForce GT 550M). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3870) vs 0.7526 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 550M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 552 | 561+2% |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Kepler |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280+233% | 384 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.56 TFLOPS+240% | 0.7526 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32+100% | 16 |
| TMUs | 80+150% | 32 |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB+900% | 32 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
Both cards feature 1 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 3870) vs 256 KB (GeForce GT 550M) — the Radeon HD 3870 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Media & Encoding
Supported codecs: H.264 (Radeon HD 3870) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 550M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | — | No |
| Decoder | — | PureVideo HD VP4 |
| Codecs | H.264 | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 3870 draws 200W versus the GeForce GT 550M's 50W — a 120% difference. The GeForce GT 550M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (Radeon HD 3870) vs 350W (GeForce GT 550M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 200W | 50W-75% |
| Recommended PSU | 300W-14% | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | — | 0mm |
| Height | — | 0mm |
| Slots | — | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 2.8 | 11.2+300% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 3870 costs 50% less ($15 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 36.8 (Radeon HD 3870) vs 18.7 (GeForce GT 550M) — the Radeon HD 3870 offers 96.8% better value. The GeForce GT 550M is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2012).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3870 | GeForce GT 550M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $219 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15-50% | $30 |
| Performance per Dollar | 36.8+97% | 18.7 |
| Codename | Pitcairn | GK107 |
| Release | March 5 2012 | June 25 2013 |
| Ranking | #460 | #726 |
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