Radeon HD 4850 vs Radeon HD 8850M
Radeon HD 4850
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 8850M
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 4850 is positioned at rank 237 and the Radeon HD 8850M is on rank 329, so the Radeon HD 4850 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 4850
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8850M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 8850M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.9% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 4850.
| Insight | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.9%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.9%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (246mm) | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 8850M 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 4850 and Radeon HD 8850M
Radeon HD 4850
The Radeon HD 4850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 625 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 946 points. Launch price was $199.
Radeon HD 8850M
The Radeon HD 8850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 575 MHz to 625 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 973 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 4850 scores 946 and the Radeon HD 8850M reaches 973 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4850 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon HD 8850M uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4850) vs 640 (Radeon HD 8850M). Raw compute: 1 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4850) vs 0.8 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8850M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 946 | 973+3% |
| Architecture | TeraScale | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 800+25% | 640 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1 TFLOPS+25% | 0.8 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 40 | 40 |
| L1 Cache | 160 KB | 160 KB |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards feature 2 GB of video memory. Bus width: 64-bit vs System.
| Feature | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | System |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | System |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Radeon HD 4850) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 8850M). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 6.
| Feature | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 12 (11_1)+19% |
| Vulkan | N/A | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 4.6+39% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 6+200% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 4850) vs UVD3 (Radeon HD 8850M). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (Radeon HD 4850) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX (Radeon HD 8850M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | UVD3 |
| Decoder | UVD 2.2 | UVD 3.0 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 4850 draws 110W versus the Radeon HD 8850M's 50W — a 75% difference. The Radeon HD 8850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 4850) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8850M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 95 vs 75°C.
| Feature | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 110W | 50W-55% |
| Recommended PSU | 450W | 350W-22% |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 246mm | — |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 95 | 75°C-21% |
| Perf/Watt | 8.6 | 19.5+127% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 8850M is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2008).
| Feature | Radeon HD 4850 | Radeon HD 8850M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $199 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $199 | — |
| Codename | RV770 | Venus |
| Release | June 25 2008 | April 1 2013 |
| Ranking | #876 | #894 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Radeon HD 4850 and Radeon HD 8850M
