Radeon HD 3870 vs GeForce GTX 1060

Radeon HD 3870

2012Core: 1000 MHz

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 3870

200

552

0.0%

Radeon HD 2900 GT

Mobility Radeon HD 3850

10,064

+1723.2%

GeForce GTX 680

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

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. The Radeon HD 3870 is positioned at rank #298 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 3870

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

2879%

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

2765%

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

2733%

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

2729%

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

2723%

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

2708%

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

2673%

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

2663%

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

2639%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

2632%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

2600%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

2594%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

2548%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

2546%

#283

Radeon R5 430 OEM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13

3175%

#298

Radeon HD 3870

MSRP: $219|Avg: $15

100%

#299

Radeon HD 4250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

98%

#300

Radeon HD 6310

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

97%

#301

GeForce GTX 295

MSRP: $499|Avg: $50

95%

#302

Radeon HD 4870 X2

MSRP: $550|Avg: $550

94%

#303

Radeon HD 3850 X2

MSRP: $349|Avg: $349

94%

#305

Radeon HD 4290

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

93%

#306

Radeon HD 5450

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

90%

#308

Radeon HD 3850

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

89%

#309

Radeon HD 4200

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

89%

#311

Radeon HD 4270

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

87%

#312

Radeon E6460

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

86%

#313

Radeon HD 6290

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

83%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 1060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1723.2% higher G3D Mark score and 500% more VRAM (6 GB vs 1 GB). 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 GTX 1060
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1723.2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1723.2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / Pascal (2016−2021))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+500%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 1060 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 1060 holds the technical lead. Priced at $15 (vs $60), it costs 75% less, resulting in a 355.8% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 3870	GeForce GTX 1060
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+355.8%)
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($15)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($60)

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.

Radeon HD 3870 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 3870 and GeForce GTX 1060

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 GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon HD 3870 scores 552 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 1723.2%. The Radeon HD 3870 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 3870) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3870) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	Radeon HD 3870	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	552	10,064+1723%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	1280	2560+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.56 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+247%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	80	160+100%
L1 Cache	320 KB	960 KB+200%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 3870	GeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 3870 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 3870) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 3870	GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	6 GB+500%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	192 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264 (Radeon HD 3870) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	Radeon HD 3870	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	—	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	—	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	H.264	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 3870 draws 200W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 10.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (Radeon HD 3870) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 3870	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	200W	180W-10%
Recommended PSU	300W-25%	400W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	6-pin
Length	—	173mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Perf/Watt	2.8	55.9+1896%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 3870 launched at $219 MSRP and currently averages $15, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 and now averages $60. The Radeon HD 3870 costs 75% less ($45 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 36.8 (Radeon HD 3870) vs 167.7 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 355.7% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2012).