Radeon HD 5850 vs Radeon R9 350

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

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon R9 350 is significantly newer (2015 vs 2009). The Radeon R9 350 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 R9 350 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 Radeon HD 5850.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon R9 350
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2.2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 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 63.1% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon R9 350
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+63.1%)	❌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

Radeon R9 350 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 5850 and Radeon R9 350

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.

Radeon R9 350

The Radeon R9 350 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,998 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5850 scores 1,955 and the Radeon R9 350 reaches 1,998 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 Radeon R9 350 uses GCN 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 350). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850) vs 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 350).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon R9 350
G3D Mark Score	1,955	1,998+2%
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 2.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1440	2560+78%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.088 TFLOPS	5.12 TFLOPS+145%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	72	160+122%
L1 Cache	144 KB	640 KB+344%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon R9 350
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 GDDR5. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5850) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 350) — the Radeon R9 350 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon R9 350
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5850 draws 151W versus the Radeon R9 350's 300W — a 66.1% difference. The Radeon HD 5850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5850) vs 300W (Radeon R9 350). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon R9 350
TDP	151W-50%	300W
Recommended PSU	500W	300W-40%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	None
Length	—	168mm
Slots	—	1
Perf/Watt	12.9+93%	6.7

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 5850 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $30, while the Radeon R9 350 launched at $99 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 40.0 (Radeon R9 350) — the Radeon HD 5850 offers 63% better value. The Radeon R9 350 is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2009).