Radeon HD 4870 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

AMD

Radeon HD 4870

2008Core: 750 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

2020Boost: 2100 MHz
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Radeon HD 4870 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 4870 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 4870 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C: 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 4870

2008

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 202% HIGHER MSRP
    $299 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.6 vs 14.2 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • 900% higher power demand at 150W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

2020

Why buy it

  • 89.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $200 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Delivers 207.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.2 vs 4.6 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Draws 15W instead of 150W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2020 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 89.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (1,410 vs 1,386), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 4870 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C makes the most sense to buy today. It is $200 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 207.2% (14.2 vs 4.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 4870 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 4870 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,410 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 4870 scores 1,386 and the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C reaches 1,410 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4870 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C uses Vega, both on 55 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4870) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C).

FeatureRadeon HD 4870Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
G3D Mark Score
1,386
1,410+2%
Architecture
TeraScale
Vega
Process Node
55 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
800+56%
512
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 4870Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
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
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 4870 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 4870 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4870 and System on the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C.

FeatureRadeon HD 4870Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
64-bit
System
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 4870 draws 150W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C's 15W — a 163.6% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 4870) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureRadeon HD 4870Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
TDP
150W
15W-90%
Recommended PSU
500W
1W-100%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
Integrated
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
9.2
94.0+922%
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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 4870 came in at $299, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C was 66.9% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.6 (Radeon HD 4870) vs 14.2 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C) — the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C offers 208.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C (2020 vs 2008).

FeatureRadeon HD 4870Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
MSRP
$299
$99-67%
Performance per Dollar
4.6
14.2+209%
Codename
RV770
Vega
Release
June 25 2008
January 7 2020
Ranking
#784
#545

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