Radeon HD 4870 vs Radeon 540
Radeon HD 4870
Popular choices:
Radeon 540
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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 4870 is positioned at rank 241 and the Radeon 540 is on rank 93, so the Radeon 540 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 4870
Performance Per Dollar Radeon 540
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon 540 is significantly newer (2017 vs 2008). The Radeon 540 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 4870 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon 540 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 4.8% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 4870 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon 540 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-4.8%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+4.8%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+300%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 4870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 4870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $25 (vs $40), it costs 38% less, resulting in a 52.7% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon 540 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+52.7%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($25) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($40) |
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 4870 and Radeon 540
Radeon HD 4870
The Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,386 points. Launch price was $299.
Radeon 540
The Radeon 540 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1183 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,452 points. Launch price was $79.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 4870 scores 1,386 and the Radeon 540 reaches 1,452 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4870 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon 540 uses GCN 4.0, both on 55 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4870) vs 384 (Radeon 540). Raw compute: 1.2 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4870) vs 0.9085 TFLOPS (Radeon 540).
| Feature | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon 540 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 1,386 | 1,452+5% |
| Architecture | TeraScale | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 800+108% | 384 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.2 TFLOPS+32% | 0.9085 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 40+67% | 24 |
| L1 Cache | 160 KB+67% | 96 KB |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon 540 |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
The Radeon HD 4870 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 540 has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 4870 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon HD 4870) vs 512 KB (Radeon 540) — the Radeon 540 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon 540 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB+300% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 4870 draws 150W versus the Radeon 540's 50W — a 100% difference. The Radeon 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 4870) vs 350W (Radeon 540). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs None.
| Feature | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon 540 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 150W | 50W-67% |
| Recommended PSU | 500W | 350W-30% |
| Power Connector | 2x 6-pin | None |
| Perf/Watt | 9.2 | 29.0+215% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $25, while the Radeon 540 launched at $99 and now averages $40. The Radeon HD 4870 costs 37.5% less ($15 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 55.4 (Radeon HD 4870) vs 36.3 (Radeon 540) — the Radeon HD 4870 offers 52.6% better value. The Radeon 540 is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2008).
| Feature | Radeon HD 4870 | Radeon 540 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $299 | $99-67% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $25-38% | $40 |
| Performance per Dollar | 55.4+53% | 36.3 |
| Codename | RV770 | Lexa |
| Release | June 25 2008 | April 20 2017 |
| Ranking | #784 | #773 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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