Radeon HD 5850 vs Quadro M520

Radeon HD 5850

2009Core: 725 MHz

Quadro M520

2017Core: 1041 MHzBoost: 1019 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 5850

151

1,955

+2.2%

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

Quadro M520

1,913

0.0%

GeForce GTX 780 Rev. 2

GeForce GTX 980

GeForce GTX 1080

TITAN V

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.

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

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Quadro M520

#70

Radeon PRO W6800

MSRP: $2249|Avg: $2249

94%

#72

Quadro P4200

MSRP: $1200|Avg: $110

90%

#130

Tesla K20m

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55

1544%

#145

Quadro M520

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

100%

#146

Radeon Sky 500

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

99%

#147

Quadro M5000

MSRP: $999|Avg: $120

98%

#148

Radeon Pro WX 4100

MSRP: $399|Avg: $85

96%

#149

Quadro P4000 (móvel)

MSRP: $819|Avg: $290

96%

#151

FirePro M40003

MSRP: $150|Avg: $72

95%

#152

Radeon Pro 465

MSRP: $500|Avg: $150

95%

#154

Tesla P4

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $190

94%

#155

Radeon Pro WX 4150

MSRP: $300|Avg: $120

92%

#158

Quadro M2200

MSRP: $500|Avg: $70

90%

#159

Quadro M4000

MSRP: $791|Avg: $350

88%

#160

FirePro W4100

MSRP: $183|Avg: $183

85%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Quadro M520 is significantly newer (2017 vs 2009). The Quadro M520 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 5850 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 5850 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.2% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Quadro M520.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	Quadro M520
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2.2%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / Maxwell (2014−2017))
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 5850 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 5850 holds the technical lead. Priced at $30 (vs $50), it costs 40% less, resulting in a 70.3% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	Quadro M520
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+70.3%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($30)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($50)

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 5850 Benchmark Check

Quadro M520 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 5850 and Quadro M520

Radeon HD 5850

The Radeon HD 5850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $299.

Quadro M520

The Quadro M520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2017. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1041 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,913 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5850 scores 1,955 and the Quadro M520 reaches 1,913 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5850 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Quadro M520 uses Maxwell, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 384 (Quadro M520). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850) vs 0.7995 TFLOPS (Quadro M520).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Quadro M520
G3D Mark Score	1,955+2%	1,913
Architecture	TeraScale 2	Maxwell
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1440+275%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.088 TFLOPS+161%	0.7995 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	72+350%	16
L1 Cache	144 KB+13%	128 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Quadro M520
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 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5850) vs 1 MB (Quadro M520) — the Quadro M520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Quadro M520
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5850 draws 151W versus the Quadro M520's 25W — a 143.2% difference. The Quadro M520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5850) vs 350W (Quadro M520). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Quadro M520
TDP	151W	25W-83%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt	12.9	76.5+493%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 5850 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $30, while the Quadro M520 launched at $200 and now averages $50. The Radeon HD 5850 costs 40% less ($20 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 65.2 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 38.3 (Quadro M520) — the Radeon HD 5850 offers 70.2% better value. The Quadro M520 is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2009).